The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-22
COMPULSORY VACCINATION
DISCUSSED AT STATE BOARD OF
 HEALTH MEETING.

Health Officers, Physicians and School
 Board Members from All Over State
 Attended Opinions Seem to Favor
 Vaccinating she School ChIIdren- Another Meeting to Act on Proposed Regulation to be Hsid Soon.
 A meeting of the state board of health was held in room Al Osborn hall yes terday afternoon and it was one of the most interesting held by the board for some time. It was called for the pur- pose of considering the question of com pulsory vaccination for school children in the different towns in the state and aside from the members of the board there were present health officers, phy- l sicians and school officers from all parts of Connecticut. attracted here by the importance of the meeting. The members of the state board present were President William H. Brewer, Dr. J. H. Townsend, W. H. Mckenzie of Southington, Henry G. Newton and Dr. c. 4. Lindsey, the secretary.
 | Fairfield, New Haven, Litchfield, | Holland, Hartford and Windham coun- ties were all represented by large dele gations and during the afternoon there
 were many interesting remarks on the
 regulation that has been under discus sion for months
 George M. Gum of Milford said that
 the selectmen of that town objected to
 the compulsory vaccination regulation
 going into effect. He said he did not
 want to be put on record as being op-
 posed to vaccination, but that he thought that if the regulation went into
 effect this fall it would be too soon. He suggested that no steps be taken until
 after the end of September, claiming
 that the people were not ready for the
 vaccination and that it would keep
 many of the children from the schools
 at the opening of the term.
 Dr. Lemmer. the health officer of
 Danbury. said that the selectmen and officers of that town were opposed to
 the proposed move, but that the senti-
 ment of the people seemed to be in
 favor of the plan. Dr. l.. P. Jones of
 Greenwich remarked that he was in
 favor of the regulation and argued that
 it could not be done too quickly. Dr.
 John H. Woodruff, the health officer of
 sherman also said that the seIectmen of
 his town were opposed to the regulation and that he thought it would be hard to
 carry out the law if it went into effect.
 The doctor said that he himself was
 not opposed to it, but that nearly all of | the town officers were not for it. 1 Westport's health officer, Dr. Donald
 son, was just opposite in his statements.
 He said that everyone of the officers
 and doctors of that town were heartily
 in favor of the regulation and that he hoped some decided action would be
 taken at the meeting. He said that the people, too, were in favor of the reg ulation and that all of them wished | that the state board would act favor
 ably on the matter.
 Dr.. Pendleton of Wallingford, Dr. | Heady of Milford. the health officer of ! that town; H. M. Wakelee, the health officer of Southbury: Stephen A. Tal- I rnadge, the health officer of Prospect; pr. c. W. Gaylord, Branford's health of- fcer; Dr. c. M. Burroughs, the health | tItACCL VI 4huNipoiAs anu oNAS4o 6Gala tAiel6
 they hoped the regulation would be passed, pointing out the benefits and
 good results that would probably result
 if 1t was passed.
 l H. I. Matthewson of Milford, the prin- | cipal of schools in that place, stated that the people of the town were not
 opposed to the regulation, but that if l the regulation were adopted to take ef- l feet immediately it would interfere with the efficiency of the scholars work for at least half of the term. Professor I c. X. L. Totten of Milford, a member of l the school board. spoke several times and said that he was not in savor of vaccination.
 Dr. W. H. Randall the health officer of Shelton, said that the vaccination of 1 the children had been compulsory in | that town for the past two years and 1 that there were no bad results, such as | were mentioned by MT. Matthewson and that it operated very successfully l in all cases. He said that 1t was true l that there was little inconvenience, l but that the scholars school standing ! was not Ilindered in the least.
 l Edwin w. Higgins, the county health officer Of New London: D. M. Yomens, | the county health officer of Holland county, and c. E. Hoadley. the New
 Haven county health officer. represent ed their different counties and spoke on
 the matter. l As some of the towns have not yet
 been heard from 1t was thought best to
 close the meeting, those present being
 notified that another hearing would be held but that it would not be neces-
 sary for them to be present
 The general sentiment was in favor
 of adopting the regulation, which will
 have effect in towns throughout the state.
 1 The state board of health at it's meet l ing held in June passed resolutions rec- ommending to the town health officers l of the state the advisability of regu-
 lation that would compel school children
 to be vaccinated before they were al-
 lowed to attend school, The town
 health officers acting on the advice of l the county health officers formulated a
 regulation which reads as follows: "No
 superintendent, principal or teacher of
 any publics or private school in this
 town shall permit any child to attend until such child shall have been vaccin- ated or shall have produced evidence from physician that in the opinion of said physician it would not, be pru-