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155
No sufficient evidence whatever in support of such a conclusion
has been brought before us.
Amongst the inconveniences connected with vaccination is
the production of contagious forms of eruption, such as have been
classed under the names of porrigo and impetigo contagiosa.
These eruptions are not attended with any risk to life, nor by any
permanent injury to health, and they are usually curable by
simple measures. References to these eruptions have been made
by many witnesses. Their occurrence has no doubt not unfrequently
caused prejudice to the practice of vaccination.
As has been already stated, the occurrence of a febrile illness
is the desired result of vaccination. To that illness the term
vaccinia is applicable, and it may sometimes be attended by an
eruption. It is in evidence that vaccinators in the early years
after the introduction of the practice, were familiar, not only with
severely inflamed arms, but with the frequent occurrence of
general eruptions. Familiar as they, were with the horrors of
Small-Pox itself, they thought very lightly of events which in
the present day would cause much complaint and would excite
opposition. The greater care now exercised in vaccination, and
possibly above all, the much diminished risk of variolation at the
same time, have reduced to a very small number indeed the
occurrences referred to. Still it has not been found possible
wholly to prevent them, and not only do vaccinators still meet
occasionly with inflamed arms and Erysipelas, but now and then
a case occurs of severe eruption attended by Fever, which may
end in death. These cases occur exclusively in primary vaccinations
and in young infants. They are so infrequent that no
well-characterised examples have been brought under the notice
of the medical men who have assisted us. A few which had
occurred in former years have, however, been the subjects of
evidence. These cases may be placed in two groups, one in which
the vaccination sores proceed normally, but a general eruption,
possibly gangrenous, occurs and a second in which the pocks