Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-17
VACCINATION TALK.
A Plain Account of the Operation and
Its Effects.


The prevalence of smallpox in other cities,
| to a greater or less extent, has led to the
adoption of precautionary measures here
which will tend to prevent the spread of
the disease should it appear. The situation
Is considered by no means alarming, and
is somewhat similar to that of 1880, when
the apprehension of an invasion Of this
dread contagion led to a general resort to
vaccination. Some ten years earlier, during
the winters of 1871 and 1872 this disease
became epidemic here. The most extensive
visitation of smallpox in this city in recent
years occurred during the winters of 1865
and 1866 DR.. Robert Reyburn, who was
at that time the chief medical officer Of
the bureau of refugees and freedmen, states
that during these two years about 10000
persons were vaccinated or revacinated
with the result of causing the disappear
ance of the disease.
A physician writes to The Star as follows
in regard to vaccination:
Vaccination Is in the introduction into the
system of a virus obtained from an eruptive
disease of the cow called 'Vaccinia,' or cow
pox. This virus produces local peck, with
constitutional disturbance, and affords pro-
lection, more or less permanent, from small
pox. In 170S Edward Jenner. a physician
practicing in Worcestershire. England. an
nounced that people VINO were accidentally
inoculated with the virus Of cowpox were
not susceptible to smallpox. This was the
beginning of vaccination, one of the greatest
boons to humanity ever discovered by man.
ply sicians do not claim that vaccination
is an invariable and permanent preventive
OF smallpox, but in an immense majority of
cases successful vaccination renders one
immune for years When people who have
been vaccinated do take smallpox only @ to
per cent OF these die. but at least 80 per
cent of those not vaccinated die. Aitsin
makes the statistics for those who have
been vaccinated very much smaller than Q
per cent.
Bovine Virus Used.
1.-THE choice between humanized virus and
bovine virus is unimportant except that
where bovine virus is used there Is little or
no danger of carrying owe disease whereas
with humanized virus this danger exists un-
less the person from whom the virus is
taken be thoroughly known by the physi-
clan. 1t has been observed that the con-
sututional disturbance and the arm sore
ness III those cases vaccinated with human
lied virus are less than In those upon whom
the bovine virus has been used. This ad-
vantage Is so trivial that the use of human
lied virus has been practically abandoned.
After vaccination the duratio Of immun-
Ivy Is extremely variable, differing in differ
ent individuals. In some instances it is
permanent after one vaccination, but a ma
Jor:ty OF people lose their immunity after
ten or twelve years, according to Osler and
Flint thinks il is prudent to vaccinate
every fifth year
II is two or three months old, or even when
your ger, II danger of infection exists. 1t Is
a very wrong and dangerous notion to
think that because the vaccina ton does not
take there IS no need for 1t. At least
second attempt should be made in such
cases, especially when there is smallpox in
city: When a person is vaccinated for the
first time and the virus takes the signs are
these: From twenty four to thirty-six hours
after vaccination there is seen at the place
or iECculation slight elevations or papules
surrounded by reddish zone. The papule
grows larger. and on the fifth or sixth day
vesicle or blister forms The margin of
the blister Is raised and It's center Is de-
pressed. There may be number of small
vesicles or one large coalesced bleb. The
VeSicie is filled with Hmpid fiuid and the
skin around II gradually hardens and often
becomes sore. About the twelfth day the
tuid grows cloudy and 1t begins to dry. AT
length a dry. brownish seab forms. In from
twenty to twenty-five days the scab
falls OF and leaves a pitted scar About
three days after the iIoculat ton the person
also becomes somewhat feverish, and chill
dren get estless and irritable. The glands in
the armpit also swell. These signs show
that the vaccination has been successful;
without these revaccination is necessary
Sometimes the vescle develops rapidly, is
very itchy, is not fiat. the liquid in it soon
gets Opaque, and the scab forms In about
eight days. This kind of vaccination is not
considered to be successful. One of the
causes of failure is that in the scarification
the virus is not absorbed.
Results of the Vaccination.
That the arm should grow red and swell
down to the elbow wrist is not sign of
successful vaccination, but of a skin In
Illumination. caused by injury or upcleanli-
ness-the ceanest people may be surgically
unclean. In sickly children vaccination
sometimes causes trouble through no fault
OF the virus, and these cases especially
have given rise to The prejudice that ex-
lists in the minds of some ignorant people
against vaccination. This same class of
people also blame the physician and vacci-
nation for any disease that may happen 10
attack a child while the vaccination spot
is new. Children often scratch the vesicle
and thus cause irritation; the vaccination
spot should therefore be protected. The
druggists sell a pad. made of felted wool
which defends the vesicle. This pad has adj
hestve plaster on it, which holds II upon
the arm, and there is a hole into which the
vesicle hts; light bandage may go about
this. Aseptic cotton is an additional means
of protection.
1T is to be hoped that an intelligent I'M
Outstanding OF vaccination will help our
health officers in their efforts to keep out
smallpox from Washington"
Senate COnfirmatiOns.
The Senate in executive session yester-
40 anI . On