584 SCIENCE. 
author attacks the argument for vaccination 
founded on the diminution in the amount of 
small-pox during this century by pointing out 
that typhus fever without the help of vaccina- 
tion has also been much reduced in prevalence 
in the same time, and that both diseases are less 
frequent on account of better sanitary condi- 
tions. The comparison of typhus fever to 
small-pox, however, is deceptive first because 
as the clinical separation of typhus from typhoid 
fever became general only about the middle of 
this century, the reduction in typhus cannot be 
properly estimated, and second, because the im- 
provement in sanitation does not apply equally 
to both. Crowding in filthy and unventilated 
rooms is necessary for the development of 
‘camp,’ ‘jail’ or ‘ship’ fever, but small-pox 
for centuries went into the palace as well as 
intothe hovel. The circle of infection of typhus 
fever is small, that of small-pox is large. Dr. 
Tebb’s mode of reasoning is capitally illustrated 
by the following: ‘‘I have shown that a part 
of the decline of small-pox and especially that 
part which has taken place in children is not 
necessarily a saving of life, but only a shifting 
of the mortality on to some other disease such as 
measles or whooping cough.’’ According to 
this reasoning, asthe children probably have to 
die any how from some disease, they may as 
well die from small-pox. 
The author devotes a chapter to the discus- 
sion of epidemics in various English towns, and 
points out that the epidemics occur in well 
vaccinated just as in poorly vaccinated places, 
and that they can be controlled without recourse 
to vaccination. To obtain all the facts about 
all the places mentioned would be a long task, 
but the vital facts about two of his examples, 
Leicester and Sheffield are well known. In 
unvaccinated Leicester, during the epidemic of 
1892-1893, there were 21 deaths, 19 in unvacci- 
nated and 2 in vaccinated persons over ten years 
old. In well vaccinated Sheffield in the epi- 
demic of 1887-1888, there were 68,000 vacci- 
nated children of whom 3 per cent. were attacked 
and 2,200 unvaccinated children of whom 10 
per cent. were attacked ; there were also about 
200,000 vaccinated persons over ten years of 
age of whom 2 per cent were attacked and 
about 3,500 unvaccinated persons of whom 9 
[N.S. Von. X. No. 250. 
per cent. were attacked. The above well 
illustrates the established fact that vaccination 
protects somewhat for years, but only absolu- 
tely for from 6 to 8 months. 
A long chapter which embodies the second 
argument is that devoted to vaccinal injuries. 
To clear the way for criticism of this it may be 
said that there is no dispute that injuries some- 
times follow vaccination, that skin eruptions are 
moderately frequent, and that all varieties of 
sepsis are possible when the wound is made or 
cared for in an unclean way or when infected 
virus is inserted. Thirty pages are, however, 
given up to proved and unproved cases of so- 
called vaccino-syphilis. The truth with regard 
to this infection is that invaccination of syphilis 
is possible when vaccination is done from arm 
to arm, probably impossible and certainly un- 
known when done with calf virus. Moreover 
in the 5} million primary vaccinations done 
during the session of the Royal Commission in 
England, 1889-96, there was not a single ‘case 
proved, and every alleged case was investigated. 
Twenty-one pages give some account of the 
contradictory evidence relating to the invacci- 
nation of leprosy. If this invaccination is pos- 
sible when done from arm to arm, an assump- 
tion which has not been proved, yet it has at 
present no public importance in England or the 
United States. Tuberculosis and tetanus con- 
sume eight pages, yet there is no case on record 
in which tuberculosis was ever conveyed by vac- 
cination, and although there have been several 
cases where tetanus has been alleged to have fol- 
lowed vaccination, yet even granting that this 
is so, it simply enforces the rule that vaccination 
should be only performed in a cleanly way. 
The third argument of Dr. Tebb against com- 
pulsion may, now that compulsion no longer 
exists, be left as the expression of his individual 
opinion. ; 
For information relative to some of the above 
questions, the writer wishes to thank Dr. J. H. 
Huddleston, who has charge of the vaccine 
laboratory of the New York City Health 
Department. W. H. Park. 
NEW YORK. 
GENERAL. 
THE U. 8. National Museum has just pub- 
lished a careful translation, by Mr. E. O. 
i ee i 
