The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-30
FIGHT AGAINST COMPULSORY
 VACCINATION
Committee sn'PhbIic Ifealtlf and Safety Hears Arguments for Repeal of Law. Dr. Slee Washes a Pair of Beautiful White Hands in Vaccine Yirns of His Own Make to Prove His Stuff is Harmless.

Hartford. April s0-Physicians and laymeu from all parts of Connecticut and from some other parts of the United States assembled, yesterday, before the Committee on Public Health and Safety to be heard on the bill which proposes to make it unlawful for any board of health, or other board in this state to vaccinate any child as a condition precedent to it's attendance at any public or private school.
 The case for the anti-vaccinationiStS was presented under the direction of l.. W. Anderson, secretary of the Anti Compulsory Vaccination League of Waterbury. The vaccinationists were represented by Attorney Hugh Alcorn.
 Dr. s. B. Mum, Waterbury, said that he began his medical career as a vac cinationist- Several unfortunate re- suits followed in the cases of vac .cinated patients and he refused to con- tinue the practice. As health officer in Waterbury during the small pox epi- demic he refused to order a general vaccination. The disease was readily controlled by quarantine he said. F. Secretary Anderson advocated the passage of a bill requiring physicians to file certificates stating vaccination the cause of death when it is the cause.
 Prof. M. DeMork, of Bridgeport, read 30 or 40 letters from practicing physi- clans all over the country. in which it was said that many deaths were caus- ed by vaccination and many serious diseases aS syphilis and lOckJaw.
 Major Thomas Boudren, of Bridge port, addressed the committee briefly in favor of the bill A number of other persons were heard. including Dr. sEsslist RfurneH roff Hartfordl ;rc~sr.~ y; F
 Dr. Richard Slee, a manufacturer of vaccine virus. was the star witness for the vaecinationists. To show that vaccine virus was perfectly harmless" he washed his hands in a quantity of Iii 1Fo TI1a doctor had "a pair of very white, and we'll kept hands, which were entirely without abrasion, so that 1t is not like ly that he suffered vaccination. In- deed he said that he was so full of the stuff that t wouldn't take with him. He. described the manner in which the virus is made, from the in noculation' of the calf with the creamy white material taken from the sore of another calf, until it is scraped into the veins of the human patient. In order to be certain that the stuff is free from tetanus germs it is injected into guinea pigs. The doctor placidly said that if his virus wouldn't kill guinea pigs it wouldn't kill human be- ings. He repudiated the idea that nowadays there is any virus sold that is dangerous.
 Dr. P. J. Mcknight of Hartford said there is no danger from the vaccine virus and no connection between vac cination and tetanus.
 Dr. E.. B. Hooker. chairman of the legislative committee of, the Homeo- pathic State Medical Society, said that as a whole there had been great bene- fit from vaccination. The principle should not be condemned because of occasional trouble in the past with inn pure vaccine and administrators who were unsI<ilful or nasty in its use:
 Attorney Alcorn in conclusion show ed that the supreme court had ruled that there was no compulsory vaccina- tion in this state.