The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-06-29
ABOUT VACCINATION.
PREVENTIVE MEASURE MOST
BENEFICIAL FOR CHILDREN.
Death Rate Il Low In Propostloa 70 the
Evidsness OF Thoeoughnsas REVEALED
by the scau-Msdical Mon 1Ayee Gem
palse.y tacoiaatioa.

It is easy to forget past dangers and
to grow careless and negligent as ca
lamtties recede into history, says the
Toronto Globe. The recent outbreak Of
smallpox in Ontario shows that as the
scourges Of the past have become a
memory or q historical record, the pre-
ventive measure that brought the re-
cent immunity has been neglected.
The nature Of the germ of smallpox
and the pabulum in the human body
on which 1t subsists are as yet UNI
known, but experience has shown that
the introduction Of the vaccine germ
sets up an action that results In a GER
tain amount Of immunity from small
pox and lessons the virulence Of the
disease. One result reasonably attribu-
table to vaccination Is the transference
OF the most fatal period from child
hood to maturity. In Geneva from
1880 to 1850 there were 25,349 deaths
from smallpox and over SO per cent
were Of children under ten years of
age. In Kilmarnock from 1928 to 1854
the proportion Of children among the
fatal cases was 9SS in every 1000. In
q total Of 36,755 deaths from smallpox
in Kilmarnock, Edinburg, Manchester,
Warrington, Chester, Geneva and The
Hague, in various pre-vaccination pc
RODS since 1880, there were 1882 UNI
der two years of age. Since children
have been protected. by vaccination
the greater proportion Of fatalities has
been among adults. In London in 1884
the proportion of children was 612 In
ever 1000 deaths among the unvacci-
mated, and in the vaccinated commu-
nifty there were only Sc children in
every 1000 fatal cases. In Prussia both
vaccination and revaccination are
compulsory, and from 1916 to the pass
ing of the law of 1874 the smallpox
death-rate was 800 per annum per mill
lion Of population. Since then, down
to 1892, it has been Is, and in the last
ten years of the period only L., The
compulsory vaccination age is the sec
ond year Of life, and in 1SS6-9O more
than two-ffths of the few deaths that
occurred from smallpox were under
two years Of age. In Austria, where
vaccination is not compulsory, the
rate, instead Of being 2 per million,
as in Prussia was 45S in the same pc
Rod. 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 1855 per mil
lion per annum, and In 1924 it was
only 65. At the time Of the European
epidemic Of 1870-75 Scotland, England.
Sweden and Bavaria had q compul-
sorry vaccination law, and their small
pox rates per million in the worst
years were 1,470, 1880. 1860 and 1850
respectively. Prussia, Holland and
Austria had no general compulsory
vaccination, and their rates in the
worst years were 5000, $3.50 and $3.50.
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 $40, in Lon
don $50, and In Berlin 10. The coun-
Gil Of the British Medical association
has issued a 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, where vaccination had
been neglected, It was found that
among ~ vaccinated children at
tackled two died, or az per cent, but
among 961 unvaccinated children at
tackled $50 died, or 37.3 per cent. TAX
ing persons over 10 years old. among
1859 vaccinated persons attack
ed there were 1856 deaths, or So
per cent, and among 331 unvaccinated.
persons there were IS deaths, or 22.6'
per cent. This record is supplemented
by figures which show that among
those recorded as v~accinated the death
rate is low In proportion to the evil
dences Of thoroughness revealed by
the scars. OF 1O,403 cases In Homer
ton hospital 2,SOb had good VAGINA
ton marks, and the fatalities among
them were 8 per. cent; 4.854 had indif-
ferent marks. and the ratio OF fatali-i
ties was 8 per cent; 1,295 we're alleged
to have been vactcinated but had no
scars, and Sof them 3 per cent were.
fatal, whilssthe unyaccinated num-
;bered 2.169, Withs4Sss Der cent Or fatali-
ties. The evidence collected shows
that the medical associations Of Brit.
ain and other countriesSare abundant
Justified m favofing compulsory.
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