Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-11
THE SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC.

nation it the only preventive that
amounts to anything. Nevertheless. in
some parts of the country there are or
ganized efforts to resist vaccination.
This opposition is based upon two
grounds. first that vaccination is not a
preventive at all, and second that if
it is. vaccination is as bad. if not worse
than small pox. because it introduces
which it can never be cleansed.
AS to the first proposition. it is
enough to say that out of the hundreds
upon hundreds of cases that have de-
veloped all over the United States. very
few of the victims claimed to have been
v~accinated recently. and in these there
was generally some evidence tending to
show hat the operation was faulty.
The one fact that out of all the cases
reported. practically none of them had
been vaccinated. is strong enough tes-
timony as to the value of it. Then the
nurses at the isolation hOSpltaS ana
pest houses. the physicians and others
in attendance did not contract the dis
ease with a few rare exceptions. while
the percentage of those unvaccinated
and exposed to the disease who con-
the experts to determine whether the
prevailing epidemic is mall pox "modi-
fled" or some new form of small pox
the public ought to be convinced that
there is just one way to become prac-
tically immune from the disease, and
that is through vaccination.
Various things contribute to immun-
ity. among them cleanliness. regular
habits, and freedom from exposure. And
yet. with all this, one would rave to
live the life of a recluse to be immune
There ought to be no question of COM
pulsory vaccination, except the compul
sion of reason. but to the end, the rule
will be resisted.
"A pHN SlCldH, NlllllS 70 lit AIcuISdl
Record, gives something like an accur-
ate explanation for the existence OF
Observation-Disclosures, and states his
own position, which is certainly as Curl
Gus and interesting as his reasoning is
fallacious. He says:
I hin that there are two reasons
- - H. ,@ot - 49, 60. !
chile vaccination. First, human (es-
pecially Anglo-Saxon) nature, when or
dered to do a thing, feels inclined to
resist: secondly, with many there is the
idea that the physicians wish compui-
sorry vaccination SO that they may be
Maid for it,; they do not realize that u
there be no vaccination the physicians
will be largely the gamers. The doc
tors will take good care that they and
their households will not get smallpox.
Speaking further for himself, the
physician says that when he was at
the age of cock surenesss he had no
doubt that vaccination should be COM
pulsory but now, though his opinion Of
the value of the operation Is as high as
ever, he is not SO sure that acceptance
of it's benefits should be enforced, and
still further from sure that the medical
profession should advocate compulsion.
I might, he adds, with equalizer more)
justice have a law passed that any one
with a strangulated hernia, if irredu-
chile, should be compelled to submit to
operation. Appendicitis. glaucoma-
where shall we draw the line?
However,, he states that to all who
ask his advice. he asserts, and always
will assert, the safety and efficacy of
vaccination, but having done that, he
coniders his whole duty performed.
He j~ustifies his position on the ground
that small poX differs from other in
fictitious diseases. bred or promoted by
These may be contracted through no
fault of the persons part, but from the
neglect of a neighbor, and so it is that
in these cases, there is needed a central
authority that will make all obey, while
against small pox there exists absolute
protection and immunity, within the
reach of all who choose to take it.
The situation in Butte is admittedly
serious, and yet, within thirty days,
small pox may be checked and p~ractic-
ally stamped out if people will only be
guided by their reason.
So far the disease has appeared in a
very mild form, but it is the history of
every epidemic that it increases in
severity the longer it exists, and it will
be much easier to check it now than
some months hence. We believe that
the people, approaching these facts,