1885: Montreal Riots Against Forced Vaccination - NYTIMES

[Phtha]

This is quite interesting. I certainly don't think rioting is the solution for today's swine flu fiasco, but I had no idea the ptw tried to do this well over 100 years ago.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...6F9C94649FD7CF

Small snippet:

MONTREAL, Sept. 28.--The by-law passed by the Provincial Board of Health making vaccination compulsory having appeared in the Official Gazette increased the excitement among the French Canadians to such an extent that a riot broke out in the east end this morning, and before the crowd dispersed they smashed many of the windows of the East End Health Office.

[metaw3]

Thank you. That's really interesting. I've lived in one of the neighborhoods mentionned (St. Henri).

[judykott]

Thanks for posting that very interesting piece of history

I thought mass vaccines were more recent, like 1950's polio etc. Before that, soldiers in WWI era. This was very interesting. I just did a search to find out more, and saw this (10th century):

"The first attempts to control smallpox occurred in the 10th century and used variolation (so called because small pox virus is Variola). In variolation (figure 2E), material (scabs) was obtained from the pustules of an infected person who did not die of the disease. This person, therefore, had a milder form of smallpox as a result of a naturally occurring variant. This material was used to infect another person who usually also got a milder disease."
http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/lecture/vaccines.htm

I does sure make me wonder though, about poverty, outbreaks, designated vaccine groups. The HPV vaccine, for instance, became mandatory for new immigrants to the USA (even though cervical cancer is rare and preventable with proper health care).

Maybe a person just has to go "Jehovah Witness' re contents of vaccine {exercising spiritual rights}

[Northern Boy]

d*mn loose cannon Canadians

[metaw3]

French Canadians!

[Phtha]

Originally Posted by metaw3

French Canadians!

lol.. I love the headline of this article, in HUGE BOLD letter...

FRENCH AGAINST ENGLISH

I spent a good year in Montreal a few years back, the French vs English thing is in full bore there, at least compared to here in BC. Canada day in Montreal was funny because you had a bunch of people running around with the French flag trying to disrupt the celebrations. It was all good fun though.

I met many great french people in Montreal, it was my favorite city I have been in by far.

[metaw3]

The acces to the file is for members only now! I signed up.

[metaw3]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19096580/1...ry-Vaccination