The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-28


The complacent ststsment that small
pox has been eradcated by vaccination
reminds Us of the argument that Christ
ianity owes much to the plug hat for Its
progress. Christianity has advanced
wonderfully since plug hats became fash
iona BILE and the reduction Of the disease
of small pox has been coDtemporaneous
with the practice OF vaccination.
To replace smallpox inoculation by
COW pox inoculation was JgNNER's ten
tative project. JnNNER's originality con-
sisted in boldly designating COW pox as
small pox of the COW and then in tracing
COW. pox itself back to the grease Of the
horses hooks. Practical Investigators
later came to the conclusion that the
connection with the hock's grease was
piece of mere charlatanism and later in
vestigation has pretty well demonstrated
that the connection between small pox
and COW pox was quite as thin and un-
tenable. Medical "scisnce", has found
cred about in the matter, substituting
good many things for the cow pox lymph
apparently only eager to discover
something that would produce sim
liar effect upon inoculation and
then declaring that the effect
would prevent small pox. Given the an
swer to the problem the research has thus
been to framing the problem. JENNER
fooled himself and everybody else with
the idea that COW pox was small pox OF
the COW until, forty years later, somebody
undertook to demonstrate 1t and discov-
cred that it wasn't SO. Strange paradoxies
are frequently exploded by looking into
them. The little boy who declared that
his father and the other little boys father
were brothers and yet they were not cou-
sins, advanced a proposition that was
passing strange until it is learned that
the little boy lied up in Attleboro, fifty
years ago, when COW was inoculuated
with real small pox from the product Of
which some Atty persons were vaccinated,
an epidemic OF small pox was under way
in short order. II the product bad been
that OF cow pox only 1t would have
created no epidemic and there is not
enough evidence to demonstrate that 1t
would have prevented one though from
the COW pox incubation other diseases
might have been spread as they actually
have been according to the records.
But, today, .the pro-vaccinists have
got away:.trom the COW pox and small pox
confusion. The decrease OF small pox be-
gan before vaccination was at all extern
sively practiced. The history OF the early
years OF the century indicates that inocu-
latfon- with real small pox, an idea now
abandoned, we believe, ipterfered with
the natural tendency Of the disease to
run out. Vaccination has only been
generally In vogue since about 1850, and
In this period the caprices OF the plague
have given little ground to repose any
faith In vaccination. The total death
rate from small pox in modern times is
almost the same that 1t was in the 18th
century.
There are strong doubts OF the efficacy
OF vaccination and many reasons to be-
lieve that the practice may work real in
jury. The evidence as 10 the latter state
ment is l5deed stronger than the evil
dence to prove efficacy. Rhode Island
has law making it compulsory that
small proportion OF the population be
vaccinated--the public school children.
The theory OF vaccination has not
stood the test OF Investigation and
practice. and the absurd, not to say abom-
Unable law, should be swept from the
statute book. Or IL II is so sure an agent
for preventing small pox as absolutely
necessary to the public health as the pro-
vaccinists claim, 1t ought to be compul-
sorry on the adult majority of the popu.
lhtion to be vaccinated.