HL Deb 05 July 1815 vol 31 cc0-1121
Earl Stanhope

observed upon the Vaccination Bill, which he conceived peculiarly exceptionable, proposing as it did to levy half a million upon the means of the public, with a view to profit the inoculation of the Cow-pock. The noble earl animadverted upon the comparative merits of the inoculation for the Cow-pock and the Small-pox, stating, that of 1730 persons inoculated at the Small-pox hospital, at Pancras, only one died, and of 10,000 inoculated out of doors only ten died, while of those inoculated for the Cow-pock one of six died. Yet it was proposed to secure such, extraordinary advantages to the latter as this Bill had in contemplation, although the very advocates of the Cow-pock admitted that the matter used in inoculation, was often such that it could not afford any security against the Small-pox. The noble earl remarked upon the several expedients resorted to with a view to force this system, of Vaccination. A noble lord (Boringdon) some time since proposed, that any house in which the small-pox appeared should be surrounded with flags to warn pas sengers, and that Bill was scouted; yet the present measure, which was equally ridiculous, was obtruded upon their lordships from the Other House. He concluded with moving that the Bill should be read a second time, in order to follow up that with a motion that the Bill should be rejected.

The Bill was then read a second time, after which, on the motion of earl Stanhope, it was rejected.