SMALL-POX AND VACCINATION IN N.S W. 1065 
This table tells a dismal story of constantly increasing apathy 
towards vaccination. In succeeding years the proportion of 
vaceinations to births has become less and less, until at the 
present time we are practically an unvaccinated community. 
Here and there sudden temporary increases in the proportion 
show when the importation of the disease threatened, as at such 
times the number of persons submitting themselves for vaccina- 
tion largely increased. 
This singular apathy is to be attributed to three chief causes: 
First, there is the suspicion which still remains that vaccination 
is accompanied by the inoculation of various diseases (syphilis, 
leprosy, and the like)—a suspicion which no amount of proof to 
the contrary seems able to remove from ignorant minds. Secondly, 
there is the fact that on the one or two occasions when small-pox 
actually gained an entrance it failed to spread to any extent, in 
spite of the number of unvaccinated persons. The limitation of 
the disease in these cases was due partly, no doubt, to the ener- 
getic measures which were taken to check its extension, but it is 
believed that it was not entirely due to these. There was some 
other fortunate, but unknown, condition which opposed a barrier 
to the progress of the epidemic. However this be, these circum- 
stances afford no guarantee against future invasion. The history 
of the epidemic amongst the blacks shows that there is no climatic 
influence operating in our favour, and in view of what has 
happened amongst civilised nations we cannot rely on our social 
conditions alone to protect us. Thirdly, and most important of 
the three, there is the misguided reliance which is placed on our 
system of maritime quarantine. Although it is admitted that 
this system has many obvious advantages fav ouring its practice in 
this country, the folly of depending on “it for more protection than 
it can possibly afford has been remarked upon by successive chiefs 
of the Health Department. Moreover, its advantages are consi- 
derably diminished by the lack of uniformity in the quarantine 
measures of the different colonies. A system of Federal Quarantine 
has been suggested, but has not found any practical application. 
That small-pox will some day or other effect an entry in spite of 
the utmost watchfulness is the firm belief of all those who have 
interested themselves in the subject. 
The above sketch will show the position of New South Wales 
as regards vaccination. Too far removed from the countries of the 
Old World to be impressed by their experiences of small-pox, and 
lacking the salutary effect (as regards vaccination) of previous 
serious contact with the disease, the people of this colony remain 
to-day unwise as to their own interests, and indifferent towards 
those of their neighbours. 
