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184
child, it would in our opinion be best to leave the parent free to
accept or reject this offer.
SAM. WHITBREAD.
JOHN A. BRIGHT.
W. J. COLLINS.*
J. ALLANSON PICTON.*
* Note.—Dr. Collins and Mr. Picton sign the above note of
reservation, though they have not signed the Reports. An abridged
statement of their grounds of dissent from the Report follows:—
Statement by Dr. Collins and Mr.Picton of
the Grounds of their Dissent from
the Commission's Report.
We entirely agree with the Report of our colleagues in so far
as it shows the great change of professional and scientific opinion
since vaccination first engaged the attention of the Legislature,
and since the passing of the first compulsory Act, in 1853. We
hold with them that the prophylactic power of vaccination has
been at least exaggerated, and that dangers incidental to the
practice, though at one time denied, "are undoubtedly real and
not inconsiderable in gross amount." We gladly added our
signatures to theirs in support of the Commission's interim report
recommending the abolition of repeated prosecutions, and also
that recalcitrants against the vaccination laws should no longer
be subjected to the same treatment as criminals. We now desire,
also, if compulsion in any form is to be maintained, to support
their final recommendations for the relief of conscientious nonconformity
with the law. We also gladly endorse the precautions
they recommend with the object of preventing avoidable dangers
in connexion with the operation. There is no difference among
us on these points; so far as these recommendations go the
Commission is absolutely unanimous. We feel, however, that
the evidence not only justifies but requires a more complete
reconsideration of the present state of the law, as well as of the
methods adopted in dealing with Small-Pox. For this purpose it