33 The West American Scientist. 34 
Auf freien, feuchten oder nassen Stel- 
len, sehr hadufig bei Bingen in Washing- 
ton. Von mir 1880 und spater gesam- 
melt (Nr. 684). Bliht oft schon Mitte 
Februar, zuweilen noch fruher. 
NEMOPHILA EROSA Sp. nov. 
Blattspreite etwas grosser als bei der 
vorigen Art, meistens langer als der 
Stiel, 6-9 lappig; Lappen verkehrteifor- 
mig oder langlich, schief, spitz, die 
grossten oft mit einem Lappchen auf 
jeder Seite. Krone tiber 3 mm, lang, 
weiss mit schwarzen Punkten und kurz- 
en Strichen In der Mitte; Lappen langer 
als ROhre, ani Ende unregelmassig ge- 
kerbt und meistens einwenig  schief; 
Schtppchen schmal, langbewimpert. 
Staubfaden unterhalb der ROhrenmitte 
eingesetzt, aus der ROhre herausragend. 
Fruchtknoten 5-8-eiig. Keimblatter 
verkehrteiformig bis fast langrund. 
Auf feuchten, steinigen Platzen am 
Kolumbiastrom in Clarke-County in 
Washington, 12. April, 1894 (Nr. 2315). 
WILHELM SUKSDORE. 
VACCINATION ASA LAWFUL MEN- 
ACE TO LIFE AND LONGEVITY. 
Most poisons leave the drug store 
with a death nead on the label to warn 
life-loving Americans of danger in 
their use. Vaecine virus, on the other 
hand, goes out under protection of the 
law to indiscriminate use. In case of 
accident there is no redress. In sever- 
al States there is a law requiring 
school children to be vaccinated but 
in no State does the law lay any pen- 
alty upon the use of impure virus. 
And, indeed, there is no penalty which 
cam restore a child’s life 2nd health or 
sufficientiy reward it or its parents for 
their loss. 
Is vaccination, then, dangerous? In 
reply we can ask ourselves another 
question, viz: Can the inoculation of 
anything be wholly free from danger? 
Whatever eaters the blood through the 
stomach must pass an array of senti- 
nels which are set to detect and de- 
stroy all that is hostile to pure blood. 
One of the most potent of these is the 
gastric fluid which is a powerful anti- 
septic and destroys putrescence before 
it reaches the blood. But inoculation 
avoids this watch at the gate and 
transmits material direcily to the 
blood. Is it reasonable to suppose that 
such a process can be free from risk? 
If the material inoculated is seen by its 
effects to be impure there is no reme- 
dy. The stomach pump will not reach 
it, antidotes will not correct it: it is 
already in the biood and quite beyond 
recall. 
However, the virus furnished in this 
enlightened 20th century is giycerin- 
ated, sterilized, and that means its 
disease germs, if there are any are de- 
stroyed. Whence, then, the danger? 
But are its disease germs destroyed? 
We know well enough that the kine 
pox.germ is not destroyed c1 the virus 
will not ‘‘take’, and it is not reason- 
able to suppose that a sterilized pro- 
cess which preserves one sort of dis- 
ease germ in perfect activity is sure 
death to all others. And not only is 
such a supposition unreasonable but it 
has not the support of testimony. Jo- 
seph Collinson writes from London 
that all diseases produced by human 
lymph and the simple calf lymph are 
also produced by the glyececrinated va- 
riety. And, too, I believe every one 
who has had experience of any extent 
in the matter has seen results from the 
glycerinated virus which could not 
have taken piace if all disease germs 
had been destroyed. ; 
Another argument used sometimes 
to prove the innocence of vaccination 
is that if it were such a dangerous rem- 
edy the people would be up in arms 
against it. And so they will be when 
once they are enlightened as to the real 
nature of the process and the risk ta- 
Ken. Many years ago smallpox was a 
much-feared disease. Not only was its 
fatality great, but there was a disfig- 
urement almost as much dreaded as 
death. This fear of small pox led the 
people to fly blindly to anything which 
would in the opinion of anyone offer 
them safety. Of late years, owing to 
better sanitary conditions and better 
knowledge of the treatment of the dis- 
ease, it is, while not to be invited, not 
so greatly to be feared as many other 
diseases. Indeed, I believe that today 
we hear of more deaths and more and 
