The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-02-08
From the New York Herald.
VnccinatioM-isi "a Frcyc,,s2-
tive of Small KoOx

|
Readers, the subjoined article, by DR..
p. ii. DIXON. 1t is upon subject Of
peculiar interest to our community
just at this time, and We hope our
readers will profit by the advice it con-
tains.
To THE EDIroK OF TEE IIERALD.-In
answer to the repeated requests of
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 very powerful preventative is
shown unanswerably fromithc fact that
history proves that the mortality, hav-
ins formerly BEEN SO irighttul as to
sweep off more thaMFllalf Of all per-
sons exposed, has been SO far reduced
ny vaccination, when even i,hpcrfectly
or very carclessly performed, as not to
exceed five per cent, and that this
small proportion is still further re.
duced, even in those who are seeming.
y not susceptible to full and satisfact-
ory vaccination.
"a. Are there any persons to whom
the vaccine vesiclc cannot be comrnun
icatcd! and it so: are those persons lin
bic to small poX? 1t has been supposed
that those persons who are inoculated,
j. e. with the virus or. lympth of the
small poX, taken in the natural way,
"a process since The discovery of COW
pox, forbidden by law) as well as those
who have once had the disease, were
not Liable to second attack. This
is certainly incorrect. have, within a
fortnight past, SUCCEEDED in producing
two very perfect vaccine vesivles in
two persons much pitted from a natu-
raj and severe attack several years
since. They were both servants in
the families oftwo Of my patients; and
what is singular: they were the only
two full and complete vesiclcS, having
all the proper characteristics as in the
vaccination Of the infant, amonyst sew
cntccn persons, the united number
vcslclcs however, presented such mark
ed characteristics rs to assure me the
parties were liable to greater or lesser
degrees of small pox Or to varioloid, rs
we call it; and several were entirely
unsusceptiblc. tho vcsiclcs not showing
itself; in these it was supposed the
former or infantnc vaccination had
protected them. This however, can
only be-tulIy proved by again vaccin-
ating them, rs it is impossible to say
but some hidden cause not asccrtuina
blc.n any other way, might have pre-.
vented the virus from showing the dis
tinctive characteristics.
3I. How do account for its un-
usual prevalence this year?
! answer, there is undoubtedly an
atmospheric predisposition. existing at
|,ttI's7stiIles, "
this: All the cinhabitanfs ofourcify. take
them one with another, are as well
protected this year as the last. Small
poX existed 81 year, and docs more
or less every year, to an extent sui.
ilcient to spread all over the city. The
fact Is 1t will in year spread ms cx-
tcnslrely from six cases rs from sixty;
and Will manage to catch en- immense
ma Jority of those who are not pro.
tected. Now this season, small pox is
vastly more prevail mt 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.
The only safe method in this disease
Is to vaccinate the same person several
times, or as long rs the sole is produ.
ced, with the distinctive character Of
the vaccine vcsicle or COW pox.
The proof of the gcn,lilless of the
vcslcle is this, viz: on the eighth day
| from the insertion of the matter.
(Which process should never draw a
drop of blood for more would wash it
away,) The sore should present lie
following appearance: An oval centre
OF Il brownlsh color, Il light circle of
Pcarly rcsclcs, containing the lymph.
or specific matter, and Il rose colored
blush extending from the outer circle
OF 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 II common sore, and in nowise
protective. Just in propolion 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 day.
and inserted without drawing n full
drop ofblood, sufficient do not
take consider that person sufficiently
protected by the former vaccination.
would certainly, however, rcvaccinatc
every fow years. In the eleventh mum.
Der of the Scapel there isa popular
article on this subject, to which we re.
ler all readers desirous ofinvcstioatina
the few known facts in the history of
the disease
Respectfully, your obedient servant.
EDWARD Fl. DIXON,
Editor ofthc Scapcl, 42 Fifth avenue.