View report page

47
be introduced into the system with the vaccine
lymph. Ever since the introduction of vaccination
the death rate of Europe has been diminishing, and
there has been no introduction of any new disease
or intensification of any of the old diseases. Dr.
Ballard in his work on Vaccination, says, "there
"is no reason to believe that scrofula or ordinary
"skin diseases are communicable by Vaccination,"
(p. 368.) It is, however, true that occasionally
inflammation follows the puncture produced in vaccination,
just as occasionally inflammation follows
the prick of a pin, or other slight wounds of the
body. Such cases, however, are very few indeed,
and are not for one moment to be compared with
the advantages conferred by vaccination. Even
was death a much more constant result of vaccination
than it is, the public would still be justified in
using it; the medical man in recommending it, and
the legislature in insisting on its use. It is sometimes
said that the government has no right to
coerce the people into adopting vaccination. It
ought to be recollected that the government ought
to put in practice the will of the nation, and
especially in relation to the causes of disease and
death. As well might any one object to the law
that forbids stealing, as to a law which insists that
people shall not needlessly be exposed to a loathsome
disease, which either deforms for life, or destroys