The Magnolia gazette., 1881-12-23
vaccination. Primitive and MOdern.

Nearly century has elapsed since the
discovery Of DIR. Jenner that vaccine
virus was an antidote for smallpox SO
moved the gratitude Of the British Gov
ernment that it gave him nearly half AZ
much money as our own people raised
for Mrs Garfield. When he died q
splendid monument was erected to his
memory, and he is ranked everywhere
among the benefactors of humanity
Yet it is only fair to say that the expert
ence of late years has not sustained all
the hopes at first entertained. We have
been told by an aged physician, whose
studies began while vaccination was still
novelty, that his instructor advised
him not to waste much time in reading
about smallpox, as it would soon disap-
pear from among men.
The failure of this prediction has arisen
in part from the neglect of vaccination,
and in part, also, from the fact that what
is recognized as virus has been weakened
by transmission through a long line Of
human subjects. It has also been more
than once combined with diseases far
worse than that which it was intended
to keep off. People who have been
more than once vaccinated, or who have
supposed that they were, have been at
tackled with smallpox in severe, and
perhaps fatal forms, while others have
been made wretched invalids for life.
These facts have led to an organized
opposition to vaccination, which has its
headquarters in England, though its
ramihcations extend to other countries,
our own among the number. 1t Itpublishes
tracts aud reports, helps poor people to
fight the agents of compulsory vaccina-
tion, and boldly asserts that unmodified
smallpox is preferable to that which may
come after vaccination, perhaps with
deplorable accompaniments. OF course
this is exaggeraiion and absurdity One
has only to glance at the literature oi
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
to find abundant evidence of the fearful
ravages of variola, and of the terror
which it inspired in palace and in howell
Still, it may be questioned whether
much Of what passes for vaccine virus Ii
really such. II long humanized it MAJ
have become inert, if not impure
Recognizing this possibility, it has be
come the fashion to take virus directl.
from the COW, and the severity of TIN
symptoms following vaccination from
this source has been thought to prov,
the wisdom Of the step Yet it does no
follow that every pustule found on a COY
is identical with that observed and ex
perimented from by Jenner. 1t is ce1
tainly true that while in the early day
Of vaccination one operation was though
enough to protect one during life, it
now held that repeated vaccinations ar
essential-that the process should b
gone through with at least as often a
smallpox threatens to became epidemic
This may be conclusion established b
more careful observation, but it seem
TO indicate that the quality of the viru
has been impaired, We have been tol
Of man who was vaccinated in th
early years cf this century by matte
brought direct from Jenner. When hi
arm was well, to test the value of tn
process, he was inoculated with smallpo
virus. He went to pest house to ava
results. He did not have varioloid, eve
in its mildest form. Gould as much /
hoped from much Of the vaccination
the present day ?-Esrchan9e.