New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-17
WHAT A BLIND MAN SAW.
Is VACCINATION EFFICACIOUs

Under the above inquiry there appeared
more than year ago well written article
sustaining the affirmative. 1t is true no
new ideas were advanced on the subject,
but the author evidently designed merely to
present such facts and views as experience
has sanctioned and proved for many years.
We had supposed, until the recent small
pox epidemic in this city, that all respectable
authority was on the affirmative side Of the
question. But it has transpired that some
of "the faculty" who, by the way, have
but poor faculty of suggesting a substitute
for it, dogmatically reject vaccination as a
preventive of smallpox. Fortunately, how
ever, our Board of Health took a different
view. and as soon as the necessary authority
could be obtained, put an end to further
argument by suppressing the disease by
means of vaccination. The following is the
article referred to-:
From the Nation, March 25,IlS69l
1t is about seventy years since Jenner,
after an exhaustive course OF study ana ex-
pertinent, extending through twenty-five
years, published his great discovery OF vac
cination, with q religious faith not only
that the process would be to every one sub
jected to it perfect protection against the
smallpox, but that this disease, when the
most dreaded and destructive of all that
afflict mankind, would be fairly extermi-
mated from the earth. At that time the
annual death rate from smallpox in Eng
land was estimated three thousand in the
million of population, In other countries OF
Europe the rate varied, in some cases rising
to four thousand, and probably In no case
falling as low as two thousand in the mil
lion These, the fatal cases, should be null
tiplied by five or six, as nearly as we can
compute to give the entire number of sub
jects annually attacked by the disease.
This loss of life is appalling. The loss OF
time in cases not fatal is something har-
mist. But this is not the whole of the black
story. 1t was estimated that twO-thirds of
the INDECENT blind in London had lost their
sight by smallpox. The number OF hope
lessly deafened ears, crippled joints and
broken down constitutions from the same
cause, perhaps, cannot be reckoned, but it
was certainly very large. Anybody who
escaped from the disease without painful
Disagreement of the face was called fOrtu-
nate. Although it may seem unworthy to
be mentioned in this connection, the mere
destruction of clothing and utensils for the
prevention of infection in so many thou
sands of cases must have formed no incOn-
siderable part of the waste OF q nation. In
those days, whatever man might do,
whether he would abide at home or travel
abroad by land or by sea, in summer or win
ter, so long as he had not paid toll to the
great pestilence and bought his freedom
from it, it rose as bug bear before him in
every direction. Now, it is well to recall
such facts as these; the nineteenth century,
in the comparative immunity it has enjoyed,
is apt at once to forget the horrors from
which it has been delivered, and to neglect
the only means Of protection against their
return. Let us see what change has been
effected by vaccination, where it hus been
most Thoroughly done, and its results have
been most carefully observed and recorded.
This summary of English experience does
not exhibit an extreme case, but is specially
instructive by its progressive character: