Passaic City record., 1892-06-18
SMALLPOX.
What Can and Should be done TO Pre-
vent 1t. --l he Efficacy of Vaccina-
tfOn--An Interesting Article
which sho uld be widely Read
and Needed.

---~>-- D-- .A1~A WC sshuChy AeCA0
and Needed.
While, of course, there is always
a considerable amount of uneasi-
ness manifested it localities where
small pox makes its appearance,
the danger may be reduced to a
minimum by the prompt adoption
of measures directed towards its
prevention or modification.
That these measures may be
carried out successfully needs the
hearty cooperation of every cit;-
zen in the infected locality. A
Board of Health may direct its
city physician, he in turn may in
struct his assistants, and use all
possible diligence in attempting
to have his orders obeyed, but
without the assistance of every
citizen the work must necessarily
lose some of its otherwise ben
efcial effects.
1t has long been known that
smallpox can be prevented or
modified by vaccination. 1t is now
believed that widespread epi-
demic of the disease can be attri-
buted only to an equally wide
spread ignorance or wilfulness
concerning smallpox and its pre-
vention by vaccination, and yet
anyone who has no direct exper-
ience in such matters can scarcely
imagine the obstacles which will
be constantly thrown in the way
of an official who may be desirous
of carrying out all known prophy-
Tactic measures
There is legend which tells us
that once upon time two god
desses-the goddess of truth, and
the goddess of falsehood- were al
lowed to come among the children
of men to gain devotees. Truth
was dressed in plain, rich, gar
ments, while the attire of the god
dess of falsehood was dazzling in its
splendor. And there were some
of the children of men who loved
and followed the goddess of truth; /;
but the followers of the goddess
of falsehood were legion; then the
goddess of truth, seeing that her
followers were SO few, and those
following her rival goddess were
SO numerous, prayed that she
might be allowed to assume the
same garb as was worn by the god
dess of falsehood This was gran
ted, and she again renewed the
contest. But even then she
found that many went after the
other goddess. Some followed her
because they could not convince
themselves that she was the god
dess of falsehood, others followed
her because they had been attach
ed to her beauty and manners, and
desired no change, and others
followed her out of pure cussed-
ness
When the first case of small
pox was discovered in Passaic
steps were at once taken to en-
force measures to prevent its
spreading Much difficulty was
experienced in carrying out these
measures. Orders were given that
the infected rooms be disinfected,
that the immediate locality be
quarantined, and that all should
be vaccinated. The following
quotation from a circular issued
by the Michigan Board of Health
will convince everyone that of all
preventive measures vaccination
is the chief: Vaccination and re-
vaccination are preventives of
small pox, and if the people are
kept thoroughly protected in this
way, it is believed that no cpl
demic of that disease can occur"
Many Of Our citizens are aware
of the amount of opposition our
health officers experienced in their
effort to make vaccination in Pas
sale general, in many instances it
being necessary to use physical
force. Like the followers of the
goddess of falsehood some objected
with more or less plausible excuse,
but the majority objected out of
pure cussedness.
AS by travelling or by travellers,
by articles received in the
mail, or from stores or shops, or
in variO11S other WAYS anv one at