The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-22
THE vACCINATION DISCUSSION.
A Physician who Takes Decided Issue
With nergh.

WIN htFBhs
Editors IntCllgCncer.
Tho appearance Of the letter OF Mr..
Henry Bergh, Of the New York Society for
the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals" as
published in the 1STELLIGENcER OF ycster.
day morning, will cause many regrets in
the minds Of those who for years have
labored and hoped for the day when all the
clouds Of ignorance and superstition, which
for nearly a century have partly kept
humanity from the immense and time.
lasting benefits Of vaccination, shall have
been dispelled. For to the followers OF no
calling or profession arc the perniCious
effects Of doubt and misiniormation 80 mp.
parent us to those Of the healing art, honor.
ably and CossCientiOusly prarticed. Mr..
BGrgh, however, docs well TO acknowledge
that lie has no credentials such as are
usually granted TO members ofthe medical
faculty, yet he displays sufficient
lack u tho commonest data OH the
subject on which lie writes to be
tho posessor Of a ten dollar diploma.
He proposes "as n leading postuluie that
1t is illogical and at variance with the
theory Of the therapeutic and prophyactiC
arts 10 create disease In n healthy body
with view Of preventing disease" Now
since the production OF cowpox In a person
who has positively been exposed to small
pox prevents smallpox, this Is false assump.
lion, and Is not ut variance with the theory
OF therapeutics rs witness cases Of the use
Of the surgeons knife, tho producing Of a
blister on the body, tho Use Of the noxa,
the cantery, anmsthetiCs, etc.
He dCnominales incubation and vacci.
nation twin sciences" Hardly 30, since
tho latter Is In many places legally com.
pulsory and the former intcrtliCted with
very severe penalties. There Is no positive
evidence that DR.. Jenner ever made the
statement which has often been attributed
to him as 10 the miraculous effect Of vacci.
nation upon populations where only 2 or 8
per cent had beui operated Upon" =
1t Is now with Mr.. Bergh rs IL always has
boen-it Ia not imam and beast,' but
"beast and man." The disturbing oh.
stacle In his vision is That "picture Of a
diseased heller strapped on dlssecting
beard tic man seated ut the table-the
Massachusetts, Atnerican"-nt whom he
makes most contemplate and ungentle.
manly fling, Is Dr. IL. A. Martin, OF Rox.
bury, tIostgn, WHO was the first 10 import
aud propagate animal vaccine virus by the
famous lleHttgency stock by. which 100000
vaccinations were made under strict Obser-
yutiOn without ono case Of erysipelas, syph-
ilIs OF any blood disease whatever that
could he any way attributed 10 vaccination.
And II Mr.. Bergh attributes 10 DR., Martin
mercenary motives, he surely would not In.
Cludu In the list with him suCh man al
Dr. Squibb, or any ono. who gives the
greater part Of his life to The production oil
| The best article In his line, while Others
than himself enjoy the benefits as we'll.
The statistics quoted from Proi. yogt are
certainly distorted, and the deductions
drawn from them tinwatrahted. Because
certain diseases are increasing In frequency
Iii,e increase should not be charged 10 vac
cinntion. The truth IL, tsvaccihatiOn whet
performed with pure animal virus is per
isclly reliable, generating no blood disor
Iders, and is a greater preventive Of smal
pox than having once had tho disease
fiuI vaccination and fevaccinalion Thy tn
latter term IA meant vaccitatiOn these
Time inter lapse Of ak 10 eight yeafs) will
lihe scnb from another person, or human
lied virus Ia unsafe, and consideration Q
snch cases by noyices ls what sows tnucl
mischief which the practitioners have 4
'OA ", ", staErrkB MD,
4, 1915 Market Street.