The daily gazette., 1881-02-23
Ecceu tris Vaccination.
YOUNG LADIES oBJECTING TO HAYS
ING THEIR ARMS sCARRED-PE-
CULIAR MARKS MADE.

| 1OOG0 AAOAhD ODJ Ell 11NO ~ ma W
ING THEIR ARMS sCARRED-PE.
| CULIAR MARKS MADE.
Several years ago a paragraph
went the rounds Of the press relat-
ing, as a curious fact, that beauti.
full and wealthy young lady in the
West, who was about to be vacclna-
ted, insisted on being vaccinated in
one of her legs. Her reason for this
eccentric operation was that she had
a beautiful arm, and she would not
consent that its symmetry should be
marred by the scar of the lancet
As a matter OF fact, however, it is by
no means uncommon that a woman
has the same desire that that lady
did. DIR. j. G. johnson, an extern
sive practitioner, on being asked the
result of his experience IN the mat
ter, said: II have known of vacci-
nation in the leg as long as have
been in practlce-about twenty-five
years, 1t is so common that I al
ways inquire of the mother of fe.
male child whether she has any pre-
ference for the arm or the leg. 1
should estimate that in at least half
the cases, particularly among the
wealthy and fashionable, the choice
is for vaccination in the leg. The
exigencies of fashion now often re-
quire young women in full dress,
which, by the way, often means the
least dress, to expose about all the
part of tho arm which is available
for vaccination. The spot usually
selected ID over the deltoid muscle,
the muscle which moves the arm di.
rectly upward. There is a little
hollow there, and that spot is least
likely to he rubbed while the scab
is there. But, for practical pur-
poses, any part OF the body will do
where the virus can be brought in
contact with the absorbents. This
is illustrated by the frequency of &C
cidental vaccination. There are
many cases of record where physl.
clans or others have been acciden-
tally vaccinated by contact of the
virus with abraded parts of the body.
There was one case of child vacci.
mated IN the mouth from picking up
a quill point covered with virus. /
knew OF a case where a man got
diphtheria in the finger from acct
dental vaccination. There was an.
other case where patient with
diphtheria had washed in bath and
another person washing the feet in
the same water got vaccinated with
diphtheria in the foot from small
abrasion of The flesh. There was an
other case Of mother, whose child
had diphtheria, who was attacked
with pneumonia. She knew that
plaster would give her relief, and
she applied the plaster herself. The
result was that she vaccinated her
self with diphtheria. Other virus as
well as cow-pox, may be absorbed
and readily carried through the sys-
tenn.
''Dr. Curschmann of Berlin, in his
lecture on Cow-pox, speaking OF the
method of performing vaccination,
says that it is generally done on the
arm, and usually on both sides. In
girls just that portion of the upper arm
(Which, by the way, is of rather limit
cd extenD should be selected which
would be concealed by the future fash.
ionable toilet. DIR. Curschmann's
parenthesis about the limited extent of
the surface OF the female arm not like
ly to be exposed by fashion is obvious
~ suggestive OF the extreme toilets |
now sometimes adopted by women of |
beautiful arms whose sleeves consist
Of a fragile band over the tip of the
shoulders. or course, a scar on such
An arm would be an unbearable blem-
Ssh. The spot usually chosen for vac
'ination in tho leg is in the fleshy part
IF the calf. II is hardly likely that
ashton will ever require that to be ex-
posed. But, when the female children
grow up and require revaccination,
here is sometimes difficulty and en-
'arrassment ia discovering the exact
ocality of the old mark"
DIR. Johnson also spoke of common
custom of making vaccination serve a
iouble purpose. This is done in cases
where naevi, or birth marks of little
ed spots under the skin, appear on the
ace. Physicians often vaccinate pa
lent over such a mark to remove it.
Tie inflammation set up in the forma-
ion of the pustule produces an ion
which removes the birth mark, leaving
white scar Instead of red one. I
here is some danger, however, in
UGH cases of producing Inflammation
There it cannot be trusted with safety.
'ut many young women would rather /,
un the risk for the sake of The chance {
f removing an unsightly spot from .
he face.
IL is not an unusual thing for physl-
AN TO select some peculiar method Of
accination. 1t is optional with the !
hyselan to either a scrape away the /
kin or to make "A puncture or iucslon. {
is only necessary to bring the blood /
/ contract with the virus, so that it may s
,turn to the circulation after such con-
act. A physician may, therefore, make 5
10 incision or puncture in any form of i
.ttoo he pleases. He might II ark his
atlent with his own initials, after the a
tanner of sailors designs in : dian ink. o
10 might put ON letter, monogram, '
figure, a cross, or an American eagle,
a star, or crescent, or Goodness of
liberty. He nj ght make his punctures
ilh secret private mark, so that he d,
light know il as loag as the patient
we'd. A facelious physician once
aIked pair of twins in this way: k
eeping his fancy to himself, when the y