The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-03-10


In this connection it must not be for.
gotten that the mortality OF primary
smallpox is shown, by the same authority
to be fully 81 per cent.
No less indicative of the fact that the
percentage of mortality in small pox
cases is astoniShinsly reduced ny proper
vaccination is the evidence afforded in
this country. At the Quarterly meeting
of the Rhode Island Medical Society. in
September, 1881, Or. +. NJ. Snow, Health
Superintendent of the city of Providence,
spoke substantially as follows: lie had
had considerable experience III vaccina-
tionS, having the records of about 90, 00o
persons vaccinated in his office. The
virus used by him had undOu btedly been
transmitted from arm to arm since the
time of Jenner, and probably this is the
only true humapiZed virus in the country.
The local and constitutional effects of
this virus, are precisely the same from
day to day, as those described by JeEner.
His description is perfectly reproduced
10y the vaccinations every week.
In regard to the protection from small
pox given by the humanized virus, it is
absolutely perfect. DR.. Shows expert
ence on this point had been SO positive
and certain, that he had no patience in
ia liking with those who denied that vac
cinatiou prevented smallpox. lie rela-
ted some cases--On one occasion young
lady from Maine was taken with small
pox, three or four days after arriving in
the city. She was taken to the small
pox hospital. and her mother and brother
came from Maine TO take care of her
Neither had ever been vaccinated. They
went to the hospital, and the next day
Dir. Snow vaccinated them. The vacci-
nation in both took perfectly. They re-
manned at the hospital until the case of
small. poY, which was very severe, had
recovered, and neither the mother nor
the brother of the patient had the slight
est symptoms of the disease. In another
case DR.. Snow was called to see IA woman
whom a physician was treating for some
obscure trouble of the bowels. He found
the patient VITA pr0iGse eruption of
modified smallpox. The tenement had
only two rooms, and in the room was a
child who had never been vaccinated.
This was on Sunday. On the Tuesday
following, he visited the family to vacci-
nate the child. He found that the woman
had i'll the meantime given birth to 4
child, which was then just twenty-four
hours old. He vaccinated the child OF
two years and the child of twenty four
hours. The vaccination took perfectly
in both cases. and neither child had the
sli ghtest symptoms of small pcx, al
though both remained with the mother
until she recovered. AT another time
Dr.. Snow was called to visit a case OF
smallpox lie found in a cluster of
seven houses twenty-five families, and in
these families ten cases of small poy, all
apparently at about the same stage Of
the disease. In the same families We're
twenty-one children, who had never been
yaccnated There being so many cases,
it was thought best not to remove them
to the hospital. The families, including
the unvaccinated children, we're then
quarantined at home. and q guard placed
over them. The twenty-one children
were vaccinated and compelled TO remain
at home with the sick. Several other
cases of small poX occurred in persons
who had been previously exposed, and it
was several weeks before those families
were free from the disease: but not one
of the twenty-ons children referred to
had the slightest touch of the disease.
DR.. Snow said the cases he related
were only examples OF many more he
might give the particulars of his exper-
fence of the protective power of vacclna-
ton with human virus had been such
that he could have no possible doubt on
the subject; his was positive knowledge.
With regard to bovine virus, DR.. Snow
had had no experience, he had not used
it but he had known something OF its
effects when used by others. He had
shown two cases in which children lost
their lives from smallpox because the
boyins WINS did not take effect. lie had
shown from CHEERS, Of scores, and prob