Article September 25, 1920 Issue

In the Gazette of July 17 in a notice to the public from...

Augustus Long

Reno (Nev.) Gazette

In the Gazette of July 17 in a notice to the public from the city board of health the following statement was made: "If smallpox is prevalent in this city at about the time the schools open in September, this board ... will require every school child to furnish satisfactory proof of vaccination, or of having had smallpox before allowing such child to enter school. ... In case of refusal by parents or guardians to comply with the rules, upon religious gorunds, the local health officer is hereby authorized and directed to exclude such unvaccinated children from attendance at school during the period of the epidemic."

The phrase "upon religious grounds" probably refers to Christian Scientists, as they rely upon Mind, God, not matter, for healing. Now we wish to promote all that is good and to suppress all that is evil, and no one more than the Christian Scientist deplores the spread of any disease, and he is conscientiously working along this line, at the same time obeying the laws of our land. It is being shown that Christian Science is every day ameliorating the suffering from disease. Our main objection, however, is the methods employed by materia medica. Why should a child that is perfectly well be kept out of school because the parents, relying upon their own judgment and experience, firmly believe vaccination more harmful to the child's welfare than smallpox itself?

Under these circumstances is it fair or just to force children to submit to such treatment? Vaccination like other serum treatment is purely experimental, a mere theory without proof, and medical men themselves are divided in their opinion upon it. This being so, should the laity have this forced upon them?

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