The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-27
VACCINATION

more revenue 70 the medical men of this
city than all the vaccination they viii do
in a lifetime. The attendance upon one
had case Of smallpox would pay a doctor
more money than all she vaccinations he
viii do in year.
The medical profession occupies an
anomalous position among the workers
of the world. All of the reforms wrought
by sanitary science and preventive medi-
cine have been introduced by physicians
Medical men have been and are absolutely
unselfsh in this matter
Every case of sickness prevented takes
money out Of their pockets, and still the
medical men of all countries and all times
have not only given their time and talents
TO the prevention of disease. but they
have even had to almost quarrel with
those whom they sought to benefit in in
Producing measures which have been
demonstrated as necessary
Most De9ple want protection from con
tagi0us diseases in their neighbours fam
lily, but when the disease exists in their
own household they are often unwilling
to give that protection to others by obey
ing the rules necessary to make the quar-
antine efficient
1t should be remembered that con-
tagious disease is not private affair, but
a public nuisance, and the state must
employ means TO prevent its dissemina-
ton.
Space viii not permit "a review of the
statistics of vaccination. but 1 may say
in general that the regular medical pro-
fession of the civilized world is almost a
unit in employing vaccination to prevent
or modify smallpox; this after thorough
trial of more than 100 years The same
sentimental objections to vaccination
were urged when the immortal Jenner
made this benedcent discovery that are
being urged today in Salt Lake City.
They were met and answered by him at
that time in a manner entirely satisfac-
tory TO all reasonable minds They have
been met and answered many times since
in the most conclusive fashion by the
actual demonstration of the efficacy OF
the practice Not to go far from home.
take the example of the city of Los An
geles, Cal, for the year 1893. During last
year there were 119 cases of smallpox and
varioloid in that city, fifty-four being
variOiOid. Among all these cases nifty
nine had been vaccinated some time In
their lives and none died. The remaining
sixty cases were Unvaecinated and TWEEN
ty-twO Of them died
Complications in vaccination are pre-
ventable. The following rules should be
adopted:
First-The operation should be clean,
that is, surgica.ly clean. aseptic.
SecOnd-A protective dressing should be
applied after vaccination
Third-None but competent surgeons
should do the vaccinatng.
FoUrrh-NOne but glycerinzed calf
lymph should be used. The German.
English, French, United States. Belgian
and Russian governments prescribe that
glycerinized lymph only must be used.
The points once common, are anti
.quated and not a. safe as the glycerln-
lied virus prepared with modern aseptic
precaution.
No violent Inflammation should follow
vaccination. If it does, there has been
infection by pus-producing or other or
ganisms and the Inflammation is not due
70 vaccination. but TO other infection. An
inflammation due to pus germs gives 10
protection against smallpox.
Vaccine lymph should be obtained from
those stations alone where miscroscopicaI
and archaeological examinations are con-
stantly employed before it is placed on the
market
SYPHILIS is a disease which does not ex. s.
in the bovine species and cannot be given
to those animals. In all vaccine stations
none but healthy young calves are used in
producing the lymph. There are no au-
thentic cases Of conveying tuberculosis
from the calf to the human being By vac
cination. Former occasional bad results
in vaccination were due to an. unskillfuI
use of humanized virus and more espec-
tally to the uncleaEey surgical methods
employed
I am satisfied that many Of those OBJ
posed to vaccination are just as sincere
in their opposition as 1 am in its ad-
vocacy. but l doubt if they nave con.
sideTed all Of the modern safeguards
against the evil results which they cite
as cause for opposing the practice.
Why Goes vaccination protect from
smallpox? l believe tor the same reason
that an attack Of smallpox protects
against another attack. Bacteriology mas
demonstrated not only the germ tneory
Of many diseases. but the study has a.so
shown that during the existence Of the
disease these bacteria cause the Broduc-
tion of certain substances known as tox-
ines and anti-toxines. We are now max
ing use of this knowledge and producing
which is protection against dIphtheria and
even curative. The introduction of this
anti-toxine puts the patient into the
same condition as if he had just had
diphJheria-he Is immune.
Now. when d person has smallpox, there
is produced in mis- blood an anti-toxine
which prevents him from having the dis
ease again for several years. My belief
10 hat is modified
SHaanpOx is inoculated on the COW and
the disease after passing through several
members of the bovine species is great
~ modified in Yirulence so that its rein
ocUlation on the human animal produces
only a slight sore, but it has not lost its
power to produce the. anti-toxine which
gives immunity from another attack of
the disease for quite a number Of years.
The result is the same as if a person had
had smallpox. a mild attack OF the dis
ease ard still rilder form of smallpox
modified by passing through several mem
bers Of the bovine species also gives the
immunity and is protective. This is vac
cination
The local board Of health is acting in
good faith and on its best judgment in the
course it has taken in its endeavors TO
prevent the spread Of smallpox in this city
and it Is backed up by an overwhelming
majority of all students of smallpox and
the experiences and observations Of medi-
cal men for the past lG9 years,
The Royal Commission in Great Brit
ain. Of which so much has been said. after
sitting continuously for years and hear
ing all the evidence on both sides Of the
subject which could be obtained, has pub
Hshed several large volumes containing an
account Of its proceedings and findings.
The unanimous conclusion Of this noted
body was that vaccination does prevent
smallpox" J. G. T. KING.
Needed a Haircut