Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-26
THE RIGHT OF CHOICE.
Must Intelligent People Bow to the
Dictum Of Doctors
Editor Deseret News.

Editor Deseret News:
was personally referred to by one
Of the parties to the defense Of yaccina-
ton as being expert In my profession
as an engineer and that / should there.
fore allow the doctors 10 be expert IN
theirs. and should on that account per.
nit them TO be the best Judges Of the
value of vaccination. This Is not stat.
ing the case correctly ! do not pre-
tend TO medical knowledge. but ] do
hope TO have some common sense, and
when l see that England az.
ter half century's expert
ence in compulsory vaccina-
ton has been compelled 70 relax It's law
on account OF its many failures, am
naturally led TO inquire what Is the
reason for such change OF attitude.
We will suppose for instance that
certain Mr.. Smith requires an engine
for a certain purpose, He consults
me and ! advise a certain style Of con
struction which ! believe 20 be the best.
lie then consuts another engineer, who
is known 20 have had say ten times
the experience that / have had In
that class OF work, and he advises some
other construction for that purpose,
Mr. Smith. who perhaps knows moth
Ing about the details Of machinery
would be very likely 20 accept the adj
vice Of the more experienced engineer,
and who could say that he was not
wise In doing so?
/ have known Of just such cases with
steamships, where the owners who did
not pretend 20 any knowledge Of ma
chinery found that one class Of engine
while not appearing 20 be 80 scientific
fth
less repairs and consequently was the
one that they favored, and ! think were
justified In their conclusions.
Now in my own case / viii not pre-
tend 10 any practical knowledge Of vac
cination. although / know that almost
any plug can do Il and be just about as
successful In implanting disease as the
most experienced practitioner.
find that Alexander Won Humboldt
a scientist OF such worldwide reputa-
ton that IL IS as compared with that Of
any Utah doctor, as an arc light TO a
tallow candle. says In a letter Of which
! have a copy: II have clearly per-
ceiyed the progressive. dangerous in
fuence Of vaccination in England
France and Germany etc; which am
to take. Won Humboldt or Dr.. Beatty?
The eagle or the mosquito?
Professor Crookshank IN his PathOlo-
gy Of Vaccination, vol /, page 46j-"l
maintain that where isolation and vac
cination have been carried out in the
face Of an epidemic. it Is Isolation |
which has been instrumental In staying |
the outbreak. though vaccination has |
received the credit
unfortunately a belief in the efiica-
cy Of vaccination has been so enforced |
IN the education OF the medical prac.
titioner that Il Is hardly probable that /
the futillty Of the practice will be gem /
orally conceded in our generation /
though nothing would more rebound 10 |.
the credit Of the profession and give /
evidence Of the advance made In pa. /
thology and sanitary science"
Which am / likely TO take. Prof |
CrOokshank or Dr. Beatty?
Or. Creighton also investigated this .
practice and the results Of his lahors /
are given in his book published in 1851 /
and establishes the connection between /
cow-pox and syphilis, and Crookshank .
confirmed his conclusions. Again ! am /
confronted. shall l believe Creighton
or Beatty?
And when 7 hear the great claims
made for vaccination In our own city
and compare the results. where there
has been no intelligent effort made at \
isolation, how else am 10 decide except /
that the practice Is all humbug?
The circumstances before mentioned !
are not analogous, for the reason that
engineering is based upon exact science, I
while medical practice Is maze OF
changing from day TO day,
and especially so in the case Of yaccl-
nation, which has changed several
times since lis first introduction. and
at each change we are requested %
bow our heads and abiectedly accept
without further inquiry. whatever fresh
fad the mediCOs may be graciOusly
pleased TO forse upon us.
IL used 20 be fashionable 20 trust the
priest with our salvation, and the doc
tor with our bodies. but with the more
intelligent and progressive individuals
this is no longer the case.
! accept no statement In either case
upon the ipse diVit Of any man. Telg-
ous or medical. without also examining
lie evidence for and against the prop0-
sition and anltay0r 90 decide accord
ng 10 the best light and information
which / can obtain. In doing this
many years ago changed the whole
current OF my existence and OF those
depending upon me- and although 70
brought hardshlps and trouble ] have
lcver Vet seen cause to regret the step |
then took.
] have passed my 6Sth milestone. and /
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