The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-05-12
ON REFRIGERATION.
WHY 1T is NECESSARY AND THE
VALUE 1T POSSESSES.

Only Limited Immunity From Smallpox.
French Sentiment In Favor of Compulsory
Vaccination Increasing.
NJ. Schrevens of Tourney, in q recent
report to the Academic do Medicine de
Belgique insists on the government max
ing up its mind to bring before the legis-
iature Q law on obligatory vaccination.
he shows that in spite of the creation by
the state Of an institute of vaccination
the death rate of smallpox, after having
decreased for certain time, rose again
in 1892 through carelessness and impru-
dence. Children not vaccinated contin-
ued to be received in the schools, he says;
the rag trade is not watched in any way;
the isolation OF contagious diseases in the
hospitals is not enforced; while work
men, boatmen, travelling showmen and
country letter carriers scatter the germs
OF the disease right and left after being
i'll by resuming their occupations prema-
turely.
1t is in vain, adds M. Schrevens, that
the Belgium government Pounds its
hopes en- the regulations which the pro-
vincial councils are celebrating concern
ing the general organization of vaccina-
ton. The law Is the only radical and GER
tain measure in such questions
/ have taken good deal of trouble to
defend the idea advanced by this writer,
and in paper addressed to the Academic
de Medicine de Paris l showed that
law making vaccination obligatory is
inlpatiently awaited in France also, and
would have very direct relation to the
national defense.
While it is to be hoped that in case OF
another war we should not again see, as
i'll 1870, rs, 600 of our own people succumb
to smallpox as against 900 on the German
side, sill there is in the scheine for
mobilization an important category OF
soldiers placed in the auxiliary services
who, having never served before, may
not have been vaccinated, and run in
this way the risk of becoming a danger
of contagion.
The more one thinks on this question
the less comprehensive becomes the hes
itancy shown to give the strength of
law to an obligation demanded by public
opinion. known quite well that there
are more or less earnest adversaries Of
vaccination, and that various antivacci-
nation leagues serve as a rallyirg point
to those who loudly claim the title of de-
tenders Of our liberties. But liberty is
term that must always be taken in rel
alive manner, and the liberty to do one
thing implies that something else is for
hidden and Imposes on society the duty
of preventing one of its members from
becoming a danger to the rest. What
ever may DO said or done, it is inadrnis-
sible that any one should have the free
dom TO damage neighbor.
The efficacy of vaccination can no
longer be doubted. Its value has been
tested and consecrated by time and ex-
perience, and it should be known every
where that it is by inoculating vaccina
that We protect ourselves from smallpox
and are rendered refractory to its action.
l am quite aware that the following
objection is often made, and that it is
said that it is not true that vaccination
prevents smallpox, and that cases are
cited in which a person properly vacci-
mated has taken smallpox. In spite of
this maintain my affirmation and shall
explain clearly, | hope, how a vaccinated
person may take smallpox and even how
smallpox and vaccina can be seen going
through their evolution together on the
same person.
Take q child who has never been vac
cinatcd and inoculate him in six places
three on each arm. These will be fol-
lowed by the appearance of six fine pus-
tules, and it is quite possible that if
seventh and eighth incubation had been
made they would have been followed by
a seventh or eighth pustule.
What does this prove? That satura-
ton has possibly not been reached and
that certain amount of receptivity to
the virus still remains. The immunity
may be complete, but it may also be only
partial. If man vaccinated six, seven,
eight or ten years ago be inocuaated with
the same vaccine matter used for the
child and with the same care in six
places, instead OF six plstules, as in the
former case, only one, two or three may
form. Saturation IS manifest in this in
stance, and his immunity is complete.
With another patient revaccinated sue
cessfully three months, six months or a
SettE Lnu NlbL WtiO-i IuU haiubCI VI
pustules was less than the number of in
9culations made, however much care !
may take in inoculating him again, !
shall fail altogether. In this case satu-
ration is complete and immunity against
smallpox absolute.
Observation has proved the legitimacy
of tho comparison between the virus of
vaccine and the virus Of smallpox, which,
setting as two reagents of the same fam
Sly, may replace or complete each other.
II / represent by 10 the maximum re-
ceptive power Of person for smallpox,
1 am able by inoculating vaccina to COM
pletely annihilate itspower by comforting
an immunity of 10, or | can do SO incom-
pletely by an immunity of nine, eight,
seven, etc., by making an insufficient
number of inoculations.
1t is easy to understand that recep-
tive power of 10 defended by an irnmuni-
ty of seven, for instance, leaves a recep-
tive power Of three for smallpox. This
is how smallpox may break out on vac
cinated person, and this is aisowhy small
pox and vaccina may go through their
evolution together, but in such cases the
smallpox will be always hight and mild.
The question Of quantity must there
fore be taken into account in comforting
immunity against smallpox, especially as