Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-21
COIN NATION.

subject af kine-pock, and the procuring and
preserving of genuine vaccine virus, beg leave
to submit the following report
Small-p is a disease actively contagious,
and from the loathsomeuess and suffering OF its
severer forms, none is more dreaded Previ-
GUS to the present century it was one of the
most fatal malades that humanity was heir to.
Before the discovery of vaccination, about one.
sixth of all the deaths were from smallpox
one-fourth of all attacked by the disease, died
10 an epidemic described by Drs Mitchell and
Bell, in 1924, one-half Of the unprotected
| died
| In view of this appalling mortality, it is not
| surprising that mankind should embrace any
| thing that would tend to avert such fatal in
| auence. incubation was practiced 10 very
early day, but was very Objectionable, as it
constantly kept up the variolous contagion,
which otherwise might only occur at intervals.
! Prudence suggested reform, and several gov
ernments enacted laws to entirely prohibit il
oculation, under heavy penalty.
DR.. Jehner, of England, made the first OBJ
servations on vaccination. He observed while
engaged in the practice of noculaton, that
certain individuals we're not susceptible to the
| disease, and that they resisted the smallpox
contagion this be attributed to an affection
they had caught from the COW while engaged
in the act of milking He therefore tried the
experiment OF taking some Of the matter from
q pock on the udder of the COW, and inserting
it in the human subject, which resulted in
mild vaccine disease, which afforded complete
security from smallpox be next conceived the
idea of conveying the disease from one nd-
vidual to another, which he did with entire
satisfaction. This was enough-illed with the
spirit Of philanthropy and enthusiasm he pub
!ished an essay in 1885. in which he set forth
the result of his investigations. In 1900 his
practice of vaccination reached the United
States, and soon the whole medical world ac-
cepted the practice, with gratitude to the dis
coverer. The views be set forth will long be
cherished by the profession, aud his name be
hailed with admiration by all future genera
tions whose unborn millions shall experience
its blessing.
The identity of kline pock and smallpox is
pretty well established, the midnesS Of the
symptoms in the cow being attributed to the
modifying Influence of the inferior animal
The disease in the horse known as the grease
is of the same nature. aud is supposed, if in
serted in the human subject, would produce
kline pock. JeDner supposed the disease in
| the COW 10 be conveyed from this matter by
the hands of the mixers Tue COW takes the
kiHe-pock sometimes from exposure to small
pOx contagioa. The variOlouS matter is capa-
| bic of producing the disease if inserted 10 the
! adder OF the COW, and the resulting pock is
proper vaccine virus violent symptoms how
ever, result from the first few Insertions which
gradually wear of.
kine-pock occurs in the cow spontaneous. in
certain districts this affords the most reliable
source of procuring the vaccine virus genuine
| but even this is not exempt from violent symp-
| toms at frst-the activity diminsbes in pro
/ portion TO the Dumber OF insertions. The pock
on the cow resembles that in the human sub
| ject it has that peculiar sl7ery appearance
and uubilicated form which distinguish it from
any other pusule. The notifications of the
smallp by the system of the COW, has been
attributed to the milk, hence it has been sug-
gested to take equal parts of cold milk and
variolous matter taken from the pOck in the
vesicnar stage, and mix. An experiment has
been tried at the lie Charlie, Lyons, with the
| following result :-Twenty-oue children, whose
ages varied from eight to eleven, were submit
| ted 10 the Lacto Vsriolic incubation, eighteen
of which presented pustules precisely similar
/ in appearance, character and duration, to those
( of kire-pock, aud limited to the seat of pune
ture, and were not more serious than vaccina-
ton practiced in the usual Eay. Vaccination
would not take effect on them afterwards
1t is now conceded By most medical writer's
that vaccine virus deteriorates and becomes
almost inert, by constant use, in course of time.
and further that it partakes Of the nature Of
the disease in the constitution where the virus
is inserted, particularly strumous aud cutaneous
affections. These facts ore worthy of atten-
ton. as by means Of such matter we have false
security, aHi many supposing themselves pro
/ tecsed, rush into danger, and suffer from genu-
inc smallpox, and very many suffer with the
disease in some of its forms
II is Of vital Importance that the profession
should be Supplied with pure and unadultera-
ted vaccine virus. We must resort 10 the COW
This is matter 10 which the government
ought 10 feel interested after the example Of
+. the old world. and National Institutiou ought
to be supported by the general government.
for the purpose Of furnishing vaccine Phys
clans with the right quality of virus Oar
State Legislature ought not TO be silent on the
subject laws compelling vaccination and re-
vaccination although they might at first seem
repugnant TO the spirit Of our institutions. vet
they would not be as arbitrary as our qusran-
tine laws instituted 10 prevent the introduction
Of infectious diseases from without, and DO o0e
doubts the expediency Of such laws
For the vaccination TO be prophylactic re-
qHires that the vesice should be perfect well
developed, and not broken or snbjec, TO vio-
leDce Of any kind, lest the pastue fill with
pus instead Of vaccine lynph. The sttention
Of the Physician is absolutely necessary. in
order TO kDoE if the pock is genuine and pro-
tective, if not. the virus should be reinserted.
A very good and reliable way of testing the
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