Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-15
Doctor Townsend Secretary of Stale Board of Health Raps
 Anti Vacclnalionists
THE ONLY REMEDY
By Vaccination Only Can This Dread Disease Be Combated and an Epi- demic Avoided This City is
 Mentioned in Report.

Hartford, Jan 15.-In the monthly report of the state board of health issued to-day, Secretary Dr Joseph H. Townsend takes a decided stand against the anti-vaccinationists and urges the general assembly not to re- peal the present laws regarding the practice of vaccination. He says that for several years past, the anti-vacci- nationists have attempted to secure the repeal of the laws relating to compulsory vaccination but so far without success. It is probable he says. that the same attempt will be made at the present session of the general assembly. sThe repeal of these laws" says Dr Townsend would take from the health authOri- ties the best and almost the only means they have of arresting the spread of small pox and other dis eases. Vaccination is very much more effective than quarantine and much less expensive, and those in quarantine must be supported as well as closely guarded. Vaccination is an almost certain preventative of small pox and the accidents that sometimes result are so rare us to be incomparable with the benefits that have come from this great discovery"
 "The majority of the people of our state believe in vaccination or at least follow the advice of their family phy- sician in this matter, as they do in all others which relate to the health of themselves or their families. We are on the whole well vaccInated community. but there are always some to oppose measure of this kind for one reason or another. It Is not the time now to relax the few laws we have on the subject. Small pox though mild in form has been very prevalent through the country during the past few years. Water- bury. New Britain and Putnam have epldemics which have cost those ci- ties thousands of dollars, although fortunately the loss of life has been small. There is at the present time much small pox in Canada. which ow- AhS " tHC SOuotuuI uuNcl UcIWttu there and the United States is liable 10 be brought here"
 The so-called compulsory vacclna- tion laws are. first, those which al- low boards of education or school committees to require school chill dren to be vaccinated before being permitted to attend the public schools: second, statute which em- powers health officers and boards of health to adopt such measures for the general vaccination of the inhabi- tants of their respective towns as they deem proper and necessary to prevent the introduction or arrest the progress of small pox. and the third statute provides penalty not to exceed hne of five dollars for refusal to com- ply with the law. but any one can es- cape the penalty by presenting a cer- tincate of physician that viccinatiou Is not advisable on account of i'll health.
 The mortality report for the month of December shows that there were $1.4S0 deaths during the month. This was 1S4 more than in November, and 162 more than in December of last year. It was also 205 more than the average of deaths during December for the past five years.
 Manchester reported one death from small pox.