The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-09
THEY BLAME VACCINATION.
MARJoRIE WOODRUFE's DEATH FROM
LoCRJAW CAUSES a SCARE.

People About Pntehorue are ReiusIns to he
vsccinated-The Phystcinu Dentes that
the Operation Caused the Disease.
PArcHoeuE. Dec. 9-Marjorie Woodruff the
5-year-old daughter OF Charles Woodruff, a
well-to-do butcher OF Bellport. died on Tues
day morning last OF lockIaw. -Four weeks ago
to-day she was yaccinated by DR.. S. A. Toms
OF Dellport. The lrst indication that anything
was wrong came on Thanksgiving Day. At
dinner Mr.. Woodruff noticed that his daughter
was CRYING
what's the matter 2" he inquired.
My mouth hurts me-" said the child.
Nonsense" said MIR. Woodruff. Go on
and eat your dinner"
The child tried In vain to eat piece OF tur-
key and finally left tho table In tears. At
breakfast the next morning Marjorie again
com planned that she could not eat. Mr.. Wood
run noticed that she had great difficulty in
working her jaws She complained Of sore
tongue, and an examination revealed the
presence Of canker sores Mr.. Woodruff made
up his mind that these had caused the trouble.
and thought no more OF the matter until sun
day. when tho child com planned of a sore
throat Her tongue was worse than 1t had
been. and she was unable to open her Jaws
more than half an inch.
ON Sunday night she had a spasm, and DR.
Toms was sent for. He saw that she was
suffering from an liberated sore throat and n
sore tongue. The spasm and the inability TO
work the jaws pointed to lockIaw, and he
made u careful examination Of the girl TO dis
cover II she had been cut or wounded in any
way. The examination revealed nothing.
The only wound found was thu vaccination
mark, aud that was almost healed Greatly
puazlcdJ Dr. Toms treated tho child for sore
throHt and kept close watch ior further
lie succeeded In II measure. in curing the
throat trouble but on Monday the child had
another spdsm,, Her jaws closed tight. end
decided that the child had locklnw. and began
treating, her for that trouble; The altack was
Toms assured Mr. Woodruff that tho child
would live.
At about IL o'clock on Monday night. about
two hours after the doctor had left. Marjorie
had another spasm. DR.. Toms got her mouth
open. and, with snoon. MANAGED to get
badly liberated. Whilc he was. examining the
child her Jaws closed with y snap on the
hold proved futile. 1t was not until she had
been nut under the influence OF an anesthetic
that she opened her mouth.
The next dry he had computation with Dr.
a. H.. Terry OF patchVEue. The two physicia ns
lockIaw but would recover. They also dis
covered that udema OF the lungs had set in.
DIR. Terry remained only short time after the
o'clock, when the child died. The death was
complete surprise; To IL SUN reporter Mr.
Il have been told that lockiaw ma the result
Of vaccination Is something unheard OF: yet
come from The child hadn't another cut or
bruiso on her entire body. The vaccination
as ede HGy Raj On rr e29 tha. mao
but all children are troubled that way more or
lees. and no one seems to think that that could
have caused anything 40 serious as lockIaw.
The child suffered frlght'ully aud mad spasm
after spasm. When she was In a spasm her
impossible to get them apart. Even when che
was perfectly con scious she could not get them
moro than half an Inch apart.
Some people laugh at the idea OF It being
tho vaccination that caused tho lockjaw. hut
even my dog there will. ever be. vaccnaEei
again a. lou. as live believe it caused my
little ones death; and viii meyer give il !.
Dr. Toms said TO n SuS reporter:
The CHILD certainly had l9ckiaw. There
most mystfying cases that has ever come I'M
der my observation, and | am doing every
tracted the trouble There is n great deal OF
talk ABOUT vaccination having brouG ut on the
lockJaw;. In ali my practice never heard Of
Thing. / have written to the Sur- con General
eyer heard OF such case. and also to the vac
Now although this child had lock!aw. that
was not the sole cause o. death. We had tho
locHJaw under control and could have, cured
the child had she had any vitality. She hadn't
however. and Edema OF the lungs set III and
w, w.
disease is caused by germ entering the sYs-
TEN. 1t eau only enter through cut. The
disease always becomes apparent in from
seven t. twelve days. This child was yacci-
mated four weeks ago to-day. 1t WAS ONor
three weeks, in fact noarly twenty-four days,
before the d sease ghowcdtin the chi d. That
would certainly indicate that 1t did not come
from the operation Of vaccination. 1t is not
vaccination wound. II n germ entered ;hs
wound II would cause lockiAw as quickly as IL |
IL entered through an ordinary cut. Tho only
way the germ could have gotten in was through
wound. | am sure that they exercised the
utmost care.
Another way In which lockaw may be con-
tracted is through the mouth. i the MEM
there was tongue covered with canker sores
and an liberated sore throat. IL seems TO me
that the germ entered through the mouth 1t
Is u most remarkable case all through. and ono
which is bound To attract the attention OF med
zeal men all over the country"
DR.. Terry agrees with DIR. Toms about the |
case, The people about Patchogue are greatly |
excited over tho case. Almost every one has
are beginning TO worry. Thuss who have not |
been vaccinated absolutely refuse to submit to |
the operation.
DIR. Edison OF the Health Department said
"The slightest abrasion may lead to lockiaw
u the germ OF the disease enters the system |
through the wound. We are not sure yet that |
1t Is germ disease but believe II is Vacci-
nation alone could not cause II. We have |
vacclnated over 2ub,OUU people. and never has |
In certain, Localities. Tor instance at the |
other end Of Long Island. about Sag Harhor |
there are many cases Of l0ckIaw. and it Is dan |
gerous to get the slightest scratch
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