Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-01-03
THE SMALL POx.

This fell malady, once the scourge and
terror of the world, then driven from sight |
and almost from memory by the great dis
covcry Of Jenner, has again begun to gain a
foothold, and may now be said with truth to
have become endemic in all our large cities,
with the prospect Of rapidly becoming cpl
demic throughout the country. Seeing that
small pox is a disease practically under en-
tire human control as concerns its proven.
ton, this rapid increase within the last ten
or twelve years must be, and is, the fault Of
the people themselves. The truth is that
its spread is entirely due to imperfect and
careless methods Of vaccination, or to the
entire neglect of that simple, sure and en-.
tirely safe preventive Of one Of the most hor-
rible diseases that has ever afflicted the hui
man race.
In view of the certainty that this disease
will surely travel from one to another Of the
unprotected all over the country, it is an inn
portant question how large a proportion of
the people are now, in all probability, liable
to infection if exposed thereto. 1t will seem
to many frightfully exaggerated statement,
but we are we'll satisfied, from long and
careful study Of the matter, that THREE
FoURTHs OF THE POPULATION OF AMERICA ARE
TODAY MORE OR LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE
CONTRACTION or SMALL Pox And yet, except in
very rare cases, where individuals seem to be
capable of receiving the disease an indef-
mite number of times, the whole community
can and ought to be entirely shielded from
the possibility Of contracting it,
One cause of the neglect of vaccination is
feeling among the people, which in many
cases has grown to be controlling fear, that
other diseases are likely to be conveyed by
the same process So widely has this opin-
ion spread, and such control has it obtained
over the minds Of many mothers, that they
actually refuse with horror to permit their
children to be vaccnated, unless under the
immediate and greater fear produced by the
vicinity of actual cases Of small pox.
That the crude notions in circulation on
this point are in the main erroneous is un-
questionable, but their removal from the
public mind is none the less a problem Of
great difficulty, and so long as they remain
we may be sure that hundreds and thousands
of children will be suffered to grow up with
out protection, and will form continuous
lines, ramifying all over the country, along
which the infection can travel without the
least hindrance. We would suggest that the
medical societies everywhere, without dis
tinction of school, should issue, and the
newspapers publish, authoritative state
ments of facts in regard to this matter.
Such statements would do much to dispel the
prevailing apprehensions, which are mainly
based upon vague rumors having no founda-
ton either in fact or science.
But the greatest source Of insecurity now
existing is the ignorance as to what actually
constitutes genuine protective vaccination
Most PEOPLE suppose that the only thing nee
essary to secure themselves is the insertion
of matter " from a previous vaccination
into a scratch upon their own persons. They
are not aware that this is an operation re
quiring knowledge and skill in all its details
and one that an inexperienced person cal
never perform with any certainty of sue
cessful result. Yet, in view of possible con
sequences, if either vaccination or simpl,
fracture Of most any bone were to be intrust
ed to unskiled hands, we should preie
so to leave the latter. In the selection
Of the virus, (which is not matter in tn,
common sense of the word,) in its extraction
from the original vesicle, in its proper pres
crvation, in its skillfu communication to thu
new subject in the observation Of its opera
ton, and in the final examination of the scar
scientific skill and experience are very req
ulsite Without them there can he not tn,
slightest guarantee of success. Knowing thu
stubbornness of the popular mind in sucl
matters, we despair Of impressing the trutl
Of this statement upon many, but it is new
ertheless true, and being true is of weight,
importance as regards the public safety.
70 point the moral OF all this with preg
nant facts, we would refer to the folowin,
statement, which is taken from the Spring
field Republican of a recent date:
The small poX seems to be pretty general,
distributed over the country, just now, tho
small interior towns and villages being visit
ed rs well ms the larger cities. Buffalo, n
most Of the past year, having had at on
time 1852 cases, but the number is now reduc
cd TO about $50. Chicago took such promp
measures TO suppress, or nj least to limit ii
that during the week ending December 81
there were but ~ deaths from this cause
while during the same week there were 10
deaths IN st. Louis-St. Louis i'm the pas
four weeks has had 500 eases, or almost a
many rs Chicago in the entire years. il
Boston and 80 in Buffalo. There has bGe
much complaint of the ineiliciency of tn
health wardens mt St. Louis and Louisville
and in both those cities the disease has sprea
extensively. Few Kentucky towns have es
capped cOntagion, and many of the intcrio
towns of Iowa, Kansas and Missouri are in
feCtcd At Washington the disease has rs
sumcd so threatening an aspect that some o
the avenues leading to infected districts hav
been barTicadpd. Nashville, n. c., Is muc
worse OIL, however, having been smit
ten with the disease in so malignant
form that communication with the QUITE
world has been entirely cut on.