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The vaccination act, 1898
2
The
V a c c i n a t i o n A c t , 1898
~blic a ~ t a
which the Members of the Incorporated Society accord to the Editor. For ourselves, we will do what little lies within our power. The Journal voices the Society, and in proportion as the Journal can command the attention of those interested in sanitary administration, so will the prestige and influence of the Society carry weight with the Legislature and the public generally. THE VACCINATION ACT, 1898. WE do not know how far the action agreed upon by the Metropolitan Stipendiaries will affect the procedure of the Justices throughout the country, but if such procedure be generally adopted, the Act of last Session has resulted in the repeal of the compulsion of vaccination in toto. We place on record here the results of the deliberations of the Metropolitan Stipendiaries on August 31 last. " T h e magistrates decided that they will hear applications under the Vaccination Act, and will not require applicants to be sworn; but if satisfied, upon a verbal statement, that they have the conscientious objection, will give the certificate. " A l l applications must be made at the sitting of the Court ; and, in conformity with the statutory scale of fees in similar cases, one shilling must be paid for such certificate."
The certificate adopted at the meeting is as follows : " I hereby certify that , the parent (or other person having the custody) of the child , born on the da~ of , 18 , has this day stated before me that he conscientiously believes that vaccination will be prejudicial to the health of the said child, and that he has a conscientious objection to the child being vaccinated on that ground, and I am satisfied that he has such conscientious belief. Given ,under m y hand at Police Court this day of , 18 (Signed) One of the Magistrates of the Police Courts of the Metropolis. Sec. I I I . , E 9.~Certificate of Objection, Vaccination Act, 1898. (61 and 62 Vic. c. 49)."
There is really very little objection to be urged against either the decision of the meeting or the form of certificate. The mischief lies in the facilities which are being afforded to the so-called "conscientious" objectors. In the cases reported up to the present, the certificate appears to have been granted without any attempt to ascertain whether the objection is one which is entitled to be respected as a matter of conscience--can such a question as the value of vaccination be a matter of "conscience " ? - - o r simply one of " p u r e cussedness," to use a most expressive piece of transatlantic slang. If the whole procedure is to be reduced to stating your name and address, and simply declaring that you object to vaccination, why it is easy to see that the necessary material for an
o ~ m , zmJ
T h e East London Water Famine
3
epidemic of smallpox rivalling that of 1871.72 will soon be prepared. We suppose that such an epidemic will be the only means ~)f inducing certain people to take a common-sense view of the case. I n the meantime, we suppose the nation is content to be (we had almost said) the laughing-stock of those better off in respect of sanitary administration. THE EAST LONDON WATER FAMINE. W~ find it difficult to reconcile the very divergent statements made as to the water-supply in the area of the East London Waterworks Company. On the one hand, we read that water is almost as scarce As in the desert (that is the consumers' tale), and on the other, the ~oml~ny state that over 25 gallons per diem per head of population are being pumped into the district. If the latter be true, where does the water go ? The consumers say they do not get it; the manufacturers say they do not get what they want; and, in fact, the water appears to vanish most mysteriously. Allegations of,wilful waste have been made, and have been most strenuously denied by the local authorities in the districts affected. So that the cause of the " f a m i n e " is to us a matter of mystification. We hold no brief for the Water Company, but we cannot help feels"g that there is a taint of wire-pulling in the present heated discussion of the question. For us the " f a m i n e " presents two useful lessons: First, that the abolition of storage cisterns is a grave error of administration. Given a daily supply of 25, or from 20 to 25 gallons, that should be a suflleient, though not an ideal, allowance if there ~vere adequate storage, We can remember the time when the ~vater was " o n " for only half an hour in the day, and occasionally for shorter periods. Water famines were not then on the tap/s, ms every house had one or more cisterns. One cistern at a house within our personal knowledge had the following approximate dimensions: Height, G feet; width from side to side, 4 feet; depth from back to front, 4 feet. The house had in addition two ether cisterns, each of no mean capacity, and was occupied bY ten or eleven individuals (adults and children). The second lesson is the need of free intercommunication between the mains of the various e.~mpanies supplying the Metropolis, not necessarily always in ~)peration, but available for emergencies such as the present. It is satisfactory to note that in spite of the exceptional heat of the past month, no special prevalence of disease has been reported 2rom the area affected by the famine. 1--2
The
V a c c i n a t i o n A c t , 1898
~blic a ~ t a
which the Members of the Incorporated Society accord to the Editor. For ourselves, we will do what little lies within our power. The Journal voices the Society, and in proportion as the Journal can command the attention of those interested in sanitary administration, so will the prestige and influence of the Society carry weight with the Legislature and the public generally. THE VACCINATION ACT, 1898. WE do not know how far the action agreed upon by the Metropolitan Stipendiaries will affect the procedure of the Justices throughout the country, but if such procedure be generally adopted, the Act of last Session has resulted in the repeal of the compulsion of vaccination in toto. We place on record here the results of the deliberations of the Metropolitan Stipendiaries on August 31 last. " T h e magistrates decided that they will hear applications under the Vaccination Act, and will not require applicants to be sworn; but if satisfied, upon a verbal statement, that they have the conscientious objection, will give the certificate. " A l l applications must be made at the sitting of the Court ; and, in conformity with the statutory scale of fees in similar cases, one shilling must be paid for such certificate."
The certificate adopted at the meeting is as follows : " I hereby certify that , the parent (or other person having the custody) of the child , born on the da~ of , 18 , has this day stated before me that he conscientiously believes that vaccination will be prejudicial to the health of the said child, and that he has a conscientious objection to the child being vaccinated on that ground, and I am satisfied that he has such conscientious belief. Given ,under m y hand at Police Court this day of , 18 (Signed) One of the Magistrates of the Police Courts of the Metropolis. Sec. I I I . , E 9.~Certificate of Objection, Vaccination Act, 1898. (61 and 62 Vic. c. 49)."
There is really very little objection to be urged against either the decision of the meeting or the form of certificate. The mischief lies in the facilities which are being afforded to the so-called "conscientious" objectors. In the cases reported up to the present, the certificate appears to have been granted without any attempt to ascertain whether the objection is one which is entitled to be respected as a matter of conscience--can such a question as the value of vaccination be a matter of "conscience " ? - - o r simply one of " p u r e cussedness," to use a most expressive piece of transatlantic slang. If the whole procedure is to be reduced to stating your name and address, and simply declaring that you object to vaccination, why it is easy to see that the necessary material for an
o ~ m , zmJ
T h e East London Water Famine
3
epidemic of smallpox rivalling that of 1871.72 will soon be prepared. We suppose that such an epidemic will be the only means ~)f inducing certain people to take a common-sense view of the case. I n the meantime, we suppose the nation is content to be (we had almost said) the laughing-stock of those better off in respect of sanitary administration. THE EAST LONDON WATER FAMINE. W~ find it difficult to reconcile the very divergent statements made as to the water-supply in the area of the East London Waterworks Company. On the one hand, we read that water is almost as scarce As in the desert (that is the consumers' tale), and on the other, the ~oml~ny state that over 25 gallons per diem per head of population are being pumped into the district. If the latter be true, where does the water go ? The consumers say they do not get it; the manufacturers say they do not get what they want; and, in fact, the water appears to vanish most mysteriously. Allegations of,wilful waste have been made, and have been most strenuously denied by the local authorities in the districts affected. So that the cause of the " f a m i n e " is to us a matter of mystification. We hold no brief for the Water Company, but we cannot help feels"g that there is a taint of wire-pulling in the present heated discussion of the question. For us the " f a m i n e " presents two useful lessons: First, that the abolition of storage cisterns is a grave error of administration. Given a daily supply of 25, or from 20 to 25 gallons, that should be a suflleient, though not an ideal, allowance if there ~vere adequate storage, We can remember the time when the ~vater was " o n " for only half an hour in the day, and occasionally for shorter periods. Water famines were not then on the tap/s, ms every house had one or more cisterns. One cistern at a house within our personal knowledge had the following approximate dimensions: Height, G feet; width from side to side, 4 feet; depth from back to front, 4 feet. The house had in addition two ether cisterns, each of no mean capacity, and was occupied bY ten or eleven individuals (adults and children). The second lesson is the need of free intercommunication between the mains of the various e.~mpanies supplying the Metropolis, not necessarily always in ~)peration, but available for emergencies such as the present. It is satisfactory to note that in spite of the exceptional heat of the past month, no special prevalence of disease has been reported 2rom the area affected by the famine. 1--2