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THE PENALTY FOR NEGLECT OF VACCINATION.
132 there are over three thousand defaulters. The guardians have put on two inspectors to make house-to-house visitation. In two days they made 1200 inspections, and discovered 32 unvaccinated children. Dr. Beard, of the Privy Council, impressed upon the guardians the necessity of advising people to be revaccinated. He wished them to sanction payment for the revaccination of all the children in the various schools within the district. Under Dr. Beard’s a,dvice there has been an increase in the number of public vaccination stations, and arrangements have been entered into for more frequent attendance by the public vaccinators. I An extra inspector has also been appointed for the rural districts.
I
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HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN. WE are much gratified, and do but reflect the gratification of all her Majesty’s loyal subjects, at hearing that it is the Queen’s intention to open Parliament in person. We see herein the fulfilment of the good augury which, some months ago, we ventured to draw from her Majesty’s power of enduring mental and bodily fatigue; and we trust that her Majesty’s happily restored health will in future permit her to appear more frequently among her people. In the troubled times in which we live, the sentiment of personal devotion to the reigning sovereign should by all practicable means be cultivated and encouraged; and it is a matter for earnest congratulation that this sentiment is likely, for the future, to be spared from the deadening influence of the prolonged absence and apparent inaction of the exalted object of its regard. MR. CHILDERS. THE First Lord of the Admiralty is still staying at Bedwell Park, but will probably soon be able to get a more decided change. Mr. Robert Ellis has again visited him after an interval of ten days. In some respects his symptoms are certainly less urgent, and he is a little stronger. It is deserving of notice that the tendency to calculous formation has entirely disappeared, and no apprehension is felt in that direction. But soon after this change took the loss of nervous and muscular power occurred It would seem as if the wear and tear following the sad event of last September had made themselves felt in this new direction, abandoning the old line of disturbance ; and it is most evident that the great remedies are a certain amount of rest, with the advantage of change of air and It is satisfactory to be able to predict, with some scene. confidence, the full and early return of all his capacity for This opinion is shared both by Dr. Gull and Mr. work. "Robert Ellis.
place,
*
-
"DOING"
THE DOCTORS.
Our attention has been called to a delicious paragraph under the above title, which appeared in the Liverpool Courier for the 12th instant, and which, had we not known its origin, we should have regarded as a gem from the workshop of some Transatlantic editor. We learn from it that the Medical Society of Preston, little more than twelve .months ago, determined to ask for 3s. per head from club patients, instead of the 2s. formerly paid; and that the injured clubs combined to form a vast provident dispensary at very low rates of charge. For this, "they obtained a resident surgeon and assistant, and a consulting physician who is referred to in cases of emergency; and special attention is paid to midwifery cases, at an almost nominal charge." The Odd Fellows, it seems, did not enter into the league, but they appointed " a Dr. Slltcliffe" to attend their members on certain terms. The aggregate result is said to be that the dispensary is a thriving institution, that
its operations have produced a clear gain to the members of X20 19s. 3. upon the operations of the year; and that several of the Preston doctors have recently given up their carriages. We heartily congratulate the members of the dispensary upon their success; and we also congratulate the doctors, if they only required their carriages for club patients, upon having given them up. As for Dr. Sutcliffe -and the unfortunate surgeon, assistant, and consulting physician-we fear they must have fallen into the hands of hard taskmasters. The idea of having done " the doctors is doubtless pleasing to trades-union integrity; but it is possible that the rejoicings we record are premature. An attempt to ’’ do " others is a very frequent prelude to being "done;" and the real test of the experiment at Preston will be the invaliding and death-rates of the next ten years. We shall be glad if practitioners in the locality will furnish us with accurate information about the facts of the case. "
INSPECTORS OF VACCINATION. WE understand that the Board of Guardians of St. George’s, Hanover-square, in consequence of an official interview which Dr. Seaton had with them on INrednesday, have, besides determining to appoint a regular and permanent vaccination inspector for the whole union at =6100 a year, also given authority to their public vaccinator for the Westminster district to engage, at 5 a week each, for such time as may be necessary, two inspectors for houseto-house visitation, to hunt up every case requiring vaccination or revaccination in the infected localities of Westminster ; following, in fact, the plan by which we stamped out small-pox in St. Giles’s in 1859-60, as described in one of the early reports of the Registrar-General. These work on the temporary inspectors began Thursday; permanent inspector will be appointed next board day.
THE PENALTY FOR NEGLECT OF VACCINATION. WE find in the Law Times
an
article
on
the action of the
borough magistrates of Newport, who considered that, having once inflicted a penalty for neglect of vaccination, they had afterwards no power to order the production of the child and the performance of the operation. Our contemporary supports the opinion we have often expressed, and which is based on the plain language of the law, that the responsible person may be convicted under Section 29, and again and again convicted and punished under Section 31. It is difficult to imagine on what grounds the decision of the Newport justices could rest, more especially as, in the case of 11 Pilcher v. Stafford," quoted by Mr. Patteson in the Greenwich Police-court on Wednesday, the opposite view has already been sustained on an appeal to a superior court. Mr. Patteson declared that continuous complaints could be made, and repeated fines imposed, for non-compliance with the magistrate’s order to have vaccination
performed. ST. THOMAS’S AT
HOSPITAL.
meeting of the governors on Thursday last, Mr. Sydney Jones was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Solly; Mr. Croft consequently succeeds to the senior assistant-surgeoncy. The governors intend, we are informed, to add to the strength of the junior surgical staff by the appointment of an additional assistantsurgeon, who will not be obliged to reside on the spot; and this office, together with the resident assistant-surgeoncy vacated by Mr. Croft’s promotion, will shortly be officially declared to be open. a
I
____
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN. WE are much gratified, and do but reflect the gratification of all her Majesty’s loyal subjects, at hearing that it is the Queen’s intention to open Parliament in person. We see herein the fulfilment of the good augury which, some months ago, we ventured to draw from her Majesty’s power of enduring mental and bodily fatigue; and we trust that her Majesty’s happily restored health will in future permit her to appear more frequently among her people. In the troubled times in which we live, the sentiment of personal devotion to the reigning sovereign should by all practicable means be cultivated and encouraged; and it is a matter for earnest congratulation that this sentiment is likely, for the future, to be spared from the deadening influence of the prolonged absence and apparent inaction of the exalted object of its regard. MR. CHILDERS. THE First Lord of the Admiralty is still staying at Bedwell Park, but will probably soon be able to get a more decided change. Mr. Robert Ellis has again visited him after an interval of ten days. In some respects his symptoms are certainly less urgent, and he is a little stronger. It is deserving of notice that the tendency to calculous formation has entirely disappeared, and no apprehension is felt in that direction. But soon after this change took the loss of nervous and muscular power occurred It would seem as if the wear and tear following the sad event of last September had made themselves felt in this new direction, abandoning the old line of disturbance ; and it is most evident that the great remedies are a certain amount of rest, with the advantage of change of air and It is satisfactory to be able to predict, with some scene. confidence, the full and early return of all his capacity for This opinion is shared both by Dr. Gull and Mr. work. "Robert Ellis.
place,
*
-
"DOING"
THE DOCTORS.
Our attention has been called to a delicious paragraph under the above title, which appeared in the Liverpool Courier for the 12th instant, and which, had we not known its origin, we should have regarded as a gem from the workshop of some Transatlantic editor. We learn from it that the Medical Society of Preston, little more than twelve .months ago, determined to ask for 3s. per head from club patients, instead of the 2s. formerly paid; and that the injured clubs combined to form a vast provident dispensary at very low rates of charge. For this, "they obtained a resident surgeon and assistant, and a consulting physician who is referred to in cases of emergency; and special attention is paid to midwifery cases, at an almost nominal charge." The Odd Fellows, it seems, did not enter into the league, but they appointed " a Dr. Slltcliffe" to attend their members on certain terms. The aggregate result is said to be that the dispensary is a thriving institution, that
its operations have produced a clear gain to the members of X20 19s. 3. upon the operations of the year; and that several of the Preston doctors have recently given up their carriages. We heartily congratulate the members of the dispensary upon their success; and we also congratulate the doctors, if they only required their carriages for club patients, upon having given them up. As for Dr. Sutcliffe -and the unfortunate surgeon, assistant, and consulting physician-we fear they must have fallen into the hands of hard taskmasters. The idea of having done " the doctors is doubtless pleasing to trades-union integrity; but it is possible that the rejoicings we record are premature. An attempt to ’’ do " others is a very frequent prelude to being "done;" and the real test of the experiment at Preston will be the invaliding and death-rates of the next ten years. We shall be glad if practitioners in the locality will furnish us with accurate information about the facts of the case. "
INSPECTORS OF VACCINATION. WE understand that the Board of Guardians of St. George’s, Hanover-square, in consequence of an official interview which Dr. Seaton had with them on INrednesday, have, besides determining to appoint a regular and permanent vaccination inspector for the whole union at =6100 a year, also given authority to their public vaccinator for the Westminster district to engage, at 5 a week each, for such time as may be necessary, two inspectors for houseto-house visitation, to hunt up every case requiring vaccination or revaccination in the infected localities of Westminster ; following, in fact, the plan by which we stamped out small-pox in St. Giles’s in 1859-60, as described in one of the early reports of the Registrar-General. These work on the temporary inspectors began Thursday; permanent inspector will be appointed next board day.
THE PENALTY FOR NEGLECT OF VACCINATION. WE find in the Law Times
an
article
on
the action of the
borough magistrates of Newport, who considered that, having once inflicted a penalty for neglect of vaccination, they had afterwards no power to order the production of the child and the performance of the operation. Our contemporary supports the opinion we have often expressed, and which is based on the plain language of the law, that the responsible person may be convicted under Section 29, and again and again convicted and punished under Section 31. It is difficult to imagine on what grounds the decision of the Newport justices could rest, more especially as, in the case of 11 Pilcher v. Stafford," quoted by Mr. Patteson in the Greenwich Police-court on Wednesday, the opposite view has already been sustained on an appeal to a superior court. Mr. Patteson declared that continuous complaints could be made, and repeated fines imposed, for non-compliance with the magistrate’s order to have vaccination
performed. ST. THOMAS’S AT
HOSPITAL.
meeting of the governors on Thursday last, Mr. Sydney Jones was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Solly; Mr. Croft consequently succeeds to the senior assistant-surgeoncy. The governors intend, we are informed, to add to the strength of the junior surgical staff by the appointment of an additional assistantsurgeon, who will not be obliged to reside on the spot; and this office, together with the resident assistant-surgeoncy vacated by Mr. Croft’s promotion, will shortly be officially declared to be open. a