224 
[April, 
Analyses of Books. 
all in diminishing smallpox cases, medical practitioners in de- 
fending this precautionary measure are very literally “ fighting 
against their own bread and butter.” 
Mr. White’s views on the aetiology of smallpox are peculiar. 
He tells us that “ smallpox, as naturally developed, is a crisis of 
impurity in the blood.” This is what Comteans would pronounce 
a metaphysical explanation. Impurity of the blood, whatever 
that may mean, has surely existed at all times ; but, in the 
absence of the specific variolous poison, it does not produce 
smallpox. 
He ascribes the abatement of smallpox to “ a progressive 
change in the diet of the people,- — to the substitution of tea for 
malt liquors, and to the displacement of arid fare by potatoes.” 
Again, he writes, “ I am disposed to ascribe the abatement of 
smallpox, which set in toward the close of the last century, to 
the better blood of the people, ameliorated by the increased con- 
sumption of tea and potatoes.” Yet though the consumption of 
tea has greatly increased, and that of potatoes has certainly not 
diminished, smallpox has again increased, and has repeatedly 
taken an epidemic form. 
As to the irrelevant matter in the volume before us, it is 
abundant. The strictures on Jenner’s private character are 
for the most part quite beside the question. Granting his 
shyness, his indolence, his arithmetical incapacity, his being 
“ anxious, fitful, and helpless,” — all these prove nothing for or 
against the utility 'of vaccination. Even John Hunter, as 
having been Jenner’s master, comes in for a share of abuse. 
From the language used, and from another passage, we 
should suspeCt Mr. White of a leaning to “ Bestiarianism.” 
Another mass of irrelevance is the chapter devoted to William 
Cobbett ! 
What we most object to in the present author, and indeed in 
the bulk of anti-vaccinationist authorities, is that they write not 
as men of Science, but as political partisans — as agitators. 
They do net calmly and judicially set to work to demonstrate the 
inefficiency and the dangers of vaccination ; they seem to have 
set out from theories of “ conscience,” “ liberty,” &c., and then 
to have sought for scientific evidence as a support. We fear it 
may be deduced, from certain passages in this work, that the 
author and his friends would still feel free to carry on their 
agitation even if neither failures nor dangers ever resulted from 
vaccination. 
We do not see that Mr. White fairly meets the objection that 
compulsory education jutifies compulsory vaccination. We, for 
instance, are compelled to pay School-Board Rates though we 
conscientiously believe that any form of education administered 
on the principle of “ payment by results ” is individually and 
racially destructive. Still this our belief, or rather knowledge, 
does not warrant our refusal to pay the school-rate until such 
