The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-11

still.
Health Commissioners Hall throws down
the gauntlet to herMinn eapo1is anti-yac-
Gina tionists and demands that they come
forward and prove the faith that is in
them or forever after, hold their peace.
To fall into sporting narlance, they must
either 's1rake good or shut up.
Dr. Hall has often beeu much exasper-
charge Of the health department affairs,
especially during the prevalence Of small
pox, at the insistence Of those opposed to-
vaccination thai his methods were not
proving effectual and that vaccination
gives no immunity from the contagion.
He attirms that lis own experience and
that of health officials and physicians the
world over is that vaccination does give
immunity in the large majority of cases
and greatly minimizes the effects of the
diseases in the other cases.
The local. ''antis', have discredited this
view of the case steadfastly, and In a COM
munication to T h e J OUT na yester-
day Frederick Whit Il discussing the
health commisis oner.s vaccination work
in Minneapolis, declared that there had
been positively nothing proved in sup
port of his contention for the efficacy OF
vaccination. The results, where there
were any at all. were nothing more than
condolences.
Issues a Challenge.
DR.. Halls auburn hair flew sparks last
night when he read the letter and ne
vowed then and there he would call the
anti vaccination cult to account before
he was another twenty-four hours old
And here is the way he does it:
'.If these people really believe wha1
! they are talking about" said he this
| morning, "they ought to be prepared II
| stand for it in practice. Now will give
them chance right here to prove tina
their theory is right and that the med
ical professions supposition is wrong
| There have been all told twelve persons
| employed at the quarantine hospital il
some capacity or other, nurse, matron
| cook ETC., during the past year. All Q
them mingled with the patients more
less and were constantly exposed to tn
| disease. Not one had ever had che dis
ease, but all had been successfully vac
cinated before coming to the hosplta
Not a single one OF those twelve person
has yet contracted the disease. Now som
4 of them have gone and am in great nee
of two more helpers at the hospital.
'Here is the vacc1nat 1onlst
chance I will keep the positions open &c
a reasonable time for anybody they ma
select, the only requirements being ina
the candidates have never mad smallpo
or been successfully vaccinated WI
pay them good wages just as long as the
may care to remain, and it they eaten tn
disease they are assured OF the very pc;
care and treatment without expense
themselves / make this proposition
good faith, and if the 'antis' have an
faith at all in their theory, I do not sc
how they can consistently ignore 1t.
want this question settled one way (
the other, and just as soon as possible.
) If have been mistaken all these yea
: regarding the efficacy of vaccination
: want to know it, and don't know OF al
better way Of testing the matter final
than in the way have suggested. And
| the Observation-Disclosures are, sincere
their sentiments, they can hardly refu:
to cooperate with me in this matter.
they do not accept my offersI shall tai
it for granted they have been talking Ju
for effect and have no real confidence
their own theories.
Physicians generally, I think, Wou
regard the experiment as fair to Bot
sides to the controversy. and no dou
would watch the results with much il
: terest It really affords a fine opport
nifty to test the merits of a well nigh I'm
lversally accepted doctrine in the medic
: profession, and in the interests Of sc
ence and medical truth. the opponents
vaccination ought to take advantal
of it,