Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-13
How to Guard Against |nfec.
ton and Prevent Disease.
Extracts from Prize Essay on Sub.
Ject by Distinguished Physician.
sailor Escapes Vaccination Because His Ann
Was Scared

prints hefeNith a portion Of the i.r!zr
essay of 1856. by Surgeon General
Stemhcr2 L. :. n, which deals with
smallpox. In View of the prevalence
oi me disease AL around Us. it will uu-
ooubteuiy be Mise 10 study ii and FOL
low the suggestions therein contained
This disease is contracted by expos
ure 10 emanationS from the body of the
SICK, or from articles which have been
III use by them, or exposed in their vi
entity. There is no evidence that thu,
smallpox poison multipiiuS external 10
the human body, and the indications
tor prophyla Nis are therefore quite diff
iercnt from those for cholera and vel
low fever. One may eat what he
pleaSes. and WalloW in rilth. when
smallpox is prevailing. without con
tracing the disease. So long as h.
Keeps away from the sick and is not
brought in contact with any article, in
fected by them. In this disease howeN-
er. AS in the infectious diseases yerrr-
ally, previous personal habits will
greatly Influence the result when ex-
posure does occur. and The disease. is
more fatal to the victims OF alcohol
ISM to those who art poorly nourisheI.
and, i'll general, to those whose vitality
is reduced by exposure to nOXinus 81
! fiu!ia from putrefyin- material. by liz
ing in oyercroWded and in-ventilated
apartments. etc
Ii is general rule in regard 10 in
fictitious diseases that those who AZ
necessarily exposed to them should
! take the precaution Of not going intc
the sick-room With an empty stonl-
ach. or i'll a condition OF exhaustion
, from any cause. y cup of coffee or :.
glass of wine and a cracker may he
taken if a considerable interval has
elapsed since the last regular meal.
1t is we'll known that against small
poX We have a special measure Of pro
phylaxis. which has restricted the
rav9ges OF this disease within th, linn
its which are left TO it by carelassnese
I i'll regard TO the application of this
measure or ignorance Of its value.
Since The famous discovery by .Tenncr
vaccination has become the prophy-
. Tactic par excellence.
/ As il is now the universal practice L.
isolate smallpox patients az soon as
the disease is recognized. the danger
/ OF coming accidentally III contact with
/ them is not great. There is but little
yards OF a patient with smallpox IN the
open air, or from passing a building III
| which cases are under treatment In
protected persons who enter the sicl,
room are however. extremely liza BILE to
contract the disease: and the infeo-
| tious material given oft from the pa
| tents body ciinGS most tenaCiously 10
surfaces. To clothing. etc. and may
I
months. unless destroyed by disinfee-
| tion.
| 1t is evident. then. that individual
prOphylaxis VIII include the avoidance
of places which have. been occupied by
| the sick, and Of articles used by them,
unless there is certainty that they
! have been thoroughly disinfected. 1t is
probable that an unprotected person.
who feels obliged. for special reasons,
/ to enter the sick room, may escape in
| feCtion by the use ot an air filter
| placed over the mouth and nostrilS
| This should be constructed on the
nrincipal of th" "Tyndal respiration"
| in which ali inspired mir is made to
pass through a layer of cotton w3d-
| ding which arrests suspended par
| ricles 1t would he necessary iinmcdi-
ateIy on coming out Of the room 70
! burn the cotton filter. TO nathe tht
| hands and face in a disinfsctinG Soiu-
| tion and to change tn outer clothing.
The immunity conferred by vac Gina
ton is as "a rule, complete: but there
! arr. exceptions to this rule. and vac
| riratcd persons occasionally Suter
from a modified form Of the diseaS't.
| The statistics Of The London smallpox
! hospital show that the mortaiitt
among unvacCinated persons receive"
into that hospital with Smallpox Is $50
pcf cent: while the nlortaiity among
vaccinatcd persons is less than per
cent. No doubt large proportion o.
Tie cases of post-vaccinal smallpoN
might have been prevented by reNarci-
nation.
If is nov; recognized that the prot"c-
,i,-o inru,nre Of vaccination is not al
v.aye of 4 permanent character. and
children who have been successfully
vaccinated in infancy should he reNac-
cinatcd when they reach the age OF
| ,,hert, ~. sooner If smallpox is pre-
| .,Iort in the neichborhood. The opel-
,+;ou is so t,ifiing. that it is customary
| "a ,.arrinate old and young, with the
ayception of those who have been sue
cassfully vaccinated within wear =.
two whenever an outbreak of small
oox occurs. This practice IS 10 pe rec
omnerded. but when the operation
has been performed in a proper man
nor. With virus which is known t" h"
reliable. il is folly TO insist upon q ire
ouent repetition Of the vaccination be-
cause it didn't take
II the first vaccination has been COM
nlate,v successful q perfect result from
reyaccnation is not usually obtained;
and the fact that no result Is obtained
nuet be taken as evidence mat the
nerson is protected. The prophylactic
yal1e of vaccination practiccd after en-
nosr;re to smallpox has bon demon
s+rated. and one who is not entirely
cartair, that he is protected by recent
| successful vaccination will DO well 10
resort 10 this important pronhylactic
| measure at once, if he has reason 10
: sucnect that he has been exposed 10
5 smallpox.
! Tho all-absorbing topic of conversa-
, ,ior-va ccina tion-was being discussed
I hv y number of sea captains IN Boston