The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-24
Ahout RcrnccInntInn.

IL paper vi vaccination anu reVuccln-
alton read recently by Or. William B. Da-
Wis before the Cincinnati Medical Society;
he said:
I'VE may very pertinently ask ourselves
the question, Do the American physicians.
as q rule, introduce sufficient vaccine virus
into the arms Of their patients to fully in
feet their systems? Ihave the records OF
az cases OF presentations recently made
by myself, wherein carefully noted the
number and condition OF the Cicatrices OF
the primary vaccinations. Upon an ex.
animation Of these records find that sew.
enty per cent OF them had but one cicatrix,
and that fully thirty-three per cent Of them
had very poor cicatrices. One hundred
and twenty Of the number were students
OF the Miami Medical College OF Cincinn.
att, and were from Pennsylvania, Ken
lucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The
remainder were residents OF Cincinnati.
"Seventy-tive per cent Of these revaccin.
atoms were successful, and nearly fifty per
cent took with all the constitutional dis
turbances-some even greater-of pri.
mary vaccination, thereby indicating that
the primary vaccination had not been
sufficient to thoroughly infect them, and
protect them from smallpox had they been
exposed to it. Ny observations as u prac.
titioner OF medicine for full twenty-five
years confirm the facts OF thehbove record,
and force me to the conclusion that Ameri.
can physicians, as rule, do not introduce
sufficient vaccine virus into the arm OF
their patients. They make but one inser.
tiolf usually; and while it is possible to
make one insertion large enough 10 give
complete infection, nevertheless full fifty
per cent Of their vaccinations are so INSULT
Gent as to give but little protection.
This is an astounding statement, and, if
true, should arouse the profession and lead
them TO revaccinate their patrons Mt once.
THE rule has been that after vaccination
has been performed in infancy it should be
repeated after the establishment OF puberty.
say from twelve to sixteen years OF age,
and again about middle life. A good rule
will be for every person 10 be revaCcinated
soon after they have grown into manhood
or womanhood, and then at least once dur
in the prevalence Of every epidemic to
which they may be exposed.
"All that Jenner claimed for vaccination
was that when it was duly and efficiently
performed it will protect the constitution
from subsequent attacks OF smallpox us
much as that disease itself will. / never
expected it would do more; and it will not,
believe, do less. It is known that occa-
slonalIy smallpox attacks person who has
had it second time. It is estimated that
one per cent OF those who have had the
disease will have recurrent smallpox. Vac
clnation will do no more than an attack OF
smallpox will in protecting one belonging
TO this susceptible class. One Of the whom
'vaccinated was well pitted iroman attack
oil smallpox. The vaccination took as well
as a primary one in his case.
There is another class, quite as rare rs
tho former, who are for the time being
quite unacceptable to the vaccine virus
and presumably SO 10 the smallpox. The
danger to this class is that they never know
when the conditions upon which theil
susceptibility depends may change, anG
they become susceptible to tho vaccine OF
various influence. Among the students
whom | recently vaccinated was one who
said: i have been vaccinated ten time.
and it has never TAKEN Another on
said: i have been vaCcinated dozcl
times without any effect and third on,
said, 4 have been vaccinatcd twenty time
without any result These three gentle
men had very sore arms on tho eighth ant
ninth days after inserted the virus int,
them. There was one student, however
who had been repeatedly vaccinated with
out success whose system has now twic
refused my most careful attempts to sue
cesstully vaccinate him. His exemption
N the future from smallpox will largel
depend upon his being vGccinated at leas
once during the presence Of every cpl
, dcmic Of smallpox 10 which he may be ex
posed"