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


still.
o...........
Health Commissioners Hall throws down
the gauntlet to the Minneapolis anti-vac-
cinationists 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 ':rnake good or shut up
Dr.. Hall has often beeu much exasper-
ated in the year or more he has been in
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 atfirms 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 Journa yester-
day Frederick White Il discussing the
health commissioners vaccination work
in Minneapolis, declared that there had
been positively nothing proved in sup
port of his contention for the efficacy Of
vaccina ton. The results, where there
were any at all, were nothing more thar
condolences.
Issues n Challenge.
DR.. Halls auburn hair flew sparks last
night when he read the letter and he
vowed then and there he would call the
vaccination cult to account before
he was another twenty four hours old
And here is the way he does 1t:
eff these people really believe wha1
they are talking about" said he this
morning, s'they ought to be prepared K
stand for it in practice. Now I will give
them chance right here to prove tina
their theory is right and that the med
ical PROFESSIONS superstition 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 o
! them mingled with the patients more o
| 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 hospita
Not single one OF those twelve person
has yet contracted the disease. Now som
I. of them have gone and I am in great nee
of two more helpers at the hospital.
Here is the anti-vaccinationist:
chance. will keep the positions open TO
a reasonable time for anybody they ma
select, the only requirements being tina
the candidates have never had smallpo
or been successfully vaccinated. l Wi
pay them good wages just as long as the
may care to remain, and if they catch tn
| disease they are assured of the very bes
care and treatment without expense
themselves. I 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. it.
| want this question settled one way @
the other, and just as soon as possible.
If have been mistaken all these year
F regarding the efficacy of vaccination
want to know it, and don't know of an
I better way Of testing the matter fnall
than in the way have suggested. And
| the nti-vaccinationists are sincere i
their sentiments, they can hardly refus
| to cooperate with me in this matter.
/ they do not accept my oHer,.I shall TAX
it for granted they have been talking jus
for effect and have no real confidence i
/ their own theories.
Physicians generally, I think, Woul
regard the experiment as fair to bot
sides to the controversy. and no doub
/ would watch the results with much in
terest. 1t really affords fine opportu
| nifty to test the merits of well nigh uni
yversally accepted doctrine in the medica
! profession, and in the interests of sci
ence and medical truth. the opponents c
vaccination ought to take advantag
of It,"