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54
Vaccination as a Preventive of Small-pox.
During 1905, a letter (dated October 4th), was received from
the Hackney Borough Council, transmitting the following resolutions
passed by the Council:—
1.—That in the opinion of this Council the time has now
arrived for the Government to institute a thorough
enquiry into the general question of vaccination as a
preventive of small-pox, having regard to the advance
of medical science, and the public rejection of vaccination
by so many medical men, since the last Report
of the Royal Commission on the subject.
2.—That a copy of this resolution be sent to the Prime
Minister, the President of the Local Government Board,
the President of the Board of Education, the Parliamentary
Secretary to the Board of Education, the
Right Hon. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, M.P., the
London County Council, the Corporation of the City of
London, the Metropolitan Asylums Board, and the Metropolitan
Borough Councils and Boards of Guardians.
In the letter it was suggested that the enquiry should
embrace :—
1.—The supply of pure lymph and the danger to the public
of vaccinated calves being sold for food.
2.—The administration of the various vaccination Acts with
special regard to the cost to the ratepayers.
3.—The hardships inflicted upon poor conscientious
objectors by the action of some justices of the peace
and stipendiary magistrates.
4.—The closing of Government Departments and other
works to conscientious objectors, or the children of
conscentious objectors.
5.—The refusal of the Metropolitan Asylums Board during
the winter, 1904-5 to employ unemployed workmen
unless they submitted to vaccination or re-vaccination.