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Sickness and Mortality amongst the Poor, and in
Public Institutions.—The amount, as well as the nature
of the sickuess and its resulting mortality amongst the
become so." Again, in a general report of the Poor Law Board—Official
Circular, January, 1851, the following passage occurs:—"The Board
attach great importance to the provision which the legislature has made
in reference to vaccination, aud they take every fitting opportunity
of urging upon the Guardians the extension oj its benefits as widely as
possible."
Apart from these opinions, I have been favoured with one pronounced
officially in one of the Metropolitan Unions. The point submitted by tho
public vaccinator, a gentleman of high standing and repute in the profession,
was inreference to the extension of vaccination to the families ofpersons
in good circumstances, and the question asked was, "Ought I to place
in the Register the names of those private patients from whom I have
received a fee for vaccinating?" The reply was, "Not only are you bound
to do so, but tho Guardians are bound by Section 6 of tho Act (16 and
17 Vict., cap. 100) to pay you for every person successfully vaccinated.
The Guardians have nothing whatever to do with any additional fee which
your private patients may choose to give you for the same operation." In
communicating this opinion, reference was made to a very similar one
expressed by the Poor Law Board, in reply to an inquiry by the Guardians
of the Wem Union, who, it appears, like some other Boards, had taken
an erroneous view of the provisions of the statute and the intentions of
the Legislature.
24th August, 1819.
"Clerk of Wem Union.—The
medical officer of one of the districts
having vaccinated the children of
persons who are not paupers, but who
are in good circumstances, and able to
pay for their children being vaccinated,
inquired if such practice is to be
continued. The guardians think
it was never intended that such
persons should have their children
vaccinated at the expense of the
parish."
Ans.—"The statute 3 and 4 Vict,
c. 29, does not confine the contracts
for vaccination to persons in receipt
of relief from the poor rates, and the
statute 4 and 5 Vict.,c. 32, expressly
enacts that vaccination is not to be
deemed relief, the object of the Legislature
being to promote vaccination
generally. As the contract, which
the Guardians are required to make
for vaccination, under the 3 and 4
Vict., c. 29, is for the vaccination
"of all persons resident in tho
union," it is certainly open to any
persons therein, whether in the condition
of paupers or otherwise, to
apply to the public vaccinator."
I have vontured to submit these opinions, not for my own personal
advantage, but because it is evident the objects to be accomplished by
the statutory law s relating to public vaccination are greatly misapprehended.
It is evident also that inasmuch as the Public Vaccinator is
the only person who is at all times in a position, by being abundantly
supplied with fi'esh lymph, to elfectually perform the operation when it