Volume - The Clarence Darrow Collection

THEOLOGICAL OPPOSITION TO INOCULATION.
;ight years following 1814, after vaccination had been largely
idopted, out of a larger number of deaths there were but
ive hundred and thirty-five from this disease. In Wiirtem-
3erg, during the twenty-four years following 1772, one in
;hirteen of all the children died of smallpox, while during
;he eleven years after 1822 there died of it only one in six-
een hundred. In Copenhagen, during twelve years before
:he introduction of vaccination, fifty-five hundred persons
iied of smallpox, and during the sixteen years after its intro-
iuction only one hundred and fifty-eight persons died of it
hroughout all Denmark. In Vienna, where the average
,^early mortality from this disease had been over eight hunired,
it was steadily and rapidly reduced, until in 1803 it had
alien to less than thirty ; and in London, formerly so
ifflicted by this scourge, out of all her inhabitants there died
)f it in 1890 but one. As to the world at large, the result is
ummed up by one of the most honoured English physicians
)f our time, in the declaration that "Jenner has saved, is now
aving, and will continue to save in all coming ages, more
ives in one generation than were destroyed in all the wars
:)f Napoleon."
It will have been noticed by those who have read this
listory thus far that the record of the Church generally was
ar more honourable in this struggle than in many which
breceded it : the reason is not difficult to find ; the decline
)f theology enured to the advantage of religion, and religion
;ave powerful aid to science.
Yet there have remained some survivals both in Protestntism
and in Catholicism which may be regarded with cuiosity.
A small body of perversely ingenious minds in the
nedical profession in England have found a few ardent allies
mong the less intellectual clergy. The Rev. Mr. Rothery
,nd the Rev. Mr. Allen, of the Primitive Methodists, have
|or sundry vague theological reasons especially distinguished
hemselves by opposition to compulsory vaccination but it
;
3 only just to say that the great body of the English clergy
lave for a long time taken the better view.
Far more painful has been the recent history of the other
Teat branch of the Christian Church a history developed
vhere it might have been least expected : the recent annals
5^