New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-05
SMALLPOX.

not yet locally very prevalent. The last
health report indicates seven deaths in the
preceding week. nearly all of which were
| cases imported on steamboats, from Cincin-
| natl, ST. Louis and elsewhere in the West.
Most of these deaths occurred at DR.. An
| foux's smallpox hospital, on Common
street. but few have occurred in the thickly
settled portions Of the city. Most of the
fatal cases, where the parties came from
abroad, were white men, while nearly all
who have died who were residents of the
city, were colOred.
These few cases are not much in them
selves, but may be considered as important
IN their relation to others liable to the con-
tagion, especially at this season of the year,
when the disease is more effective than at
any other time, because less apt to be dis
turbed by heat or rendered inert by ven
tilation.
Vaccination is now recognized in all civil
lied communities as the only protection
against this disease-so much so that in
most countries it is now rendered com
pulsory by statutory enactments. In Dub
lin, Ireland, where the disease has been
terrific in its ravages-theusands dying
neutrality-suspicious. to the adoption by Parlia-
ment of an acS enforcing vaccination, for
the last three years not d single case of
death from smallpox has been reported.
In our own State vaccination is very
common among all classes of our white
population, especially in this city, but the
colored people are generally negligent in
this respect 1t is estimated by those COM
petent to Judge that there are fully 100000
people in Louisiana who are not vaccinated
nineteen-twentieths of whom are cOlOred
Out of 52S deaths from smallpox in the
epidemic in New Orleans, AIS were of col
ored people, and 2l5 Of these were adult
males.
The protection afforded by vaccination is
so thorough that we lose sight of the terri
bic nature of the disease in its modified
form. In ordinary cases, every fourth per-
son who takes the disease dies Those who
are SO fortunate as to survive suffer a most
distressing illness of from twenty to forty
days, and during the remainder of their
lives carry the mark of designation more
or less plainly stamped on their features,
rendering them painful objects to others as
we'll as Themselves to say nothing of con-
situations shattered and chronic ailments
which last as long as life itself. Complete
blindness is not unfrequently the result Of
this disease.
1t is especially important that children
attending the public schools should be rem
dered impervious to this disease by vaccina
ton, as the opportunities for transmitting
the plague are more favorable there than
almost anywhere else. 1t is stated that last
year two teachers in the public schools of !
this city caught the disease from children
coming to school infected with the conta-
gion. For the last two years, however the |
Board of Health have caused to be vaccina-
ted by their sanitary inspectors 1896 child |
rem IN the public schools, without expense |
to the parents, and without an accident |
from the use of impure vaccine |
matter. They have recently succeeded, |
through the cordial cooperation of ma
ority of the Board of School Directors, in |
regulations preventing the ad-
mission of pupils unless provided with |
proper certificates of vaccination, and we
are informed this rule will be rigidly en-
forced as soon as the schools are opened for
the new year
Let che efforts OF enr Board of Health be
seconded, as they should be, by our law
makers, and the saving of life and health
and the prevention of human sutfarinu
among our people will be incalculable. II
s important that 0uc Legislature, soon to
inter upon its regular session, should not
complete its labors without giving his
natter careful consideration and taking
prompt action with view to protecting
he lives and health Of the poorer classes of
,ur people from the visitations of this ter
'ble scourSe. 1t should be made the duty
If the police jury, or some other competent
authority, in each parish to provide the
means of public, gratuitous vaccination.