Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-02

one of these has been answered. Time hal
been taken to write long letters. explain
/ Ing the need and wisdom of vaccination
giving facts and figures to strengthen TN
arguments. No questions have been con
sidered too trivial to answer. In this cor,
respondence the Commissioner has reateO
the writers as sincere in their requests lo'
Information.
DR.. Dixon has also received many anony
nous letters and slanderous communlca
lions. No matter how bitter letter II
opposition to vaccination has been, II TN
Commissioner felt that there was an
chance at all to have the writer listen u
reason he has taken the time to CORE.
spond at length. Circulars have been SEM
out setting forth the necessity of vaccina-
Iuoh, putting in convincing form the ergu-
tnents for its efficacy. The public press
! IN the opinion of DR.. Dixon, has been a big
factor In advancing the cause OF vaccina-
/ ton.
FINALLY the Commissioner has made ad
dresses IN different parts OF the State be-
tore teachers institutes and conventions oil
school directors and counts superintend
ents: In this way he has got in clos,
touch with the people and exerted a won.
uertul influence In breaking down the pref
uclce against vaccination and countera ct.
| ing the work of the anu-vaccina tionists.
1hese public addresses have convinced
man of the deepest sympathies, a man
with big. warm heart. who loves children,
VINO Is not swayed by an impulse or at all
blind to reason His opponents have pict-
ured him in bitter light, as being hard
hearted and a good deal Of tyrant. Con-
Ivinced by actual experience that the chill
idren in the schools should be made i'm
mune against smallpox by vaccination, he
Us determined in his efforts to have the la W
Iobeyed.
VACCINATION PROBLEM.
The right to debar from school a child
who has not been vaccinated has been up
held by the Supreme Court OF Pennsyl-
lvania during the present year In decision,
the pertinent part OF which says:-''Vac-
cinaton, 1t is said, Is the infection of a
disease, cowpox, on the subject and II
that can be done Irrespective of his con-
sent then the next step may be to require
submission to incubation with antitoxin
or serum for diphtheria, tuberculosis, can
lcer and other diseases, and we have
rather a dismal picture Of the possible con-
sequences. 1t will be time enough TO con-
slider such matters when they arise. At
present the vast preponderance of opinion
among intelligent and educated people,
under the guidance of the best medical
authority. is that vaccination is a highly
useful ameliorative, II not always a preven-
tive OF one of the greatest of the scourges
that have in past times afflicted humanity
and that the regulation OF II by a statute
is not only a Justifable but a wise and
benefcent exertion OF the police power over
the public health. When the Legislature
goes beyond that into new or more debat-
able fields It will be time enough to con-
slider the limits ct its power"
The Department OF Health consists OF
the Commissioner of Health. appointed by
the Governor, with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate, who must be a physi-
clan of at least ten years experience and
a graduate OF legally constituted medl-
cal college. Associated with the Commits
sioner is an Advisory Board consisting OF