The truth about vaccination : an examination and refutation of the assertions of the anti-vaccinators.

  • Hart, Ernest, 1835-1898.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The truth about vaccination : an examination and refutation of the assertions of the anti-vaccinators. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    abstain from taking further legal proceedings against persons who have once been fined for not complying with the law by having their children vaccinated. The Board, in reply, direct me to state, for the information and guidance of the guardians, their views upon the question generally in connection with the law on the subject. It is distinctly contemplated by Article 16 of the Board's General Order of October 31, 1874, that, independently of any proceedings which may be taken against the person in default, under Section 29 of the Vaccination Act, 1867, the vaccination officer shall be authorised to take proceedings against him if he continue contumacious, at least once also under Section 31 of that Act. Until, therefore, proceed- ings under the latter section have been taken in a case and a conviction obtained, the Board consider that the several means, which the law provides with a view to ensure the vaccination of a child, have not been used. The Board would here observe that, from the information in their possession, it is not clear whether all the means above alluded to have been resorted to in the case of Mr. H . The Board at the same time direct me to point out that by Article 16 of their above-mentioned Order it is provided that in any case in which a magistrate's order has been obtained, and summary proceed- ings have been taken under Section 31 of the Vaccination Act, 1867, no further proceeding shall be taken by the vaccination officer without the express instructions of the guardians. The intention of this provision is that the guardians should carefully consider with regard to each individual case the effect which a continuance of proceedings is likely to have in procuring the vacci- nation of the individual child, and in insuring the observance of the law in the Union generally. The Board may further state that it is, on the one hand, un- deniable that a repetition of legal proceedings has, in numerous cases, resulted in the vaccination of a child when such vaccination has not been procured by the previous proceedings; and it is therefore im- portant, with the view of securing a proper observance of the law, that parents should be well assured that proceedings in case of non- compliance with its requirements will not be lightly discontinued. On the other hand, the Board are prepared to admit that, when in a particular case repeated prosecutions have failed in their object, it becomes necessary to carefully consider the question whether the continuance of a fruitless contest with the parent may not have a tendency to produce mischievous results, by exciting sympathy witb