The new North-west., 1881-12-16
SMALLPOX and Vaccination.
Indianapolis Journal.

Indianapolis Journal.
The prevalence of smallpox in many
towns, and in many neighborhoods in the
country, is announced In the newspapers
The people are alarmed at the announce.
ment Of SO dangerous aud loathsome a dis.
ease. Business in towns and cities in conse.
quence becomes very much injured. People
In their alarm avoid streets and public road S
upon which there are cases Of small .pox. A
whele village was thrown into a state OF
dismay and CONSERVATION when it was dis
covered that lady teacher who, on dismiss
ing her school on account of her illness had
kissed each scholar, was sick with small
poI.
| A few suggestions and observations from
one who has had some experience in medical
practice may be of some benefit, both in
allaying unfounded alarm and ia projecting
these who ale liable 10 take the disease from
exposure 10 the smallpox.
The practice Of vaccination IS safeguard
against smallpox Is we'll established; aud
so important to business, and 10 health
and life, has the subject of vaccination be-
come that all the civilized countries of
Europe and Asia, as we'll as many states of
our own country, enacted laws enforcing
vaccination. Smallpox and varioloid could
be entirely driven from the face of the earth
by vaccination, and Ievaccination at proper
times. 1t is we'll settled principle in pathoI-
ogy that two diseases cannot exist in the sys-
tenn at the same tine. Also, it is admitted
that milder form OF disease will modify
or prevent severer fot m of disease Of
similar nature. As an example, child who
has had tsimple scarlet fever" or measles,
seldom, if ever, afterwards has "malisnant
scarlet fever" unless, it may be, in some
cases where some disease of apot her char a.
ter may have e.adicai ed the effect or i'm
preston made upon the system by simple
scarlet fever or measles. The vaccine dis
ease will modify, and always prevents small
pox proper. The contagion of smallpox. is
conveyed fiom victim TO viciln across streets
and from house 10 house, by the al, and by
bed-clothing and wearing apparel of small
pox patients, and by letters written bv an
affected hand, and in so many WAYS that it
seems almost impossible for the unvarcina-
ted 10 escape. Persons who have never been
vacclnaied a.e liable TO take smallpox
fom small Fox a1d fron va: jolod. Persons
who have been vaccinated a liable TO take
yarioloid ouly fem exposure 70 sinai i.poI,
but will not take varioloid f'om vaI ioloid.
Smallpox can be preven. ed by va 'cIpation,
and varioloid can be prevented by revarciD-
alton after exposure, and by revacciDa,ion
at every exposure 10 smallpox. Every child
should be vaccinaied, and should be revac-
cinated after having measles, erysipelas, or
any cutaneous disease that involves the
greater part of the skin.
Every person who has been vaccinated
should, after exposure to smallpox, be re-
vaccinated.
Many people are under the impression that
after exposure 70 smallpox II Is too late to
vaccinate or revaccinste, but this can be
done as late as the thirteenth or fourteensh |
day after exposure, and prevent the disease.
In one instance the writer vaccinated a |
mother and seven children on the fourteenth |
room with -sfHRTf. bbsv rhsiug in the same
time, and five of the eight were saved by
and it Is believed that If the
vaccination could have been made one day
sooner the whole family could have been
saved. The three of this family who passed
through the regular comse of smallpox
were in the first stage of the disease when
vaccinated. The vac cine poison will begin
to show signs Of development in about twen-
ty-four hours, and as soon as 1t takes effect
upon the system 1t superseaes the smallpox
poison which may be Matching in the system,
if the patient has been expo:e ed to smallpox.
Many people believe thai vaccination will
not take effect upon their system. This fail
ure may be owing to the manner of vaccina-
ton. The vaccine virus may not be intro
duced deep enough In the skin to be abb
sorbed, or il may be thrown off by the too
free bleeding of the wound made, or the vac
cine matter may be not good, or the system
at the time may be under the influence of
some stronger poison or disease. Many per.
sons resist the vaccine virus, and even small
pox, for years, and are finally oveitaken with
the disease at q time when the system hap
pens TO be in a susceptible condition. Vac
cination, and revaccination, and re-revaccin-
alton, is the only safe rule. j. BRADEN.
Hillham, Duseis Co., Ind. ...