The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-03-31
AN APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE,
For SeIf-Protection Against SMALLPOX.

Perhaps there is no malay in the whole catalogue
Of human Ills that is associated with much terror
and loathing small pox. And this great fear is not
without just foundation, for the disease is eminentiy
contagious, 10 many epidemcs fourth of those
who arc attacked with 9iifed srnl-por die, ard
OF those who survive some loose eye other
gan Of sense oters left with erfee bled ody
that sinks uuier the influence of scrofula other
constitutional ahment and al less
rel and disfgured for kfe.
Against this terrible scourge the civilized world have
had certain, innocent, ana easily ACCESSIBLE safe
guard for than sixty years. This safe guard
will not only prevent the disguring the i'll health the
loss of sight and hearing anil the deaths, caused by
smallpox but it VIII prevent the smi -pox Itself
der all known circumstances.
This safe guard is vaccination and re-vaccinatou u;
and complete protection that scientific ply sicans
confident that if it practicod in a proper
and to a sufficient extent, the smallpox
would actually cease to exist,-be known only a
historical disease.
How is it, then, with these facts patent TO all in
quircrs that there is 30 much smallpox spread
abroad over the land not city, not town, and
scarcely village a ncighborhood but has
less Of the disease among its inhabitants There is
but one this question, viz the people, the
great Masses do not fully understand and appreciate
the facts enumerated above, and until they do,
measure can be devised that VIII them to attend
b. the affair Of vaccination and re Y accinaton.
The American Medical Association, a. its annual
meeting held in the city of New York, June 1854 had
this subject under deliberate consideration and being
fully persuaded that if the people thoroughly ad
vised of the facts in relation the efficacy of
cna'on they would devise and enforce ordinances
to protect every community against smallpox, ap
pointed committee of five ito enghten the public
mind by all available means, upon the value and
cessity of universe, vaccination" This committee
consists of Drs A. n. Bell, Brooklyn, n. Y, j. p.
Loines, and II. D. Buckley, New York city, A. Ne
binger, Philadelphia, and Jas. F. Hbberd, Rich
mond Ind and first step in the discharge of its
duties, has published pamphlet entitled Protection
from Small pox. by means of Vaccination and Re
vaccination" This pamphlet, by reference to sta
tistcs and authorities establishes the following facts
Vaccination DISCOVERIES by DIR. Edward Jenner,
Of England, and published to the world in 1885, and
since that time has been practced TO greater or less
extent in all civilized nations.
No country, however, has yet made vaccination and
re-vaccinaton complete among all classes of its in
habitants for any considerable PERIOD aud, therefore,
all the good that has been accomplished has arisen
from partial and incomplete application of the proven
tive; but even with this, the comparative exemption
OF all civilized communities for the last forty years
from the most terrible scourge to which mankind
BY vaccination overwhelming characterize the
discovery of Jenner the greatest boon confer
rcd upon the temporal welfare of man..
During the great epiienics Of small pox which
prevailed in Europe during the early part of the pres
ent century all observers had abundant opportunities
for ascertaning the true value of vaccination. The
vaccin,ted and those who had previously had small
pox both found be less subject to the
disease. Early in the progress of these epiiemcs
however, an important fact became evident namely,
that there great difference ia the mortality Of
smallpox when it attacked these three classes IL
Those who had been vsccinated .. Those who had
had the small pox, and 3. Those who had neither
been vaccinated nor had the smallpo OF the first
class, those who bad been racciuated out of every
$50 attacked, only died. OF the second class
those who had previously had smallpox, enc out of
every fifty died. While of the third class, those who
bad neither been vaccinated had the smallpox.
on, Of every four died. Thus proving the grca.
superiority of vaccination smallpox itself.
protecting the system from the fatality of a second
attack.
In England alone, FOR nearly century before the
introduction of vaccination, fewer than 80 600 per-
sons were annually off BY smallpox; which, in
the ratio, according to the present population
wond be equivalent TO loe, 600 deaths annually. Out
of every 1000 DEATHS from 1850 lseo there were
by smallpox 96 from 1900 70 1850, there were for
the same number. but IS.
In Germany. fer the periods Of time, there
out Of every 1900 deaths for the former period
BY smallpox COS for the latter period 1.25.
In Sweden, for the last twentyeight years before
the introduction Of Vaccination, OF each million
OF the population there 1850 deaths annually by
smallpox; Cor forty years subsequent the
duction Of vaccination the number Of deaths annually
by smallpox, per million Of inhabitants, lSs
In wes,phAlia from l576 Use. the annual small
pox jea,h-rate. per million inhabitants, a,64S.
From 1916 TO 1859, il was ia.
In Copenhagen. ISL to 1880 the annual rate per
million Of Inhabitants slss; from lsea 20 $780,
il as5 In Berlin, for, the periods, the
relatively we're 3,4&s, and lie.
Dr.. Ware has shown that IN Boston in 172I
than half the population had smallpox, and Of these
attacked, about in died. Subsequent ysars
up 10 1900, were Amos, as bad but from 1915 to
1850 when vaccination in a manner compulsory.
therr were only fcurtecn deaths from smallpox
withs,sndng the large increase Of population.
TIE London EpsdemiOlcgicai Society has demszssrs-
ted tha, in various countries the iea;hrae BY small
ror for CIV Years before vaccination r-actici