Smallpox and vaccination historically and medically considered : an inquiry into the causes of the recent increase of smallpox, and the means for its prevention / by Alfred Collinson.

  • Collinson, Alfred.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Smallpox and vaccination historically and medically considered : an inquiry into the causes of the recent increase of smallpox, and the means for its prevention / by Alfred Collinson. 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.

    87/94 (page 81)
    months, the latter within fonr months of its birth—if not already vaccinated by some duly qualified medical practitioner, and the vaccination duly certified—to the medical officer or practitioner appointed by the union or parish, in order that the child may be vaccinated. On the eighth day following, the child is again to be brought to the medical officer or practitioner, who, if the vac- cination has been successful, is to give a certificate to that effect, and transmit a duplicate to the Registrar of births and deaths of the sub-district. The Registrar, having the means of comparing the number of vaccin- ations with that of births, is, in the event of any child not being vaccinated within eight days after its birth, to give notice to the father or mother, or person having care of the child, to take the child to the medical officer or the practitioner appointed for vaccination ; and omis- sion after such notice, to take the child to be vaccinated, as also to take it for inspection on the eighth day after vaccination, renders the party liable to a penalty of twenty shillings. A moment's reflection will show, that for the pur- pose of coercion the law is insufficient. The only person who has the means of ascertaining whether vaccination has taken place on every birth is the Registrar of births and deaths, who, by comparing the register of births with the medical certificates of vaccination, is at once able to ascertain whether vaccination has in any case been omitted. Unfortunately, the supervising control of this officer is confined to giving the notice already referred to at the end of eight days from the birth. The Act, however, allows three months to the parents, and four to a person having the care of a child, to fulfil the requirements of vaccination. But no further duty