The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-03-19
VACCINATION WAS
PRACTICED
By Natives Of Africa Years
Before Jehner Found

NIIAI nIINN MFENMIM WNNNNHNf NAiAAANNNaA
was regarded with disfavor long oe-
fore IS was recognized az q greiu pfe-
vent8tive. 10 Jcnner has always Dcen
accredited, and 90 him rlghtfully be-
longs the honor Of the discovery. but
years before he was born the natives
or Africa had learned Of the Mitigating
effects on smallpox Of the virus when
Inserted under the sdn
Cotton Mnther combined the offices
Of physician ana preacher. and in aue
Of his published works he describes "a
wonderful manner in which the natives
on Africa protected themselves fr9m
smalpox which had formerly devast-
nted their villages. lie says. after
stating that the practice Of inoculotlon
was in practice IN many parts OF the
world MY servant, when he showed
me the scar Of the wound caused ny
the operation. says that no person ever
died Of smallpox In his country who
had the courage 20 use the virus.
have since met a considerable num-
Der OF these Africans and ali agree up
on one story They declare that In
their country great many used to
die Of the smallpox. but not they take
the virus and inject II under the skin
They say u makes them sick. but that
none OF them who try this remedy die
OF smallpox
"Thus IN Africa where the poor Gre
atures die OF smallpox like sheep a
merciful God has taught them an in-
fallible preservative 'Tis a common
practice and attended with constant
success"
II surprising why Mather. with
this knowledge did not himself put the
remedy to a test IN 1871 while O great
sepidemic Of smallpox was raging IN
B2ston. But he did not although Il
waN his eaxmple which inspired DR.
zabriel OF Boston. TO try the expert
ment This IS one OF the remarkable
Instances which seem all the more
the more strange IN this enlightened
age. Or BOyisSon inoculated his only
son for smallpox and as soon as the
knowledge Of the operation became
publicly known great feeling was
aroused. Dr BoylstoN was mobbeG
and a hand grenade vas thrown into
window OF Cotton Mather's house.
But. In spite Of this tremendous op-
position. nearly 800 people submitted
70 in0ruiation when they learned that
the experiment on his SON
The first general knowledge OK the
Oriental practice OF inoculation was
brought to England by Lady Montague
But the spirit Of distrust engendered
by Ignorance Of science was so deep
yooted that n was fun half century
before its general adoption. The au
thoritiec who are now eager TO make
scientific experiment then refused for
a long time 60 take an interest In the
matter. ana when they did, they were
no little confident that they only exper-
imened on prisoners condemned 20
death The prisoners were promised
their freedom n they would Nubmlt TO
htc operation. The belief of the gov
ernment authorities was evidently
that the prisoners would rle anyway
from the effects Of the attempt az in-
oculauon.
In America ~ practice made pro-
gross rapidly. bur the same spirit OF
reluctance which delayed its success
Ia the mother country obstructed ,is
advancement In the United states. IT
waH more as cure than as fnre-
ventative that the practice OF inocd-
lation was rcsorted TO- patient
suffered from smallpox materially gave
himself up as lost Ia such eases In
oculation was the straw at which the
sinking man cIutohed. ana II often
brought him safe TO the shore Of health
again. While person was Well Il
was seldom his courage was brought
to the point Of allowing his arm to be
iaid bare and subjected TO an opera
tion concerning which he had no know
ledge OF and only entertained the gray
cot suspicious.
During the revolutionary war small
pox was an enemy OF the eoioniests
more dreaded than ewere ever the
British redcoats During the ougbreak
OF the war "a iT76. 5000 'oidiers We're
stricken with smallpox az Grown p0int
and John Adams wrote % may i'm
ploring them TO use their Influence to
promote htcrpatcelc etanlrlleutaoldl
promote the practice Of inoWotioa.
Figures showing the death rate from
amaipoN in the days before Vaccina-
tion was discovered by Jepner spcn
IN this advanced age. almost incteli"
bic
The miraculous change wrought by
the discovery is demonstrated easily
there were s.0iS death from smallpox
in population of a million. in 1900
there was but one death fro msmallpoX
m a population OF 100000. In 1856
therN was not single death from
smallpox in Massachusetts,. This was
doubles due TO to 'he rigid examine
tions conducted IN schools and factor
les In Connecticut no unvaccinated
pupil can enter public school and I'm
1899 there were but three cases OF the
disease In thgt state.
II was 3ust az the time when John
Adams was advocating the practice Of
inOculation In America chat the idea
of what afterwards became vaccination
was suggested 90 lenner already a
prominent physician and naturalist II
Bhould be understood that tnerc Is "A
wide dinefcuce between ,u cuntion ps
practiced a century and d luartef ago
and the dean harmless vaccination of
today. The process of incubation