Mr. Rose,pursuant to notice, rose to call the attention of the house to this important subject. The object he had in view was, as the established Institution might not prove adequate to its purpose, in consequence of the falling off of private subscriptions, to establish a public and Central Institution in London, whence the real vaccine matter would be distributed to all parts of the empire. He proposed that the president and four censors of the College of Physicians, and a certain number of the College of Surgeons, should be placed at the head of this Institution, to whom all doubtful cases should be referred. The right hon. gent, after 842 detailing all the circumstances of the recent failures at Ringwood, and affirming that, though it could not be said that vaccination was a certain security in all cases against the small pox, yet the evidence in its favour shewed, as appeared by the reports of the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, that the failures were not one in 300, concluded by moving a Resolution, "That this house, having had under its consideration the Report of the Royal College of Physicians of London, of the 10th of April 1807, in consequence of an enquiry made by them into the state of Vaccine Inoculation in the united kingdom, by his majesty's command, in compliance with an address from this house; to which Report are annexed Answers to the said Royal College from the King and Queen's College of Physicians in Ireland, the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh/the Royal College of Surgeons in London, the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, on the same subject; this house is of opinion that great public benefit would be derived from the establishment of a Central Institution in London, for the purpose of rendering Vaccine Inoculation generally beneficial to his majesty's subjects, to be superintended by a certain number of the Royal College of Physicians, and of the Royal College of Surgeons, and by such persons under their direction as they shall think fit."—The right hon. gent, had only to add, that the expence would not be more than from 2500l. to 3000l. per annum.
§ Mr. Duvies Giddydid not mean to oppose the Resolution, though he thought it would have been much more desirable to have left this matter to take its own course. It was a wild and extravagant idea to suppose that the small pox could be exterminated by compulsion, and one that ought not to be entertained by parliament for a moment. The people would, in the course of a few years, under such an impression, neglect the precaution of inoculation for the small pox or vaccination, and then the disease would break out with tenfold severity.
§ Mr. Fullersaid, that at Calcutta the small pox was entirely annihilated by the introduction of vaccination and a proper system of regulation; and was of opinion, that by proper super intendance the same result might be attained in this country. He thought also that without having recourse to compulsion, the chil- 843 dren in the respective poor-houses ought to be vaccinated, by persons properly qualified.
§ Sir T. Turtonthought it would have been a preferable mode of proceeding to move for a committee to investigate the subject. There were already three Institutions in London for the express purpose of propagating the Cow pox, and in his opinion, the object which the right hon. gent, had in view, was more likely to be obtained by private subscriptions, and by any assistance which government might think proper to grant in aid of such subscription, than by an Institution formed expressly under the auspices of the legislature.
§ Lord H. Pettycontended, that as the evidence was still in some degree incomplete respecting the efficacy of Vaccination as an infallible preventive of the small pox, it was highly proper that the investigation should be persevered in under the eye of the public; and as this was one object that he conceived the right hon. gent, to have in view in his Institution, he thought this object more likely to be attained by one general institution, than by a number of small institutions, some of which were not perhaps altogether exempt from the imputation of being guided by mercenary motives.
Sir F. Burdettreminded the house of the different complexion which the discovery had now assumed from that under which it was first introduced to the public. It was at first said to be a thing so simple in itself, that any old woman might perform the operation, whereas it was now described as one so extremely difficult, that it ought only to be entrusted to men of great professional skill and experience. There was some danger, therefore, that we might be fostering a very fatal mistake. With this impression, he confessed, that in the present circumstances, he felt considerable difficulty in voting for any measure, the object of which was to disseminate it. He thought, at all events, that before tying the house down by a Resolution, it would be better to appoint a Committee, further to inquire into the efficacy of the discovery.
§ Mr. Wilberforcesaid that in foreign countries there was a firm and decided opinion of the efficacy of Vaccination as a preventive of the small-pox; and he did not think that the instances of alleged failure in this country were sufficient to shake our confidence in it. But if any 844 doubts were entertained, he did not see that there could be any better method of solving them than by forming an Institution of the nature of that proposed by his right hon. friend, to whose investigation every case of failure in future would be submitted.
Mr. Roseexplained. His object was merely to bring the house to a Resolution such as he had proposed, and to communicate that Resolution to his majesty by address, in order to his giving such directions as would be suitable to the case.
Mr. Secretary Canningdeclared, that though he considered the discovery to be of the very greatest importance, he could not figure any circumstances whatever that could induce him to follow up the most favourable report of its infallibility which might be brought forward, with any measure of a compulsory nature.
§ The house then divided: For the motion 60; Against it 5. Majority 55.