Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-05

cosoegeas.noo oooooetD0oo9
Is lOOKER-O ON In IOWA s
.59e,0sge@tos s9sS9s90Dg0DOo00S
For the Times Republican.
Garrison, May Never before in the
history OF Iowa has there been such an
epidemic of smallpox as exists today.
The fact Is, more and more cases are
reported weekly and. strange to relate,
with an increasing number Of cases of
this once deadly disease comes an in
creasing Indifference on the part of the
public. 1t Is said the Flipinos have so
little fear OF this disease that previous
to American rule In Manila the natives
pursued their usual aSocations while
the patient WASH the various stages of
the loathsome disease. We are gradu-
ally becoming Filipinoized in 30 far as
many individuals are concerned. The
writer hears OF one case where last
week quarantired smallpox patient
was making garden" on all of the nice
days. only to the limited disgust of the
nearby neighbors. In every town the
writer hears of the careless quarantine
existing. The explanation is in the uni
versally mild form of smallpox in Iowa.
OF the $50 cases reported to the state
board of health up toga certain date
only three deaths occurred.
As one travels over the state he finds
in each town a certain number Of In
ldividuals who are first sure there is
not a case OF smallpox in Iowa. 1t is
Cuban itch, chickenpox or an epidemic
skin disease" Secondly. there is a
growing number of people who Will not
allow themselves or families to be vac
|cinated. This class of people claim to
knowsof death from vaccination, or as
q result a.disease worse than smallpox.
Again it is d notorious fact that our
boards ofshealth are composed Of men
lwho either lack knowledge or nerve or,
to put it another way. some boards of
health are buldozed by individuals re-
lsferrad to III the classes mentioned
l.aboYe. lnone town it Is reported that
the local board of health issued an or
der that after a certain day no chil-
] dren would be allowed school privileges
UNLESS they brought a certificate show
ling vaccination inside OF seven years.
but the school superintendent made /;
null and void because the school board
failed To issue such an order. In am
l8other town one member of the board Of
health positively asserted that no
|standing the state board of health and
the other resident physicians declared
1.-the cases genuine smallpox.
9 ~
Now the writer is not an expert on
lsmallpoX, but surely some sort OF skin
and blood disease exists in Iowa as an
epidemic to an Alarming extent. This
from the $50 cases in Fraserito the two
Tor three in Toledo. This disease is pro-
lnounced by the best medical talent In
Iowa to be genuine smallpox. Again,
lsince Jenner's discovery the history OF
SMALLPOX the world over has been
lchanged
One-tenth of the human race on the
leverage died annually OF smallpox for
centuries before the discovery OF vacci-
snaton; during which period. inathe Ian
guage of MacaulaY. me disease was
always present, filing the churchyards
with corpses. leaving ON those whose
Hines it spared the hideous traces Of Its
lpower, turning the babe intosa change.
Hing at which the mother shuddered
land making the eyes and checks Of the
betrothed maiden objects OF horror t.
Their lover"
For this devastating and constant
ipestilence Jenner substituted a mild at.
never causing death, suffering or dis.
1figurement, when properly and intelll-
1gently produced, and comforting an i'm.
immunity from the graver disease proper,
Itionate tosits thoroughness and eff.
lciency. To neglect or oppose its uni
Iversal Introduction Is to invite avoida
,1ble suffering. disaster and death-eithel
Icarslessly. ignorantly or crlminaliy.
There Is no possible chance Of caus
ling any other affection or Of introduc
ling into the system any disease wher,
1.-THE slycerinater lymph is used with til,
3Icareful anti-septic precautions which
are now known to be as necessary al
in a surgical operation. For this latte
reason only competent physician
should be allowed to vaccinate. Unde
these conditions vaccination has beer
4 reduced TO a science, securing the max
sIimum OF protection against smallpo,
5IlWitli the minimum of discomfort an,
lsabsolute freedom from danger"
From these quoted words compar
the "one-tenth Of the human race dy
ling annually from smallpox to les
[than per cent of deaths in the %
eases reported in Iowa.
A recent article in Chicago pape
.5.says:
That there are still many thousand
Iiof adult people in Chicago who are no
only not vaccinated. but violently oh
slject to the simple precaution designe,
! as much for their personal wellbeing a
A for that of the public at large, seem
!, almost incredible. In view of the fac
4 that modern methods, principally TIL
4 abandonment of the old vaccine points
and the adoption Of fluid lymph. thor
4 oughly aseptic and absolutely harmless
!. has removed even the primary cause
!. for bjection-namely the physical suf
4 fering which often resulted from i'm
J. lproper viccinationin the past. 1t woul
hat valid Hr,.,,yol@ %nr :,