an idea you Londoners must have of a recreation ground! In Dickens's tale of Mugby Junction, we read of an American who, when he had eaten of the food sold at the station, spat it out and said, "I larf." Now, if it were not a serious affair, I should laugh at the idea of inviting royalty to open a burial ground for the recreation of 93,000 people. The subject is a serious one. Does it not demonstrate the crowded condition of the people who live in the East-end? And when you take Professor Pasteur's experiments, which tell you how necessary atmospheric air is in order that these poisons may be killed, is it to be wondered that you are continually producing the small-pox disease in the East-end of London. (Hear, hear.) If you will impress this idea upon the minds of the people, instead of telling them to put disease into their bodies, you will be acting far more rationally than the vaccinators are acting. The fact is, the vaccinators appeal to the fears of the people, and not to their reason. (Hear, hear.) This idea about fresh air is not a new idea. I was reading the other day a novel of George Eliot's-Adam Bede-and came across small-pox in it. One of the finest characters George Eliot has drawn, is that of the Rev. Mr. Irwine. In a conversation with young Donnithorne, he says "that if you detect the disease at an early stage, and try change of air, there is every chance of complete escape, without any further develop ment of symptoms." Now you know that George Eliot had special means for obtaining physiological knowledge. G. H. Lewes was a very eminent physiologist, and not what we call a professional" one; and there is no doubt that George Eliot derived her idea from Lewes -that if you place small-pox patients in a pure atmosphere the chances are that the symptoms will disappear. Now that is common-sense supporting the scientific results of Professor Pasteur. (Applause.) I hold it is our duty to place before the community these rational views in opposition to those panic-stricken views connected with vaccination. (Hear, hear.) There is just one other point I should like to refer to, and that is with respect to Dr. Carpenter's want of candour in his letter to the Spectator. In dealing with hospital mortality, and pointing out that the mortality was greater amongst the unvaccinated, he makes this remark. "the other conditions were identical." That is to say the only difference between the two classes was that the one class was vaccinated, and the other was not. Now I say that was not candid on the part of Dr. Carpenter, because I must not charge Dr. Carpenter with being ignorant; but I do say there is a want of candour about his deliberate statement that the other conditions, except those of vaccination, were "identical" in those two classes. Now what are the facts? Dr. Carpenter knows perfectly well that the first and main instruction to public vaccinators by the Government is-"vaccinate only subjects who are in good health." There at once the practice of vaccination divides the population into two sections, healthy children on the one hand, unhealthy on the other. And Dr. Stevens adds to the latter class the gutter

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children, who can never be got at, the lost waifs and strays of society. Here you have these two classes, the healthy on the one hand, and the unhealthy and the lost on the other, and is it fair for Dr. Carpenter to say that the conditions of these classes are "identical," except in the matter of vaccination? (Hear, hear.) Surely it is not a fair statement. Now if small-pox comes amongst these two classes of people, which class ought to suffer most? Really to put the question is to answer it. I say that the unhealthy and those that have not been vaccinated are the people who ought to suffer most. But I do not put my own word before that of the Parliamentary Committee of 1871. Mr. Simon put it very strongly. Why is it they do not vaccinate the unhealthy? Because they dare not. They are afraid they would kill them in the vaccination, or that there would be some dreadful result for which they would not like to be responsible. What did Mr. Simon say before the Committee? He said, "But let it be considered, with particular reference to that child who so shows a special liability to be upset by vaccination, what an infinitely greater upset small-pox would be. If the minimised disturbance, if the minimised small-pox, which vaccination is, produces this temporary derangement of health, what would not natural small-pox do to the child?" (3098). That is precisely what we say is the reason why there is a higher mortality amongst the unvaccinated, because they are weakly children, and not calculated to withstand small-pox to the same degree as the other class. Well now I think it is our duty to put these facts before the people, and show them that it is not a question whether you are vaccinated or not, but whether you are healthy to begin with, and are living under healthy conditions. (Hear, hear.) The Lancet the other week said it did not matter about the discussion of this question because the profession had already formulated its opinion upon the question, but it forgot to give us the formula. That is a remarkable omission, because it at once reminds us that here is Dr. Carpenter saying that small-pox and cowpox are identical, and here is Dr. Cameron saying that they ought not to be identicalWhich is the correct formula? The fact is the members of the profession differ essentially upon vaccination. (Hear, hear.) I wish success to the cause you have in hand; but you must remember that you will not win except by bringing outside pressure to bear upon Parliament. I do not envy Mr. Dodson's position-I am doubtful whether he is quite strong enough for the place. But this is to be said for himthere is no other department of the Government that has so many well-paid officials whose position depends absolutely upon this vaccination dogma being held to be correct. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Dodson lives in a vaccination atmosphere. As to other sanitary measures, why there is scarcely anything being done by the department. It is all vaccination from one end of the country to the other. They have a system of bribery, as you know. Assuming that their doctrine is true, namely, that vacci

nation must be efficiently performed, they dare not trust to their public vaccinators to do what is right; they have to tempt them to do it by doubling their fees. Now, that is really a strong condemnation of the system. Whilst I doubt whether Mr. Dodson is strong enough for his place, he has this excuse-that he is surrounded and advised by well-paid officers whose position absolutely depends upon vaccination being kept intact. (Applause.)

Mr. ALEXANDER WHEELER-I do not know what you will say to a fresh speaker at this late hour of the night. It seems to me that enough has been said. The ground has been pretty well covered. By way of variety Mr. Wheeler related an anecdote respecting Dr. Carpenter, to whom he paid a high compliment. The point of the story was that Dr. Carpenter was not above confessing himself to be in the wrong when he was shown to be so; hence Mr. Wheeler hoped that Dr. Carpenter would yet live to confess that he had been in the wrong on the vaccination question. The greatest minds were always those who were the most ready to acknowledge their errors. Mr. Wheeler then turned to an examination of the small-pox hospital reports, upon which Dr. Carpenter said the decision on this question must rest. Mr. Wheeler first imagined a person to be visiting one of the small-pox hospitals in London. What would he see in the reception room? Why, patient after patient examined as to marks on the arm, and registered as "vaccinated." There were at least three registered as vaccinated to one unvaccinated, and the latter was generally a bad case where the marks would not be visible, even if there. Going back to the year 1650, long before Jenner was thought of, he found that persons suffering from small-pox without complication of the disorder were almost certain to recover. That was the kind, it had been said, that "the nurse cannot kill," so easy was it to cure. It was exactly the same to-day. Amongst the severer cases, where the pustules run together, "confluent small-pox, the mortality was considerable, often one half. It was the same in 1650. Dr. Sydenham's treatment for this kind was followed to-day. The type of disease, the mortality and the treatment were unaltered. There was another and worse kind of small-pox, in which the great vital organs were affected, the lungs, the heart, etc. This was very malignant. Dr. Sydenham noticed this malignant kind in the years following the plague, and he says that very few recovered. It was so in the hospitals to-day. The hospital records to-day show in some cases that the bulk of these malignant cases were of vaccinated persons. Mr. Wheeler next called attention to Mr. Marson's theory of "good marks," which was made much of some years ago until the theory was exploded. Nothing was said now about "good marks," because in the hospitals at Homerton and others he found no fewer than 3,959 cases with "good marks." Was not that sufficient to settle the question of " good marks"? It showed that this theory was completely false. In the Homerton and other hospitals he found 133 cases of malignant small-pox in vaccinated persons-the very worst type of the disease in those who had been "protected" by vaccination! Another proof of the utter falsity of the protective theory. În one of the hospitals only two of these cases were unvaccinated. Further, no fewer than 35 of the malignant cases bore "good marks," and yet they nearly all died. At Homerton all these vaccinated malignant cases died, at Hampstead 99 per cent. died, at Fulham 16 out of 22, and in another hospital all the cases were fatal. It was just the same

now as in the time of Sydenham. You cannot possibly, continued Mr. Wheeler, by any form of vaccination alter the character of the disease; vaccinate as you will, by whatsoever kind of "lymph,' by whatever number of marks, by whatever "quality" of marks, or of virus, the disease is unaltered, the character of it is unaltered; you cannot alter it by "good marks;" you cannot alter it by any amount of vaccination. We have had vaccination enough in the last few years; from 1852 to 1877 no fewer than fourteen millions and a quarter of people have been vaccinated in this country! And then they say they are not safe, because of the few who remain unvaccinated. (Laughter.) Yet when we go to the hospitals we find vaccinated people dying of the most malignant form of small-pox. When the theory of "good marks" died out, then they set up the theory that all depended on the quality of the marks; they were to be well foveated, very deep, like a thimble top in appearance, with a variety of like descriptions without the complete fulfilment of which there could not be success. These have also failed to protect, and now they tell you they want re-vaccination made compulsory! Dr. Gayton in his report actually says "I suppose no one is prepared to say that primary vaccination is an absolute prevention of small-pox;" and that man has had as much experience as any doctor in London. They say you must be re-vaccinated, yet I have found no fewer than 3000 cases of re-vaccinated small-pox, the bulk of them being in the French and German armies. I will, however, refer to the cases I find in the hospital reports, which are full of laudation of re-vaccination, while affording proof of its inutility and ground for its condemnation. In but a few of these small-pox hospital reports, I find no fewer than 59 re-vaccinated cases, some of them fatal! Now I have gone the whole round of these absurd and baseless theories. Is there any other theory left? Is there any man bold enough to start` another theory? There is no end to theories when there is something "substantial" behind them; and I cannot help feeling that it is the enormous interest these people have behind them which keeps them chained and bound to this superstition. (Hear, hear.) The farmers did not go with Bright and Cobden for the repeal of the corn-laws! Can you expect people to go against those interests which they know help to fill their purse? It is not to be expected; therefore I do not complain that medical men do not side with us. But they will soon side with us. We have several medical men here, and as the chairman said, very few medical men know anything about vaccination, but when they examine they will come over. We must rouse the people of this country to get rid of the superstition. (Applause.) Humanity has never had a call to a holier crusade. I have often seen poor children dying a lingering death and covered with disease from this pollution. When the parents of these suffering children are taken before the magistrates, and refuse to sacrifice another of their children to this abominable Moloch, what does the magistrate say? "It is the law." Well, then, we must go behind the magistrate and repeal the law. (Applause.)

Mr. W. J. COLLINS, B.Sc., M. R.C.S., drew attention to the "dangers of vaccination." If vaccination were a matter of no concern, its enforcement might, perhaps, be tolerated; but if, on the other hand, as was alleged, vaccination was by no means a harmless affair, but was fraught with danger to life and health, and was the means of conveying horrible diseases from child to child, to enforce it under such circumstances was tyrannical.

Ever since the days of Jenner the feeling had prevailed amongst the thinking part of the medical profession that the inoculation of an animal poison, such as cow-pox, into the human system, might not improbably be the means of conveying or intensifying or occasioning one or more of the so-called inoculable diseases. That opinion had steadily grown from that day to this, and the facts were now too strong either to be explained away or denied. The medical profession had been compelled most reluctantly to recant, and public faith in vaccination was shaken, and refused to be reassured by any number of official explanations. (Hear, hear.) Syphilis, erysipelas, pyæmia, skin diseases, scrofula, and mesenteric disease, were long ago specified by anti-vaccinators as being likely, from their nature, to be communicated in this manner. Individual experience and pathological experiments fully corroborated these opinions. Only one thing was wanted to complete the chain of evidence, and that was an appeal to statistics. This was now forthcoming in Mr. Hopwood's Parliamentary Returns. These Returns confirm in the most distinct and startling manner the suspicions with regard to the dangers of vaccination, for they demonstrate beyond the shadow of a doubt that each and all of

the inoculable diseases of childhood have increased concomitantly and coincidently with the increased vaccination brought about by the compulsory law. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Collins proceeded to give examples. When vaccination was voluntary the number of deaths of children under one year from skin diseases was 183 per million births. When vaccination became compulsory--but not regularly enforced-the number rose to 253. Under enforced vaccination the deaths further rose to 343; that is to say, 160 more children, out of every million, died from skin diseases under compulsory vaccination than when it was purely voluntary; in other words, 160 children out of every million died from skin diseases caused by vaccination before they reached one year of age. (Hear, hear.) Other diseases had increased similarly. Syphilis had increased four-fold; erysipelas from 817 to 834; scrofula had trêbled. It was remarkable that the death-rate from all other diseases had uniformly declined, thanks to sanitary legislation, and this rendered still more prominent the uniform increase in fatality of those diseases which were liable to be communi

cated by vaccination. (Hear, hear.) You may ask, continued Mr. Collins, What has the medical profession to say to these facts and figures? They are unable to explain away or deny them; but, nevertheless, are unwilling to relinquish vaccination, Thus it is that an artificial agitation has been raked up by Mr. Ernest Hart and others in favour of calf-lymph. Now, calf-lymph is a delusion and a snare. Calf-lymph is a name applied indifferently to at least three totally different commodities possessed of entirely different properties. First, there is the lymph obtained by inoculating the calf with the ordinary humanised lymph. That only seems to add the chances of communicating bovine disease without removing human impurities. Secondly, there is the lymph obtained by inoculating the cow with human small-pox. That is Mr. Ceely's plan. That never produces cow-pox, when it produces anything it is true small-pox, and is capable of spreading that disease by contagion. Lastly, there is the lymph obtained from spontaneous cow-pox. This is the fashionable lymph now being extensively advertised; and this is the lymph which Jenner himself denounced as utterly unprotective. (Hear, hear, and Laughter.) Hence the dilemma in which the medical profession and the Local Government

Board are in with regard to calf lymph and its adoption. Such are the facts respecting the transmission of disease by vaccination and the now famous calf lymph. What, on the other hand, has vaccination to offer us in the way of advantages? Truly, at the best, these are but vague, equivocal, and in the words of Dr. Cameron, "mythical;" and Who would run that's moderately wise A certain danger for a doubtful prize? One thing is certain-vaccination either protects from small-p 1-pox, or it does not. If it protect, compulsion is unnecessary; if it do not protect, compulsion is intolerable. (Applause.)

Dr. NICHOLS said we must not expect much from the medical profession, because its organisation and the fashions and customs in regard to it have made it the interest of the profession that disease should prevail and abound. It is not the interest of physicians to prevent disease; they are not paid to prevent it except in the case of health officers. If it were the interest of physicians to prevent disease if they were paid to teach the people the laws of health-we never should have had any of this trouble about vaccination. Then there were some superstitions on the part of the English public. People believed in the infallibility of doctors, who had for centuries led the people by the nose in various directions, sometimes one way, sometimes another. The doctors continually change, but the people follow them all the same. You must get over that, said Dr. Nichols; and there is another superstition you must get rid of, and that is in regard to Acts of Parliament. An Act of Parliament is not infallible. The progress of all liberty in the world has been through opposition to law, opposition to things established. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and your vigilance was never more needed than it is at the present time. (Hear, hear.) Here is a law which has been shown by statistics to have murdered thousands of little children in this country. I have seen examples of its murderous work. I have seen many persons who have been undoubtedly diseased, some who have died in infancy, and others who have borne lifelong suffering, and I could trace no cause for this but vaccination. The parents of these children and their surroundings were healthy, but disease had been implanted artificially in the system. Well, we have got to get rid of this tyranny in some way. Men will not suffer it much longer; or if men will, women will not. (Hear, hear.) It is a woman's question, and above all, a mother's question. (Hear, hear.) And the mothers of England, especially in the humbler class of life, are being aroused in regard to this evil, and they are stirring up their husbands, I am glad to see. Already we have had some antivaccination riots, riots at Brighton, and in the Midlands. I wish we could have a great many more. You have read in the papers that there was a rumour the Government was going to send doctors to vaccinate the children in the public schools, and the parents gathered and clamoured against it, and took their children home that they might escape this curse. (Hear, hear.) If you could have that all over England, then the newspapers would be open to us; they would begin to discuss the question, it would be talked about in Parliament, and we should not have to wait very long to bring the matter to a crisis. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, that is what you will have to do in some such way; a little Boycotting, if you please; a little rioting in an innocent sort of way; clamour enough to be heard. I don't want anybody to be hurt; no blowing up, but clamour enough to make yourselves heard; enough gathering to

gether to make yourselves visible; and enough speaking and petitioning and protesting to make headway against this abomination. (Applause.) It has been my plan for many years to work for the prevention rather than the cure of disease. Smallpox and similar diseases are caused by impure atmospheric and other conditions, which poison the blood. These diseases can be prevented by means that are well-known to every person who knows the elements of sanitary science; therefore, there is no need of all this stuff, and worse than nonsense, about the matter. Vaccination is not necessary, even if it were ever so good; even if all that is claimed for it were true, there would be no necessity for it. Place people in right conditions, and teach them how to live; let them eat, and drink, and breathe, as they ought to do, and keep themselves and their surroundings clean, and there will be none of these diseases. (Hear, hear.) I hope we shall use our exertions in every way, even if we do make a small riot, to have this abominable law repealed. An Englishman's house is said to be his castle. It is his castle no longer. The vaccinators not only come into his house, but they get inside of his skin, and invade his veins, so that the blood in his body is not his own. Men claim a prescriptive right to poison it. Then look at the cowardliness and unfairness of the vaccination law which attacks little children, spares adults, and compels the poor, but does not compel the rich. (Hear, hear.) That inequality at least ought to be swept away. Let them do one thing or the other; let them vaccinate everybody, rich and poor, high and low, young and old, or let everybody do just as they please about vaccination. (Applause.)

Dr. EDWARD HAUGHTON said he had listened with great satisfaction to the previous speeches, and had never heard the case against vaccination put in a more unanswerable way. Almost every point had been touched. Dr. Haughton said he had been connected with this movement for about twenty years, and he had learned to think charitably towards the members of his profession because of the difficulties they encountered in arriving at the truth. Dr. Carpenter was personally, and by the traditions of his family, a friend of liberty, civil and religious, and if we could once convince his understanding he would be with us heart and soul. He (Dr. Haughton) called upon the editor of the Spectator, and he positively declined to allow any reply to Dr. Carpenter's letter from a set of men who, he said, wanted to make out that two and two made five. (Laughter.) Dr. Haughton thought it was rather the pro-vaccinators who were puzzled in their arithmetic. He then referred to the contemptible publication called "Facts Concerning Vaccination," issued under the patronage of the Local Government Board and the National Health Society, to which no individual had dared to put his name. It stated that "the fear that a foul disease may be implanted by vaccination is unfounded," when there was a blue book full of evidence to the contrary. Again, "The alleged injury arising from vaccination is disproved by all medical experience. A more impudent statement was never made; and this was paid for out of the poor-rates that money might flow into the pockets of the public vaccinators. He objected to money raised for the poor being used for experimental quackery He objected further to a bribery fund benrg at

what the disposal of the Privy Council, and of

return as made to Parliament. (Hear, hear.) Dr. Haughton said he would give an instance in which this vaccination fraud had been exposed MA in connection with the department in Dublin. It

ICAL LIBRARY

was proposed to obtain some calf lymph for the purpose of vaccinating the people in Galway; and some benevolent guardian offered a calf for the purpose, that it might be inoculated with variolous matter, as recommended by Sir Thomas Watson. What was the official reply? The thing was forbidden because it would be a "fertile source of communicating the small-pox disease, and would "render the operation liable to prosecution." This had never been confessed by the Local Government Board in London. It was an instance of "Home Rule"-(Laughter)—and he ventured to say that in this instance the Home Rulers had the best of it. In Ireland the people were finding out that this thing was a humbug. Dr. Haughton complained of the unfairness of the Press, and predicted that in less than five years we should see the total abolition of the Compulsory Vaccination Acts. (Applause.)

Mr. THOMAS BAKER, who was the last speaker, referred to a lecture by Mr. Michael, Q.C., in which the aid of the policeman was desired for the enforcement of vaccination. He found, on writing to Mr. Michael, that he was ignorant of Mr. Hopwood's Return. J. S. Mill said :-"He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that." Mr. Michael had evidently been primed by some doctor. Mr. Baker repudiated any intention of charging the medical profession with mercenary motives in upholding vaccination. They had been educated in the belief that vaccination was true, and even if they desired to study the question they were not allowed the opportunity. It was pitiful to see a noble profession ignobly led by a few medical experts. Much had been made of the exemption of Post-office employés from small-pox. Mr. Baker said he could match that. The Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrial Classes with a tenantry of 6000 persons, had not had a single case of small-pox in the last ten years. He was surprised that any editor could be so idiotic as to give vaccination the credit of exemption from small-pox. He did not charge the medical profession with dishonesty in this matter, but only with ignorance. Medical men were as ignorant on the subject as other portions of the community, and they did not like to risk their bread and butter. Mr. Dodson was a mere puppet in the hands of his officials, who put into his mouth positive falsehoods. Dodson bragged that he had been vaccinated three times. That fact alone ought to have disqualified Mr. Dodson from holding office, because he could hardly be expected to see fair play between the officials and the public. What language could be too strong against those who misused the public money, reiterated fallacious statements, refused inquiry, and suppressed every kind of information? For such conduct no contempt could be too deep, and he would put into every suffering mother's hand "a whip to lash the rascals naked through the world."

Mr.

=

the Rev. Dr. Seddon, for presiding, was carried by acclamation.

Extracts from letters read by the Secretary.

From Dr. HUBERT BÖENS, Charleroi.

I send greetings with all my heart to your honourable assembly, the members of which have contended for years against the abominable system of vaccination-a fiction in the name of science which has diffused nothing but evil and disaster.

Even if the memory of the introducer of vaccination were entitled to respect, the vaccinators of our day have no claim to the like privilege. They must know that by vaccination they do not avert small-pox, whilst they injure the health of children without any compensation whatever. Facts and figures are overwhelming in our favour. The reign of compulsory vaccination is nearly over. The Latin people will no longer submit to the tyrannical law, and the English, the Germans, and the Slavs will not be imposed on longer.

From Mr. R. A. MILNER, Keighley.

If possible it would have given me the greatest pleasure to attend your Annual Meeting. I hope you may arouse poxy London to follow the example of Keighley which has only 124 per cent. of its children vaccinated, and yet has not had a single case of small-pox since 1875. The mandamus has not secured the vaccination of a single child through prosecution. We are still a majority on the Board of Guardians, but have little else to do than watch the enemy at a distance.

From JOHN FONDEY, M.D., Philadelphia.

the race.

It would afford me much pleasure to be with you, but I must content myself with expressing by letter the sympathy I feel with you in your battle against the hydra-headed monster-Vaccination. The cause in which you are engaged is a grand one. The foe is a detestable monster, a scourge to mankind, and a damning disgrace to that profession which boasts of its intelligence, philanthropy, and usefulness to Our American forefathers felt their cause to be a just and holy one when they took up arms to resist oppression in the form of taxation without representation. It was a principle for which they contended connected with dollars and cents; but the battle you are waging is one which has regard not only to the right to liberty of person and action, but also to the right to keep the bodies of ourselves and offspring pure and free from defilement-to preserve uncontaminated that fountain from which the organism derives its life, nutrition, and vigour. To pollute that fountain; to impart disease, and this often of the vilest character; and to taint the blood of infants, who have no voice in the matter, is a wrong of the most heinous character, for which all who are concerned must give account at the bar of God.

From CAROLINE H. SPEAR, M.D., Philadelphia.

When the public mind is agitated concerning a matter, its condition is hopeful. Indifference is the state most to be feared. As in England, so in the United States, the outlook is encouraging; for the people are thinking and talking of the iniquitous system that would make disease universal in order to guard against a possible emergency; and talking, as Wendell Phillips has said, is the background of action.

PROPOSED DEPUTATION TO MR. DODSON.

Considering it would be well to have an interview with the President of the Local Government Board when so many of our country friends were in London, an appointment was solicited and declined in the following termsLOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD,

WHITEHALL, 5th May, 1881.

Sir, Mr. Dodson has received your letter of yesterday's date, requesting him to receive a deputation of delegates from the various Anticompulsory Vaccination Leagues and Societies with regard to the operation of the Vaccination Acts, and he desires me to say that his time at present is very fully occupied, and that as the Government have announced their intention of not dealing with the Vaccination Acts this session, he feels that would be giving the deputation unnecessary trouble if he were at present to fix a time for such an interview as is proposed. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, HUGH F. SEYMOUR.

WM. YOUNG, Esq.

KEIGHLEY.-In the election for members to serve as Guardians, the anti-vaccinators have achieved a decided success in Keighley parish. They have carried all their men — Thompson, Butterfield, Leach, Almond, Milner and Snowden.-Keighley News, 16th April.

THE NURSE FABLE.-As to the statement in the Times, that "the nurses of the Small-Pox Hospitals are all re-vaccinated before they enter upon their duties, and all escape small-pox," you will see in the Times of 8th November, 1879, a letter from Mr. Jebb, Clerk to the Metropolitan Asylums Board, admitting that the immunity of the nurses and servants in these hospitals is not absolute, and that all had not been re-vaccinated before entering upon their duties.-D.

HOW MERCURY WAS BELIEVED IN.-M.R.C.S. writing to the Brighton Herald of 16th April observes :-"I will simply say that I do not believe that one case of small-pox was ever yet prevented by vaccination, though I am of the strong belief that many a child's blood has been polluted and poisoned thereby. The fallacies of the faculty are as great in this as in many other cases. I will just mention one that presented itself strongly to my mind even when I was a student, but in a still more marked manner when I went to India, in the Hon. East India Company's service, upwards of forty years ago, viz., the indiscriminate administration of mercury for complaints generally, but more especially for diseases of the liver. When discussing the matter with Indian medical men old enough to be my father, and venturing to hold a different opinion, I have been told, 'You will find nothing will act upon the liver but mercury; it is indispensable in all hepatic diseases.' This was the opinion of medical men generally both at home and abroad; but I am happy to say since that time the question as to Whether mercury did or did not increase the biliary secretion?' was submitted to a committee of members of the British Medical Association; and their decision was, that 'in whatever manner, dose, or form it may be administered, it has not the slightest influence in increasing the flow of bile from the liver,' That it poisons the blood, as vaccination does, is the firm belief of M.R.C.S. and L.S.A."