Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-01-08
Vaccination, statistically and Historically

relation to smallpox, lts history anu treao-
mont. Smallpox, tho Professor says,
"comos from Asia. II was found in Eu-
rope in the sixth century, brought by the
Saracens, and it was taken from Europe to |
America by the Spaniards.' The notion |
of preventing it by incubation is supposed
also to have come from Asia. 1t it the
system which prevails in China, now. 1t
was introduced in Constantinople in 1878,
and in England in 1717, on the suggestion
of Lady Wortley Montague. During the
period of incubation, there were in Eng.
land, according to tho Professor, g" 81 de-
cidcd epidemics Of smallpox, or about one
every three years, and during that time
there were five severe epidemics." OF the
philosophy of the remedy, Professor Corn
field, says: al submit that that is most
extraordinary fact that they should take
the poison of the most abominable disease
that the world has ever seen, and inoculate
people of all classes, up to the royal famil
les of Europe, with it. Now, what can
that mean ? There is no way of getting
out Of it except this, that the disease was
so widely spread that, practically speaking,
the whole population was certain to take
it, and il shows it was not worth while to
run the chance of not getting it,"
But after the discovery of vaccination
the incubation of the form of smallpox to
which cows are subject-a great change
took place. DR.. Jenner found that persons
who had been vaccnated would not take
the smallpox, even when inoculated with
the poison. In time incubation with
small pox was prohibited in England.
Vaccination was afterwards made gratui-
tous, and since 1858, compulsory. Profess
sor Cornlield states the result in this way
"Tho average annual number of deaths in
England from smallpox during the three
years before the vaccination laws, was H.
944; the average number of annual deaths
during nine years while vaccination was
gratuitous and not compulsory, was 1921
the average number of deaths in the third
period, from 1853 to 1860, when vaccina-
ton was compulsory, was 1884" The
average of deaths has been calculated by
Mr.. Simon as follows: Among unvaccina-
ted people, from 4l per cent to SO 4-5 per
cent, and among vaccnated people, from !
of per cent to l2l per cent Mr.. Marson,
for many years Resident Physician in
the Smallpox Hospital of London, says
that the average death-rate among vaccina-
ted people was about st per cent Of those
attacked.
Prof Cornleld puts this case in this way
al told you, you will remember, that in
1896 tho smallpox caused 1874 deaths out
of every 1000 deaths from all causes.
Suppose we take so years ut time. From
1850 to 1900, there were 96 from small
box out of every 1000 deaths; from 1900
to 1850 including portion of the inocula-
ton period, and part of the gratuitous vac
cination period, there were SO deaths out of
every 1000; from 1850 to 1860, when
vaccination had become compulsory, there
were but IL deaths out of every 1000.
These are figures which no amount of arg
ument can explain away. You may write
book full of sophistry of all kinds on the
subject but no person of any sense would
believe in any reasons that do not take
into account the facts proved by these fig
ures"
In Baron's life of Jenner still more con.
elusive proof of the benefits of vaccination
are given, thus: From the year l762
to 1892 the number ofpersons that died OF
smallpox in the Danish dominions amount.
cd to 9,S29. About the year 1902 vnccin'
alton was introduced, and the practice be-
came general, but not universal however
So persons ouly died of the smallpox in tn,
wear 1910. Vaccination, by tho command
of tho King, was now universally adopted
and smallpox incubation prohibited, nnt
from the year 1910 to the year 1919, not {
single case of smallpox occurred"
But in time it began to be noticed tina
after the lapse Of u certain period person
yaccinated got the smallpox. Professo
Cornfeld tells the story in this way: I"
was then clearly shown by Jenner himsel
that when cow-pox was inoculated in
human being that person was not suscept
ibe to small pox either by incubation o
exposure to the poison, and there is no in
stance of vaccinated person getting tn
smallpox until about fifteen years afte
vaccination was first introduced but abou
that time there gradually came to be il
stances of vaccinated persons getting til
smallpox. And so it came to DO seen this
n certain number of years after being va'
cinated people required to be vacoinate
again, and for q long time there were a Il
of very strange ideas ahoat, such as thu
we required to DO vaccinated once in ever
seven years. But to make long matte
short l may tell You at once that the fa
is that after infant vaccination people on
require to be vaccinated at about the al
Of fifteen or sixteen"
Proofs of these facts are abundant. 4
nm example Of the power of revaccinatio
in the Bavarian army, from lSt3 to lS5
there was not single case of unmodif
smallpox, nor q single death from sma
pox. Mr.. Marson of the London Hospii
states that in an experience of thirty-s
years he has never had case of nur
having smallpox, because he revaccinet
all within three days of their arrival. b
all vaccinations are not perfect. To be
true vaccination there must be pits whs
tho scar was made. A calculation runni
over twenty-five years shows that from
to 22 per cent Of vaccnated persons sho
ing no marks died; while of those havi
one mark only z per cent; of those ha
ing two marks q little over per CO.
three marks "A per cent; aud four MAJ
less than I per cent. Medical opinion
that vaccination does not communicate o
or diseases. DIR. Ferguson says; Nv
cination does not communicate other
eases. Mr.. Msrson has vaccinated So,
times and has never known of such &C
munication. Sir William Jenner, Sir
Psget and DR.. West Of the Children's II