Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-21
SMALLPOX IN THE NORTH.
Fears that IL May Possibly Reach
the SOusb-Necessity for EFecau-
lions Against It's RaVages.

For several days past telegTsphic dispatch
es from the North and West have brought the
news of the prevalence of a small pox
scourge in those sections, which is rapidly
spreading-so rapidly, indeed, that it is
greatly feared that. unless proper precau-
lions are taken in time, the South may pos
siblv experience a visitation from the
plague.
Already the Sanitary Board of this city
have had this matter under discussion, and
have taken steps to provide against the raw
ages OF the losthsome disease in our midst.
At toe last meeting OF the board it was
resolved to require Of all children who may
return to the public schools after the Christ
mas holidays a certificate of vaccina-
ton SIS prerequisite to their
reception in the schools. 1t will be well,
| therefore, for parents 20 look into this mat
ter at once. and see that their children be
properly vaccinated with heslthful virus as
a sure preventive against the disease. There
| is, however, no occasion In the world for a
| sensation or a scare at this time. Asye there
has not been the slightest indication of a
visitation, snd We make this suggestion
merely as s precautionary measure.
We notice from the Atlanta papers that
| this subject has excited considerable inter
est in that city, and the Constitution of Sun
| day publishes sn interview held with a
prominent physician there regarding vacci-
/ nation, and his views at this time will be
read with interest. He states than vaccina-
| ton is undoubtedly preventive, but to make
/ il so absolutely the vaccination must be
proper one He claims that while fully
| two-thirds OF the people in that city hsve
been W ccinated, not more than one-tweu-
| tieth of them have been so etfectually. He
| cOnte nds that four good scars are necessary
/ to give perfect prevention, and says:
"a person with four scars, as shown by
the statistics in the German srmy and else
where, where vaccination is compulsory, is
| Just as safe against smallpox as a person
| who has already had it.. Tt at is, the chances
/ of his taking it are infinitessimal, ard, even
| if he takes it, 1t will be the very lightest
/ type. The person with three scars is more
| apt to take It than one with four, a person
with two still more apt, and person with
| one scar quite apt TO take 1t. 1t is this class
| of persons in England and Europe, where
vaccination is compulsory, that furnish the
| food for smallpox. have tables of sta
| tistics, compiled from long experience with
| the different methods in a body, for in
stance, of hundred thousand men, as the
| German army, and 1t is shown couclusively
| that persOn properly vaccinated, four scars
| being made with good matter, is practically
| proof against smallpox
We publish these views as = matter of in
terest, although many physicians differ ma
| tfrislly with them. II is conteDded that one
| good scar is as good as thousand, and 1t is
thought that, as the power of the vaccination
to resist disease disappears at the end Of
every seven or ten years, in cases where two,
three or four scars have been found,
tn we're ohlV the effects of repeated vac
ciustions. This vaccination matter, how
ever, is one which IL is best to leave with
experienced physicians, as their judgment
can, we doubt not, be safely relied on. One
thing is very certain. II viii be far better to
hove dozen scars II necessary than to be
sflicted with a single case of small pox.