The times., 1899-04-08
WOODWARD'S REPLY
TO Mr.. THOMPSON
There Was No Attempt to
Muzzle the Press.
Vaccination Not the Cause of Spot
ted Fever.
One More Case of the Disease Re-
ported to the Health Depart
ment Yesterday.

person who signed himself Joseph Am
brose Thompson recently wrote TO the
District Commissioners alleging that in
fluence emanating from the Office of the
Commissioners tended TO muzzle the press
in connection with the prevalence of
spotted fever or cerebro-spinal menin-
gifts in this city. The writer maintained
that the disease was due directly to
wholesale vaccination, and intimated that
the Commissioners should begin an inves-
tigation for the purpose of ascertaining
data to be laid before the grand jury for
the purpose of issuing indictments against
users of vaccine virus.
The letter read as follows:
1T has come TO my knowledge that in
fiuence emanating from your office has
been brought to bear upon the local press
to prevent any controversy upon the sub
ject of cerebro- spinal meningitis.
Health officers in several cities are pro-
Tossing lamentable ingnorance upon this
subject; one blames Schuylkill water, an
other the blizzard. All skillfully avoiding
medical work upon the subject, that py-
aemia (due TO the introduction into the sys-
TEN of pus, or the constituents of pus) also
septicaemia absorption into the blood of
putrid material from the surface of a
wound or ulcer) are the most prominent
causes of this malady, and they may be
aggravated by extreme heat or cold or al
coholic indulgence.
Il also wish to draw your attention to
the fact, which you can readily confirm by
communicating with the proper authorities
at the Agricultural Department, il they
have no pecuniary object in hiding the
truth, that Anthrax. the disease that
killed so many COWS in this section (and
Virginia) two years ago and 'cerebro spi
mai meningitis are Identical in every de-
tail.
'Cognizant of the results of vaccination
among your police and firemen, It may
lead you to think that the use of impure
vaccine virus is the cause of so much dis
aster and instead of this. matter being
smoothed over details should be laid be-
fore the grand jury and that body may is
sue indictments against the users of this
poison that has killed and MANNED so
many citizens.
Il have written you at length SO If any
official prohibition has been suggested to
the press 1t may be removed before other
means are taken to ventilate this impor-
tant subject
The reply of DR.. Woodward, the Health
Officer, is as follows:
''The Health Department has had no
knowledge of any controversy pending in
the local press upon the subject of cere-
bro-spinal meningitis 1t would there
fore have had no occasion even if it had
any desire or power, to bring influence 10
bear upon the local press to prevent any
such controversy.
The discussion into which the writer
OF this letter goes relative TO the relation
between cerebro-spnal meningitis, pyae-
mia, septicaemia. anthrax, and yaccina-
ticn is too erratic TO be followed, and
therefore not susceptible of intelligent con-
sideration. There is not, so far as | am
Informed, anything in medical literature
TO demonstrate the existence of any rela-
tion between vaccination and epidemic GER
ebro-spinal meningitis.
Upon receipt of the communication above
referred to letters were addressed to each
OF the physicians who had attended the
twenty-five fatal eases of cerebro-sp
meningitis which had occurred prior TO
that time, so that judgment in the case
need not rest on the opinion of any one
man, but might be reached by anyone
One of the replies received simply stated
that the case had been due to vaccination
Disregarding this case-because this ex-
preston is merely an opinion-the history
Oh LWeDty-One Ol0tT cases Is as tOllOWs-
Two are reported TO have been vacci-
mated recently; one had not been vacc-
mated this year; two not for a year or
more; another not for three years; another
not for several years; another Eot for four
years; three had not been vaccinated since
1894; enc had not been vaccinated since
1882; another not for twenty-one years.
Three-one, seventeen years old; an
other thirty-one years old. and the third
ffty-five years old-had not been vacc-
mated since childhood; four had never b=en
vaccinated and another showed no evi-
dence Of vaccination when admitted to the
hospital suffering from the disease.
I'm view OF the fact that approximately
q eco vaccinations have been effected by
this department, either directly or indi-
rectly, since February 10 of the pres
ent year in addition to those per
formed by physicians in private prac-
tice, the contention of the writer
of this letter is certainly not supported by
the foregoing facts. Neither is it support
ed by the previous experience of this de-
partment, for, five years ago. when.
through the agency of the Health Depart
ment, approximately 25,000 vaccinations
were done in addition TO those performed
by physicians in private practice, not a
single case OF epidemic cerebro-spinal men,
ingitis was reported"
One death from spotted fever was re-
ported to the Health Department yesterday,
increasing the total number of deaths
within five weeks to forty.