, 1875-10-13
OUR SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC &C. CON-
TINUED FROM THE AVIS NO. 79
BY B. KNUDSEN.

among whom were 8 small, not vaccinated,
children would, certainly at once have
been subdued, if good care had been taken
TO vaccinate all the smaller children and
q general revaccination made use Of.
Another item, which we ought not to
loose sight of, is the considerable saving
In the expenses, we really have had.
Why did the vaccination not take
place 7 Why were all and everybody not
revaccinated in the commune-hospital at
once, the very woman included, who at
tended the first patient and was employed
to take care of him upon the good faith,
that she declared to have suffered from the
smallpox on a previous occasionP Why
vas not each individual v~accinated 10 cases,
where q whole family came to the l~azaret,
though may be only one single individual
suffered from the diseased Why did the
King's-physician not examine strictly
those estates, where the small pox existed
and at least vaccinate all the childrenf
The answer is simple and easy, but
hardly creditable; because we had no
vaccine matter"
Certainly on account of St. Croix being so
isolated aud the communication with other
parts of the world slow, we should always
bo prepared for such eventualities.
In ST. Crojx and St. Thomas the Kings
physicians execute the public vaccination,
whereas the other doctors only vaccinate
IN private families, where they ore engaged,
aud for such it is an impossibiIity in this
climate to have fresh vaccine matter all
the year round. The King's-physicians
can however have it with the greatest
ease, as they have the children of the
whole of the lower classes, if / may ex-
press myself 50, to their disposal. These
are ordered by the police to meet for
vaccination, and as it is among these classes,
that the most healthy children generally
are found, o selection weekly could easily
be made, aud consequently a fresh supply
OF good vaccine Lymph constantly be kept
on hand. Should it meanwhile u~nexpect-
eddy give out, it can be replaced in a very
short time from Denmark, where there is
a we'll known and excellent institution
tor vaccination.
All the physicians used their utmost
endeavour to get vaccine lymph from St.
Thomas, England and Denmark, but by
several misfortunes it lasted very long, be-
fore the vaccination got started. Revacci-
nation was however performed by one ply
slcian on several estates, but this was o
complete private arrangement with the
owners, and did not take place in the part
OF the island, where it was most necessary.
1t is certainly tedious to drive around,
iFquire at and examine all the houses, and
this gratuitousIy, and besides generally
meet with great displeasure.
%ltappears however to me, in analogy
with what | noticed last year was the
case in several counties in Denmark, that
1t might be appropriate, that each pbysi-
clan, who would revaccinate, should
receive a remuneration from the public
funds for each such single individual.
AS meanwhile the epidemic was kept
within limited bounds, the interest for
vaccination and revaccination was soon
lost sight of, the same indifference took
place, and all the Anticipated stories circu-
lated anew about the dangers, which the
vaccination might cause, about the dread
full diseases it could bring from one family
to another.
There is no confidence in experienced
doctors, who declare, that among thou
sands, they have vaccinated, they have
never experienced any such thing, but
to the contrary, here as everywhere else
RLo -, o~nIarS Vaauklxv