Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-10
The Efficacy of Vaccination.

The smallpox has spread with such rapidity
throughout the country that general feeling OF
une iSincSS prevails. IL Is almost epidemic in some
Sections, and with in1uIner! bic railroads closely
connecting all parts Of the country the disease Is
rapidly communicated from locality to another.
There IS scarcely city in the Union that Is not
suffering to grrat-r or less eNtant from the
scourga, and the aIl-'mport INT question is: What
can be cone - prevent the further spread OF the
disease and protect the people frcm the c0ntlgiOn?
ortnnateiy, medi N science has furnished a ready
answer to the question YaCcin ti)n is the only
sure means OF protect on against smallpox. I'm
fortunately, tine common faith in the efficacy OF
vaccination has been s9rlewh sh aiken by the
Arguments OF mciin.,l theorists. Who perhaps more
wit tie view o. att sinn. nGt0r"ty tlan OF bene-
fitting hum lnity, have Systematically attacked
and denounced vaccination The phy ,cIans
who hive tlEC1 THIS position array them
selves against the opinions ana expert
ence OF The Ina5t dist u she'd Members
OF the profession since tn date OF DR.. Jcnner'S
discovery. but by s2nclou5 arguments and false
reasoning they have obtained following, and this
following becomes dangerous clement OF popula-
ton at time like the present when smallpox is
spreading every hour in the day. A few individ-
uals in each community who resist or neglect the
employment OF the only known means OF protec
ton against smallpox furnish material to keep
The disel alive, AMI thus endanger others.
THEREFOR prompt AMI rigorous measures should
De r1S1rtsd to, whenever necessary, to enforce
general system OF vaccination No mind which is
open t. conviction AMI capable of approaching the
force OF facts and stttst can hes tie as u the
efficacy or vaccination The eminent physicians OF
this country and fn1eel OF the wo-ll, all agree
upon that point Dr. Lewis Slyre, OF New York
City. prominent practitioner, who he's devoted
years OF study to this subject OF vaccination, and
Its effect as preventive OF smlll-pox, has given
the public the benefit Of his research and his ex-
perience. He denOminateS the IN n who have set
themselves up IN opposition to vaccination as
"neW-f1nglei phantom physicians" and says the
people who listen to their theory VIII find too late
TINT they have been sadly mistaken. DR.. Sayre
maintains that the most careful study of statistics
AMI OF the opinions AM experience of the most
acknowledged authorities has convinced ply
scianS that smallpox is capable Of being entirely
eradicated from any community by a proper
anu persistent SyS TEN OF universal and repeated
vaccination" lie is careful ID impress the neceS-
sty o. repaltei vlccinltj01. IL ,ys the protect
Ing Influence is not of lifelong duration; that it
dIniEiahcs in proportion 10 the lapse OF
time IRON the vaccination. until it has been
several times repeated, or until the system has
been S0thoroughly inie ted with the vaccine poison
thit i wiz then act IS "A permanent protection,
eG!liiy IS well as If the person had suffered from
the SIN t!E-poX Itself In support OF his position Dr.
Stync quotes tde most convincing statistics. He
ton, when properly performed, Is a certain ana
perfect protection against snal-pox." In 1897. he
says, m 4iEn2nt am fatl eDiiomic o. smallpox
rsfsnad in PHILADELPHIA, AM tha st .tiStics prove
that but one single death occurred, 50 tar as the
knOwieiga OF the board OF health tor extended
among $1,000 vaccinatai per-o1S Out Of 2!9 cases
o. Variola AMI vITi1lOd tire ted at tlc tlI-pox
hospital, la5 were unprotected by vaccin .ti9n o;
whom 80 died; 9 were InnOcul It'd, OF whom 3 died,
and 63 had been vaccin 1tai, OF whom but died.
In Copenhagen, between the years 1875 ami 1927,
an epidemic OF smallpox RACED Great
numbers were vaccinited, and out OF those 428
were attacked with the disease In 26 OF
The att1Gked the genuine symptoms OF vario!a
were evin1ed, but only two OF them I'D. Going
back 10 1901, from that year to 1S22 In Hostein.
z'i,s9 persons were subjected to vaccin It on and
during all INT period, and for two years subSe-
qlently, only two eases OF smallpox appeared
During the same paril1, in Denmark, Only one
person among AZ, coo lccinatei att icked and
That by modified Fari0la, thus showing that In a
population OF 6S2 Sol. with the exception or three
Gases, the disease entirely e8tcrminated Tor %
years Dr. S4yre gives some comparative Stats
Tics, which are the most valuable Previous to the
use OF vaccination there died in Westph lila annu-
ally, during the years from l776 TO $780, OF small
pox Z,os3 PERSONS out OF every million population
and for 30 years from 1916 to 1850 (after vaccna-
uon was adoptetl, the annual death rate from
smallpox was only ia out OF every million In
copenhagen vaccination reduced the annu NJ death
rate Ifcn 3l2S out Of every million 2S6 In Ber-
LIN, from :, i22 TO s76 In Sweden from 1850 to 1888
Grouping the populations OF different countries,
the 81 tiStlcs show that prior to vaccination the
Aggregate annual de tn rate from smallpox In a
population OF = oC0O 900 was c. $751; and that vacc
nation reduced 1t 10 ,4C3 The smallpox mortality
In tle BRUSH army has not reached IA fourth, nor
mat IN the navy third, OF the mortality In Lon
oon, because vaccination Is more general In the
army and navy than among the population of the
city.
Gutcau shows very sane dread OF the paIIoys