Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-12-29
SMALL POX.
suggestions for Its Restriction and
Prevention Presented by the state
Board of Health of Wisconsin.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
AnnIetOn. Wis. December 1881


present time and to an alarming ex-
tent in adjoining states, and the recent
importation of several cases of that
loathsome malady into Wisconsin, de-
mand that the state board OF health
should again call the attention Of our
citizens to the importance of taking
such precautions as will render them
and their families safe from its attacks.
Special inquiry instituted by this
board has shown that very large pro-
portion of OR people are : ow wholly
unprotected from small pox. Having
been for several years comparatively
free from this disease, many have neg
lected to employ the only precautiOn
aClticb has ever get prOuea effective as a
safeguard against ii, 1. e.,
VACCINATION.
Parents, forgetful of the danger they
were mourning, have put off the per
formance of this operation upon their
children, and others who were vaccila-
ted in early life have forgotten tt at the
protection then acquired may have
worn out with advancing years, and
have neglected to assure themselves of
its continued efficacy by re-vaccination,
and thus it has come about that we
have in our midst a large number Of
unprotected individuals-the average
estimate of a great many observers
being that considerably more than one
third Of oar whole population as included
IN HtiS class Under such circumstances
this board feels called upon 70 renew
the warning given in its circular of
February last, and to reiterate the be-
lief founded on the most indisputable
evidence that
SMALL PoX IS PRE- ENIINENTLY A PRE-
YENTABLE DISEASE,
that we possess the means by which
we may confidently expect to keep it
from our homes and from our COM
munities, and that it never comes to
either, except as the means known to
be able to prevent it have been neg
lected. It can maintain a continued
existence anywhere, only through the
ignorance or obstinacy of the people,
or the inefficiency or criminal neglect
of the local authorities.
Fully impressed with this belief, we
therefore urge upon the physicians
and upon all citizens of Wisconsin that
they give to the lawful health authori-
ties such moral and material support
as will enable them and compel them,
in Difference to public opinion, to in
stitute the only measures that will
protect us from such prevalence
of the disease as now exists
in other states with which we
are in constant communication, ald
rom the enormous expense, the great
distress and consequent disaster which
we may surely expect in our own state
from this disease if we neglect the
means to prevent it. These means are
the thorough
VACCINATION OF EVERY PERSON
who has not already undergone that
operation and the equally thorough
REFRIGERATION
of all other persons upon whom it has
not recently and successfully been per-
formed.
This Board has unequaled conf
dence in the protective power of thor
OliS1 FdCCllldGIOl w lI1l NO1Y 1d1G OK
ceptions all are susceptible of its inf1u-
ence, and with equally rare exceptions,
the protection secured by it against any
form of variolous disease is perfect. To
secure this prorection, however, three
conditions must be carefully observed.
LIST. The Virus must be vigorous
and pure. Enfeebled or deteriorated
or improperly selected virus may pro-
duce spurious and wholly unprotecting
sores. At best they give but an i'm
perfect development of the vaccine dis
ease, hence lead to a feeling of false
security, and not unfrequently bring
unjust discredit upon the operation.
We recommend the use of BOVINE
VIRUS as being free from all objec-
tions, safe in all cases, producing the
maximum of protective influence, and
being always available in any quantity
needed.
End. The operation must be skill
fully and properly performed. The
careless and imperfect manner in
which Vaccination is often performed
and the utter lack of watchfulness of
the result, or knowledge as to whether
there has resulted genuine, typical
vesiCle, is a grievous mistake. The
operation should be conscientiously
performed, and the DEVELOPMENT there
of carefully observed until it is known
to be protective. 1t is q mistake to
postpone vaccination until an epidem-
ic appears, for it may then be done
hastily and without opportunity to
watch properly its perfect develop
ment.
Srd. Re-vaccination should be fire.
quently practiced to test the returning
susceptibility of the system to the
Small Pox Contagion.
By strict and universal observance
of these rules we believe that Small
Pox epidemics and the fear of them
would cease to exist. To neglect these
precautions is to endanger not only the
life of him who neglects them but also
the lives of those with whom he asso-
ciates. We believe there is no valid
excuse for such neglect.
With regard to re-vacclnatlon the
facts are, that certain number of per-
sons are protected for life by one vac
cination, while the protection of others
extends to but limited and variable
period. Hence as We are without
the power to distinguish between
these classes, re-vaccination is as essen
tial as a primary operation. 1t should
be performed at every season of an
epidemic diffusion of the disease, and
it is prudent to repeat it at intervals o.
a few years even though no epidemic
prevails.
We earnestly recommend that Local