20/03/2024
Sat 9 Nov 1867
INOCULATION OR NO INOCULATION ,
SIR: On my return, after an absence of a
few weeks, I found, amongst the file of your
paper, a letter from "V.8.," dated September
12, which gives us a little more insight into the history of pleuro in Australia.
I think he misunderstands the object of my letter when he throws down the gauntlet and defies any other man to produce satisfactory evidence that inoculation is not an effectual preventive
If he has discovered the secret of inoculating safely and effectually, I say all honor to him for it. But I think it would be more to the purpose if some of the stockowners he has operated for came forward and stated how far they have been benefitted by the operation—a thing they ought in common justice to do.
l am not an opponent of inoculation, nor experiments of any kind, for without trial we cannot obtain a result; but I oppose strongly the system that is but too prevalent, of publishing results before they have been attaned.
I know stations where inoculation has been performed safely; but as far as safety goes, the same result would have been obtained if pure water instead of pure virus had been used.
But can it be done effectually ? " V.8."
says it can; I say it cannot. Time will tell;
let us hope he may be right. If vaccination
has proved a grand success that is no reason why inoculation for pleuro should, for, as I said before, there is no parallel.
I fancy it was only brought into the back ground to throw a little of its sunshine over the new operation; or, in other words, to gild the pill. But experience has made it too bitter for me to swallow, it may taste different to others; I suppose we will all speak of the pudding as we find ! I simply stated that inoculation, as practised elsewhere was as bad, if not worse, than the disease. Vless.