The Practitioner, October (Macmillan), contains an article of universal interest
by the editor, Dr. Anstie, on "The Vaccination Question." The writer deals in this number with the first part of his subject, the validity of vaccination. He quotes statistics to show that the lymph does not lose its power bypassing through even an indefinite number of human systems. There are lymph-stocks which are directly descended from Jenner's ori- ginal lymph. With lymph from this source on a recent occasion 446 punc- tures were made, of which 443 were perfectly successful. The success, it should be known, is not to be measured by the amount of inflammation, &c , that is caused. This is commonly great when the cow-lymph is used. On the general question of the utility of vaccination some striking facts are quoted. The average rate of deaths from small-pox before the introduction of vaccination is estimated to have been three thousand per million. This rate has gradually or rather rapidly sunk according as the practice has spread, till in the decade of years (1854-1863), during which it was, nominally at least, obligatory, it was not more than one hundred and seventy-one. The more stringent provisions of the late Act have revealed a vast amount not only of indifference, but of positive hostility. We shall look with interest for the second part of Dr. Anstie's essay, in which he proposes to deal with what is the real difficulty of the question, the widely-spread fear that certain disorders are communicated by the lymph. If that can be satisfactorily shown to be imaginary, the public will doubtless be disposed to support the executive in the most vigorous measures for enforcing the provisions of the law.
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