Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-12
VACCINATION.
The Only Protection We Have Against
the Dread Disease Smallpox.

Board of Health, last evening, to inquire
about the smallpox. The doctor started in
by saying Well. we have no case in Sac
ramento so far, and the vigilance of the
officers is such, that it will be impossible if
a case does come here for II TO spread. In
Sierra one death is reported on Tuesday.
One case is reported from Dunsmulr, IN
Siskiyou county. A case is also reported
from Red Bluff. 1t is rumored that they
have a case at Oroville, in Butte county.
The individual reported from Elmira is
dead and no other case is reported from
that locality. A case is reported from Clio
verdale, but it has been properly quaran-
tined. My attention has been called to an
article in an evening paper of today, which
Is loaded, and reads as follows:
1t has been and is the custom to advise peo-
pie, whenever there is any trace OF smallpox
in the vicinity to Immediately get vacclnated
The writer was conversing the other day with
one of the most eminent surgeons and phys
icians in this State, and asked him his candid
and honest opinion of vaccination. His answer
was that it was a fraud and an imposition; that
it had no more effect in preventing or keeping
away smallpox than would be the injection of
little cold water.
But" asked the writer, you vaccinate peo-
pie, do you not%'
Why, certainly do, for people want it, and
/ get 81 80 for every one yaccinate. II they
want it give it to them"
" And you do not believe in it, then?' asked
the writer.
81 do not 1t is hallucination," was the
reply.
Now" said the doctor, the individual
who made that statement is a consum mate
ass. He certainly has read but little, and
knows nothing Of the disease about
which he is talking. Such publications
are calculated To do great harm. Here is
an article would Ike to have you read
and also publish" 1t is as follows:
Forty-live millions of people died from small
poX i'll the century preceding vaccination, with
out taking into account those who recovered
and were disfguTed for life or afflicted with
blindness as its direct result Two millions per
ished in the Russian Empire in q single year.
According to DR.. Lettison, 10000 fell annual
victims TO it on the Continent of Europe. The
yearly mortality in England was over As 900;
cities We're decimated, villages deserted and
armies disbauded by its means.
This is what smallpox has done in the past.
No doubt its malignancy was aggravated and
its mortality increased by improper modes of
treatment end also by ignorance of hygienic
laws. But, nevertheless whenever smallpox
has an opportunity even at the present day, to
manifest itself unchecked it has shown nearly
the same venom and de6dliness which have
always characterized it.
HOW THE DISEASE SPREADS
The modes by which the contagion is spread
"
that OF personal contact with an individual suf-
fering from smallpox. Persons not themselves
liable to the disease may communicate it to
others by carrying the contagion in their cloth
ing The air in the neighborhOod becomes in
fected by it, and sometimes communicates il for
an almost incredible distance. Houses be-
come infected with the germs Of the disease,
and can only become disiufccted by burning
the bedding, repapcring the walls and subject
ing the entire house TO Il process of thorough
cleaning. Persons in the incipient stage of
smallpox, and sometimes even in the GONZALES
cent stage, make their appearance in public,
and the disease is thus communicated to many.
Not infrequently smallpox occurs in a family,
the members of which, not wishing to become
subjects of terror to the community, suppress
the fact, while they themselves come and go as
usual, carrying infection with them and sud
denly that neighborhood is visited by a serious
smallpox epidemic.
THE VACCINATION THEORY.
The theory i'll regard to vaccination is that
the disease in a mild form takes hold of the sys-
tenn, and either completely or partially destroys
the liability to contract the same disease in the
future. If the destruction is only partial it can
be made total by future vaccinations All au-
thoritieS agree that ii is necessary to revacci-
nate frequently-ust as often, in fact as the sys-
TEN shows itself i'll readiness to receive the vac
cinations.
Then as often as once in five or seven years
should be repeated in order to OBJ
tain complete immunity from smallpox.
The statistics OF every smallpox epidemic
snow tnaI the mortality OF the disease Is IN III
verse ratio to the number of times which the in
dividual attacked has been vaccinated. We are
told that the danger from smallpox is greatest
to children, while in the case of vaccination the
danger from smallpox increases with years.
This is only true when the effect of vaccination
wears away and the person is not revaccinated.
1t has therefore, been demonstrated by the ex-
perience of many years that vaccination is
immunity from smallpox he must be Yaccinated
as often as once in five or seven years.
DECREASE OF MORTALITY.
Vaccination was recognized by law in Eng
land in 1910, and became compulsory in 1853
The mortality statistics from 1888 to 1878 show
steady decrease of deaths from small-poX-from
D1 to every 100000 to 81 to the same number
The following table, extracted f ON the work of
DR.. E. c. Seaton, Medical Inspector of the Privy
Council of England, shows the average number
of yearly deaths from smallpox i'll London for
periods of ten years, from 1851 to 1861
From 75l to %, 06l From 1911 to 1920. 1913
From 1861 to l770 -, AS From 1921 to 1890. 600
From 177l to l7S0..2, z01 From 1881 to 1870. 573
From 17Sl to 1890 IL, 705I From 1871 to 1850. ST
From 179l to 1900. Il, 7So From 1851 TO 1860. 10
From 1901 to 1910 II 1853
This remarkable diminution cal be attributed
to no other cause than, first, the adoption of
incubation, and more recently OF vaccination.
REMARKABLE CONTRASTS.
From 1903 to 1851 one i'll every three of the
boys admitted to the Royal Military Asylum at
Eng, bore the marks OF smallpox.
But after vaccination had become compulsory,
only one child in forty of the same class had
had the same disease.
During the Franco PrusSian war $4,000 I'M
vaccinated French soldiers died in an epidemic
of smallpox. The generally vacciuated Prus-
sian army, though larger than the French and
as frequently exposed, lost only $50 persons. In
the whole Prussian army, for twenty years, there
have been only four fatal cases of smallpox
among the vaccinated.
During the smallpox epidemic in London in
1868. the following statistics were obtained: of
school children a |
that is, 30 per cent. of those who had not been
vacciuated, suffered from smallpox. OF those
who had been vaccinated, an average of LIS
were afflicted with the disease; while perfect
vaccination, showing four or mere cicatrices
reduced the::average to 0.62 per thousand.
DEATHS AMONG YACCINATED AND CNVACCINATED.
From the study of more than 1900 cases in
the London Smallpox Hospital at the same
mated died at the rate of 81 per cent, the NOR
lality among the yaccinated was only 81 per
cent.
Again, in Ireland vaccination was made COM
pulsory in 1853 and all children born after
January I, 1884. were required to be vaccinated
within six months after birth. The effects upon
smallpox mortality were striking and unmis-
takab e. Whereas. in the periods OF lS}0-i0
lS40-50 and 1900, the respective average NOR
talities from smallpox had been $500, J S27 and
,272 in the years 1864 65-G6-67-6S they were SOL
341, lS7, 20 and 70. respectively. In the first
quarter of 1869 there were only three deaths,
and in the second quarter none.
RESULT OF PERFECT VACCINATION.
While vaccination is a preventive to a degree
it must be perfect to exercise its greatest pre-
ventive influence, and then the deaths from
smallpox are hut little more than - per cent
But even imperfect vaccination is better pro-
lection against smallpox than small poX itself
for. as will be seen by the table Just given of
those who have been vaccinated once only less
than per cent. died, while 10 per cent. of those
who had previously had small pox found a
second attack fatal.
Probably nowhere is vaccination practiced
with so much rigor as in our own navy. There,
II anywhere, the system is perfect. The follow
ing is taken from the annual report of the Secre-
Iary of the Navy for 1880: THE care taken to
protect sailors from smallpox by vaccination
results undoubtedly in incalculable advantage,
and 1t might be said has almost completely
stamped this deccase out of the navy The
cases reported were 7 in number, or ! OF per
900, occurring in infected ports" Thus we see
that the lowest percentage yet, amounting to OIL,
is the result of perfect system of vaccination.
Horse-Thief Caught.
A correspondent at Woodland, under date
of January 10th, says: "a few days ago
Henry Savers, formerly employed on the
ranch of ]. w. Hiatt, near Huntsville, pur-
chased mare from c. w. Thistle, near
Davisvilie. agreeing to pay $3.50 for the
animal. Savers represented to Mr.. Thistle
that he lived near kirksville, and wanted
the animal to complete a big team which