The vaccination dilemma : &c. A word to our legislators / by E. Haughton.
- Haughton, E. (Edward)
- Date:
- [1889?]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The vaccination dilemma : &c. A word to our legislators / by E. Haughton. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![QUACKERY BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT. [A. paper read by Edward Haughtoa, M.D., at the Monthly Con- ference of the London Society for the Abohtioa of Compulsory Vaccination, December Sth, 18S4.] A good many years ago, when an endeavour was made in the House of Commons to obtain some mitigation of the penalties of the Vaccination Act, the late Mr. Andrew Leightoii, of Liverpool, met, on the steps of the House, going down into Westminster Hall, the Member for Liver- pool, the late Mr, S. R. Graves, a relative of my own, who, I regret to say, voted against any mitigation of the afore- said penalties. He was suffering in the flesh from re- vaccination, and had his arm supported by a sling. Glancing at his arm, Mr, Lsigiiton smiled and said, You seem to have something wrong with your arm, Mr. Graves. In reply, Mr. Graves simply said, You gentlemen who oppose vaccination assume great responsibility. His idea evidently was that no responsibility of a similar kind attached to those who used whatever influence they possessed to support an unconstitutional enactment which has since been proved to have been attended with a terrible increase of inoculable diseases. Alas ! it is easy to follow a multitude to do evil; and what is worst is, that under such circumstances the sense of individual responsibility is liable to be weakened, perverted, or even anihilated. It is now too late to answer a troublesome anti-vaccinator after the fashion adopted by Mr. Graves. For him there was the excuse that almost the whole medical profession then believed vaccination to be both harmless and beneficial. But he must be a bold partisan who would now come forward and make such an assertion, in the present state of medical knowledge. The fact is, there can hardly be found a medical man who is so ignorant as to make so unqualified a statement. In every civilised community we have made good our standing-ground ; and that which, not very long ago, could hardly be whispered into the ear in closets may now be proclaimed from the house-tops. But we are not sufficiently thankful for small mercies. We have some points of symyathy with the sailor who was](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21363304_0011.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
