Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-02-01

relation to disease, truly the most loatbsome,
cruel and awfully dreadful, that humanity Is heir
to-the small pox. 1t may not be SO speedily
or generally fatal as Asiatc cholera in its eff.
fects, but during the suppurative stage, the ac.
cession of the secondary fever, the breaking of
the pustues, the constant oozing of the matter =
from them, coherent or continent all over tho
skin, from the crown of the scalp to the toe=
nail; tho swelling of the body generally, and
the face in particular, to the closing Of the eyes
and nose, glued up with purulent secretious
the into'erable itching during the incrusta,ion
OF the scab, together with the exuberant exha-
lation of the most nauseous effluvia, during the
whole period after the eruption is developed; all
conspire to render this disease, of all others,
to the patient and attendants. We speak from
recent observation, accompanied with mournful
experience, as also from personal attendance up
on most of the numerous cases that occurred
fourteen years ago, In this valley, from the Ha-
ven to Grandvile. The disease has not been
known in this region since then, until on the Sd
inst, when to my extreme dismay and astonish-
ment was obliged to pronounce an eruption up
on my little son, between five and six years old, to
be that of continent small pox. He had never
been vaccinated. From whence came it! was
the question.
On the 7th ult., young man arrived from IL
linois, by land, to reside with us. He was vio-
lently seized, on the 10th, with chill and fever,
but in five days was out again. Some twenty
pimples about him were not particularly noticed
at the time. On the 2Sth, a son, twenty-six
years old, was severely attacked with vomiting
and delirum; on the 29th, girl, eighteen,
and young man, nineteen years old and on the
3lst, the little boy above mentioned was seized.
The eruption appeared on the Sd inst; fully de-
veopng the character of the malady. Perfect
pustules were then observed on all that had been
previously attacked Some had five or six;
more, from twenty to thirty; all Of them had
been vaccinated in infancy showing good scar.
A little girl, eight years old, and two children,
the one nineteen and the other two months DID,,
were still unprotected by vaccination. Wepro-
cured good vaccine on the 9th and vaccinated
them; the punctures showed signs Of inflaming,
but on the l4th the three were attacked-ihe
babes severely. The youngest died on the
23d, and the other on the Gath. The little girl
had it lightly, only about thirty pustules. The
boy, five years old, after suffering thousand
deaths, recovered to wear the obvious marks of
the ravages of this terrible pestience to his
grave. | would not advert to other ills Incl
dent upon this malady, were it not to awaken
people to their danger of having similar duties
to perform; to inspire them to yaceinate all
without delay-not to wait till the evil is upon
US, as we have done-to thereby check it in its
worst form at least Through Perhaps just
sense of the fear of taking the contagon, wo
were so deserted by all, that no one, but the
mother of those dear, once lovely babes, was
present to dsyebe, cleanse and array their dead
bodies in the usual habiliments for the coffin;
and with simple assistant conveyed and con-
signed them to the grave, without ceremony or
apparent sympathy from friends or neighbors.
We would be understood to warn rather than
complain. Those revolving duties became, nee
essarily, incident to us, and may be to others,
unless they give heed TO the only preventive
remedy
To what extent is vaccination preventive ?
| will simply state that the recent facts here ex-
hibited, go to confirm the now generally accept
ed opinion of the medical faculty, that from in
fancy to about the age of fifteen, it is an almost
sure protection; from that age to about thirty,
many will take it again, but with mild or mod
flied type; and from that age upwards it is sell
dom taken again. OF eleven in my family, who
showed good scars, two. under twelve, did not
take it; FIVE, between fifteen and thirty, were
more or less violently attacked, but soon recov-
cred, with few scattering pustues four of
us, above thirty, were no: attacked. How far
protection would be had from re-vaccination,
between the ages of fifteen and thirty, is yet
predetermined with me. would, however, rec
ommend it.
Will vaccination after exposure modify or
prevent varioloid We think it will not pre-
vent, but may modify it-not always-so saw
our medical authors With my little girl, eight
years old, it was happily modified; while tho
dear little ones both fell victims to its worst type,
and all vnccinated together, after exposure.
tender these remarks, through your paper
that the public, who haue an interest," may also
have the facts in this matter, as many vague re-