1 58 MARRIAGE AND DISEASE. 



On the other hand, too great care cannot be taken 

 in seeing that any wet-nurse engaged for a healthy- 

 child is not infected with this disease, for, as the 

 diseased infant can convey it to the nurse, so can a 

 diseased nurse convey it to the healthy infant. Parents 

 should never engage any person as wet-nurse until 

 their own medical attendant has examined and ap- 

 proved of her. 



As to the danger of infection through vaccination, 

 which has been vastly magnified by the opponents of 

 that operation, little need be said here. That syphilis 

 can be, and has been conveyed by vaccination, is un- 

 fortunately true; but as the operation of vaccination 

 is always in the hands of qualified medical men, I 

 have only to say that, with even reasonable knowledge 

 and care, such an accident is next to impossible, and 

 that the vaccinator who conveys syphilis should in 

 all cases be held responsible. 



In the next place, I would point out that there is 

 no disease known in the course of which more ab- 

 solutely marvellous results can be attained by good 

 treatment, or more disastrous results by bad, than in 

 syphilis. For this reason, the person who has any 

 reason to suspect that he has been infected, should at 

 once apply to a respectable medical practitioner, avoid- 

 ing as he would poison all those ignorant vultures 

 who advertise their nostrums, and feed and grow fat 

 on the weak, the credulous, and the ignorant. A con- 

 siderable number of the very worst cases which turn 

 up in the hospital and the consulting-room, are those 



