The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-22
bat vaccination alone can riyn them.

western part OF the State, due entirely TO
the negligence and want Of vaccination.
wrote to the representatives OF our
board In these counties TO give me. II
they could, the per cent. OF the popula-
ton % their respective counties that
were protected by vaccination. re-
ceived the following replies:
In Buchanan county possibly g per
cent. OF the entire population of the
county have been yaccnated; in Dicken-
son county only about fifty out Of the
5000 population have been vaccinated;
in Lee county, about 10 per cent: in
Tazewell county. 25 per cent; in Rus
sell county 10 per cent; Scott county
sent no response 10 my letter. In Wise
county, where the epidemic started. vac
cination has been quite generally per-
formed. Now this Condition of affairs
exists at this time In almost every coun-
~ In the State. Some few. as you see.
have been yaccinate1 more or less ef-
fectively, but the great majority have
never been. The only feasible way 70
protect the people against the outbreaks
Of smallpox Is to make vaccination COM
pulsory 20 every man. woman and child
I'm the State and have II done In sys-
tematic way.
Laws should be enacted that would
20 protect its citizens THE principle
OF public seif-protoctl0n lies at the fo0n-
dalton OF criminal law. The State has
q right to protect itself, and society has
a right 10 protect itself against epidemics
Of so ioathsome and pes.ilential dis
ease BY enforcing the means approved
By the experience and best judgment
OF the civilized world
Such methods are being adopted and
practlved in all European countries
which time and experience demonstrate
have given most excellent results. II Ia
not sufficient simply 10 pass stringent
and mandatory laws on this subject Dut
the state in requiring vaccination Of all
the people within its bounds should do
this work gratuitously and see that II Is
properly done
Virginia should have is own vaccine
farm The State should establish at the
Agricultural College at Blacksourg It's
own vaccine farm under the supervision
Of the state Board Of Health, ana man,
tain il for the production of fresh, pure
bovine virus. The farm should be con-
Quoted on the most approved ana scleh-
tfhc Man for the production or All the
virus needed for tho commonwealth
which should be distributed under tne
seal ~ the State Board OF Health TO the
n,,,lic free OF all cost. The State should
be divided into districts and public vac
cinators selected for their fitness and
and appointed by me S1ate
BOARD OF Health They shouil N.sl1
every household and public INSTITUTION
once a year FOR the purpose OF Facelil@-
ton and revaccinaton. 1T, -
Every child in the state shouiu
vaccinated during tho first year or us
In, !
v,av the entire population Oh tue olalo
,,,oI,id be reached. and IN few years
smallpox would be entirely eraalcapeu
and almost an unknown disease IL VIII
he claimed. possibly, by the retrenenels
and reformers that this annual vista
tion and systematic work by the puohc
voccinators would be "A costly procedure
II Is hardly necessary to READ the SUI
tistice. often quoted before, Whlch prove
that every death Is q loss 10 the state OF
when computed III ooHais
and cents. as being about one thouSanu
dollars. Death from smallpox can De
prevented. and the time is coming "hen
preventive sanitation and measures WIZ
accomplish this LONG looked-Ior result
which I trust Is not far IN the lutute'
II the lives Of only hundred OF our elu-
zens ara sayed by the system above sus-
ductive energies Of the people or one
hundred thousand dollars per annum. II
this grand result could be accomplished
should we stop to count the COST 10 /
maintain a vaccine farm by experts
would not equal this sum. In the words
of another. "Wise sanitation pays, 10 say
nothing OF tho loftler aims OF preventing I
sorrow. suffering and death. Besides the ,
direct saving i'm productive energy by he [
,reasina the death rate, and consequently !
the sick list. IL would be a great gain !
10 the business interest OF any COM !
nunlty 10 be insured against the dis
.urbance Of periodic outbreake5 OF this |
most dreaded Of all epidemic diseases.
for the prevention Of an =
BOX are Just az legitimate as eXpendi-
urcs for the human care or the pima
md the insane
Such a system wisely, discreetly ana
administered would be the
,ntering wedge Of general state sanitary
which would save 10 the
,eople. from a commercial standpoint. TO
av nothing Of the sweet blessings of in
.reased health and longevity OF life.
arge sum, possibly enough 10 defray the
General expense Of the Commonwealth.
m the words OF benjamin Franklin,
Public health is public wealth
Referring again 10 the best means OF
preventing smallpox, and as proof Of
he efficacy Of vaccination with pure
.irus. I shall quote from an article OF
Or. Henry Tompkins, medical superin-
endent Of the Manchester Royal In
rmary Of England. in which he sAs
hat 1.-The most striking OF all evidence Is
erhaps that derived from the smallpox
ospitals themselves. Here the protec-
I've influences Of vaccination Is seen and
roved in 4 manner beyond all caviL
L Highgate during an experience or
orty years. no nurse or servant, having
cen reyaccnated, has ever contracted
he disease and an evidence Of the same
naracter 1 can myself bring forward, for
uring the whole time l have had charge
T the fever hospital more than q thou
and cases OF smallpox have passed
nder my care, yet no servant, nurse or
orter or other person engaged there has,
fter reVaccination ever taken II, though !
xposed daily 20 the infection in its most
form. Again. among all the
udents who during the two years have
ttended the hospital for clinical IN
ruction, not one has suffered. all hav-
IL been rovaccinated before being per-
lifted TO enter the smallpox wards.
acts such as these should convert the
lost ardent anti-yaccinator from his
lily and convince him that weapon
defence so powerful as vaccination
loud not be left to the pleasure OF
le individual, but that the State has
right and II is its duty to look after
5 most thorough performance"
l shall CLOSE this imperfect discussion !
this subject with q quotation from
l address OF DR.. Wilson. OF Kelso. who
'cdicts that, when man shall be
ought TO acknowledge that II is by