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followed the ordinary course. About a week after the crusts had
fallen from the arm—at a time, therefore, when the operation
had to all appearance terminated successfully, the arm became
red and swollen. Subsequently the same side, and later,
the other arm and various parts of the body and legs, became
inflamed in patches, and the skin of the reddened parts afterwards
desquamated or peeled. The child was taken to a medical man on
the 30th July; was seen by him at his surgery from time to time
until the 14th August, and died 16th August—six weeks, less one
day, after vaccination. Now there can be no reasonable
doubt that this case was one of erysipelas, and the disease
would appear to have been in existence 17 days, or 5 days
longer than stated in the certificate of death; but having
regard to the fugitive character of the inflammation—the
time of its first onset, and the circumstances in which it made
its appearance, viz., a week after the crusts had fallen; it may fairly
be assumed that the erysipelas was an example of the variety known as
"idiopathic," which comes on without the previous occurrence of
wound or other injury, and was therefore, altogether independent
of the vaccination. Many children were vaccinated at the same
time and place with the deceased, but there was no other case of
erysipelas.
Animal Vaccination—Calf Lymph.—One of the most common
objections to "arm to arm" vaccination is based on the fact that
the lymph is passed through the human system, and therefore, it is
said, may transmit disease. The dangers attending the use of
humanized lymph, however, are so trifling as to be practically
inappreciable. Nevertheless, and as it is desirable to remove, as far
as possible, every objection which stands in the way of vaccination,
it is satisfactory to learn that the Local Government Board have
made arrangements for establishing a station for the supply of
"calf-lymph." The first step will be to find a case of natural
cow-pox (the small-pox of the cow), and from the vesicles which
usually appear on the udder, to innoculate a calf. This once done,
there will be practically no difficulty in getting a supply of calves,
week by week, to keep up the stock of lymph. It is not intended