Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-02-13

will occur in subjects who are unfit
to transmit the disease and to fur
nish lymph.
The operation itself is not trivial,
as ma :; suppose, while the selection
of virus ought to be made only by
a thoroughly educated physician
This is provided by the fact that dur
ing the present epidemic physicians
have met with many young children,
said to have been protected by vac-
cination who presented very imper.
feet marks or none at all, and in
whom npon revaccination the disease
ran nearly regular course.
The degree of protection afforded
by vaccination varies much with the
manner in which the operation il per-
formed. If properly done it is al-
most absolute. No child should be
vaccinated in less than four places,
and in the performance of this opera
ton no physician should allow him.
self to be influenced by maternal
sympathy. Of 5000 post VAGINAL
eases of smallpox tabuated by Mr.
Simon, 2l3 per cent. died among
those who are said to have been vac :
cinated, but could show no cicatrix
u per cent. of those who had one
clcatrix, Al per cent. of those having
three, and only I per cent. of those
having four we'll marked cicatrces,
while 353 per cent. of those who new
er bad been vaccinated died of un-
modified smallpox.
Most persons will have a sore arm
from vaccination twice in their lives
once during infancy, and a second
time Immediately after the four
teennth or fifteenth year. The popu-
lar idea that its influence wears out
and has to be renewed every ses en-
years, is unsupported by any facts
VIII tever Re-vaccination is impor-
tant and should never be omitted af,
ter the fifteenth year of life. Vac
cination has not increased the morr
tally from other diseases, such as
scrofula and consumption on the
contrary, many persons are protect
ed from these diseases which might
be developed in them if they were at
tackled by smallpox, No proof can
be furnished that scrofuIa is ever
transmitted with vaccine virus. Afs
ter an experience of three quarters
Of century in all parts of the civil
lied world, physicians are certainly
qualified to speak with some exact
ness in regard to the danger of con-
tracing syphilis by vaccination, and
most of them are disposed to consd-
er this danger but trifing, and al
ways due TO carelessness. With
properly selected virus there is no
danger at all.
Two causes are assigned for the
recent epidemic of smallspox in Ions
don: l. A popular prejudice against
vaccination, which has become SO
strong in England, that "antisvac-
cination leagues" have been organ
lied for the avowed purpose of resist
ing tho law. 2. The difference of
the authorities in regard to the exc
cution OF the law for compulsory
vaccination. When the epidemic
first appeared there the authorities
Immediately provided for the accom-,
mediation OF 1000 patients, while in
Philadelphia, with q mortality near
ly as great rs in London, provision
was made for only three hundred pa
TENTS. There can be but little doubt
that the health of our community
has been greatly jeopardized, and
propagated to a fearful extent by
the negligence of the Board of Health
in inquirlng into the sanitary condio
ton of the houses and the localities
in which the disease existed. Every
such house should be carefully in
spected by our health authorities, all
persons suffering from small pox
should be isolated, and those ex-
posed to it carefully revaccinated.
The course adopted by the Board
OF Health in relation to the reports
OF cases by physicians effectually
prevents this from being done, and
has thrown the responsibility of pro-
tecting the community upon the
medical profession. do the premis-
es need sanitary inspection ?" is
one of thequestions which appear up
on their printed forms. A large pro-
portion Of the patients among the
poorer classes ask and insist that
the physician give negative reply
10 the question, and there is reason
TO fear that the relations which he
sustains to the family may too often
influence the doctor in his answer.
This question should be taken from
his hands; the Board of Health
should obtain its reply by house.to-
house inspection.
Early in February, 1871, various
parish authorities in London obtain
ed apparatus for the purpose of dis
injecting clothing and other matcri-
ais by exposing them to high heat,
| but so tar as we are aware our Board
OF Health never troubles itself about
what is going on in the habtations
containing the disease, provided the
attending physician gives to this all
important question, DO the premis-
es need sanitary inspection q a neg
alive re Iy. The Board of Health
has done all that it can with the laws
as they now exist in regard to vac>
cination, but so far as work is con-
cerned, so far as house-to-house in
spection is concerned, so far as SAINT
AIRY improvement aud disinfection
are demanded, they have manifested
q most alarming apathy.
Ia this they have been supported
by the public press and commercial
authorities. The result has been
that in the short space Of four and a
half months 2,0S6 persons have died
from the disease-a mortality equal
to about 1000 in London, aud a
greater number of deaths in proper
ton to the population than occurred
10 the latter city from October, 1870
to January, 1872. Unless something