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an efficient Vaccination Act and in the absence of any recent alarm of
the possible invasion of smallpox, parents had returned to the old state
of apathy and neglect, in spite of the weekly opportunities gratuitously
afforded by the pub lic vaccinators :
of the 3,069 childen born in Tasmania
in 1865 , a total of 67 pub lic and private vaccinations of infants under
six months old had been recorded.
The Pub lic had now become so much
remiss that it was found difficult to keep up a regular supply of fresh
lymph throughout the island.
the Government the need for legislative action :
Nevertheless, he continued to press upon
Should smallpox hereafter visit the island - and it is at
the present time very prevalent in the Cape Colony - the
terrible array of death , the suffering and sorrow and
bereavements produced in numerous fami lies of all classes
that must result should no efficient Vaccination Act be
speedily provided will sit heavily on the consciences of
all thos e, who, either by opposition, neglect or indifference
stay the timely prevention that it is so patent can be
obtained by legislative enactment supplemented by executive
enforcement , 1'9
On April 3, 1866, Hal l's article "Vaccination in Tasmania",
which he forwarded to Milroy together with copies of his "Health Reports"
for 1863-64 and his Vaccination Bill, was read before the Epidemiological
Society in London, and an abstract of it subsequently published in
Volume Two of its Transactions .
To a sympathetic E.nglish medical
audience he recounted the history of Vaccination in Tasmania and his many
difficulties in trying to induce the Legislature to pass an efficient
Vaccination Act ;
though he did not despair of success , and would continue
to repeat his warnings at every opportunity, he feared that nothing more
would be done until the disease was actually present amongst them. 20
Owing to the desire of the new Ministry under Sir Richard Dry
for retrenchment, Hall's services as Public Vaccinator were dispensed
with after January 31, 1867 .
In future, the duty devolved upon the
Resident Surgeon at the Hospital, vaccinating every Friday at 10.30 a.m.
The figures in Hall's last report were interesting :
in 1864
in 1865
in 1866
3,786 children were vaccinated, more than
9/lOths of these being considerably above
the age of six months .
pub lic vaccinations fel l to 257.
owing to a scare in Victoria, they amounted to 519 .
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20
HA.P. 1866/7.
"Vaccination in Tasmania" , Transactions of the Epi demiological
Society, Vol . II, 1867, p. 293-294.
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