Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-01-22
Vaccination.

From series OF experiments upon the
laws OF vaccination, says DR.. h. F. Sanger,
OF Bangor. the following axiOms have been
pretty well established:
LIST. A single successful vaccination pro-
tects four-fifths from small pOx and two
fifths from varioloid, but does not protect
the other fifth from either.
End. A second successful vaccination
protects the whole from small .pox and
four-titths from varioloid for iifetime.
Sd. The protective power Of . single
vaccination is impaired by time In ma.
jority Of instances although nearly one
ffth are perpetually protected by . single
vaccination.
4th. A second successful vaccination Is
better protection than small pox itself ~
patients may have small pox twice and q
second attack Is pretty sure to Nil.
9th. There Is no means OF telling from
the appearance OF the scar or pits whether
single vaccination Is protective from va
rioloid The only sure test Is revaccina-
ton. Although frequently exposed to ep-
idenics Of small pox have not been vac
ciUAted for more than fofty-tivc years.
still greater error exists, that the more
Intense the inflammation. the larger the
sore, the larger the crust or scab and great
er the suppuration the more perfect the
protection when in fact just the opposite Is
true.
During tho winter of 80 and "a while
small pox prevailed as an epidemic In New
York city had charge OF the small pox
branch OF Charity Hospital and had an OPP
portunty OF studying the character of vac
cination scars or pits. Tue small aud dis
tinctive scar. with the sharp and well de-
fined pit enabled us to predict a mild type
yaYinintA n uhich xrnplI laa ha
tient aoed. while the large, fiat and smooth
or ragged scar showed a system uupro-
tected by vaccination and liable to the
most loathsome form OF continent small
pox.
The explanation Is that the former was
vaccinated with the pure vaccine lymph
from the pearly vesicle which appears
about the fifth day and continues good
until about the eighth or from the scab
which Is the dried lymph. while the latter
WAS inoculated or poisoned by the push
or matter which often forms about the
vesicle producing unhealty erysipeiatous
aud sloughing sores and lily defined scabs.
During the epidemic OF small pox at
Bangor in the winter OF ~ and '73 1t was
impossible to convince citizens that .
thorough revacciBation which did not take
was proof that their systems were pro-
tecleu oy previous vaccinations. often
dissatisfied with this explanation they
would exuitantly return with troublesome
pus sores which possessed the only merit
Of communicating the system with septic
matter. They would not protect the sys-
ten from the contagIon OF small pox any
more than the matter taken from . dis
secting wound.
ln more than one instance was called to
see pus sores which nearly cost the sub
jects limb or their lives and vsccinated
them with vaccine lymph which took and
run patural course. proving that large
sores and scabs created bv the Introduction
OF improper matter are not protective
against small pox. Undoubtedly there are
some 10 the city now who can show large
scars and yet are no. protected at all from
small pox or varloloid and still largsr
number who have been vaccinat ed but
once and will be protected by that vacci-
nation for life time.