Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-06-20
A few Sober Facts Worth Consid-
ering.

The combined and concentrated wis
dom of the medical fraternity which
has been so yaliantly stamping out,
combating, and eXterminating a dis
ease that did not exist, like the hero
of Cervantes making war upon wind
mills and imaginary foes, is set forth
in the Cresco Times by "Alpha" who
may perhaps be one of the medical
impostors and perhaps not, as traces
OF hair-oil and spit-curls are discern
IDLE between the lines. 1t is a fair
specimen of the arguments of the
small poX doctors of CreSco who prob
ably never saw a case of that disease,
and who in their speculative en-
terpriSes, horse jockeying and sporting
tendencies have not time to read up
the best medical authorities touching
the nature and character of the
disease and its treatment, and the
high medical authorities cited by DR..
w. B. Clarke, of indianapolis, in con-
demnation of one of their fadS-vacci-
nation-probably no one of them ever
read, and why should they, with the
massive brain and giant intellect (for
coming money out of great scare)
which they possess? They assume
that the people are mostly fools, and
treat them accordingly. An objection
to vaccination is that it creates an
actual disease and being in violation
of the integrity of the body renders
the person more susceptible to other
diseases The indus of disease is in
the individual, the impregnating ele-
mentS are around him. All eXanthem-
atouS complaints are akin, and may
be mentioned as chicken poX, measles,
crysipetatous eruptions very general
ly, German measles, diphtheria and
small poX, and are so classed by the
best medical authorities. Microbes
are at best but fads; and the theories
that doctors, like spiders spin out of
their bowels, would make disease
man S normal condition. AS of old
",The heads thereof judge for reward,
and the priests thereof teach for hire,
and the prophets thereof divine for
money!" and the illiterate timid and
frightened love to have it SO. We
copy the following bit Of jargon from
the Times as an illustration of their
methods of enlightening the people.
Gentlemen: The editor of the Plain
Dealer is again on the war path. With
blood in his eye and with dilated nostril,
the Mighty Mahooger of the p. d. shifts
the battle from afar. IT,
For the past few weeks he has ceased
from his valiant diatribes against his
ancient foe-the gold bug now
vents his choleric spleen on the doctors.
the city board of health, and any others
who have the temerity to express even a
feeble faith in the virtues of vaccination.
1t has occurred to the writer that these
belllcose attacks of the Mighty Mahooger
against the vaccine baceilli might be
made source of great public instruc.
tion. My plan is this; When the How
ard county fair is advertised, let one of
the attractions be a battle royal between
the Mighty Mahooger Of the Plain Deal
er and blood thirsty twelve headed,
forked tongued, horn tailed octopus of
the Dutch measles variety. Have our
managers secure an octopus that has not
tasted blood for week. Then let the
Mighty Mahooger be stripped to the
belt and armed with bottle of ink and
steel pen. Have the contest pulled off
| in Elm street and let it be free to all.
After the MahoogeF has punctured the
vitals of the octopus, let the animal be
harheoued and served to the multitude,
while the Mahooger demonstrates to the
city board of health and the doctors
these covering sons of Fsculapius) the
difference between the baccilll of Dutch
measles and the baccllli of small poS
This certainly would prove an ;nstruc
tive entertainment for a9r people as
there is no more agila toreador of the
Dutch measles oeAopi in the land thar
the Mighty Mahooger-Cresco's favoritt
citizen.
Yours for tho success OF the fair,
ALPHA.
| We helieve we are justified in speak
| ing of this article as John Randolph
of Roanoke, once did in congress as ;
coalition of the Puritan and th
blackguard. I"
| zollowsng is the article by DI
Clarke, which walesewed to above, ant
| which Mas published in Vaccinations.
I AN EDITOR ANSWERED.
The Indianapolis Ne,es thus commit