The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-18
HISTORY OF VACCINATION.
Discovery Of the Smallpox Preventive
DR.. Jenner's Struggle.

"It is astonishing how few people, outside OF
physicians and druggists, know what vaccine
points are" said DIR. George II. Sparkling, the
health officer. last evening. "vaccine points
are made at Omaha, Chicago and several other
Eastern cities, but the points we receive here
are made atedarietta, Pa. The points are about
an inch and quarter long by eighth of an
inch wide, waferike, tapered at one enc, land are
made of bone. The pointed end is dipped
into O solution OF warm water and pus from the
udder of a COW affl cted with vaccinia. 1t dries
instantly and the point is dipped in gelatine to
keep the vaccinia from being rubbed off or
losing its properties. In yaccinating a
person the arm is first barred, an abrasion OF
the skin made and then the point, after being
dipped in water to dissolve the gelatine, is
simply drawn back and forth across the abra
sion thus forcing the vaccinia into the wound.
This done, piece of court plaster is stuck over
the spot and the subject is vaccinsted and secure
from smallpox. A vaccine point is used but
once.
"To Gloucestershire, England" continued the
doctor, "bslongs the honor Of the discovery OF
the fact that vaccinia, mild and compa- -atively
harmless disease, is transmissibie from the COW
to man, aud that it affords protection from
smallpox. In 1724 Benjamin Jcsty, a Glouces-
tershire farmer, satisfied himself that vac
cinia was a safeguard from smallpox,
and he had the courage to vaccinate his wife
ana TWO cnlluTen. his act WAS fcsaFueu as
brutal, and he was denounced by his neishbors
as IA demon. 1t was not until toward the close
OF the last century that DIR. Edward Jenner, "a
Gloucestershire physician, began to advocate
incubation with vaccinia from a COW a safe
guard against smallpox. Dr. Jenner performed
his first vaccination in 1886. He went to Lon
don and, though advised by his medical friends
to desis; from his wild scheme lest he should
iujure the reputation he had gained in another
channel, he continued his advocacy of vaccine
iuoculation. and finally was allowed to vaccin-
ate in hospital wards Slowly but surely the new
faith gained adherents among leading London
physicians and now IL would be difficult indeed
TO find physician in the civilized world who
does not advocate Dr. Jenners principles. Dr.
Jenner had hard time OF 1t for while. The
opponents of vaccination resorted to every de-
vice to prevent the acceptance of his
views. They attempted to prejudice the
people by ridicule and caricatures. One
OF the leading publications contained
a picture of a COW covered with roses and de-
vouring children, and it was argued that vac
cination was a bestial operation, degrading man
to the level of the brute. But the truth gained
a firm hold and the practice OF vaccination has
now extended over the world"
DR.. Sparing says that second vaccination
should be performed about the sixth or eighth
year. and third between the fifteenth and
twentieth years IN case smallpox is epidemic
il is proy CT to vaccinate all who have not been
vaccnatcd within three or fonr years.