336 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



able symptoms which might subsequently arise, apparently as the re- 

 sult of vaccination, should immediately be reported to the inspector 

 at his office. As a consequence of this invitation quite a number of 

 complaints were received, every one of which was thoroughly investi- 

 gated. It is fair, therefo-re, to suppose that every case of importance 

 thus came under the observation of the inspector. Out of 24,395 

 primary vaccinations, 145 complaints were entered — scarcely more 

 than one in 150 cases. On examination these were divided into four 

 classes : 



1. Ulceration and sloughing of the arm about the sore. 



2. Inflammation and erysipelas, 



3. Inflammation of the neighboring glands and sometimes abscess. 



4. Various eruptions on the skin. 



Two deaths occurred, both from erysipelas. Both these cases were 

 in bad subjects, one being complicated with meningitis, the other 

 being in a poor antemic child with " such miserable surroundings as to 

 preclude the possibility of recovery." In such subjects any operation, 

 even the slightest, or any accident, an ordinary cut or bruise, without 

 inoculation of any kind, is liable to be followed by most serious results. 

 The vaccine virus can not be held responsible for the mischief in these 

 nor any of the cases complained of, since in the same streets, even in 

 the same houses, many other children were vaccinated with the same 

 virus with perfect results. The fault was in the children themselves, 

 their parentage, their constitutions, their habits and surroundings. 

 So true is this that, if vaccinators could choose their cases, avoiding all 

 bad or doubtful subjects for the sake of avoiding the prejudice aroused 

 by a single unfavorable result, seldom indeed would a complaint be 

 entered ; but, on the other hand, many a child fairly entitled to the 

 benefits of vaccination might be left unprotected. These results are 

 mentioned, however, that nothing may be covered up which was 

 actually found as a sequel even if not a result of vaccination. 



Looking for statistics or even single cases of disease actually trans- 

 mitted from one person to another by means of vaccination, no such 

 cases exist. Concerning syphilis the inspector says, "Among all the 

 cases of bad results which we have seen, we have failed to find a single 

 one showing any indications of syphilitic inoculation, nor have we ever 

 met a case of this kind in all our experience." Only a very few such 

 cases have been brought to notice as even suspected, and none which 

 would bear investigation. They were either not syphilis at all, the 

 most usual result of examination, or else showed some other and more 

 probable way of receiving the infection. 



But what of other terrible diseases — cancer, consumption, and all 

 the other forms of scrofula — for which vaccination has been blamed ? 

 No such cases have ever been brought to the notice of the inspector. 

 The idea that such diseases can be so transmitted is absurd on its face, 

 since it is certainly most difficult, if not utterly impossible, to repro- 



