Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-03-12
The wexford vncc,nat,ou Panic.

RAOtSSSAOhoi JSotOdey llhdly VII wv pa
of the physicians, if not professional ignorance
aud bad practice. A case of varioloid led the
town authorities to commission DR.. j. A. Dow
| OF Westford to operate in the matter OF gen
eral vaccination of the people. The Boston
Herald gives the following account of what
took place afterwards :-"Now in Westtord
lives another medical gentleman-Dr. j. L.
Buttrick-and many of the leading cltzenS
having more reliance in his skill than IN that
of DR.. Dow. and having seen in Boston pa
per an announcement of Dr. Henry q. Clark,
cur CITY physician, to the effect that he was
supplied with quantity of vaccine matter OF
superior quality, and could furnish the same in
moderate quantities, these citizens sent to DR..
! Clark and procured small quantity, which
| they placed in the hands of DIR. Buttrick, and
commissioned him to use the same, and he
was also authorized by the chairman of the
board of seectmen to act in conjunction with
DIR. Dow for the town. He at once went to
work, using the matter he received from DR..
Clark-ten quilts and two scabs. The quilts
did not seem to work WELL and he then dissolv-
ed the scabs in small quantity of snow wa
ter in which solution he soaked thread and
applied it in this way for several days, in the
meantime carrying the vial containing the So
| luton in one of his pockets.
With this matter thus dissolved he vaccina-
ted variety of people, but in no case did it
| work well, and most unfortunately in the fol-
lowing cases it has acted fatally Mr.. Sam'l
Fletcher, the postmaster, was yaccinated at
o'clock, 10Th ult., and died Saturday evening,
25th ult. Mr.. Ephraim Wright was vaccina-
| ted the 21st ut., and within a week he became
dangerously sick, but did not die until March
| 4th Mrs. Samuel Prescott, vaccnated about
the same time at Forge Village, died March 6.
| There are four other severe cases at Forge
! Village-Mr. Lawrence, Mr. George Wright,
Mr.. Bostwitch, and Mr.. Harris, that may re-
cover though not yet Out of danger"
The effect of the vaccination on Mr.. Wright
is described as follows in the testimony of his
daughter before the coroner's jury ;-'One hour
after being vaccinated he could feel its effects.
and in six hours he felt it sensby. Next day
the infamed spot was as large as ten cent
piece, and the arm was much swelled. He
gave up work, and had bad pains all over him.
On Friday the arm was swollen and discharged
a little, and my father was in bed most of the
day On Saturday the swelling increased and
DIR. Buttrick saw it. On Sunday twas worse,
and poultice was applied, and he said it was
a most extraordinary case, and stated fathers
condition to be dangerous. On Monday the
swelling continued, and five doctors saw him
that day-Drs. Holman, Howe, Clark of Bos-
ton, Osgood and Buttrick. DIR. Clark said
father was a very sick m IN, and gave no en-.
couragement On Tuesday the arm continued
swelling, and discharged more than before and
his reason was at times affected And so till
he died
We copy from the Boston Herald, which
had a reporter present. DIR. John N. Borland,
of Boston, who saw the victims before they
died, said in his testimony: My opinion in
this case is, that the parties who have here
died have done SO by reason of being vaccinat-
ed with matter which had undergone some
change by reason OF being kept too long"
DIR. II. G. Clark, the Boston city physician
was examined and testified as follows -
"DR. II. G. CLARK-Some time since some
vaccine matter was sent to Westford by re-
quest of certain parties, and the quality sent
was of the best. Several points (quills) were
sent and some crusts. The quilts are dipped
in matter from the arm and dried at once
The crusts are the scaIps picked off after the
sore is about healed. This matter which was
sent to Westford was taken from arms at my
Office. Quilts will spoil in few days unless
carefully sealed, and should be used as soon as
possible If crusts are used they are pulver-
lied and either dissolved or used in powder,
anu any uSeu ae onoE ne".0 VI SUI
ti.'Ie as Aesplis "ny ,ense
oi ulie anu siouu ,S - ~ 40 u' i;a,i.
time, becoming weaker in its vaccine proper.
ties and stronger in its putrid condition.
meyer ulssoiseu any aia I'D " t,r ~. 49,
days"
In my idea any thorough vaccination is
good for life the fatal cases afterwards are not
my 'i'a.. = 70 - ia Ia eha+tar not r.
peis?ns ~ ooo,,t IN oosas Of on;dor,;o
vaccl''"eeo i ~, Re Tho tro should VOC
mneil' % 1i"s tnforo =, t,'s rIaoa saSv
cilla.e' S;s;','t etorras pf ,,an,.;''o
sesers, 5 u.s. ~ aoa one roo1v Good orn In
.,on, Dus oio nv ,Io,. hod 1aSnoraI ar,s;ra
i 1 "ean,;r rs, onIy tho outside of tho arm
h',3 tta caII9,ar tissues never saw such Of
go 49,, nroner yacc;nat;on and in Roston
s - haar5 IL Int ono death from VACCINE
ion and tIis was about twenty wears aoo
T 1 No. a case Of re.yacc;nation and led 70
nra;nd;ce AGAINST REORGANIZATION which has
eex;stod SINCE hut in cases of endemic ra.vac,
c;nat;on has been advised to nrevent vsrioIoid
Abont 40 ner cent of nersons who have bad
| the small nox or who have been vacc;notad
are liable 10 have the varioloid again Fron,
INV examination of the cases in noint ,nowing
| the fact of tbeir recont vaccinat;on hove ne
| doubt Init that the vaccinotion couseJ tba;n
| deatb
The reason the vaccination affected tbom in
the wav it did was that the matter was d;s.
solved as soon as received and some of If was
| used the same dav Name of tboso cosos nr.
Grated verv badly The same matter wos top,
in lionid state in the Sortor,s nocl,ot CO.. ~
week and others were vaccinated with IL
|