The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-01-12

re-VaCClnatlOn was compulsory in the
German army, but not in the French.
The figures given and repeated ad
nauseam, the world over, we're 23,469
deaths in the French, while the Ger
man army lost only 1853! The British
National Anti-Vaccination League in
vestigated the matter and showed It to
be without foundation and untrue.
Within the last few years the Ian
Get" repeated the old story and was
called down by the Secretary of the
League The said journal acknowl-
edged the story had been proven I'M
true. and regretted its reinsurance in
its columns. But the damage had
been done, and the lay press vigorous
ly again warned the public with the
figures, and against the folly of failing
to re-vaccinate.
And now, Mr.. Editor, what can be
said of this? In 1906, at the jubilee
dinner of the incorporated Society Of
Medical officers of Health, of England
Baron Takaki, of Japan, stated that,
there were no Observation-Disclosures in
Japan. Every child was vaccinated
before it was six months old, re-vac-
cinated when it entered school at six
years. again re-vaCCinated at fourteen
years when going to the middle school,
and the men were re-vaccinated before
entering the army, while further re-
vaccination was enforced if an out
break of smallpox occurred. (See
Lancet" 1906, p. 144D. Tolerably
thorough, think you will admit. The
vaccination is done from lymph, from
calves only. and which is procured
from vaccine establishments owned
and controlled by the government.
ANY attempt to evade re-vaccination
at the stated period is made a serious
offence and is treated as a grave dere-
LECTION against the public health, and
yet, Mr.. Editor, last year, the year 1908
Japan suffered from a serious outbreak
of smallpox, with 1907 cases and s.
S37 deaths. The figures, sir, are not
fanciful as were those given at the time
of the Franco-Prussian war, but were
forwarded, on request of its secre-
tary of the National anti-Vaccina-
ton League of Great Britain, in April
of this year, by Mr.. S. Kubota, Direc-
tor of the Sanitary Bureau, Depart
ment for Home Affairs, Toxic. Well
may the words of DR.. Charles Creigh-
ton be repeated, viz. that the 'anti-
vaccinators have knocked the bottom
out of a grotesque superstition
In an editorial of the Lancet of
August list, 1908, are these words:
The philosophy of Hereclitus as sum
med up in the well-known generaliza-
tion "all things are in state of tiux,"
can be applied at almost any season
with singular appropriateness to me-
dicine as a science. The orthodox in
medicine, both as regards theory and
practice, is ever changing, since, the
discoveries revealed by research and
confirmed by experience, when incor-
porated into the general scheme, ne
cessitate the modification Of views
previously held the adoption of, new
methods, and the relinquishing of old
ones By such means only can me-
dicine advance as a science and achieve
truly rational basis"
Allow me- sir to conclude with a
few words of Alexander M. Ross, M.
D., P. r. s., Il oppose" he says, DE
cause forty years of practice have
convinced me that vaccination does
not afford the least protection or mi
tigation from smallpox, and because ,
| believe that It's pretext is bad in
logic, wicked in morals, and futile in
practice
CHARES F. HART.
Honolulu, December Is, 1909.