Report from the Select Committee on the Vaccination Act (1867) : together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index.
- Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Vaccination Act (1867)
- Date:
- 1871
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report from the Select Committee on the Vaccination Act (1867) : together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![Mr. Jf .J Collins, m.d. 3 March 1871. tality of from 45 per cent, to 50 per cent, in infants in large towns. 612. I understand you to mean that you have reason to suppose that in large towns, since vac- cination, 45 to 50 per cent, of the children have died before they attained their fifth year ?— Yes. 613. Are you aware that such a statement made by a man of a position of some years’ standing; would have a strong effect in increasing the dislike to vaccination ?— I can well under- stand that. 614. Will you tell me by what means you, as you thought, ascertained such a very striking effect before you asserted it?—I believe you will find that it has appeared from time to time, and that it is a recognised fact. 615. But I inform you on the contrary that the recognised statement of the Registrar General is, that in no place does it exceed 131th per cent. I simply want to know upon what grounds you have made the statement that the mortality of infants in large towns is from 45 to 50 per cent, before they attain their fifth year. It is possible that you may mean some- thing different from what I supposed you to mean in the answer to the question, and if so, we had better have it set right. It is a most im- portant statement, and if it be true that this mortality was caused by vaccination, would entirely justify the opinions against vaccination. Will you inform us what you mean by that state- ment ?—What I mean is, what I say, that 1 believe, upon reference to the necessary docu- ments, you will find that it has been reported over and over again, that the total deaths in large towns average from 45 to 50 per cent, among children before they attain their fifth year. 616. That is to say, of 100 children, 45 to 50 die before they attain their fifth year?—Yes. 617. I ask you, how you reconcile that with the statement of the Registrar General, that in no case is the per-centage more than 13Jth?—I have seen it stated over and over and over again, and it is my belief that such is the case. 618. Do you mean this ; that of those children who die, 45 per cent, are under five years of age ? —Children before they attain the fifth year. 619. Do you mean to say that of the whole number that die, that is the proportion?—No, of children before they attain their fifth year. 620. Dr. Lyon Playfair.] You mean in that, that if there are 500 children born to-day in Manchester, before the end of five years 250 of them will be dead ?—Quite so. 621. Mr. Candlishf Inasmuch as I seem to confirm the statement at Question 311, let me say that that was not the way in which I under- stood you ; I understood you that from 45 or 50 per cent, of the deaths which occurred vyithiu a given period were of children under five years of age ; that is so in my borough before they attain the age of' five years; it is true that in large towns 45 per cent, of the deaths occurring are among children under five years of age, is that what you mean ?—Quite so. 622. Chairman.] I still am completely in the dark as to what you mean by that answer?—I quote from some authority, but I cannot give you the authority now, that the mortality up to a certain age is 45 per cent, amongst the infant population. 623. But. you had notice of coming up to give your evidence here ?—Yes. 624. Are you aware that the subject is a very important one? — Yes. 625. And also that your statement is a very important statement; may I ask you why you did not bring with you the grounds upon which you made the statements, so that when you were asked why you made a particular statement you might be able to inform us precisely upon wrhat grounds you made it?—I believe that it is a recognised fact, and you will find that by future witnesses it will be cleared up. 626. Where did you obtain the fact ?—I am not in a position to give it to you now. 627. You appear not to be in a position to say upon what grounds you made that statement; you will remember that one of the questions which you suggested to me, that I should ask you was, how you accounted for the statement that the nurses at the Small-pox Hospital did not catch the small-pox, having been vaccinated; and in reply, your first statement was, that the nurses at the Small-pox Hospital, had the small-pox before they were appointed ?—I have seen that in print, and I have been told so. 628. Am I to understand from that, that it is your opinion with regard to this question of small-pox, taking the part that you have done (no doubt from an opinion) in encouraging per- sons not to be vaccinated, that it is a sufficient ground for your making a statement of this kind, that you have seen it in print ?—I think I am j)erfectly justified in giving all the evidence I have given with regard to these different mat- ters. 629. Then this statement which you made, “ From what I can learn, the nurses at the Small- pox Hospital had the small pox before they were appointed,” is simply based upon your having read it in print, is it ?—I think I was informed so. 630. I think I understood you before to say, that you were informed by one gentleman, that it was so ?—Yes; and I have seen it in print. 631. Where did you see it in print?—In one of the journals lately. 632. Can you remember in what journal you saw it ?—I cannot. 633. Was it a journal edited by, or connected at all with the gentleman from whom you heard the statement ?—Certainly not. 634. On whose authority was it made iu the journal?—I do not know at all. 635. Do you really think that such a state- ment as that, that the nui’ses at the Small-pox Hospital had the small-pox before they were ap- pointed, that statement being made in a book upon the authority of a person you know not whom, is a statement to be put before this Com- mittee as evidence ?—I have only referred to what 1 believed to be the case, from what I have seen reported. 636. And you believed it, because you read it in a book, and not knowing from whom it came? —I have seen it asserted in the public prints, that the nurses of the Small-pox Hospital have had the small-pox before their appointment. 637. And you consider that you were justified making that statement, because you read it in a book, not knowing upon whose authority it was put in that book ? —I simply stated what I saw. 638. You also state that you have had a good deal of experience of nurses, and know their physical](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24975424_0054.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
