Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-01-23

ABsTRAoT OF DIR. JOHN 8. PARRYs LECTURE ON
VACCINATION BEFORE THE SOCIAL SCIENCE Asso-
CITATION IN PHILADELPHIA, JAN IL, 1872.
In the middle Of September, 1871 it first be-
gan to be apparent that smallpox was on the
increase in this city, and that the grave suspi-
cions which physicians had for some time enter
tained that It would become an epidemic, would
soon be realized AS has been usual with other
epidemic diseases, this one found our health
authorities totally upprepared for its reception
and tonight we can look back over long array
Of broken home circles and sum up our bitter
experience-an experience which is the more
distressing because a argesnumber OF the lives
lost were sacrificed on the affairs Of mismanage-
ment, prejudice, and ignorance. Before the in
PRODUCTION of vaccination, about 30 per cent. of
all those who were stricken with smallpox per
ished The Board Of Health asserts that the
mortality OF the present epidemic is 16 per cent.
This is too high by at least 10 per cent for small
pox is now an affection which is almost under
human control and majority Of the lives lost
by it are wanton sacrifices, for which the public
authorities should be held responsible. The
fact that between Sept. 1, 1871, and Jan. 13,
1872, about 1000 persons died Of strictly pre-
ventible disease in this enlightened city, and
that this nothing remarkable according to
the sanitary gospel of certain commercial au-
thorities is something which scientific men
cannot appreciate. Truly the estimated value
OF human life is very low when il can be summed
up in dollars and cents by miserly money-chan-
gers
Shortly after the epidemic appeared here three
kinds of virus could be obtained. One was
foreign article, and was utterly worthless the
others were from Boston and New York. The
speaker was successful with the virus from Bos-
ton, but failed with that from New York. The
bovine lymph, when it is successfully introduced,
Is not very severe in its action, and this is serious
objection to its general adoption. After bovine
virus has been transmitted through the systems
of several members of the human family it be-
come much milder in its effects and much more
wNms.. -. sN.- Ia
its specific qualities. The authorities agree that
with good human virus and exercising all due
degree of care, vaccination should not be unsuc-
cessful in more than one in every $50 insertions.
The amount Of ignorance in regard to vaccina-
tion ia truly surprising. The result is that the
operation is often imperfectly performed and
only partial protection is afforded. The degree
of protection afforded by vaccination varies
much with the manner in which the operation is
performed. If properly done it is almost abso-
Lutte. No child should be vaccinated in less than
four places, and in the performance of this
operation no physician should allow himself to
be influenced by maternal sympathy OF 5000
post-vaccinal cases OF smallpox tabulated by
MIR. Simon, 2194 per cent died among those who
were said to have been vaccinated but could show
no cicatrix, ~ per cent Of those who had one
cicatriI, AZ per cent of those having two, IA
per cent. of those having three, and only q per
cent.of those having four well-marked cicatrices
while 3516 per centof those who never had been
Yaccinated died of unmodifed smallpox.
Most persons will have sore arm from vac
cination twice in their lives-one during infancy
and a second time Immediately after the 18th OF
18th year. The popular idea that its influence
wears out and has to be renewed every seven
years is unsupported by any facts whatever. Re
vaccination is important, and should never be
omitted after the 18th year Of life. Vaccination
has not increased the mortality from other dis
eases, such as scrofula and consumption; on the
contrary, many persons are protected from theet
diseases, which might be developed in them il
they were attacked by small pox. No proof car
be furnished that scrofula is ever Transmitted
with vaccine virus. After an experience of three
quarters of centuary in all parts of the civilized
world, physicians are certainly qualified to speal
with some exactness in regard to the danger o
contracting syphilis by vaccination, and most o
them are disposed to consider this danger bu
trihing, and always due to carelessness. Witt
properly selected virus there is no danger at all
Unless something is speedily done to arres
the progress of the epidemic, it may be prolonge
as in London for more than year. Three meas
ures are important; /. Complete and Thorough
isolation Of persons affected by the disease
2. Perfect disinfection of the homes and effect
OF those who are i'll with it. 8. Systematic vac
cinatlon and re-vacoination, which should b
made compulsory. This is plain statement @
the yariola epidemic in Philadelphia in 1871 q
epidemic, about which, according to the publ
papers and our commercial authorities nothin
must be said or done for fear OF creating a pani
and driving business from the city. For th
morbid public confidence we have truly paid
fearful price in the sacrifice of some 1000 huma
lives