Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-05-21

'ssome Thoughts on Vaccination, /
In the minutes of the ninety-fifth
annual session of the Medical Society of
Delaware, just published in pamphlet
form, Wilmington physicians are we'll
represented. Two papers, on "Albumi-
nuria" and "Paracentesis," are con-
tributed by DR.. S. Leslie West DIR. L. p.
Bush furnishes "Some Thoughts on
Vaccination" and "Chronic Pleurisy with
Empyema," and DR.. Read J.. Mckay
"Clinical Observations upon Diseases of
the Lachrymal Passages" DIR. Charles
H. Richards of Georgetown, reports case
of ''nephretic calculus-suppurative," and
DR.. Caleb r. Layton of the same place, a
case of 'cranial osteo-malachin. Among
these the remarks of DR.. Bush on vacci
nation are of such general importance
that we should like to see
them given wide circulation.
The doctor speaks of the great
harvest of blessing which mankind has
reaped from this boon of DIR. Jenner, re-
fers TO the opposition which vaccination
has met and still has TO contend with and
argues that the true and only worthy
protection of the ignorant and prejudiced,
and consequently of the community ut
large, from the invasion of smallpox"
lies in the adoption of compulsory
system of vaccination; laws providing for
which have long existed in England. "As
to the civil rights of individuals" con-
tinues the doctor, land the invasion of
those rights, ms is adduced in opposition
to compulsory law, it may be replied
that no person has right to live in a
community, who holds himself ms brand
liable to be ignited at any moment and
thus to scatter disease and death around
him."
Attention is also given to the preferable
kind of virus, the writer regarding hui
mnnized virus MS more to be depended
upon than bovine aud giving his reasons
therefor During the smallpox visitation
of lSSO-Sl, he states that, it being im-
practicableto procure sufficient humanized
virus to meet the emergency, Wilmington
physicians resorted to bovine points, and
at first there were but few failures in the
results. Later the conditions were re-
versed and there were but few successes.
"The failure, presume" explains DIR.
Bush, Originated from the fnct that in
quite II number of cities in the United
Stetes, smallpox was prevailing and there
was II scarcity of this virus in the hands
of the producers. That used MS above
stated was doubtless taken from heifers in
which the vesicles had been too fire.
quently punctured, and hence yielded nc
lymph, but only bloody serum"
The testimony of practitioner of DR..
Bush's experience to the efficacy OF
vaccination MS n preventive of smallpox
comes with special interest Just now wher
kindred method is being resorted tc
check the ravages of cholera. Although
nearly year has elapsed since the pre-
paration of this paper, the writer was no
unmindful of the promise embodied il
the investigations then being made int
the germ theory of diseases. He wa
able to see some light ahead" and
, while looking on vaccination n
"a more reliable germicide of small-po,
than we can ever hope to hay
of any other of the zymotic diseases" h
yet felt warranted in expressing "ho,
great and general would be the gratificn
ton if it could be made clear and salts
factory in the case of scarlatina, dipt
liberia, typhoid fever and other zymoti
diseases, that the relation to these disease
of each special germ, whether bacteria
, bacillus or micrococcus, could be dis
covered and the germicide of each ascei
tained' and that in future we might e,
pect to control the spread of these di
r eases, and might anticipate their ultimai
L Punishment from our nomenclature.