The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-03-31
Vaccination Direct from the
Calf.
+be EDITOR Of the London standard:

To the Editor Of the London Standard:
SHINY letter on vaccination direct
from the calf, of the Goth Of January,
has drawn upon me more than 300 let
tiers and visits from medical men, az
begging for information or for calf
lymph, and urging me to perseEere IN
so good a cause. By inserting this let
teryOu will much oblige me, and save my
numerous correspondents (whom [ find
it impossible otherwise to answer some
trouble, disappointment and anxiety.
In my first letter Ipromised to endeavor
to supply the profession with lymph IN
points taken from English calves but |
am sorry to say ! have not been able to
fulfil this promise, having, with my
friends, after some expense, and much
trouble and anxiety, failed in the at
tempt to yaecinate five calves. DR..
WarlOment, director Of the Institute
Vaccinal de FEtat, Brussels, wrote:
"Calf vaccination is so difficult and
anxious a business that / could not de-
sire a better occupation for my dearest
enemy.n We English doctors however,
compatriots of the great Jenner, cannot
make up our minds quietly to submit to
our defeat, and one of rs may probably
shortly proceed to Brussels to %investi-
gate the entire process, Syhile in the
meantime we shall continue to import
the calf lymph from thence. | find that
many medical men are under tiie false
impression that vaecinia in the heifer is
modified smallpox, and that all we re
duire to do is to inoculate the heifer
with smallpox matter, and thus get a
supply Of vaccine lymph. Thisis mis-
take which might become productive of
disastrous consequences. Smallpox in
Oculation of the heifer produces, not
vaccinia, but a modified smallpox, capa-
BILE of spreadingsmall-p ox amOnghunan
beings by infection.
Vaccinia, on the other hand, can only
be communicated by actual contact, or
by insertion of the matter below the
skin. Some medical men have warned
me that vaccination direct from the calf
is apt to produce serious erysipelas. /
can only reply that ] have used the
Brussels lymph extensively in Tevaccin-
alton without one failure, and have not
as yet met with a single instance of
"bad arm" | have succeeded IN a few
instances in ~vaccinating when all other
methods had failed, and Ihaye produced
in some adults pustules described by
Jenner, "a pearl on a rose ieaf.n | am
glad to find by your parliamentary re-
port that Mr.. Selator-B0oth is giving
calf vaccination his serious eonsidera-
ton. There exist only two objections
to calf vaccination, namely: the diff
culties which attend its production, and
its interference with al established or
der OF things.
Surely these difficulties must give way
before the serious objections to ourpres-
ent system entertained by a large and
ever increasing section of the public;
for although ignorant and one-sided
individuals have made a practice of ex-
aggeratiDg the Ragers of this system,
it is yet perfectly well known to the
profession that these asserted dangers
have a foundation of great matters of
fact. There is only one known eonsti-
tutional risk accompanying human vac
cination, and that is a risk which the
bovine race, being unable to incur, can
not possibly communicate.
GEORGE WYLD, M. D.,
10 Great Cumberland Place, Hyde Park.
February 10.