The vaccination laws : a letter addressed (by permission) to the Rt. Hon Lord Lyttelton / by T. Baker.

  • Baker, Thomas, 1819-
Date:
[1874]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The vaccination laws : a letter addressed (by permission) to the Rt. Hon Lord Lyttelton / by T. Baker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    of such experience as Dr. Epps, long Director of the Royal .Tennerian Institution as “ moonstiine ” [194] ; with the same contempt, in fact, as all other “ iaiot ” and “ dishonest ” opponents [199]. 15. Mr. Hutchinson (called by accident) proved that out of thirteen adults vaccinated from one apparently healthy cliild, by a certified vaccinator, at a vaccination station, eleven were eyphilised, and that he saw them on tlft 5th of April, at the suggestion of Dr. Seaton [283]. He (one of the celebrated 642) had not himself vaccinated a child since he was an apprentice [284]. 16. Dr. Seaton states:—1. That perfect immunity from small pox was expeiienced at Mold, as a consequence of careful vaccination [298]. 2. That both Scotland and Ireland were being freed from small pox, as the result of the Compulsory Acts of 1863 for those countries. 3. That Mr. Hutchinson’s cases (seen by him the 5th of April) occun-ed after Mr. Simon gave evidence (31 St March and 21st April, and not brought forward till Mr. Hutchinson was called 9th May) [311]. 4. That Prussia he knew to be well protected ; but Ireland and Scotland were getting still better [317]. 5. Cannot deny Mr. Startin’s statement that he had not been asked (by Mr. Simon when the 642, who do not vaccinate, were questioned) as to his cases of sjqihilitic transmission [320], 17. Sir D. Corrigan is sui-e the then absence of small pox in Ireland resulted from the operation of the Compulsory Act in that country [231J. 18. Dr. Wood testifies to the same efi'ect concerning Scotland [253] ; and should be very much suiq)rised if there was any great mortality among children under ten, if small pox afterwards broke out there [257]. 19. All notice of the evidence given by those Anti-vaccinists, who were first heard, is herein left for examination by persons who deem it fair to look at both sides. Before proceeding to comment on the above with the light aflforded by more recent facts, however, it is fair to point out that we have it on the authority of Dr. Fan-, that no reliable vital statistics of any sort are in existence prior to 1838, by which the experts’ array of figures to bo found in the Report can be tested. 20. Before a law is enacted to compel a surgical operation, at least there should be certainty as to its proper performance; and that no injury could possibly ensue [compare with par. 13, ss. 1 and 2; pars. 15 and 16, s. 5].* 21 The mere negative evidence that ten million vaccinated persons have not had small pox [par. 16 ss. 1, 2, and 4; pars. 17 and 18] is no proof that they would have had it without vaccination, because hundreds of millions * These and subsequent references are to paragraphs and sentences of this letter.