New-York tribune., 1901-02-15
VACCINATIONS SUCCESS.
DOCTORS TELL INTERESTING INCL
DENTS ILLUSTRATING ITS
EFFECTIVENESS.

An unusually interesting meeting Of the sec
tion of Pediatrics of the New-York Academy or
Medicine was held last night at the academy.
1t was interesting not only to the physician but
to the average layrnan. as the topic OF discus
sion Vaccination.
One of the papers was read by Dr. FRANK D
Fielder, of No. 33 West Ninety -thrd-st- The
subject of his paper was Vaccination Clinically
Considered" In 1t he referred to the duration
of the immunity from effective revaccination
which is conferred by vaccination. and spoke
about the resident physician on North Brother
Island whittier all persons suffering with small
pox and all smallpox suspects removed by
officials of the Board of Health. The story he
told about this physician clearly showed how
vaccine virus acts upon some constitutions or,
rather does not act He said that the physician
was successfully vaccinated about eighteen
years ago and again about ten days ago In the
recent outbreak of smallpox in this city this
physician came in almost constant contact with
persons afflicted with the disease.
HE WAS JABBED MANY TIMES
He never at any time showed any signs Of
fear. expressed dread that he might he
stricken with the disease on account of meet
ing daily and hourly persons afflicted AT
that time he had only once been successfully
vaocinated and that vaccination had been made
eighteen years ago He had had vaccine virus
injected into his arms about thirty or forty
times since the first successful vaccination. but
it did not take on any of those occasions. He
was practically immune against the disease. He
was however successfully vaccinated about ten
days ago. before said.
DR. Fielder also told another story 70 illus
trate better the remarks he had made on the
subject of the duration Of immunity to ef-
fective revaccination and immunity of persons
who have been successfully vaccinated from
smallpox. He said that there was man among
.he patients on North Brother Island. twenty :
five Years old. who had been vaccinated about
two years ago. and had had an eAceeu-
,nrIv mild attack of smallpox. The mans
wife was also a patient on the lsiahu'
The speaker said that ne did not know whether
ar not she too had been vaccinated ABOUT
TWO wears ago hut he had heen toiu
that she did not have smallpox in its worst rorrh
DR. Fielder further said that complete natural
immunity to vaccination was practicaiS uh-
known. Among the complications arising from
vaccination infections such as erysipelas. Ceiiu-
IitIs septcsemia etc. became more rare as
methods of preparing virus improved, ana more
care was used at the time Of vaccination ana IN
the subsequent management of the case GEN
eraIized vaccinia aside from cases in which the
eruption is spread by auto-inocula tion. was
rare. Ihe uurdtlon ol immunity ""
pox which is conferred by vaccnat ation
was extremely variable and in the pres
ence Of an epidemic the fact Of recent
successful vaccination was only presumptive
evidence of immunity. or persons successfully
vaccinated within fiVe years few would con-
tract the disease. hut some would. though they
would probably have varioloid instead of small
pox.
IMMUNITY ABOUT TWO YEARS.
The duration of immunity to revaccination
which is conferred by vaccination also
extremely variable. and probably brief two
years less in larger proportion of cases.
than had been supposed. Revaccinaton af-
forded protection against smallpox fully as
an attack OF ths disease protected against a
subsequent attack. Dr. Fielder also said that
a person who had been successfully revac-
cinated much less likely Ia contract or to
die from smallpox than a person who had been
VaCCinatcd only
Continuing DR. Fielder said that vaccine virus
should be subjected 10 rigid physiological tests
before issuance. IL should he retested every
month as long as IL was on sale. The virus from
each animal should he kept by itself and num-
bcred II should be known by the number when
issued. that IL could be called in after
tests had shown that it's efficiency had ceased
He thought that vaccination shields often did
more harm than good.
other papers We're Preparation OF Vaccine" 4"
by DIR. John III. Huddleston. os the Board of
Health and Specific Organisms i'm Vaccine
which was written by DIR. Anna Vessels Will
lam. and was read by another person. she
could not be present. Drs Louis Fischer. Will
lam f. Young and C. Hermann also read pa
pers DIR. Herrmann's subject was. a Simple
Apparatus for Modifying Cows Milk" He
showed the apparatus. Many photographs illus
uatins the various papers exhibited. DR..
Huddieston showed photographs of the vaccine
laboratory Of the Health department. Among
those who took part in the discussion we're Drs
W. y. Dunckel r II. Bartlett and William L.
Stowell. the chairman of the meeting The
majority of the physicians who spoke were op-
posed 10 the use of vaccination shields DR.
Bartlett praised the Board of Health for the
splendid results he had obtained by the use of
vaccine virus prepared by il.