Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-27
rIIr 1ooKJAw GASES

lIlf law WV ..vttu1 mn
usre treated with anll,ioSln serum W :,
s ,.,O.S gt from M health department Of
, .,a'1 clty. we're seized win loeSjaw
any MT sixteen deaths from ' oV'
Snr,sd has not been and cannot p
sIsputSd. Efforts have been maze 70
,,acs thc cause Of these fatalities 70
something else than the serum u'ed'
i was the same with the case, !. q
tsiauus after vaccination In New le''
ley. The relation Of cause and en' =.
Vas clearly established to the ora'na's
MIND. children who we're yacclna'eu
were seized with lockjaw and dled IRON
Attempts were made 10 show 'ha'
he fatal effects came from some neg
let or improper treatment Of the pus,
,ulas produced from incubation But
The fact that in each Instance lo'NJa"
followed the vaccination, and mat un'
yaccinated children with sores on 'neH
bodIes we're not 50 afflicted caused q
general conviction that tainted virus
caused the tetanus.
We do not refer to these cases for inc
"a
rurpose of attacking vaccination 4"
he injection Of dIphtherItIc antl-toxlh
when considered necessary by physl-
clans. for we do not desire to provoke
CT increase a controversy that would
bring down the wrath Of many pracu-
toners upon those who differ WIN
them on these matters. But that whlch
las been developed in the lnyestlga-
lions SET on foot IN both instances, DEM
olstrates the necessity Of the utmost
care in the preparation Of the serum
used and in the treatment OF patients
after ia administration.
II would be amusing, II the matter
was not so serious, to notice the man
ncr in which public attention Is sought
10 Be diverted from the real source Of
Che evil IN st. Louis, to the shoulders
Of an assistant in the health depart
nent Of that city, The dispatch giving
particulars Of the examination Is pub
lished in many papers under the head
ing Of, Negro Janltor Responsible for
Deaths" or An Ignorant Negro
Caused Sixteen chlldrens Deaths" or
similar misleading assertions
The truth is that the serum used by
physicians for injection into the bodies
OF the children who died came from
The meteorological division Of the
health department, 1t was properly
labeled and was simply handed out by
The negro janitor who has been q city
employe for many years and was an
assistant to the consulting city bacter-
iologist He had charge Of the serum
when 1t was in tasks, and after Il had
been poured into Walls for distribution
10 the physicians. He had stated, at a
former examination, that the serum
which was alleged to be impure had
been destroyed, but in the later inyes-
iigatlon he admitted that this state
ment was false and he had made It to
"protect the whole office, and that the
eerum was not destroyed until after
the deaths Of the children had been re-
ported.
TO shift the responsibility for these
shocking fatalities upon the assistant,
who SIMPLY handed out what had been
prepared for the use Of the physician.
pnd to make him appear in a blackeg
light because he is a negro. seems to be
q most contemplate expedient, The
question is, how and by whom was the
ferum obtained and by what means did
It became Of such deadly force? II 1t
WAS known to be unfit for use, why was
II left In charge Of the assistant 80 that
u could pass into the hands Of the
physicians who handled II? The blame
Is not to be placed upon the doctors
who in good faith injected the deadly
ttuf into the veins Of the sufferers.
They supposed they We're fighting the
disease, not creating another
The accounts Of these shocking occur
FENCES show beyond dispute that phy.
when yacclnatlng persons TO
prevent smallpox, or injecting antI.tox-
N to cure dIphtheria, do not know
Vhat they are administering. They
have to depend upon the honor, lntee.
pity and skill Of those who prepare the
virus or the serum, and Of those Also
VINO make a business Of selling It. A
Tisk seems to be run In any case.
We know that reliable practitioners.
perfectly honest skillful and careful
IRE thoroughly convinced Of the virtues
d vaccination and Of diphtherltIc anti.
toxin We admit that the fatalities IN
New Jersey and in st. Louis from te.
Janus following vaccination and tho in.
lection Of antI'toxln, do not form cor.
elusive proof that either remedy or al.
legged remedy is a fallacy But the fac.
remains mat there have been numer.
Gus reports Of cases Of lockjaw. both II
Europe and America, that appear :,
nave been resultant from vaccination
ana mat coroners iuHes have So pro
nouoeed them. They have aided ma
'erlally IN strengthening the preiudIc
against vaccination, and similar ,r.
l,,S 'ag'',s ana curatiyea, and are yer.
explanation. W.
,.s ~ use'ns IRON tetanus In st. LOU
ana a, also IN New Jersey cannot be- co,
cred up by the expedients ma, S ~
been resorted to in the suyer6cls, 3,
Vss'isatioas that have So far na ~