Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-24
STRIKING FACTS AND FIGURES,

There has been much. serious and also
1ocular comment on the report that
noted anti-yaccinatlonis physician IN
the Eas, has contracted smallpox
through visiting q hospital for persons
afflicted with that disease and purpose.
ly exposing himself TO contagIon The
advocates OF compulsory vaccination
are convulsed with glee over the doc
tors alleged condition Many Of them
hope he viii die or be dishgured for
NE and express the sweet and Chris
tipn" Wish that all antl-compulslonlsts
may meet with similar fate.
on the other side OF this question IL
statement In Medical Talk pub
aished at Columbus, Ohio, that DR..
Frank p. Hagerty of Vienna, Warren
Co. N. j., physician, is suffering With
ioclsjaw. a few days ago he vaccIn-
Rted himself and tetanus developed In
short time, The reading public know
very well that number Of cases Of
lockjaw followed vaccination in New
Jersey and other places. OF course ex-
plantations are given by the advocates
of compulsory vaccination, but unfor-
tunately they do not satisfactorily ex-
plain, and the impression remains that
the lockjaw was a result of yaccina-
ton.
The same paper under the head OF
(which IL Which?" has the following
paragraphs
Smallpox was almost a Sc0urge when
the American troops first entered the
Philippines. II has almost disappear
ed now OF course, the vaccination adj
herents claim that II was vaccination
and not sanitary precautions that did
the work OF course, II was. Had II
not been for vaccination smallpox
Mould still continue TO be scourge
yellow fever was almost a scourge
when the American troops first entered
Cuba. IL has practically disappeared
now. OF course, the vaccination adher-
ents do not claim that vaccination had
anything 10 do with stamping out yell
low fever. or course. they don't They
give all the credit to sanitary precau-
lions, Had II not been for sanitary
precautions, yellow feySr would still be
scOurge In Cuba.
''It IL enough 90 give any man men.
tai strablsmus TO read the two fore
going paragraphs at one sitting And
yet these are the statements to be
found In many OF the medical journals
II takes vaccination and sanitation to
stamp out smallpox, while sanitation
alone Is sufficient to STAMP out yellow
fever. II some one had the hardihoOd
10 try vaccination and sanitation I'm
yellow fever, and treat smallpox by
sanitation alone, the result would be
exactly the same"
We quote the foregoing for what Il Is
worth, People on either side Of this
question vii form their own conclu-
sions. II has recently been argued that
because OF the repeal or modification
Of the compulsory vaccination law In
England smallpox has become vlru-
lent In London and many deaths have
been the result That zone story is
good till another is told, Is exempllned
In these premature announcements. The
Registrar General OF England, in a re-
cent report Of health conditions In Lon
son up to January rs, 1902, gives a to-
tel OF 800 fatal cases OF smallpox, OF
which he says there We're,
racclnated ....., ....., 1e5
NnVacclnaled 1000. ,,.... ...,...1 l3
NO statement .r.,..,. ,p,,....,,. 81
n,
Total ..." ,,.....,. ,,..,.,.....3 800
The number Of cases remaining In the
hospitals at that time were: or small
pox $40; scarlet fever 1858. dlphtherla
1,sSS viii any OF the compulslonlsts
biaim that the scarlet fever and dph-
iberia cases were also due to nom vac
c.nation? These figures are official,
Hnd 1t remains for the pro-yaccination
advocates to explain the cause Of the
death from smallpox Of 1876 yaccnated
persons out OF q total Of 800.
Let It be understood that the Deseret
News, in presenting these facts and
figures, does not take any ground OK
cept against the compulsion which some
people still seem TO think the proper
thing. We would not prevent anyone
from being vaccinated who believes In
Us virtues. We would not have any
body forced to be vaccnated who does
not wish to submit sanitation and
Isolation should be observed in all cases
Of contagious disorders. FOR It is certain
that vaccination alone does not give
that protection that protects.