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the Brompton Station. But it may be said that infant vaccination
is compulsory, and re-vaccination, which is so necessary
as a preventive measure against small-pox, is not, and therefore,
though the penalty for neglect of the former—to say nothing of
the diligence of the Vaccination officer—may compel compliance
with the law, there is no such inducement in regard to re-vaccination,
which, therefore, may be neglected if great facilities for its
performance are not provided This may be so, and all will agree
that every reasonable facility should be offered to the public.
Every adult should be re-vaccinated—the sooner it is done after
15 years of age, or even earlier when small-pox prevails, the better;
and it is desirable that a law should be passed to make such re-vaccination
compulsory. Until the people generally, whether from
a sense of self-protection, or in obedience to law, submit to the
operation, small-pox must continue to smoulder in our midst—and
it will, from time to time, break out with epidemic violence. But
if people are so indifferent about re-vaccination that they will not
take the trouble to go a mile or two once in a life-time, to have
the operation gratuitously performed, will they walk half-amile,
a hundred yards, or any other distance, for the purpose?
That is the question: and it may be fairly doubted whether those
persons who during the last two years of the epidemic have been
either unwilling to submit to re-vaccination, or too indifferent
to find their way to the old station, would be induced to make
the effort to get re-vaccinated, however the facilities for their so
doing might be increased. It remains, of course, to be seen
what proportion the re-vaccinations of Brompton adults at the
new station will bear to the re-vaccinations at the old station.
In one respect the case is not at all altered by the new arrangements,
for the 13th section of the Vaccination Act (1867)
Amendment Act, authorises a District Medical Officer to vaccinate
any unvaccinated person, and to re-vaccinate all persons of suitable
age, and not previously re-vaccinated, in any house where small-pox
exists, and to be paid in respect of such services in the same manner
as a public vaccinator. This power has been duly exercised,
and I am informed that a large proportion of the re-vaccinations
in the Brompton district have been done 'at home,' and
not at the station, under this provision. The new arrangements
effected by the abolition of the Brompton station, must,
however, be considered to be on their trial, and as any
views entertained in respect to them, now, may have to
be modified hereafter, T, for one, do not intend to commit
myself at present to a final opinion on the subject. Recognising,
however, the apparent reasonableness of the grounds on which
the new arrangements are based—considering, moreover, the topography
of the district, the question of distances, &c., and the fact
that free vaccination is done weekly to a large extent at St. George's