NovemsBeER 5, 1896] 
NATURE 15 
able to identifya great many. Nilosyrtis appeared, however, 
very dim and small when compared to the Syrtis Major, which, at 
this time, is ‘* probably in its maximum state of expansion.” 
Ceberus, on the other hand, was observed to be very straight, 
wide and dark, and, it was thought, exhibited signs of gemina- 
tion. 
‘© HIMMEL UND ErprE.”—The first number of the ninth 
year of this monthly contains many articles and notes of astro- 
nomical interest. Dr. G. Witt, of Berlin, contributes an 
account of the present state of our knowledge with regard to 
the planet Saturn, this being the first of two articles on this 
subject. The question of the origin of the surface markings on 
our satellite, the moon, is next raised, and the explanation given 
by Leewy and Puiseux is brought into discussion. There are, 
also, two short notes on the rotation period of Venus and a 
remnant of the Biela comet. The former deals with Perrotin’s 
work, while the latter informs us that Mr. W. E. Hidden, of 
Newark, U.S.A., is in possession of a piece of the meteorite, 
weighing 4°090 kilograms, which fell on November 27, 1885, in 
the neighbourhood of the town of Mazapil. This has been 
handed over to him by the director (Prof. Bonilla) of the 
observatory in Zacatecas (Mexico) for a mineralogical investiga- 
tion. A brief account is given, also, of the new meteorological 
observatory adjoining the hotel on the top of the Brocken, and 
a short summary of the new contributions on the measurements 
of the heights of clouds, by Prof. Kaiser, in Danzig, and 
Prof, Koppe, in Brunswick. 
THE REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION 
ON VACCINATION. 
“THE Report of the Royal Commission on Vaccination is one 
of the most moderate, and certainly one of the most con- 
vincing that has come from any Royal Commission during recent 
years. The Commissioners have, for seven years, been occupied 
in making most careful inquiries at all sources as to the efficacy 
of vaccination in rendering children (and adults) less susceptible 
to infection by small-pox virus. No trouble has been too great, 
-and no expense has been spared to obtain accurate information 
as to the truth of statements made by the witnesses who appeared 
before the Commission; as to the trustworthiness of figures 
placed in evidence ; as tothe nature of the disease alleged to 
be due to vaccination ; and as to the exact share that legal com- 
pulsion has had in promoting or preventing the vaccination of 
children. The conclusions at which the Commissioners have 
arrived are evidently based on the most thorough conviction 
that the evidence before them, after the careful sifting through 
which it has gone, is to be thoroughly trusted, whilst their 
recommendations as regards the alteration in the methods of 
operation, registration, and legal compulsion certainly appear 
to be those best calculated to increase the efficiency of vac- 
cination, concerning the value of which they are so thoroughly 
-convinced. 
The main considerations of the Commission are arranged under 
a series of headings, which may first be taken seriatim. 
(A) ‘ As to the effect of vaccination in reducing the prevalence 
of, and mortality from, small-pox.” Here they conclude ‘‘(1) that 
it diminishes the liability to be attacked by the disease ; (2) that 
it modifies the character of the disease, and renders it (a) less 
fatal, and (4) of a milder or less severe type; (3) that the pro- 
tection it affords against attacks of the disease is greatest during 
the years immediately succeeding the operation of vaccination. 
It is impossible to fix with precision the length of this period of 
highest protection. Though not in all cases the same, if a 
period is to be fixed, it might, we think, fairly be said to cover 
in general a period of nine or ten years ; (4) that after the lapse 
of the period of highest protective potency, the efficacy of 
vaccination to protect against attack rapidly diminishes, but that 
it is still considerable in the next quinquennium, and probably 
never altogether ceases; (5) that its power to modify the 
character of the disease is also greatest in the period in which 
its power to protect from attack is greatest, but that its power 
thus to modify the disease does not diminish as rapidly as its 
protective influence against attacks, and its efficacy during the 
later periods of life to modify the disease is still very consider- 
able ; (6) that re-vaccination restores the protection which lapse 
of time has diminished, but the evidence shows that this pro- 
tection again diminishes, and that, to ensure the highest degree 
NO. I410, VOL. 55] 
of protection which vaccination can give, the operation should 
be at intervals repeated; (7) that the beneficial effects of 
vaccination are most experienced by those in whose case it has 
been most thorough. We think it may fairly be concluded that 
where the vaccine matter is inserted in three or four places it is 
more effectual than when introduced into one or two places only, 
and that if the vaccination marks are of an area of half a square 
inch, they indicate a better state of protection than if their area 
Le at all considerably below this.” 
It is evident from the statistics given that the protection 
afforded by vaccination against small-pox, though lasting for 
some time, is gradually lost, so that there comes a period when 
the protection is very slightindeed. Re-vaccination is naturally 
the first remedy that suggests itself to meet this difficulty, and 
from the evidence collected by the Commission from the various 
epidemics that have occurred, and from the vaccination statistics 
of the various public services, it is made very apparent that the 
value of re-vaccination as a preventive of small-pox can scarcely 
be over-estimated. The proof of this is so conclusive, especially 
where it is based on the observations made on the ordinary staffs 
of hospitals, nurses, and the like, who are brought into close 
contact with small-pox patients, that the re-vaccination statistics 
alone are sufficient to prove the value of vaccination. The posi- 
tion taken up by Sir Guyer Hunterand Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson 
in this question in their minority report, appears to us to be the 
only logical one that could be arrived at, although the limits that 
should be placed upon compulsion, spoken of elsewhere, would 
also limit us in regard to re-vaccination. Only these two Com- 
missioners recommend that re-vaccination at the age of twelve 
should be compulsory, and on the same lines as the initial vac- 
cination ; but now that School Boards have their age registration 
of the children in attendance on their schools, it would surely 
not be a difficult matter to ensure the vaccination of children 
of that age, in order that they might be protected through a 
period during which the susceptibility to the disease, though less 
than in the earlier years of life, is still considerable ; the period, 
too, during which interference with training for work and with 
production of work is a very serious matter for the individual, 
and a matter equally serious for the State. 
(B) ‘ As to the objections made to vaccination on the grounds 
of injurious effects alleged to result therefrom ; and the nature 
and extent of any injurious effects which do, in fact, so result.” 
In regard to this they say ‘‘a careful examination of the facts 
which have been brought under our notice have enabled us to 
arrive at the conclusion that, although some of the dangers said 
to attend vaccination are undoubtedly real and not inconsider- 
able in gross amount, yet when considered in relation to the ex- 
tent of vaccination work done, they are insignificant. There is 
reason further to believe that they are diminishing under the 
better precautions of the present day, and with the addition of 
the further precautions, which experience suggests, will do so 
still more in the future.” The remedy for this, apparently, is 
the employment of calf lymph, which would wholly exclude the 
risks as regards both syphilis and leprosy. The second danger 
does not concern the British public, whilst the risk of syphilis, 
although real, is an exceedingly small one, even when humanised 
lymph is employed, and could probably be wholly avoided by 
care in the selection of the vaccinifer. As regards erysipelas, 
eczematous eruptions, and vaccinia maligna, calf lymph vaccina- 
tion appears to have few advantages over arm to arm vaccina- 
tion. This question is dealt with more fully in the following 
section. 
(C) ‘*As to whether any, and, if so, what means should be 
adopted for preventing or lessening the ill effects, if any, result- 
ing from vaccination ; and whether, and, if so, by what means, 
vaccination with animal vaccine should be further facilitated as 
a part of public vaccination.”” Here again the use of calf lymph 
is recommended, especially for those who have any doubt as to 
the source of ‘farm to arm” lymph. Extension of the age 
period from three to six months, and the adoption of the legal 
methods now in vogue in Scotland, are strongly recommended. 
Special attention is called to the necessity for care and clean- 
liness, not only during the operation, but also in respect to the 
instruments used ; to the desirability that the operation of vaccin- 
ation should be done at the child’s home, except under special 
circumstances, to the necessity for postponement of vaccination 
when erysipelas, scarlet fever, measles, or chicken-pox are pre- 
valent in the neighbourhood of the child’s residence, or at the 
place of vaccination, or on account of the general health of the 
child, bad surroundings, or other conditions rendering the 
