Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-13
The Protective Efficacy Of vaccina.
fiOn


IL j. to be regretted that our medical men
differ 50 materially on the subject of vaccina-
ton. Not that they differ the main ques-
tiOn-the vital importance of vaccination as a
means of protection against small pox-but that
they disagree As to the manner in which it
should be p rfOrmed; the relative merits of hui
man and animal virus; how often the operation
H. necessary; whether a person who has once
had the disease can again be afflicted with it,
&c, &c. Indeed, the difference of opinion is
painfully peTplexing To the seeker after immu-
nifty from the dreadful scourge, and very natu-
rally leads him TO the humiliating conclusion
that human skill has not vet solved the mystery
OF vaccination; that the doctors don't know
mitch more about II than the patients after all
more's the pity Some general impressions in
regard 10 this matter are that person who has
had the small pOx cannot take il a second time,
ami subsequently i not susceptible to vaccina-
tOn; that revacCinatiOn Il necessary every five
or seven years: and that, barring the liability of
lymph from The human arm 10 convey eonStitu-
tiOHal disorders said lymph, or even the crust
Itself, is just eficaciOus, as a preventive of
small PON, the COW pOx or vaccine matter
While the doctors disagree. il is desirable that
arguments ON all sides should be heard by the
public on this important question.
an article on vaccination recently published
(AlaSS-, GGSste, has attracted considerable at
tentiOn. The writer claims that animal yirus
l. complete protective power for life time.
and refers 10 the offer of DIR. Martin the ONLY
successful producer of nOn-humanized virus in
the nit6d States, TO the effect that he will give
$1,000 Tor any instance Of an adult properly vac
cinated with it who shall at any time after three
weeks subsequent to the operation be attacked
with yariolOus disease. This, of course. in
eludes not only smallpox, but the milder form
OF the disease, known rs yarioloid. Dr. s. also
holds that the virus from human arm is of but
little value as protective agency, and allu.es
To case (giying tine name and residence
where a person was vaceinated thoroughly in
two places, when an infant, with humanized
virus, the resulting scars being clear, and vet
at the age of thirteen had continent small-pox.
"AmOng the exploded notions of the past. shown
20 be bascless in fact" SAYS the writer sis the
ldea that a person cannot have smallpox twice
or take vaccination after having had small
IOx.- He adds:
lone illustration is worth many assertions and
n tact OUtweighs a thousand theories. Our
veii-knOwn tOwnsman MIR. Fergus A. Eastou
had smallpox at the age of eight wears which
left sufficient number OF its usual marks To
satisfy the most skeptical to the nature OF
the malady, Yet on Thursday, the 10Th instant
\ vaCcinated him with cov--pOx virus which has
taken wei and thorOushly-thus showing that
he would have been liable to take SMALLPOX
aeain. uIon sufficient exposure to the conta-
sion.
To most persons the conclusion arrived az by
Dr. ;. would seem reasonable, for il is n fact
that cannot be disputed that persons who have
had the smallpox sometimes have il a second
time, and the same thing may he said of the
Is.the measles, AMI other kindred diseases.
II is universally conceded, however, that second
attacks from maladies of this character are very
rare. But DIR. y, a. before stated, claim, that
IN case of smallpox second visitations of the
disease occur only in persons who have been
vaccinated with human virus, AMI never where
they have been inOculated with cow-pox, or
matter obtained direct from the animals. On
this point he says:
:. would especially urge upon parents whose
children have never been Teyaccinated since
infancy to apply the test of protective efficacy
AFFORDED by the use of animal vaccination, for
during this epidemic l have reVaccinated sey-
raj children with ample success whose parents
though them perfectly guarded against small
roN By intantile vaccination, and notably one
Sst>c Oi 4 little Slrt OF hNe years who vacci-
mated III infancy, and had two very distinc
mar a on her arm, who has taken "A rcyaccina
ton with the animal virus"
In tins connection it may be well to cOrrec
the general impression a to the manner i'm which
vaccine matter was originally obtained by DIR.
Martin. of Boston, who supplies the health
boards Of the United States with virus fresh
from the animal Many suppose that pure vac
cine Virus can be obtained by yaccinatinp n
LeifeT with the matter obtained from "A human
ann Such Is not the case. The supply from
which the animals are vaccinated must be Oh
tanned from spontaneous case of cow-pox-
which i of rare occurrence. DIR. Martin, after
a number of fruitless efforts, obtained a supply
OF vaccine matter from case occurring in an
animal at Beaugency, France, in 1866, which he
has PrOpagated though a series of heifers com
pri>ing more than five hundred animals He
has at present about one hundred heifers in diff
ferent stages of the eOw-pox, and, inferrin-
from the demands made upon him by the cities
where smallpox Is raging, must he driving a
good business.
Peril To the IBunilS