The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-03-10
VACCINATION.
ITS HISTORY, AND THE EVIDENCE
Of Its Efficacy as a Protection Against
Smallpox

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English Medical Authority, "are more
virulently contagious than Smallpox. and
there is none whose virus remains etfec-
tive for a longer period" All persons
indeed, are liable to take it, and it is a
curious circumstance, that not unfre-
quently, those who have enjoyed imm-
unity from the disease for many years, in
spite of constant exposure to it, finally
contract it, and then have it in very
severe form. The history of the disease
cannot be traced back further than the
Christian era, the first recorded epidemic
of it having occurred i'll the sixth Century.
Since then it has spread over all parts OF
the world, and not until comparatively
recent pei iod, when It's prevalence has
been successfully stayed. first, by ia
oculation, and subsequently more success.
fully by vaccination, has it ceased to be
a formidable and fatal pestilence.
The recent epidemic of smallpox in
Baltimore, the general existence of the
disease liz all cities. and large towns, and
the constant liability of exposure to it OF
all persons, whose business compels them
to go abroad, render it imperatively
necessary that vaccination should be gen
orally resorted to, as the easiest and most
etficacious safeguard against this insidi-
Gus enemy of the human family.
With view therefore, to afford our
readers all necessary and well anthem
ticated information relative to the import
ance of vaccination and re-vaccination,
as well as to meet the prejudices of some
who are skeptical upon the subject, We
have at the suggestion of prominent
physician of this county, prepared this
paper, from the best established author
tiles on the subject, and which he has
coul teously furnished us.
In a town like Elkton, and in fact in
the country generally, where no hospital
advantages are to be had, it is obviously
the fact that very many cases of variela
prove fatal from the trouble of secu. ing
efficient nursing. Instances could be
named, in which the friends and families
of those stricken with this disease have
themselves, in turn, become panic strick-
en-, and the unhappy sufferers have died
from want of proper attention. Forum
ately now, however, the disease has been
robbed of many of its terrorS, through
the protective influence of vaccination.
and the popular dread of the disease is in
nowise as general as it once was
One of the most painful cases recently
brought to public notice, was that of the
death from this disease of child of Mr.
Ross Winans of Baltimore, a case aggra-
waited by the painful reflection, that it's
life might have been saved by the obliga-
tory precaution of vaccination, but in
which it is alleged Mr. Winans had no
confidence, or at least against which he
INDUCED a prejud ce. 1t would be a
palpable cruelty to reproach any parent
with this objectionable neglect of so OBJ
vieus duty to his children, whose family
circle smallpox had fatally invaded, and
We notice this case, simply to strengthen
this appeal in behalf of SO wise a precau-
ton, as vaccination,
AFTER long and successful reign
says a prominent medical writer the
belief is again being fully investigated,
both by the public and the profession,
Is vaccination as tnlty jr0tectice against
smallpox as 1t rds once thought 10 be-"
This same writer after reviewing the
arguments for and against it, definitely
states his belief that: when vaccination
is carefully performed, and practitioners
refuse to recognize any case as being
successfully re-vaccinated until certain
specific results are obtained, IRE Shall
cease to hear Of small-p>.e appearing utter a
recent cacciadtion.
The same writer observes that, 1.-THE
occurrence of an almost infinitely minute
proportion of cases in which syphilis and
scrofula have been said to be conveyed
by vaccination, has led to most I'M
founded prejudice against humanized
virus, and has made its employment often
impossible, although most excellent au-
thorities, and some of them those pos
sessng the largest experience, rely upon
it (humanized virus) to the exclusion of
all others, as more regular, more rapid,
in its course, and equally efficient.
AS physicians of national reputation
sustaining this estimate of the value and
efficacy of human virus, we may cite
here the evidence of DE-. Walter f. Atlee
of Philadelphia, who having submitted
to his father, the venerable Dr. Atlee of
Lancaster, similar views of high Eng
lish authority, Henry Stevens, NJ. d.
whose opinion was published in the
Practitioner Nondon) in January 1850,
says: / fully agree with DR.. Stevens,
"that there has been no deterioration in
the vaccine virus, nor III its effects from
the time of my experience with it. which
has now been sixty-four wears While