Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-07

The present Indications are that
smallpox will be much worse this
winter than il has been in the last
TWO or three" This is the prognos-
tication of DR.. Egan. secretary of the
state board of health. II make this
statement. he continues, because
of the widespread prevalence and in
creasing virulence of the disease dur
ing this warm weather when small
poN should be least dangerous. What
viii il be when cold weather sets ia?
fear for the effects i'm Illinois.
The people are not aroused TO the
importance of using every means at
their command to stamp out this dis
ease. IL is growing more i'm spite of
all this board has done and is doing.
The great trouble is we do not get
the assistance from the municipal
and county authorities that we
should have. Smallpox patients are
permitted To run at large. Even pro-
nounced eases that Il layinan should
he able to distinguish are allowed to
roam over the country at Will. Prop
err disinfection and precautions are
not taken when cases are discovered.
There is only one safe defense
against this sease-vaccination. Il
have in all my career never seen a
person recently vaccinated take
smallpox. Some time vaccination is
good for seven or eight years and oc-
even longer. l have vac
myself after each visit TO a /
smallpox patient, butt in the last II
years it has never taken. l suppose
200 times l have vaccinated myself in |
that time. but il has never taken. I
go among smallpox patients without !
Il bit OF fear. | must be careful not /
To carry the disease and | take the /
necessary TO prevent this. |
The health laws of the state are |
but what we have would |
be of material assistance if they /
were properly enforced. The board I
can not begin To send inspectors To 1
all the places which have reported |
the disease. Three or four times the |
amount of the appropriation the /
board has could be expended in this
one way. If this disease is to be met
and conquered we must have the in
iclli~ent cooperation of all officials
and authorities and the people them
selves. On the question of vaccina-
non the board has issued the follow
ng. which appears i'm our circular
IN smallpox. is prevention. restl'ic
ion and suppression:
Vaccination is a safe and positive
against smallpox. No
larm can result from vaccination
performed by qualified
physician. Physicians. nurses and
attendants in smallpox hospitals
'arely contract the disease. Their
ole protection is vaccination. Upon
he first appearance of case of
mallpoN i'm given locality system
tic vaccination or re-vaccination
must at once be resorted to-vaccin-
tion of all not previously protected.
nd re-vaccination in all cases where
he operation had not been success
ully performed within the preceding I
= months. 1t is not prudent to rely
N an old vaccination. no matter ,
low typical the scar may be. The in ;
of vaccination is trifiing :
with an attack of small
'oX. If it doesn't take one may bc
ssured of safety if eNposed-provid
d. the operation has been properly
If it does take il is con-
Iusive evidence that the individual
-as in u condition to have contracted
mallpoX if exposed. y
Vaccination should i'm all cases be :
erformed by legally qualified ply /
ician: and too much care cannot be {