Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-12
WARM WRANGLE
AT MEETING ON
VACCINATIONS
Board Of Health Voted to
Comply with Request Of
State Board.
Citizens Oppose Ruling Of
State Board-Desir Test
Case for Settlement,

When the members of the Grand
Forks board of health convened this
morning for an adjourned session to
read the opinion of City Attorney
George A.. Bangs relative to enforced
vaccination, two hours of argument
followed, which finally resulted in the
sanctioning Of the orders received
from the state board Of health, with
DR.. ], M. Gillette, T. J. Smith and DR..
A. Dean voting in favor and w. s.
Whitman and DIR. Orr Sanders in OPP
position.
DIR. ]. w. Cox, deputy state health
officer, appeared before the board to
ask If the local health board would
carry out the orders Of the state board
and the ruling Of the local board of
health passed In December, 1915, or
dering that after January 10, 1916, no
child should be allowed to attend
school unless v~accinated.
Attacks the Medics.
H. N. Wells, acting as spokesman
for a number of citizens who were
present at the meeting, charged the
American Medical association with be-
ing ruthless masters of the people, and
included the boards of health. He also
claimed that the enforced vaccination
was only an entering wedge to further
W dIilCdl dCllOIlS. t1S u6CldISa IlldI
the American Medical association was
acting in the same as German
autocracy and said that the personal
rights OF citizens were being violated
in the enforcement of the vaccination
rulings. He said that 95 per cent Of
the school children were protected
and that the other five per cen would
not give much trouble.
DR.. H. H. Healy explained that
vaccination has been proven by MANY
nations to be a sure preventative for
smallpox and that If generation after
generation is vaccinated, people will
soon become immune from serious
epidemics, and serious epidemics of
smallpox will be unheard of, but If
precaution is allowed to lapse, for
one generation, the people will
run the risk of returning to the old
terror of smallpox epidemics. Few
laymen have any conception of what
this would mean, he said, since they
are not familiar with the hideousness
OF the disease. He argued that vac
cination was the only common sense
method to prevent epidemics, 1t hav-
been contended at the meeting
n a no. epidemics or cases Of small
pox are known to exist in this city or.
In the surrounding community.
Motion to Sanction Order.
DR.. j. w. Cox explained, at the re-
guest of City Attorney Bangs, the eff
feet that vaccination has in preventing
smallpox. He also stated that the
board of health intends to see that
the local physician does his duty and
also all those who have minors in
charge will be held responsible.
DR.. ]. NJ. Gillette then made a mo-
ton, which was seconded by DR.. Dean,
that h board ofthealth of the city Of
Grand Forks sanction the execution
of instructions from the state board
of health to local health officers, per-,
taining to the vaccination Of school.
chlldren. w. S. Whitman and DR..
sanders cast the opposing votes, and
the motion carried.
According to DIR. Dean and other
members of the board, it is desired to
have some individual commences a
test case In an effort to ascertain the
of h state health board in
enrorcing vaccination. The COM
munication and opinion Of City At
torney George A. Bangs, presented at
the meeting this morning upon soIici.
tation, follows:
City Attorneys Opinion.
In regard to the vaccination Of
scnool children. You have presented
to me for my opinion and advice a
communication signed by j. w. Cox,
deputy state health officer, dated Sen,
TENDER Z, 1917, addressed 10 DIR. 4.
Dean, health officer of the city Of
Grand Forks, reading as follows:
The secretary Of the state board
of health has given me the following
order which he wished transmitted to
you You are to exert all energy to