The New York herald., 1867-03-22
s M Al O X.

Imuortaue Report 81 tho Supertntendcut Of
vital ssatissics--The Cenrasisn In this City
Precautionary Measures Necessary, dcc.
DR. Harris superintendent Of Vital Statistics has sent
70 the Sanitary superintendent Of the Board OF Health
an important communication relative TO the prevalence
OF smallpox In this city and the measures necessary 70
be adopted 70 avert the ravages Of this conssson 10
says:-
II viii ha sbown presently that there are hundreds Of
thousands OF persona IN the Metropolitan Sanitary d
trct now unprotected against smallpox, ana has .OI
nearly two years past the most Susceptible maser
tho ravages OF this con,agon has rapidly Increased
our midst The oombusble material for anotner sweep
OF this scourge hsa accumulated and already the spsk
OF eonagon ara ayns INTO 'ns muss ~ pss ess =
smallpox in the cty-though but Few have occ fned
she scourke has been avcrtcd out TINS immsniy wii
not continue much longer for the amount Of tne con-
taion In the metropolitan district viii rapidly increase
BY mesas Of arrivals from abroad Inc pumocr o.
patients the smallpox hospital mas Deen n ncIeasns
In ports and cities whence most OF the comes
to New York Is steadily increasing, ana 70 already
source Of popular comment and alarm in Great Britain
Tc Health 0fccr at Quarantine will soon have trouble
with II.
The present epidemic OF smallpox in the British towns
predicted more than two years ago oy the two san
tary oicers Messrs Seaton and Buchanan, who under
the chief medical officer of the government inspected
the vaccination in the principal towns They found that
much OF the vaccinating was Improperly periormed ana
that tho people again becoming indifferent TO lis
Importance They then said that before the year 1866
an epidemic Of smallpox would follow such usgiec,"
New York can be immediately protected against this
great danger, and 70 guard this metropolis from small
pox by vaccination will be the first stop protecting
the continent; and have evidence that the health
authorities in most American cities in the opinion.
winch seems be wholly overlooked New York,
upon this Board Of Health deyolves the repcnsl.
bity OF leading in the adoption OF comprehensive sani-
ary against every kind OF infectious disease.
TIE report then goes ~ state that vaccination Is
supposed to great exton even among medical men, TO
be very simple process, White, III fact genuine and
trustworthy vaccination IL o the most exact and
delicate thst plySic ever perlOrmS and
details In concise manDer The cond fons OK genu-
inc protective yaccnation and The rules laid down. as
guide in estimating 'he efficacy OF vaccination, By
the Medical Council OF the ROYAL Vaccine institution
and the Sanitary Inspectors u the Privy Council OF
England superintendent Harris then that il IS
very common, tho gh inco rrec opinion ,rat single
vaccine i always adequate proof of protection
against the disease and tha the worst of all defects Is
that Of decevng the patient and the operator ake by
producing doubtful Or spurious vaccine sore from
lymph taken at he wrong time or by dred aud dctcrl
During the sixy-sx years which vaccination has
been practised in Europa and Anerca the necessary
principles and rules it, application have been fully
asceained but popular instruction this point has
been very much neglected.. II s presumed, however,
that In due time te ,poi.an soar OF Health will
devise a comprehensive and e,t tive system Tor 0sur
ing the universal application Of vaccination in this dis
trc Dr. Harris think unnecessary Al present TO de-
pend on the iaciit offered by existng pubic chari
ties but advises coninity take advantage Of
the absence Of the smsil pox epidemic, as there
will appear prior 10 tho middle uf next June. Volun
tary agencies, he says. must b mainly relied upon and
OF the this Kind availabi, in New York
and BROOKLYN he Suggests the PRONUNCIATION by the
Board or Health OF necessary plans, icgu atons and
general Information; the operation Of the Board with
the medical dispensarcs the stipulation by the dispcn
saries, &c ana particularly by the Commissioners OF
Plbc Chariti and orr ctlons, before assuming any
case, that tue recipient give evidence Of having been
properly vaccinated, submit 10 The operation; sim
lar stipulation towards cmplo IS by banks, raiiroad,
ferry and steanShip conninies hotels sc. the exac.
ton from pupiis in pibi ar private schools, OF cer
cato OF vaccination the tc Of admission within
o reasonable time thereafter and the adoption Of tho
plan ordered by the British government requiring. IN
all of registry OF births that the regis erng clerk
should return to the parents attending physician,
request from the Health Board and q copy of section
twenty Of the sanitary Code enoining vaccination
within three months after BIRTH
After suggesting various oi for such rcates &c,
Superintendent Harris expresses the opinion that
house house system nqary and vaccination would
be attended with beneficial results has been shown
at Philadelphia, Baltimore and New 0rleana AT Provi-
dence L., Also tins system has been prac tced with
equal II should he found practicable " Inspect
agreat vi It would probably appear that
New York not than two ont OF three persons
properly and effectively vaccnated. and that 0nchaf
th0se who have been operated upon unsucccssfuliy
could be proteciveiy revaccDaied The groat national
vaccine Institutions OF Great Britain conceded 20 La
the best models tue world, but tho incorporated dis
pensarics OF Now York excel them In the nuber Of
cine operations, and occasionally in the production
vaccine virus.
1he total number OF vaccinations pcrf.rmcd graiu-
tousy In those dsponsar!cs the past i've foot