The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-13
smaII-Por and lts Prevention.


ToiAe Editors Of the IItclllguncer;
Small pox is raging throughout oul
cities 10 an extent never before known
in the history OF our country. In Plila.
delphia it is killing at the rate Of nearly
zoo, and in Cincinnati nearly one hun.
died per week. Though we have thus
Tar almost escaped, that we can continue
free from it long is impossible, unless We
speedily awaken from our Indifference
Several new cases are reported this
morning, and doubtless before Sprinr o
chair made vacant by this DESTROYER will
be found III many house whose inmates
now slumber in AnCicd security. low
may We lessen our danger and perhaps
entirely escape any great increase Of the
epidemic lst. BY public sanitary meas
urcs, including the establishment OF q
pest house. ~. By vaccination and re-
vaccination. The Inst we leave 10 the
Health Officer and the City Council; in
the second every individual is interested
Several excellent articles on vaccination
have recently appeared in our papers,
but they were scmi.proicssionali in charaC
ter, and Of such u length as to pass unread
by many for whom they were intended.
Let Us hope these brief remarks may re.
Ceive attention.
What Is he PrGr If TdcciHdii0a ?-Jen-
Rer, who established this practice, claim.
ed that i affords the same protection as
an attack Of smallpox docs. \ person
has recently died in our city from sec.
old attack OF this disease, but more than
one attack seldom occurs. Some physi.
clans claim that vaccination, properly
performed, affords even bitter protection
against smallpox, than does smallpox
itself However this may be, 1t is certain
that after perfect vaccination, q person
is not at all liable to take thedisease, and,
il he Should take 1t his chances oil dying
are much diminished. Observations in
Bohemia for 81 years, made on millions
OF people, show that the death rate from
smallpox among vaccinated persons was
only . per cent, while among unvaccina.
ted it was 30 per cent Thus the danger
was just one.siXth in the vaccinated. DR..
Morson found in thirty years expert.
encc in the London Smallpox Hospital,
in which time 5000 smallpox patients
were treated, that 81 per cent OF the non.
Yaccinated and but 81 per cent OF the
vaccinatcd die. In England, before the
practice OF vaccination, the annual death
rate from smallpox per million inhabi.
tants, was 5000; now it Is only 10. II
vaccination was universally praclced.
and properly performed, the death rate
would be doubtless very much reduced
below this.
Mdy disoase be communicated By rdceiRd.
hORt-We might reply no, and but little oh.
lection to the answer could be offered. But
the importance OF the question demands
fuller reply. There is n widespread i'm.
preston that scrofula, syphilis, and skin
diseases may be- and often are, prOpa-
gated in this way, and hence many hest.
tate TO resort to vaccination until posi-.
tive and immediate necessity such as
smallpox in the house arises. AS 10
scrofuid, Dr. Seaton, than whom no
higher authority lives, says that its trans.
mission by vaccination Is Impossible, even
though the virus used be taken from the
arm OF one suffering with this disease.
Nor are skin diseases thus produced, unless
a constitution predisposing to them exist
IN the person vaCCinattd and 10 this case
the trouble arises, not from any peculiar
property Of the vaccine virus, for the same
results have occasionally followed the use
Of the purest virus, and also sometimes
follow the use Of blister. Mothers have
doubtless often noticed that n serious re.
suit sometimes succeeds the piercing Of
their daughters ears, In this way q per.
sistCnt eczema Of the face is not unfre.
quently caused. 50 vaccination has been
in rare instances the e1Gting cause of
some disease already lurking in the sys.
tenn The same may be said Of syphilis,
andin this way the many cases Of syphilis
"m to have been caused by vaccination
in our army may be accounted for 1t is
exceedingly doubtful whether gen.
uinC case OF this disease, so
much dreaded by the people, was
ever produced BY vaccination. I'll
50, II was transmittctfby the careless Use
Of blood with the virus. 1t Is certain that
a careful and intelligent physician will
never convey this disease In this way,
because 1st. lie will never take virus
from a person concerning whom there Is
the least suspicion Of unclGanncss. 81.
If by chance mistaken as 10 the health Of
the person from whom the virus was re-
moved, he at any rate never takes any
but Crusts (sCabs) that arc free from mus,
blood, or other substance That could pos.
siDIy convey disease.
We reserve further remarks until to-
morrow, when we propose briefly to in
qulrc rs TO the efficacy Of re.vaCCinatiOn,1
&c ].