The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-02-08
From the New York Herald.
VncCinati0M-isi u Rsrcycn1n-
tive of Small Esox

We publish for the benefit OF our
Readers, the suhjoincd article, by DR..
e. ii. Dixon. 1t is upon subject OF
peculiar interest to our community
just at this tine, and We hope our
readers will profit by The advice it con-
tains.
To THE EDIroK OF TEE IIERALp.-In
answer To the repeated requests Of n
public exposition of my opinions with
regard I" the preventative power of
vaccination, and how account for the
present extensive prevalence Of tho
small pox, reply,
lst. That vaccination is unqucstion
ably Il very powerful preventative is
shown unanswerably FRONT the fact ,ha.
history proves that the mortality, hav-
ins formerly beens;so irighttul as to
sweep off more thah half of all per-
sons exposed, has been SO fur reduced
by vaccination, when even ihperfectly
or very carclcssly performed, as not to
exceed five per cent, and that this
small proportion is still further re
| duccd, even in those who are seeming.
! ly not susceptible to full and satisflct-
ory vaccination.
2d. Are there any persons to whom
the vaccine vesiclc cannot be comlnun.
icatcd! and if so: are those persons liu
bic TO small poX! 1t has been supposed
that those persons who are inoculatcd.
!. e. with the virus Or Iympth of the
small poX, taken in the natural way.
Ia process since the discovery Of COW
pcx, forbidden by Iaw) as well as those
who have once had the disease, were
! not Liable to IL second attack. This
is certainly incorrect. have, within Il
fortnight past, Succeeded i'll producing
two very perfect vaccine vesivles in
two persons much pi,tcI from llatu-
raj and severe attack several wears
sincc. They were both servants in
the families oftwo o! my patients; and
what is singular: they were the ONLY
two full and complete vesiclcs, having
all the proper characteristics rs in the
vaccination Of the infant, amongst scv
cntecn persons, the united number
OF the two families. Several of these
vcsiclcs however, presented such mark
ed characteristics rs to assure me the
parties were liable to greater nr lesser
degrees of small pox or to varioloiL, as
we call it; and several were entirely
unsusccptiblc. the vcsiclcs not showing
itself; in these it was supposed the
former or infantinc vaccination had
protected them. This however, can
only be fully proved by again vaccin-
ating them, rs it is impossible to say
but some hidden cause, not .sccrtu,Ia.
blc.n any other ways might have pre-.
vented the virus from showing tho dis
tinctive characteristics.
81. How do account for its un-
usual prevalence this ycar2
answer, there is undoubtedly an
atmospheric prcdisposi,ion. existing AT
tIist i'm ssss;' siulI,ly7
this: All the inhabitants OF our city. take
them one with another, are as well
| protected this year rs the last. Small
poX existed 5! year, and does more
| or less every year, to an extent suf.
iicient to spread all over the city. The
fact Is 1t will i'll Il year spread ms cx-
tcnSlrely from six cases as from sixty;
and will manage to catch an immense
majority of those wh" are not pro.
tected. Now this season, small pox is
vastly more prevail ut than it has
been within forty years; indeed, it is
so much more SO, that we have no
rational cause left than atmospheric
prcdisposition for its great increase.
he only safe method in this disease
Sto vaccnate the same person several
times, or as long rs the sole is produ.
ccd, with the distinctive character OF
the vaccine vcsiclc orr COW pox.
The proof Of the gcnlineSs of the
vcsicle is this, viz: on the eighth day
from the Insertion Of the matter.
(Which process should never draw a
drop "t blood for more would wash it
away The sore should present tie
following appearance: An oval centre
ola brownlsh color, light circle of
pcarly vcslcics, containing the lymph,
or specific matter, and rose coIored
blush extending from the outer circle
ct this pearly border all around it,
and fading imperceptibly into the sur
rounding skin. Unless it presents
more or less Of this appearance, it is
ouly common sore, and in nowise
protective. Just in propolon as it
approaches the above appearance it is
perfect. | consider two or three trials
with good reliable lymph on the quill.
taken from the sixth to the ninth dav.
and inserted without drawing fall
drop ofblood, sullicicnt.--Ifit do not
take ! consider that person sufficiently
protected by the former vaccination.
would certainly, however, revaccinate
every few years. In the eleventh mum.
Der OF the Scapel there is popular
article on this subject, to which we re.
Ter all readers desirous ofinvcstisa,ing
The few known facts in the history of
the disease
Respectfully, your obedient servant.
EDWARD II. DIXON,
Editor ofthc Scupcl, ~ Fifth avenue.