St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-02-15
SMALLPOX.
Is Vaccination a Preventive of this
Dreadful ScOuree?

No definite knowledge of the origin
of smallpox has been discovered by
writers on the subject. but histories
and traditions of Eastern nations
refer its commencement to a remote
period before the Christian era. 1t
appeared in Egypt about A. D. 544,
spread into Asia and Africa in the
sixth and seventh centuries, and in
| to the countries of Europe in the
ninth and ten centuries. The Span
iards carried it into Cuba and San
America, from which places it spread
tC Mexico in 1927, its victims num-
bering millions; thence it gradual
| ~ extended over the whole American
continent.
Smallpox is one of the most
virulent of contagious diseases, and
persons exposed, if unprotected by
vaccina ton, are almost invaria bly,
! attacked. Itattacks both sexes it IS
particularly fatal to young children.
| No race escapes it's ravages, but
among the aboriginal races it is terri
| bly, fatal. The North AmericanIndians
/ have frequently been decimated by
this plague. The negro is also very
susceptible.
The contagion develops in the
system of the smallpox patient and
is reproduced in the pustules. The
dried scabs constitute by far the
most important element, and as
a dust-like powder are distributed
everywhere in the room during con-
valescence, becoming attached to
clothing and furniture. The poison
is of unusual tenacity and clings to
infected localities II is conveyed by
persons who have been in contact
with the sick. The disease smould-
ers here and there in different local
tiles, and when conditions are favor
able becomes epidemic. Perhaps the
most remarkable instance in modern
times of the rapid extension of the
disease occurred in Montreal in 1885.
Smallpox had been prevalentin that
city between 1870 and rs, when it
died out, partly owing to the ex-
haustion of suitable material and
partly owing to the introduction of
animal vaccination. During these
years, between 1875 and 1885, vac
cination, to which many of the
French Canadians were opposed, |
was much neglected, so that a large
unprotected population grew up in
the city. On Feb. %, 1885, a Pull |
man-car conductor, who had travel
ed from Chicago, where the disease
had been slightly prevalent, was adj
mitted to the Hospital Dieu. Isola-
ton was not carried out and on
April 1st, a servant in the place died OF
smallpox. Upon this, the authorities
of the hospital, with absolutely
criminal negligence, dismissed all
the patients presenting no symp-
toms of contagion and allowed
them to go home. The disease
spread like fire, and within nine
months, there died in the city 1854
persons.
Before vaccination was discovered,
France lost 10000 people each year
from small pox. In Russia it cut off
two millions of people in a single
year. In England the yearly death
rate was about 5000 for each million
inhabitants. 1t is calculated that in
Europe alone 100000 beings perish
ed each year. In Quito, S. A, 1OO,-
900 Indians were destroyed by it in
a single year; kingdoms and empires
were thrown into confusion by the
death of crowned heads. Among it's
royal victims history mentions FIVE
descendants of Charles l., of Great
Britain, viz, Henry, Duke of Glouces-
ter; Mary, wife of the Prince of
Orange and mother of William Ill;
Charles, Duke of Cambridge, IN
1877; Mary, Queen of England and
wife of William Ill, in 1894; and the
Princess Mary Louisa in 1872. Also
FIVE descendants of Louis XIV, of
France. and in the same period
Joseph l.. Emperor of Germany, in
III; Peter H., Emperor of Russia,
in 1880; queen OF Sweden in 1741;
Henry, Prince of Prussia, 1867;
Macmillan Joseph, Elector of
Bavaria, in TIT.
All this was before the era of
vaccination. Since the time Of COM
pulsory vaccination IN New York
city, the death rate from smallpox
has been only s.3S per 100000 as
compared with 1857 per 100000 be-
fore. In London, where vaccination
is rigidly enforced, the death rate is
only 0.6per 100, O00inhabitants. In
-. Il |