The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-01
OPPOSED
TO COMPUL
VACCINATION
Medical Men of
the Twin Cities Denounce
the Existing Law at a
Hearing Before the Public
Health Committee of Sem
ate.

Two hundred persons. Including
many women, attended the nnhlic
meeting before the senate communities
on public health at the capitoI LAST
evening. The measure under consid-
eratlon was the bill amending the law
SO as to do away with compulsory vac
cihation FOR children desiring to attend
the public schools.
Dr. Alexander Donald, of st. Paul,
looh the ground that no one had the
right TO inoculate another with a sub
stance unknown to the one who did
the inoculating. His experience with
the disease and in pest houses had
oeen that persons who had been vac
cinated were not immune from the dis
ease
III don't want to be vaccinated or
nave my children vaccinated 1t is nv
right, and there should be no law to
compel me to-" declared DR.. Donald.
DIR. L. B. Foster of Minneapolis. with
an experience of forty years as a ply
slcian, asserted vaccination was not
preventive. 1t did, however. stir
up Ills inherited, and In MANY cases
made persons walking sufferers for the
balance of their lives. He cited cases
where tuberculosis, which might not
nave shown in a person, was aroused
by vaccination and soon carried him
to his grave.
Not Necessary to Vaccnate.
1T is not necessary to vaccinate,"
he said, IF the physicians would study.
Ihere are other milder and better
means. This is the age of improve
ment and we are or should be getting
out of the ruts of 100 years ago."
Dr. Leonard, former member of the
state board of health. sent a letter in
winch he stated there was no occasion
for a compulsory vaccination law.
DR.. Petrus Nelson, of Minneapolis.
asserted that vaccination was a great
curse to humanity, and he regretted
that, In the twentieth century, 1t was
necessary to appear before a lawmak-
ing body to oppose the passage of
compulsory vaccination law
fV Vaccination Is the cause Of small
pox," declared DR.. Nelson. "and 1t is
not so much the doctors who cause
deaths by vaccination; it is also the
Iawmakers who are responsible for the
compulsory vaccination laws"
- DR.. Ffubbell. of st. Paul. said If COM
was to prevent the
spread of smallpox, why not have chill
dren protected against scarlet fever
and diphtheria which every physician
knew were more fatal diseases than
smallpox?
1.-The question is" he said, "ff we
shall force one half o. the people to be
vaccinated against their will? 1 pre-
dict that In twenty-five years from
now the fad of vaccination, for the
medical profession has it's fads just
like women with bonnets, will be done
away with. I have never seen a case
of smallpox, but I have seen many
cases of the evil effects of vaccina-
ton"
Theory Is Not Proven.
DR.. Spates. of st. Paul declared he
was positively opposed to a law which
provided for the compulsory vaccina-
ton Of children to uphold a theory not
proven. Those who were in favor of
having their children vaccinated should
be allowed to do so, but those who did
not believe in it should not, in the in
terests of humanity. be compelled to
undergo the practice.
Rev. Edward G. Mitchell said there
were two sides to the question Let
us have the right to have our children
vaccinated or not as we please" con-
tinued the speaker, "as many would
prefer to have the smallpox rather
than be vaccinated / object to any
man compelling me to have my blood
tainted with other filth. We do not
ask for a law prohibiting vaccination.
but we do ask that we shall not be
spoiled by some one else's mistake Do
not let us be the victims of somebody's
sincere feelings on this question.
William Ely Bramhall took the posi-
ton that there was no authority or
right by which the people of commu-
nifty could compel others to be vacci-
mated. If vaccination was not a pre-
tentative of the disease, as had been
clearly shown, what was the use of 1t?
Prof Freeman said when he had
circulated petitions in Minneapolis
protesting against the compulsory vac
cination of school children four out of
five persons had gladly signed them.
'If the people of the state could vote
on the question they would say there
should be no compulsory vaccination"
declared the speaker.
C0IINTV COM