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Show THE NEWS AND SMALLPOX. After the experience of the past two years it was little less than criminal for the Deseret News, a week ago, to put out another column of opposition oppo-sition to vaccination, copying it mostly from Herbert Her-bert Spencer. Admitting the greatness of Herbert Spencer as a political economist, he does not count as a physician or as a good adviser on a subject with which he was never familiar, especially espe-cially when what he says is exactly in the face of the highest medical science in the world. Forty For-ty years ago the rule was to vaccinate from arm to arm, and there was a risk of transmitting disease dis-ease that way. Then, too, it was before physi- cians awoke to the absolute importance of the most strict attention to antiseptics. It was in those days that the prejudice against vaccination was awakened, chiefly in England. It was then that Herbert Spencer's prejudices were awakened and his convictions fixed. The chances are a thousand to one that at that time he made up ' his mind, and that he has refused to note any of the advances since made. But in any event, to quote him as authority on the subject is an outrage, out-rage, as much an outrage as it would" be to quote some country doctor's opinion in opposition to one of Herbert Spencer's scientific dissertations in political economy. The great fact shines out that because of vaccination vac-cination the people of the enlightened portions of the earth (we do not Include Utah") have learned to feel that there is a preventative that In ninety cases out of a hundred is effective against the disease and the former terror of ft in such com- 1 1 munities has passed away. 1 Here thousands of people look upon the Des- i eret News as the organ of the Lord, and obey its counsel. They know no better, no reasoning can reach them, they do not wish to learn what dupes t they are. ' The result is that this disease that should have been stamped out in a month has been steadily I increasing'for two years. And though ninety-five . out of every hundred carried to fhe pest house (have never been vaccinated, still the News revives re-vives its raven croak against vaccination. This to 5 us seems more than obstinacy, it Has a malignant , J look. We suspect this people will never bo i aroused until the disease becomes really epidemic 1 and takes on its old malignant form. The News has not yet re-awakened its old claim that the dis-( dis-( , ease can be readily rebuked by the laying on of ' i hands, provided the hands are properly sanctified. I ' It would be exquisite justice could the News , editor be sent to the pest house and forced to re- main there until he performed one cure of that ; kind. It would test his power; it would be a great thing for his church could he succeed, and while there he would lead no more dupes estray by his editorials. |