Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-28
A Prominent Southside Physician
DenOunces the Board of Health
and Protests That
VACCINATION is A MERE HUMBUG.
he Claims it is Kept Up Only Because Our
Ancestors Had Faith in it, and
It's Superstition.
A SOUTHSIDE REVOLT AGAINST 1T.
Views Of Number Of Doctors Who Stand by Virus
Qus and the Authorities.

over some parts OF the SouthSlQe. Ihe mat
ter at issue is not entirely new, but it has
been brought to the front in a vigorous man.
ner. Many Southsiders who do not believe
in vaccination, at least in times when tie
community has no fear of smallpox, are pro,
testing vigorously against the vaccination
visits Of the city physician. They think il
unnecessary, and have caused the physi.
clans trouble.
lone of the prominent physicians of that
section of the city comes out point blank on
the question by declaring that vaccination
is ''humbug," and says good deal more
that is spicy on the subject. Not only that,
but he declares that he is willing to argue
the matter. He says it is one that should
be looked into, and that other cities have
taken the question in hand.
The physician cited is DR.. 2. T. Miller,
who enjoys large practice on the Southside,
and is a well-known homeopathic of the
city. He not only bolts square
up against the popular belief that
vaccination is a preventive of smallpox,
but questions the right of the Board of
Health to require the vaccination of school
children before entering the public schools.
EVEN MORE RADICAL.
The doctor goes further, and says that
vaccination oftimes induces and aggravates
disease. When seen yesterday he said he
was loath to enter into any newspaper con-
troversy, and Gid not wish his name used, if
the result he wished could be accomplished
otherwise. He is in earnest in his convie-
ha ..
subject without due consideration of the
storm of opposition that may arise. He says
he can back up his assertions BY statistics
that do not lie, but prefers to save his
thunder" until needed. As preliminary
shot at vaccination and the rules of the
Board of Health, he noted down the fol-
lowing:
''To be brief and bring the question at issue
to focus, 1 would say that vaccination is a
humbug; that we practice ii because our
ancestors did, without stopping to think
whether we are justified or not. 1 further
question the right of any board of health to
compel our children to submit to it, volun-
tarily or involuntarily, To debar children
from the public schools for the lack of it
seems to me an annoyance not justified by
the constitution.
RIGHTS OF THE BOARD.
"The Board Of Health has no more right
to prescribe a prophylactic for smallpox
than it has for scarlet fever. And / am sure
that every physician abreast of modern
medicine is acquainted with just as good
preventive of scarlet fever as vaccination is
of smallpox; indeed, believe a great deal
better.
sit is a question whether persons inocu-
lated BY the vaccine virus do not have their
organisms so modified by it as to increase
[heir susceptibility to diseases thereafter.
Particularly is it pernicious when children
are already, by heredity, made unstable by
scrofuls and kindred diseases. The ravages
produced in such by vaccination is at times
simply frightful. Children who are in per-
feet health withstand the poisonous effects of
the vaccination quite well. but 1 offer that
such children are no way in need of it, as
they would dispose of smallpox equally as
well were they attacked. The other poor
unfortunstes already staggering under the
weight Of loathsome disease must have added
another death-inviting malady, beastly in
its origin.
MANY able men have repudiated the
horrible practice and given their reasons for |
it, yet does our Board of Health, with |
beautiful precision, send its servants into
every street and allev to hunt up little |
children (none too young) that they NAV be |
inoculated Tree of charge and thereby es- |
cape (?) something that is in no way threat |
ening them"
DIFFERENT VIEW. |
DR.. E. A. Mundorf was seen, and said |
that he had long ago settled the vaccination |
question to his satisfaction. During the |
smallpox epidemic in the city some eight |
years ago he was appointed by the Board of |
Health as one of a number of vaccine physi- |
Clans TO ysccinate the people of the city. |
During this work an extensive investigation |
was made of the subject of vaccination, |
aided by the Board of Health. |
He said that the two points cited as to |
vaccination transmitting disease, or spread |
ing disease, have been ably treated by num- |
bers of doctors, among them Drs. Martin |
and HartshorD, of this country. and DR.. !
of Berlin. The fact the Board |
of Health wished to establish was whether |
vaccination is preventive of smallpox.
Continuing, the Doctor said: THE section |
of the city chosen for the investigation was
in a district where millmen and their
families dwelt in a crowded state. 1t was
thought that this section lay open to the in
Yasion of the disease, and this
stand was verified when smallpox
broke out in an alarming manner.
Vaccination as a preventive means, was
then enforced on all individuals living in
the infected section. Upon the completion
of the work, the health officer of the dis
trict did not have occasion to hang up
single smallpox sign in the district
MANY OTHER INSTANCES.
"Iu another instance 500 individuals,
kailing from various infected districts, were
taken, without special regard to age, sex or
previous condition of health, and vaccinated
successfully with four well-defined marks
each, and then set aside for special |
study. They represented, as a
body, the humble and needy. /
Every man, woman and child belonging to
this group passed through the epidemic
safely. At the same time, LOG persons,
whose vaccination fell short of the necessary
degree of excellence, owing largely to de-
fective 'quills,' were kept under observa-
tion. OF this number q were assailed with
smallpox, but only perished.
Another group of !, 200 individuals COM
;ng also from around and about the centers
of infection, were vaccin&ted and kept un-
der supervision. Many in this class were
employed taking care of their kindred in
fected with tine disease, and Others boldly
depended on their vaccine marks and
visited their sick friends. Every person in
this group escaped.
"These groups made total of 1000 cases
vaccinated. Out of this large number, not