The Grit-advocate. (Julesburg, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1901-06-28
ABOUT VACCINATION.
PREVENTIVE MEASURE MOST
BENEFICIAL FOR CHILDREN.
Death Rate Il Low in Proportion to the
Evidences OF ThorougiInsss Reveal led
by tho Scars Medical Men Favor Com
pulsory Vaccination.


lamities recede into history, says the
Toronto Globe. The recent outbreak of
smallpox in Ontario shows that as the
sCourges Of the past have become
memory or a 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 it subsists are as yet I'M
known. but experience has shown that
the introduction of the vaccine germ
sets up an action that results in 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 1860 there were 25,349 deaths
from smallpox and over 9G per cent
were OF children under ten years OF
age. In ki!marnOck from 172S to lI6l
the proportion of children among the
fatal cases was 9SS in every 1000. In
a total of &c. 755 deaths from smallpox
in Kilmarnock, Edinburg. Manchester.
Hague, in various pre-vaccination pc
RODS since 1880, there were 1882 I'M
dor two years of aga. Since children
have been protected by vaccination
the greater proportion of fatalities has
beea among adults. In London n 1884
the proportion Of children was 612 in
evsr 1000 deaths among the unvaccl-
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 ia law Of 1874 the smallpox
death-rate was 800 per annum per mil
lion of population. Since then. down
to 1892, it has been Is, and in the last
ten years of the period Only II. The
compulsory vaccination age is the sec
ond year of life, and in 1SS690 more
than two-fifths of the few deaths that
occurred from smallpox We're under
two years of age. In Austria, where
vaccination is not compulsory. the
rate. instead of being per million,
as in Prussia was 45S in the same pc
riod In Italy since 1888 vaccination of
infants has been compulsory. as has
reraccination of children attending
public schools. From 1851 to 1890 the
smallpox death rate wac 355 per mil
lion per annum, and in tS9194 it was
only s.. At the time of the European
epidemic of 1870-75 Scotland, England.
Sweden and Bavaria bad a compul-
sorry vaccination law, 3hd their small
in ba
years were l 40, 1880, 1,660 and 1860
respectively. Prussia, Holland and
Austria had no general compulsory
vaccination, and taeir rates in the
worst years were EC60. $3.50 and 61SO.
Coming to 1S77-SG. 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 60. in Lon
don $50 and in Berlin 10. The coun
Gil of the British Medical association
has issued pamphlet setting forth in
condensed form the facts elected by
the royal commission on smallpox aud
vaccination. According to the record
OF three towns, Dewsbury. Leicester
and Gloucester, where vaccination had
been neglected, it was found Odat
among 72 vaccinated children at
tackled two died, or 81 per cent, but
among 96l unvaccinatcd children at
tackled $50 died, or 1913 per cent. TAX
ing persons over 10 years old, among