The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-03-20
State Board Of Health Sends a Cir
cular Letter to Kenosha in Re-
gard to Smallpox.
DR.. WINGATE COMING TO KEN0SHA
Secretary Of the State Board of Health
Will Investigate Kenosha Cases-D Doc
tor Calls Disease Chicken Pox.

been sent to Kenosha by the Secretary
of the State Board Of Health:
Smallpox is one Of the most highly
contagious and dangerous of existing
diseases. 1t is caused by specific
poison which may be communicated
directly from one person to another, or
| it may be carried through the air for
some distance, or from place to place
in clothing or by means Of any article
that has been in presence Of the dis
ease. 1t attacks persons of all ages,
and the susceptibility of the human
system to it is such that very few who
are not protected against it by vaccin-
alton will escape it if exposed, even
though the exposure be very slight
AS rule, however, it occurs but once
tc any individual.
While certain epidemics may vary in
severity, in it's nature and destructive
character, smallpox is the same now
that it was century or more ago,
when protection from it was unknown,
and when history tells us that in
Europe it caused one-tenth of all the
deaths that occurred, and that so few
escaped it's attacks that more than
lone-ha1f of all the living were SCARED
and disfgured by it. By comparing
this fact with the one that but few in
our day are thus disfgured, we may
realize to some extent the great change
that has been wrought. Yet there is
but one reason why the facts recorded
Of this disease in times past are not
also the facts of today, that reason be-
ling that we now have sure means of
protection against it. It is only by
virtue of the discovery of vaccination
that smallpox, from being one of the
most uncomfortable, as it is one of the
most 1oathsome Of diseases, has be-
come pre-eminently preventable one.
The history of the discovery of vac
cination is of intense interest to the
human race. Announced over hun
dred years ago, it's value has since
been attested by the experience Of mil
lions, until today no fact seems better
established than that vaccination will
afford protection against smallpox
as perfect as that given by an attack
| of the disease itself, and with abso-
lutte safety to the Individual.
But though vaccination has thus
proven to be one of the greatest bless
ings ever conferred on mankind, there
are not wanting those who criticise
and oppose it. There are, however,
only two arguments against it that
need be referred to, namely: first, that
it is sometimes Intellectual and unpro-
tective, and second, that it may some
times communicate other diseases.
That so-ca1led vaccination, performed
by unskilled operators with matter
from improper sources, may be and
often is unprotective, can not be
doubted. The apparent simplicity Of
the operation has led many to believe
that it may be performed by any one,
and thus it has often happened that
unskilled persons, unable to distin-
guish true and typical vesicle from
spurious one, have vaccinated with
matter which has produced sores that
have been mistaken for genuine vaccine
sores, but which have really been
wholly unprotective and sometimes
dangerous. Such vaccination is very
largely responsible for whatever of
public distrust there may be, either of
the efficiency or the safety of the oper-
alton.
That true vaccination is effective in
preventing smallpox has been proven
by such convincing evidence that only
those unfamiliar with the facts or un-
doubt it; and the danger of commune
eating any disease by the proper per-
Torrance of vaccination is so exceed
ingly slight as to be unworthy Of seri-
GUS consideration when weighed
against the benefits to be secured by
the operation. It is, however, possible
to render vaccination wholly free from
even this trihing risk by the use of
fresh and carefully selected bovine
virus, and by perfect cleanliness of
the instrument employed, and of all
the surroundings, both at the time of
operation and subsequent thereto,
until the vaccine sore is thoroughly
healed.
Keeping these facts in mind, the
State Board of Health earnestly urges
upon the people of Wisconsin the ad-
vice to have themselves and their chill
dren protected against smallpox by
the vaccination or re-vaccination of
every one upon whom this operation
has not been recently and successfully
performed, and simple as the operation
appears, the Board further urges the
adoption of the following precautions.
By strict and universal observation
of the rules here laid down we believe
that smallpox would cease to exist. To
neglect them-a neglect for which
there is no really valid excuses to
endanger not only the life of the indi-
vidual so doing, but the lives of other
persons with whom he may associate
or come into contact. IF one does not
fear the disease for himself he has no
right to endanger others. The precau-
tons urged are as follows: