i88i.] The Vaccination Question Reconsidered. 651 
We think no causal relation whatever can be deduced from 
a discussion of these tables. 
But if the failure of “ the vaccination system, as at pre- 
sent carried out,” is due to a deterioration in the quality of 
the vaccine lymph employed, the question occurs how and 
whence is a better supply to be obtained ? Here there is, 
unfortunately, a want of unanimity among high professional 
authorities. Dr. Carpenter recommends “calf-vaccination.” 
Jenner maintained that so-called spontaneous cow-pox does 
not protect against smallpox. Prof. Symonds, of the Royal 
Veterinary College, as quoted by Mr. Taylor, does not believe 
that any form of variola belongs to horned cattle. We may 
first inoculate a heifer with smallpox, and apply the matter 
thus obtained to human subjects. But the result, according 
to some physicians, is merely a “ mitigated smallpox.” We 
find ourselves thus led to Dr. Carpenter’s eighth proposition, 
in which he makes light of the practical danger of the com- 
munication of other diseases, especially syphilis and scrofula, 
by the transfer of vaccine matter from one person to another. 
This is in reality the turning-point of the whole dispute. If 
such danger exists, and if it cannot by any precaution be 
removed, the protest against compulsory vaccination is — to 
use the mildest expression — perfectly justifiable. It is surely 
far better that a child should die of smallpox than live as a 
scrofulous or a syphilitic subject, and in all probability com- 
municate these horrible diseases to others. Now the medical 
opinions and the professional evidence quoted in Mr. Taylor’s 
pamphlet are by no means reassuring. Sir Thomas Watson, 
referring to this danger, speaks of vaccination as involving a 
“ ghastly risk.” M. Ricard, though a supporter of vaccina- 
tion, admits that it must be abandoned if but one case of the 
inoculation of syphilis could be traced. Dr. Warlomont says — 
“ In any country where it is obligatory upon parents to have 
their children vaccinated, the State is under a moral obliga- 
tion to furnish families with a vaccine which is beyond the 
risk of all suspicion. Mr. Brudenell Carter (“ Medical 
Examiner,” May 24th, 18 77) thinks that “ syphilitic con- 
tamination of vaccine lymph is by no means an unusual 
occurrence,” and further, that “ a very large proportion of 
the cases of apparently inherited syphilis are in reality vac- 
cinal.” Mr. Hutchinson pronounces the danger of trans- 
mitting syphilis “ real and very important.” Dr. Ballard, a 
medical officer of the Local Government Board, writes in a 
prize essay that “ there are numerous cases on record to 
prove that the vaccine virus and the syphilitic virus may be 
introduced at the same spot, by the same pundlure of the 
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