New-York tribune., 1873-03-06
A PLAGUE OVERCOME.
SMALLPOX ALMOST EXTINCT.

THE GROwTu or THE DISEASE IN EPIDEMIC
PORN OBSTACLES TO GENERAL VAGINA
TIoN N-THE METHOD OF TREATMENT M
PROVED AND MADE SUCCESSFUL.
The smallpox, which for two years threat
oned to become epidemic in this city, has Of late de
creased so rapidly in extent and vrucncc that II may
safely bo considered ns finally conquered. That the
disease Ia no longer feared by the Board or
Health "A evident from their recent action In
dsbandng tho corps OF yaoonators. These 70
skilled physicians retire after ls months Of train
ing IN the art OF persuading ignorant multi
tudes to submit to vaccination. An analysis OF the
history OF the disease during the past two years SHOWS
unmistakably that its decrease was caused by the al
most universal vaccination Almost extinct for several
years the disease suddenly became epidemic in the
Winter months Of 1sI-79 The physicians connected win
the Bureau OF Sanitary Inspection were quickly over
whemcd with work. ana were compelled 10 ask
for help from the Board of Health small vaccnatlhE
corps was at authorized and gradually Increased
as the greatness Of tho task realized, until IL en-
braced 4 physicians. Tho vaccinators found that they
had an enormous amount Of labor before them.
Tho city had never been universally Vacclh-
ated in the year before School Trustees had denied the
health inspectors permission TO enter the schools ana
yaccnate the children; and great prejudice eAseu
among the foreign population against seoohu 'aoC
ton No compulsory vaccination law existed ana al
vaccination had. therefore, to be done WIN
| the consent of tho person operated upon
The yaccinators were at first tmld IN exc
cutting their dutios offering their services as they
expected them to be rejected For several months upon
entering dwelling 1t their custom to ask meeRy IL
any person within desired vaccination, ana theh 10
quickly 90 away If the reply In the negative sooh
however It was discovered that irresponsible persons
answered such inquiries and that very often other per
SONS living in the house desired vaccination IN
many cases of smallpox 1t also revealed that vac
| VII house
rebufed The vaccnators then adopted another method
They announced that they had TO vaecnate every
person I'm the house who had not previously been vacc-
mated or who had been vaecnated years ago and needed
revaocnatOE appeals being made to the Tears OF te
| person addressed by constant experience in their
business the vacoiDators finally became so proficient III
the art OF persuasion that they declared compulsory
vaccination law unnecessary inasmuch few persons
| resisted vaccination
| METHODS OF TREATMENT.
Before the work begun the city was marked out
into distrsts and the vaccinang corps was assigned
to duty section by section Every house was then Vs-
tied and It's occupants offered vaccination. Neyerthe-
less as strangers we're constantly drifting into the city
cases of smallpox continued to be so numerous that
the Board OF Health became greatly alarmed. more
| thorough system was therefore adopted. case OF
smau-pox was reported than several physi-
clans hasteDed to the patients home Unless found In
room so isolated TO prevent any possibility OF cona
gon the sick person at once taken 10 the Small
Pox HOSPITAL but when isolation could be secured the
physicians preferred leave the patient under the care
OF friends The patients welfare having been assured.
all persons in the house vaccnated. and the build
| ing WAS thoroughly dsinfeced. The houses adjacent
were also fumgated, and the inmates vaccnated ANY
children found in the infected house forbidden TO
| so TO school -
| Tho vaccinators found their most difficult task in
overcoming tho prejudices OF German citizens Only
few OF this class had not been vaccinaed in Infancy
and they asserted that second vaccination was use
less Many superstltious German women also resisted
the vaccination Of their children the ground that
vaccination was useless unless performed during May.
The yaccinators were the pertinacous in their
efforts to vaccinae in consideration OF the dis
covery that large proportion OF tue smallpox patients
were OF that race and most OF the patients asserted
| that they had been vaccinated in their ma
| tive country. Contrary to their former expc-
| rience, the vaccinators found themselves vel
! coined and even invited TO visit public and
private schools The opportunity has not been lost and
the yaccinaors went school to school until nearly
every scholar had. of his accord been treated. At
the hight OF the epidemic the vaccnators services were
eagerly received by all classes. the physicians having
charge Of the sick longer almost driven from
bouses by the insults OF the patients relatives, but
were addressed with great poiteness and their sug
cestops were thankfully accepted. In where the
patient could isolated at home, and it was found
necessary him to the hospital the relatives
| now acquiesced with good grace
Tie decrease the disease was retarded by two nfu
ences one the neglect OF private physicians TO report
at once OF smallpox; and the Other the arrival IN
the city OF unyaccinated strangers Every member OF
some families would be found sick with smallpox re-
sulng from case concealed by aphysican To stop the
evil series of suits brought in the courts against
the offending physicians and the suits were vigorously
pushed that soon physician dared to neglect to report
instantly The disease increased day by day during the
the coming of spring eliminated the week end
ing MAY 25 when there "a deaths. IL then slowly
diminished as the weather became warmer until In the
| week ending Aug 10 there were only two deaths
During the present Winter has caused little anxiety to
the board of Health. The number of deaths has been
very small as compared with the number OF persons
| each week Frustrated by the disease glance at the
following tabulated statement OF the number OF cases
and OF the deaths by smallpox during the year 1872
and part OF 1873 will show the rise, progress, and
| decline Of the disease: