The medical profession / by M. Foster Reaney.

  • Reaney, M. Foster.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The medical profession / by M. Foster Reaney. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    siderably increased. Thus, he receives the sum of one shilling for every child in his district who has reached the age of four months, without being vaccinated. For this fee, he must forward a note to the parents, setting forth that on or about such a day he will call and offer to vaccinate their child. He must then visit the house, and personally proffer his services free of charge. Should he fail to find the parents at home, he will have to call again. Supposing the parents now have their child vaccinated by their own medical attendant, he will be duly informed of the fact, and must rest content with his fee of one shilling for all the trouble he has been put to. On the other hand, should they elect to accept his services they ma}^ require him to perform the vaccination at their own residence, for which he will receive a fee of five shillings, pro^uded the result is successful. If unsuccessful, he must perform the operation again, and in any case must pay a visit of inspection and sign the usual certificate. Should the child be brought to his surgery, or to a vaccination station, he will only receive the sum of half-a-crown. It is evident, therefore, that the public vaccinator most decidedly earns his pay, and yet an agitation is on foot to reduce the fees ; the proposal is apparently supported by the Local Govern- ment Board. As to what may constitute a vaccination station is a little doubtful. In the recent epidemic, it was held, in several instances, that if a number of people were vaccinated, say at a workshop, the latter for the nonce would constitute a station, and the officer would only be entitled to the lesser fee. This ruling has lain very hard on several officers, as they have had to return part of their salaries months after they have received them, or run the risk of dismissal from their posts. There are many doctors who would like to see every medical practitioner a public vaccinator, on the ground that the obligation to visit interferes with their private practices, and gives the public officer, who is also a private practitioner, an unfair introduction to other people’s patients. It is very doubtful if much harm is done thereby. The poorer classes in particular are apt to look on the visit of the public vacci- nator in no favourable light ; oftentimes they express this opinion in forcible language. There would be no great diffi- • culty in allowing every practitioner to vaccinate at the State’s expense. He might receive, say five shillings, for every cer- tificate of successful vaccination signed by him, in a similar manner to the Public Health Notification fees. In regard to the ethics of vaccination, it is to be regretted that there are still many practitioners, who will vaccinate H
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