Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-02-04
IInpnrtnuce Of Yaccinnrion.

Vaccination affords as perfect proteo-
ton from smallpox as it is possible 10 ob-
tain; as perfect immunity from danger as
if the person had once passed through the
smallpox Edinburgh Kedie0l and Surgical
Journal, 1S45.
To the Editor Of the Chronicls-Sir:-I
have been solicited to give my views as
regards vaccination, to the public. The
fact has been proved that up to the year
1903, out Of upwards Of six thousand per-
cons, who were inocalated with the small
pox, after previous vaccination, not sim
gle one thus took the disease. "But," say
the fsvOrers of incubation, rthis is not
the case now. A person who has had
small pox, or been inoculated, is ever after
free from sll further chance Of infection,
or if he be again attacked, il is in an ex-
tremely mild form; whilst we frequently
meet with smslI pox occurring sfrer vac
cinstion, and it then proves quite as fatal
as if the person had not adopted this pre-
caution" The statistics of the London
small pox Hospital prove snch opinions to
/ be very erroneous. They show that Of
those who had small pox, % died in 100,
while those who had been previously vac
cinated died in the small proportion of 8
in Ie0. The authorities on this point are
then ranged together, and their statements
compared, from which it appears that,
while those who take small pox for the
second time die in the average proportion
Of Is per cent, those who take it after
vaccination only die in the proportion of
8 8 per cent. on an average. The instances
recorded prove that second attack Of
small pox is far from being very uneom-
mon, and that when it does occur, 1t is far
more fatal than small poz after vaccins-
tion. The results Of fTevaccination, com
pared with the vaccination Of those who
had had small pox were, both in Hanover
and Wuriemburg, exactly in the same pro
portion.
From this we must conclude that vscci
nation gives US perfect Immunity from s
subsequent attack Of small pox,a as if q per.
son had once passed through the small POI
itself.
More than this we can never ask-moTi
than this we can never obtain. If the pro
tective powers Of vaccination wear out O
the system after certain number Of years
which most unhesitstingly deny, 30 d.
those of an attack Of small po1 itself. Ant
I II lne0f4elb ludBlu 1hO tAuohNOE " pION
that person ought to be reyaccinate
every twelve or twenty years, hold
just as equally necessary that the persol
who has had small pox be, after the sam
space Of time, again subjected to that dis
ease by means Of incubation, that he ma!
not fsll victim to the disease should
take 1t for the second time naturally.
The latter proposition is so preposteI
GUS that 1 cannot imagine any one so oh
tuse ss not to see its absurdity. And
it be SO, certainly not less so is the propC
/ ssl 10 reyaccinate.
In conclusion, then, IL may be remarke
that the above facts establish that the ez
! listing prevalence. and mortality of sma
pox is not owing to any failure in the pre-
tective powers of the vaccine virus, nor |
its wearing out of the system after 8 Gel
tain number Of years, but to the neglect
vaccination altogether; and that vsccin'
ilon affords greater projection faom
fatal termination, should the individui
be subsequently, attacked with small po
than if he had passed through the nsturi
or inoeulated small pox themselves.
JOHN s. CHAPMAN, NJ. D.
Washington. January 29.