The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-12-01

sentative medicine, in holy venera-
ton of antiquity, cried out against
such modern madness, yet Jennsr
lived to see this principle triumph
antly vindicated, and to realize in a
measure those grand and bsni6oent
results which will continue to accu-
mulate while the world stands.
The practice Of vaccination was
first introduced into this country in
1899, and was bitterly denounced by
80 lie of the leading men of the pro-
fsssion, among whom was Beejamin
Waterhouss, N. D., Of Boston, the
first professor of medicine in Harvard
University.
Connected with this subject are
many important questions which
have occupied share of the atten-
ton Of the medical profession for
the past 50 years, and certain ques-
tiOns are still not definitely settled,
but our knowledge is sufficient to
enable AZ to secure all the benefits
of the protection it affords.
One of the most practical ques-
lions at the present time is: To
what extent does vaccinia afford pro-
lection against the contagion of
smallpox. 1t is q settled principle
in medicine that in large majority
of cases, vaccination affords complete
protection from q greater or less ne
riod. This period varying greatly
in different individuals. Observa-
ton has demonstrated the fact that
. very small minority of persons not
protected by vaccinis are not natur.
ally susceptible to the contagion, but
these are the exception and not the
rule.
Another class of persons appear 70
be only partially protected BY vacci-
nation. Their susceptibility TO the
oontagion is not wholly neutralized
or destroyed, and hence we find sach
persons may contract Variola in q
modified form known as Tarioloid,
hut as compared with true Variola
the death rate is very small. 1t is
also well-known fact that. Variola
is sometimes repeated in the same
person, as the following statistics
afford evidence: Of STA boys ad-
mitted into the Royal Military Asy-
lum at Chelsea, England, in 4s years,
1850 had on admission marks of
smallpox, S,s25 had been vaccinatsd;
of the former els per 1000, and Of
the latter 7.06 per 1000 hal small
pox during their stay in the asylum.
The records of medicine show a
number of instances where Variola
has occurred three and even four
times in the same person.
That the protective influence Of
vaccination dim;nishes after the
lapse of certain number of years il
shown by the fact that Varioloid
occurs much more frequent among
adults and those advanced in life
than among the young. This, to
gether with the fact that re-vaccina
ton will work successfully after the
lapse of few years, in many cases
and with partial success in . still
greater proportion of cases, demon.
strates the importance of re-vaccina
ton frequently in order to secure
continuous and complete protection.
The importance of re-vaccinatiou
then being admitted, the inquiry
naturally arises: How often should
it be repeated in order to secure
complete protection, and this 10 8
question the answer to which has ao
and cannot be definitely gicen in
each individual case. So long a.
there exists-and it will he ever So
as many varieties and degrees OF
constitutional susceptibility as there
are individuals, there can be no Law
or criteria by which We can deter
mine positively the duration of tn,
protective influence of u single vac
cination.
Some individuals are undoubtedl,
protected for life. Different writer
on this subject recommend re-vacci
nation at different periods, varying
from 3 to 20 years; with our presen
knowledge the propriety, if not tn
Importance, of re-vaccination as Of
ten as every years is to be recon
|mended, no matter how efficient tn
former vaccinia may appear to hav,
been, and when smallpox is epidem
ic it is . most prudential measure t
re-vaccinate without regard to pre-
vious vaccinations. In fact, this
the only soay of determining wheth
er the individual is susceptible +
smallpox contagion, for should j
prove successful it would indicat
) that the protective influence of tn
former vaccination had been los,
and . failure, when the operatio,
was properly performed with fresl
reliable animal virus, is proof of IL
susceptibility and continued prote,
ton.
This most beni6cent of ill mea,
} urss for the preservation of th
. health of the human race has heretl
fore suffered greatly from q prejudic
prevailing in the minds of many thu
> it often acts - . cause rather thar
preventative Of disease.
Undoubtedly under the old syste,
of vaccination with human;zed virr
there WAS some foundation for th
prejudice, - there was . liability
> the transmission of blood and cut
0 neoas diseases from. one. person
r another. But the vital advantage
I Iof animal virus over humanixed '
rus has been 90 clearly and 60 full