The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-21

knoWn. once, like a bird OF evil omen,
1t lowered over cities and villages of all
the lands, attacking at least one-fourth
of all the earth's inhabitants; showing
no respect for persons, age or locality:
killing millions, and leaving those who
escaped death from its ravages blind
or terribly disfgured, and sometimes
| crippled and even insane
1t bounced down like a hawk unan-
nounced, causing the inhabitants to flee
terror-stricken to places of imaginary
safety, blotting out thousands OF happy
homes and leaving the dead in heaps to
decay and desecration.
It's first entrance into Mexico resulted
in the death of $500, 900 people. Iceland
later yielded tp one fourth of it's popu-
lation and, simultaneously, almost the
entire population OF Greenland was en-
tinguished by this loathsome disease.
Thus it has spread over all lands from
time to time, even crossing the seas in
incredible time.
In former times the earth was power
less to combat it and those inhabitants
who had escaped death from the dis
ease We're either marked and manned
from it, or living in dread of becoming
its victims. Such was for ages the hope
less condition of affairs. The writer has
actively practiced medicine for thirty
four years and during that time beside
passing through two epidemics, and be-
side treating from 400 to 500 cases in
each instance, has treated II number of
cases at different other times during
that period. During the present winter.
in this threatened district, he has fire.
quently met with opposition among old
patients to being vaccinated, because of
the dread of lockiaw. as has been agi-
tated by thoughtless journalists and
some unscrupulous commercial insti-
tutions. United effort on the part of
the doctors and the people is essential
to the welfare of all mankind in coun-
teracting this influence.
In the cases Of lockjaw reported from
Camden, n. j., and vicinity during the
present winter, the actual number Of
afflicted persons is believed to be less
than five or six, though by repetitions
from sensational reports the public-is
given the impression that there We're
dozens of cases. But no evidence has
been furnished, either by the profess
sion or the authorities, of lockjaw
having been caused by vaccination eN-
clusively.
Even so, more people are killed by
meteors than by vaccination. Millions
are vaccinated; how many are claimed
to have been afflicted with lockjaW?
More people choke to death while eat
ing beefsteak than die of vaccination,
20 to l.
Medical statistics furnish the follow
ing interesting facts: In the German
army of 10000 to 100000 men, where
vaccination is rigidly and carefully en-
forced, only four died from smallpox in
one year: while in the French army,
where the rules are less rigid, 600 died
from the disease in the same year. In
these days the intelligence of the
masses is too great to be seriously af-
fected permanently to a resistance OF
vaccination.
The question arises, What is vaccine
and whence derived?" In Berkeley,
England, in the year 1896, lived a then
obscure country doctor whose name,
now we'll known to the civilized world,
was Edward Jenner. From the dairy
people he learned that the milkmaids
who, through q scratch or wound on
the hands. contracted cow-poX Gn re-
ality smallpox in the cow or in other
words were vaccinated, We're positively
immune from smallpox. The disease of
coW-poX was not serious to either the
maids or cattle, so Jenner concluded
that the lesser disease was the lesser
evil. Hence the discovery of vaccine.
Experiments prove that a blanket
taken from the bed of a smallpox
patient and put on a COW Will cause the
COW to contract cow-poX. Reversing the
case, nothing more than vaccination
can be contracted from the COW; then,
not by contagion but only by some of
the serum being introduced in an
abrasion or scratch of the person.
Because of the cleanliness of cows
choice of food, the resultant purity of
her blood, and the DEMONSTRATING nature
of her milk, she is able to furnish
pure, safe vaccine and at the same
time is able to withstand what to other
animals would be an affliction. Hence
she is universally used for the propo-
CATION of the milder smallpox con-
tagion, or vaccine which is the de-
stroyer of humanity's terror smallpox.
! Mankinds greatest benefactor was
Edward Jenner. He mastered small
poX. Competitive commercial influences,
avarice and thoughtlessness cannot en-
tirely reverse, even temporarily, the re-
suit OF years Of the practice in that
direction, which has saved millions on
millions of lives. and >conserved the
health. prosperity and commerce of the
universe.
But the disease itself has not been en-
tirely stamped out From time to time
it reappears here and there and is only
combatted and driven out by vaccina-
tion, thereby only gaining short life
in each locality, securing as its victims
only those who either never We're vac
cinated or have broken the seven-year
law of vaccination.
Today 1t is again with us and pro-
portionally is equally formidable where
it finds no Jennerism TO oppose it. At
tempts of the various boards of health
to stamp it out are made Intellectual by
lack OF cooperation by the people, in
fluenced by an absurd and superstitious
reluctance to vaccination, because OF
the resultant lockjaw. Carelessness I'm
the after treatment of the resultant
sore is always responsible for bad eff
fects, now attributed to the remedy un-
justly.
Cleanliness and disinfection are chief
among the preventlves of the smallpox
foothold, and cooperation with the
health authorities is better than fault
finding. Thorough disinfection of the
building in which case occurs and all
adjoining buildings, also schools and
churches which have in any way been
exposed to the infection, should be
made. These two preventives aid in
checking the spread of the disease and
are factors in effeetually aiding vac
oination,
But the real cause of lockjaw, which