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From November 1, 1863 to January 31, 1867, pub lic vaccinations amounted
to nearly 7,000 children .
During these three and one quarter years , there were about
10,000 registered births, and not more than 1,000 of them were vaccinated,
either pub licly or privately, before attaining the age of six months , as
the existing la\o required.
Hall, therefore , concluded that a return to
the previously existing provisions for vaccination would be no more
successful than they had been in the past.
Although many more persons
than before had been operated upon, Hall's effort , for the most part, was
\vas ted. 21
medical practice.
finished.
Disappointed , but not defeated, Hall returned to his private
However, the Vaccination Episode was by no means
On February 8, 1869, the Mercury published the reports of the
proceedings of the Melbourne Central Board of Health and of the Victorian
Medical Association resulting from the introduction into and alarming
spread of smallpox in Victoria.
Although it had viciously obstructed
Hall's efforts in 1865, the paper now called upon the Government to take
stringent measures to prevent the spread of the disease to Tasmania.
the same day Smart advertised that he would vaccinate twice weekly on
Mondays and Thursdays in addition to the gratuitous vaccinations every
Friday at the Hospital ; this the Mercury cons idered not enough .
Once more, as in 1863 and 1866 , panic prevai led :
On
the Tasmanian
Times complained that there was no provision made in country districts
for the gratuitous vaccination of the children of paupers ; on April 10,
Turnley was despatched urgently to investigate a suspicious case at
Torquay; fortunately it was only chicken pox; circulars were sent out
to all medicos asking them to persuade people to be vaccinated;
notices were put up in public buildings ;
Government
vaccination at the Hospital as
stepped p to . twice weekly; there was a shortage of lymph . Disgustedly,
the Tasmanian Times blamed Dry 's Government for its flpaltry and culpable
economyt1 in spite of Whyte's severe censure against taking such risks .
We are still more strongly of the opinion that the
Government acted with ill-judging and criminal deference
to a momentary clamour for retrenchment when they blotted
out of the estimates the paltry sum of £300 a year for a
couple of official vaccinators. 22
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H.A.P. 1867/ 19 .
Tasmanian Times , Feb. 12, 1869 .
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