The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-31
HOW vACCINA ALTON
PREVENTS sMALLPoz

Dr. +. W. Mcnamara in Denver Times)
Most persons have only an Hide
fined idea of vaccination. They regard
it as some mysterious operation, which,
if successful, confers upon them an i'm
munity from smallpox but where Il
originated or how it protects them from
this disease they know not. Vaccina-
ton is d process by which the human
organism is SO impressed by introduce
ton of d substance and the blood is so
altered by the changes 1t produces that
though the individual be exposed to
the cOntagiOn of smallpox he will not
take the disease This process called
vaccination is the result of an acct
dental discovery made in the year 1775
by an English physician Dr. Jenner
who noticed that dairymaids who had
once had COwpOX enjoyed a complete
immunity from smallpox. From this
discovery, after d series of experiments
lasting a number of years. Jenner
demonstrated that if human smallpox
virus was inOCulated into a cow and
if the material in the resulting vesicIe
from this disease in the animal was
introduced into the human being. there
resulted series of symptoms, of mild
degree, which in some ways resembIed
those Of smallpox, and which he named
vaccinia, and the individual so inOCu-
lated with the COWpOX enjoyed complete
immunity from the dread disease varf-
ola.
When a person is successfully vac
clnated the virus is introduced through
an abraded surface and absorbed into
the blood and produces the condition
known as VaCcinia. So, then. Vaccina-
ton affords protection from SMALLPOX
by producing in a body g. constitutional
condition which is similar in some re-
spects to the symptoms off smallpox
Itself, but of character so mild as to
be utterly harmless, and produces such
changes as to render the development
of the disease in ii viruIenU and fatal
form an impOssibiIity.
OF all diseases smallpox is probably
the most violently contagious, but IN
like other terrible diseases il is not con-
tent with a fatal termination in many
cases. but on those it spares it leaves
forever its inefaceable marks and
warnings to others, a warning that
speaks louder than words, a caution so
strong that it ought to do more in IA
vor of vaccination than all the words
ever written or spoken. The present
epidemic of smalipOx-for it cannot be
denied that We have today a large and
daily increasing number of cases of
smallpoX-taken in connection with the
arguments adduCed in favor Of the pro-
tectlNe power OF vaccination is proof
that it is not universally resorted to.
Macaulay describes the ravages of
this disease at the close of the seven
teenth century, before the advent of
vaccination. Smallpox was always
present, filling the church yards with
cOTpseS, leaving on those whose lives il
spared the hideOus traces Of its power.
turning the babe into a changeIing at
winch the mother shuddered, and max
ing the eyes and cheeks of the be-
trothed maiden objects of horror to the
lover. How vaccination has changed
this picture most every one knows well
me general mass of the people see 50
little OF the ravages and effects of this
disease, unless il happens to enter their
own household, that they do not realize
its horrors. They are so little acuuaint-
ed with the infinite number of avenues
OF cOntag1On that they do not fear half
as much as they should that they
themselves may take the disease. and
until it is brought near at home to
them they fail to take advantage of the
immunity from this disease that vac
cinatiOn cOnfers.
The mortality from smallpox in 4. 600
cases, collected in his own practice by
Dr. WEIGH, was so per cent of the per
sons not vaccinated. The statistics Of
Mr. MarsOn during q continuous ser
vice of thirty years in the smallpox
hospital of London show in Is. 900 cases
a mortality of 40 per cent while among
those who had been VaCCinated at some
time during life the death rate was ONLY
8 per cent During the Franco Prus-
sian war. when the German army was
double the strength Of the French. and
in which vaccination was obligatory.
only 2S3 died from the disease. while.
among the French, vaccination not be-
ing enforced, the death record reached
the enormous number of %. 000
The dangers of vaccination. when
properly aud clearly done by a COM
Detent physician, are nil The untOward
results that are reported to follow vac
cination are due in great measure to
1nciean habits Of the vaccinator or
1irty fingers. or clothing coming in con-
TACT with the abraded point of inoc1l-
alton. In the hands Of a competent.
5urgically clean physician there is no
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