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1919]
50
visit he still persisted, and the last words of the Medical Officer of Health to
him as he shook hands at the door were, "take a friend's advice and have your
other child vaccinated or you will regret it." He, however, still refused, and
would neither get his wife nor himself vaccinated. Indue course another certificate
was received stating that the second boy had been attacked. He was removed
to hospital, where he died from confluent small pox. The father and mother
were called to the institution before the child's death, but on their arrival they
were informed that "they had better not see him, because he would not be
able to recognise them, and certainly they would not recognise him." It ought
to be mentioned that in one of the conversations the Medical Officer of Health
had with the father he informed him that he had discussed the matter with a
doctor, who was a friend, who stated to him that vaccination was more or less a
myth," or words to that effect. The doctor himself had not been re-vaccinated
since his infancy, and it is not surprising to find that he contracted the disease
in a severe form. Perhaps the myth is truth now.
It is much to be regretted that science is permitted to be flouted in the
manner in which it has been with respect to this terrible disease. When the
Medical Officer of Health had charge of the Small Pox Hospital in Sunderland,
an anti-vaccinator, who spoke in the parks on the subject, was attacked with
the disease in only a mild form, due to his vaccination in youth. One morning
when the Medical Officer of Health visited his ward, this man said to him,
"there have been five cases admitted into this ward since yesterday, two of
which were vaccinated and three unvaccinated," and on being asked how he
knew who were vaccinated patients and who were unvaccinated, he replied,
" Sir, it does not require to be a patient in this ward many days before one
sees the good vaccination does." It need not be said that this gentleman did
not again preach against vaccination. He was convinced of its efficiency as would
any honest thinking man be convinced, if he saw the cases in the wards. The
Medical Officer of Health knows very well that the views held on this subject
by many people are really conscientious, but there are hundreds who
oppose vaccination, especially women, only because of the trouble and inconvenience
caused by the infant for a short while after vaccination. The evils,
and undoubtedly there were evils, that accrued after vaccination have been
practically done away with since the greater precautions recommended by the
medical profession in the vaccination of children have been practised.
Certificates of Exemption.—The following tabular statement shows
that the increase of these certificates, more especially during the past eight
years.