Recently, while checking out the latest offerings on Project Gutenberg (a site with over 67,000 free e-books of one sort of another, including Christian ones, all public domain), I came across a tract about vaccination that was published in 1820, not long after Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine began to be used. It's what historians might call a primary-source document. What I found fascinating about this tract is that it contains all the ingredients for the modern-day vaccination narrative. It shows that vaccine propaganda started very early on.
If you want to read the tract online, or download a Kindle or ePub version for your own use, it can be found here:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67824It goes by the long-winded title of
A Statement of Facts Tending to Establish an Estimate of the True Value and Present State of Vaccination. The author is Sir Gilbert Blane, an eminent Scottish physician who actually did some good things in his career, including saying that sailors should eat lemons to combat scurvy and inventing the tourniquet to stem bleeding from a wound. So he was, you could say, a "trusted medical expert" in his day.
Anyway, here are a few quotes from the tract to show the early development of the modern-day mainstream narrative about vaccination. This is solely about the smallpox vaccine, since no other vaccines had been invented at this stage (as far as I know).
Vaccination is "safe and effective": "
It ought to be stated also, with a view to a decision on this question, that Vaccination itself is attended with no danger, and frequently takes effect without any visible disturbance in the system. There is even reason to believe, that in its process it wards off other diseases, by pre-occupying the constitution." (Emphasis mine)
The data doesn't mean what you think it means: "
It appears from this statement, that the proportion of deaths from Small Pox to the total mortality, increased in the course of last century; so that Inoculation appears to have added to the mortality. It is but fair to mention, however, that this total mortality is not quite a just scale whereby to measure the relative mortality of Small Pox; for in the course of that century, the general mortality itself was greatly diminished in relation to the population. This diminution of general mortality was chiefly owing to the diminished mortality of children under two years of age, which, at the time when the account began to be kept, 1729, averaged about 9000; but at the end of the century not more than 5000; also to the decrease of fevers, and still more of fluxes. The relation of the mortality of Small Pox to the population, would therefore be a more fair criterion of its increase or decrease."
Opposition to vaccines is based on "misinformation": "
Since the suppression of this practice, the adoption of Vaccination, though in a degree so incomplete, in consequence of public prejudice, created entirely by mischievous publications, has been unable to prevent a considerable, though fluctuating, mortality from Small Pox." (My emphasis)
"
This is chiefly imputable to the abuse of the press, the general licentiousness of which may be denounced as one of the most grievous evils of this age and country, in regard to other subjects interesting to humanity and public happiness, as well as this; the votaries of error and depravity being more successful, because they find more encouragement in disseminating their principles, than the advocates of truth, virtue, and good order." (Emphasis mine - kind of hard to disagree with his views about the press though!)
Vaccination should be mandatory: "
But it is demonstrable, that if at the first moment of this singular discovery, at any moment since, at the present or any future moment, mankind were sufficiently wise and decided to vaccinate the whole of the human species who have not gone through the Small Pox, from that moment would this most loathsome and afflicting of all the scourges of humanity be instantaneously, and for ever, banished from the earth."
"
Formerly, Small Pox was one of the greatest embarrassments to the operations of armies; and ships of war were occasionally under the necessity of quitting the sea, from the prevalence of this disorder among their crews. Those lately at the head of the navy and army, with that vigilant wisdom and humanity which become those who direct the affairs of a great and enlightened nation, recommended and enforced the practice of Vaccination in both these departments, to the great furtherance of the public service." (My emphasis)
Anti-vaxxers are "idiots": "
And let me here, in the name of humanity, beseech practitioners not to be forward in publishing single cases of failures, real or supposed; for, when the weak minded and uninformed hear of these failures, without hearing at the same time that there are hundreds of cases of permanent security for every single case of failure, they are guided by the exception, which becomes to them the rule; their judgments being thereby most fatally perverted." (Emphasis mine)
"
It is of the highest importance to society, that this subject should be seen in its true light, and in all its bearings; for the frequent occurrence of these cases of Small Pox, however safe in themselves, have had a most pernicious effect on the credulous and ignorant, by giving a check to the practice of Vaccination." (My emphasis)
Vaccine injuries or failures are "very rare": It is evident, therefore, that according to that maxim which guides mankind in the conduct of life, namely, that of acting on a general rule and average, and not on exceptions, these adverse instances ought not to have the least influence on practice, even though they were much more numerous. Nor indeed do they, except in the very rare cases here cited, deserve the name of failures; for, though they fail in preventing Small Pox, they do not fail to prevent Death. (Author's emphasis)
Anti-vaccine parents are harming their children: "
How many parents are there now who, from a weak distrust in the virtue of Vaccination, have to lament the loss of a child from Small Pox, either casual or inoculated? Many such are known to myself." (Note also in this quote that vaccination is called a "virtue", in keeping with the modern narrative that Vaccination is Next to Godliness.)
Opponents of vaccination should be silenced: "
Such are the sentiments which must fill every well constituted mind; and it behoves the whole medical profession, which has already done itself so much honour by the zealous and disinterested encouragement afforded to it, to continue its efforts in eradicating every remaining prejudice against it." (Emphasis mine)
So those are a few selected highlights, but by all means, read and study the whole thing for yourself. Chris, if you ever decide to revise your United Vacci-Nations article someday, this could be a useful resource to cite in that it shows the early development of the modern vaccination narrative that we see today.
