Hutchinson gazette., 1901-06-27
ABOUT VACCINATION.
PREVENTIVE MEASURE MOST
BENEFICIAL FOR CHILDREN,


II is easy to forget past dangers and
to grow careless and negligent as ca
lamitles rocode into history, says the
Toronto Globe. The recent outbreak OF
smallpox In Ontario shows that as the
scourges OF the past have become q
memory or q historical record, the pre-
ventlve measure that brought the re-
cent immunity has been neglected,
Tho nature Of the germ OF smallpox
and the pabulum In the human body
on which II subsists are as yet un-
known, but experience has shown that
the introduction of the vaccine germ
sets up an action that results In q GER
tain amount OF immunity from small
pox and lessons the ylrulence Of the
disease. One result reasonably attrlbu-
table to vaccination Is the transference
OF the most fatal period from child
hood to maturity. In Geneva from
1880 TO 1860 there were 25,340 deaths
from smallpox and over 80 per cent
were OF children under ten years OF
age. In Kilmarnock from 1928 to 17G4
the proportion OF children among tho
fatal cases was 9SS in every 1000. In
a total Of S6,755 deaths from smallpox
in Kllmarnock Bdinburg, Manchester,
Warrington, Chester, Geneva and Tho
Hague, In various pre-vacclnatlon Pc
rlods since 1880, thero were 1889 un-
der two years of age, Since children
have been protected by vaccination
the greater proportion Of fatalities has
been among adults, In nLondon In 1884
the proportion OF children was 6l2 In
over 1000 deaths among the unyacci-
mated, and In the vaccinated commu-
nifty there were only SO children In
every 1000 fatal cases, In Prussia both
vaccination and reyacclnatlon are
compulsory, and from 1916 to the pass
Ing of the law OF 1874 the smallpox
death-rate was 300 per annum per mill
lion Of population. Since then, down
TO 1892, 1t has been 15, and In the last
ten years Of the period only II. The
compulsory vaccination age Is the Sec
ond year Of life, and In lS86-9O more
than two-fifths OF the few deaths that
occurred from smallpox were under
two years Of age. In Austria, where
vaccination Is not compulsory, the
ate, instead of being Z per million,
ns In Prussia was 45S In the same pc
riod, In italy since 1888 vaccination Of
infants has been compulsory, as has
revaccination OF children attending
public schools. From 1881 to 1890 the
smallpox death rate was 355 per mil
lion per annum, and In 1S91-94 1t was
only 65. At the time of the European
epidemic of 1S70-75 Scotland, England,
Sweden and Bavaria had q compul-
sorry vaccination law, and their small
pox rates per million In the worst
years were lao, 1880, 1860 and 1860
respectively, Prussia, Holland and
Austria had no general compulsory
vaccination, and their rates in the
worst years were 5000, $3.50 and 6,lSO,
Coming TO 1916, with vaccination
not compulsory in Austria, with only
infantile vaccination compulsory in
England, and with vaccination and re-
vaccination compulsory in Prussia, the
average death rate per million from
smallpox In the capitals Of these three
countries was, in Vienna 670, in Lon
don $50, and in Berlin 10. The coun-
Gil of the British Medical association
has Issued q pamphlet setting forth in
condensed form the facts ELECTED by
the royal commission on smallpox and
vaccination, According to the record
of three towns, Dewsbury, Leicester
and Gloucester, whore vaccination had
been neglected, 1t was found that
among 70 vaccinatod children Gt-
tackled two died. or 27 per cent, but
among 06l unvaccinated children at
tackled $50 died. or 37.S per cont, TAX
Ing persons over 10 years old, among
1859 vaccinated persons attack
cd there were 13G deaths, or GO
per cent, and among 33l unvacclnatcd
persons there were 75 deaths, or 1915
per cent. This record is supplemented
by figures which show that among
those recorded as vaccinated the death
rate Is low in proportion to the evil
dences OF thoroughness revealed by
the scars. or 1O,403 cases In Homer
ton hospital, 2,SO5 had good vacclna-
ton marks, and the fatalities among
them were per cent 1854 had indlf-
ferent marks, and the ratio Of fatali-
ties was per cent; 1,2O5 were alleged
to have been vacclnated but had no
scars, and Of them D per cent were
fatal, while the unyaccnated num-
bcred 21GO, with 43 per cent Of fatali-
ties. The evidence collected shows
that tho medical associations OF Brit
ain and other countries are abundant
ly justified In favoring compulsory
vaccination as u measure Of public
safety, and II would be extremely dan
gerous to relax our vigilance In mat
ter Of such vital Importance