Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-10-04
HEAR THE OTHER SIDE.

. DIT 20 ul+1' ''"
HEAR THE OTHER SIDE.
The resolution adopted by the Utah
State Medical society petuoning the
Lsus.aurs f1r power TO make yacci-
nation compulsory when In their opln-
ion 10 shall become necessary for the
protection of public health Is OF gem
eraI interest and should receive due
attention 10 was introduced boy Dr.
Pike Of Provo and adopted with only
one dissenting vote that Of Dr Wright
OF ibis ...y.
We 30 mot desire 90 say anything
AGAINST tha resolution Itself although
IL fs somewhat late in the day TO force
"a particular remedy upon any part
of the American public particularly in
| v..w ot DO. fact that compulsory vac.
| cra.Iuu bias been abolished by law IN
the most enlightened European coun-
tries. uut che statements upon which
| On. resolution were based should not
go uueha.lengcl The members of the
society stated os their unanimous opin-
| i.9 that "ylo.in8tl0n is the only
known preventive. and that it properly
performed Sc O. harmless and sure pre-
yealle 0t smallpox" This may be
an opinion but &c Is not based on
available facts and figures, and Is con-
sequpntly OF no particular value AZ a
| guide Tor legislators There is equally
authoritative opinion in favor Of the
proposition, that vaccination Is neither
O. safe nor a sure preventive Of dis
ease.
DR. Charles Ruata. professor OF by
gleuc and mater.a medIca ln the Uni
ver.ty OF Perusia, Italy In letter
90 the New York Medical Journal. dat
cd June "a 1899. took the president Of
the American Medical Society. Dr. Jo-
seph NJ Mathews. severely to task
for calling The Observation-Disclosures bad
names and assured him that there are
now So his country several thousand
medical men, who are as mad" or
misguided" as the writer himself, on
this question and this, Notwithstanding
the fact that Italy is about the best
yaccinated country IN the world. And
they have become Observation-Disclosures
because Of the facts they have OBJ
served.
in Italy, about $500 per cent Of the
entire population IS yaccinated. Dr.
Ruata says, and yet the epidemlcs OF
smallpox have harvested thousands OF
victims. In 1857 there We're 1919 !
deaths In the following year, 1910; |
and in 1859, l3ll3. But these ravages
did not occur In the parts OF the coun-
try, where modern rules OF hygiene are |
observed, but In the mountain regions |
Of Sardinia. Sicily, Calabria, etc., where
the people stlll live essentially as their
forefathers aid, a century ago. and /
this. In the opinion OF the doctor ia
the key to the situation. Where the
rules Of hygiene are neglected. no pre-.
yentiye Of an epidemic is awaiting.
Dr.. Ruata meets the assertion that
the deaths were due TO want Of re.
vaccination, by statistics showing that
In the army, Of 100 deaths OF smallpox
"a Fatal cases were OF persons success.
fully vaccinated, and only i6 IN persons
on whom vaccination dld not take"
That is to say those who were "unpro-
tected' were less exposed TO death than
those who were protected" He pur-
sued his investigations in the army |
with truly remarkable results. The 1
lymph used Is furnished by the govern /
ment Institute and is as pure" as can /
be had. The total number Of soldiers /
during the years covered by the I'm.
yest.satons were I23iO25, Of whom /
5S3clj were yaccinated with GOOD re-.
suits and i7al20 with no results.
Among Jhc drs, class there were 1888 /
cases q smallpox. while IN the latter
thera were only as
The doctor calls attention 90 other
facts. During The three mos, terrible
years of en'lem.os Do Italy. the death. /
rate among the men. who were most
Thoroughly yaccIua,gl. was larger than /
among ile women who were not 30 well
protected. they u1, having served In the
army BIS figure. 1re as follows.
De 1897 there t..I of smallpox 2G9
men over 20 years old. and only 1910 /
women In the same age, In 1855 1850
men ar' 1850 woneni and In 1859. 2gs
men AVID >8 women. an more than 20
years of age
Tho Facts and figures are given for
what they ara worth. The controversy
Gums ..E upon statistics. ana II is
only iu-. ana fair that the obversa
sid. should De given "a hearing. A
srsat majority OF the people Do Utah
4l. adverse 20 compulsory vaccination
i.r Doe nipple but sufficient reason thar
medical authority IS divided On as
efficiency u % were shown that vac
'.aaton We're sure and harmless pre-
'.ni.yo of any disease. there might boz
poo objection 90 a Law making it CONE
rl.soy any more than there is against
Che compulsory spraying Of trees. Truth
and freedom are the sine qua non OF
i.-'ees, and O cause that must RELY on
l'c.l. o. ON false assertions. or on a
Iarua. statement OF facts. cannot be
convincing