OUR SYDNEY LETTER,

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 281, 2 April 1889, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER,

(from oub own correspondent.) Sxi n -Y, March 20.

political notes : the situation. The Ministerial re-cleetions have passed off without delay or needless opposition. Mr Dibbs and his followers deserve the more credit for their abstention, because in one or two instances it was certain that good Pro tectionist candidates would have been able to make things very hot for the new fledged Ministers. It is not a case in which the taunt of "sour grapes" can be truthfully applied to them, though in the unreasoning heat of party spirit, it is applied, and that freely. It is to be hoped that this spirit of self abnegnation will continue, in order that Parliament may be able to discharge its real functions of making provision for the peace and prosperity of the community. If we once allow ourselves to admit 'hat the real function of Parliament is to afford an arena in which two greedy sets of office-seekers can contend for the spoils of government, we also admit that it is of no earthly use, that it is an irritating excrescence which hinders the common weal and embitters tne common life, and therefore that its removal or effacement is absolutely necessary. Of course all this was equally true when Mr Dibbs was in office, and its application to the present crisis is rendered much more difficult by the manner in which it has been disregarded by the present occupants of the Treasury Benches. They excuse themselves fcnA. a wting their possession of a majority BE * tight of that majority to rule. But is merely a technical one the is clearly invalid. What are two mesbers in a house of 137 ? If the possession of a majority of this kind justifies a party in upsetting the Government it is clear that it cannot be long before they themselves an in a similar predicament. The slightest accident may put a majority on the other aide, and then the whole of the business is again upset. To all intents and purposes the House is equally divided. The claim of a majority, in the broad common sense meaning of that word, is baseless, and all the arguments which are founded on it are destitute of solidity. In a House that is cually divided the business of the country Can only proceed by the exercise of public spirit and mutual forbearance. These an due from each party alike, and the faction which is the first to repudiate the oh ligation, challenges similar treatment, and Stands self condemned by its own conduct. It is as though two men equally matched, instead of doing their work, were to get to fight ing. The one who io undermost is full of mad passion, but as soon as a chance struggle puts him on top, he claims that peace and order an to reign supreme. So with contending parties. “ When we are on top it is the duty of all men to assist us in governing In peace and quietness for the good of the Country. When we are underneath, though there may be only one or two votes between ns, it is our duty to upset everything till we gain the upper hand," The practice of the present occupants of the Treasury benches will speak much more loudly and effectively than their plausible Utterances, but it is hoped, as I said before, that their opponents will heed neither of them, but will subordinate their party predilections to the common good of the country. They can do this with the better grace, because, while they are waiting, their cause is gaining strength. If, as they believe it is, their cause is founded on truth, the facts cannot fail to

assert themselves more and more strongly as time rolls on. Those who are on the side of truth need never be in a hurry. The truth will win in the end, not because of their advocacy, but because of its own power. The discharge of one duty never demands the Violation of another, and it is evidently the duty of all parties in the present juncture to endeavor to set the affairs of the country on a sound basis, and to make up some of the lee-way that has been made whilst the crew have been fighting. QUACKS AND MEDICAL MEN : VACCINATION. The medical men of the metropolis, and indeed, of the colony generally, are sorely dissatisfied with their position, Many of the special privileges and emoluments which are freely accorded them in other countries are denied them beie. Men without diplomas are allowed to practice, and the immense income which in other countries is diverted into the pockets of the medical profession by the poll-tax which they are enabled to levy under the name of compulsory vaccination, is here dependent on the freewill of those people who believe in the operation. For the medical profession as a whole, I have a great deal of respect. Some of the best and most self-denying men in the community are members of it and they justly claim the affection of all they have benefited. Still, when it come to a question of granting excessive powers to any class of men, however meritorious, there is naturally a great deal of unwillingness. In the case of New South Wales this unwillingness has hitherto prevented the passing of such an Act as the doctors would like. I am bound, too, to confess that this inaction has so far, been thoroughly justified by results. The death rata of the colony is very favorable as com-

pared with that of countries in which the medical profession is able to exercise greater power. As for smallpox we have had several in the colony, but their ravages Kava not been one whit greater than those ■phich thia disease has made in otter countries have made vaccination compulsory, The case of the doctors against the quacks would ba stronger if there were not so many quacks among the holders of diplomas. The definition of a “ quack ” according to the dictionaries is “ a boastful pretender to skill he does not possess.” The possession of a diploma certainly implies a certain amount Of medical '‘cram." But it can’t give medical skill —that combination of intuition, resource, decision and general helpfulness. The ** healer,” like the poet, is born, not made. He oan be perfected by study and experience, but no amount of etudy and experience can perfect a talent which is not there, Then there are the men who are too Iszy and selfindulgent to apply themselves to anything eiee than the taking of fees and the spending of them when they have got them, All these things help to explain why some of the KrOdled “ quacks” are popular and respected, while some .of the diplomaed men are mere “legally-qualified” fillers of graveyards. Unfortunately it is impossible to confer exceptional privileges on the worthy members pf the profession, without at the same time gonferring them on the unworthy, The secret hope of many of the leading doctors, and the loudly expressed claims oi their journalistic organs, is that vaccination may be made compulsory. This would mean t fee of from five shillings to a guinea from every member of the community, and it would Of course add enormously to the general •molutnenta of the profession. I should bi fery sorry to say that this is the only reasor Why they advocate it. But still it has an in fluence which must not be overlooked. Thesi hopes are now receding further and furthei into the dim future. From the vary outse there have been sturdy sceptics who havi denied the efficacy of vaccination and havi endeavored to attract public attentioi to the terrible risks involved in it. Th late Dr, Brereton, of thia city, was i prominent champion of the claims of truth ii utis regard, and his letters on the subject Which appeared in the Sydney Mornini Herald, have never yet been satisfactorily answered, Still the power of early teachin

was sufficient to secure a wide spread veneration tor the practice, and those who objected Wtn looked upon as rather troublesome heretios, co that the present freedom of New South Wales from the scourge of “compulsory cowpox ” must be regarded as due to political causes, rather than to intelligent conviction. At last, however, there are signs (hat the march of scientific inquiry is beginning to invade this long accepted practice, In the new issue of the Encyclopedia Britannica the article on vaccination points out Very strongly and conclusively that many dangerous and fatal diseases are conveyed by Vaccination. Furthermore that it does not protect from smallpox, as is shown by the statistics of several epidemics. And lastly, titai re-vaccination, the sheet anchor of vactiaating doctors, is equally powerless. AU twruits ia the Gorman army, for instance, AH compulsorily revaccinated. Yet in th« tpldetaia oi la 71 the mortality from small

pox am>nq these revaccinated patients was four or five times greater than among the civil population of the same age. Tire Westminster Review is one of the first of leading magazines to break through the conspiracy of silence which has hitherto suppressed the publics-ion of facts of this kind. An ex haustive article on the subject will ba found in the curient issue of this periodical.