Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-28
ONLY ONE SMALLPOX CURE.
That Is Compulsory Vaccination, pr
 Azel Ames Says.


 That Is Compulsory Vaccination, Dr
 Azel Ames Says.
 While the United States and Great Britain are both suffering under the scourge of smallpox and in England, particularly, the disease has reached an alarming stage of progress, Porto Rico, which under Spanish rule was a hotbed of smallpox, is practically immune from the present epidemic.
 For the ten years prior to American occupation of the island the deaths from smallpox averaged 621 per an mum. To-day in a population of 960,000, the annual death rate from, the disease does not exceed two Smallpox is practically non-existent.
 The result is hailed by the friends of vaccination as demonstrating con clusively it's triumph as a preventive of smallpox. After having set an example to the world by introducing general vaccination Great Britain four years ago modified her compul. sory vaccination law by adding to it a conscience clause" under which any person having conscientious con- victions as to the harmful influence of vaccination was exempted from the law and the minors i'll the consci- entious persons family were exempt ed with him.
 Tn Porto Rico the very opposite pol icy has been followed. Early in 1899, immediately after the American occupation of the island, General Henry, the governor, issued an order for universal vaccination and it was strictly carried out
 Now while magistrates in England. under the influence of the smallpox alarm, are openly disregarling the conscience clause ill the law and strong agitation for it's repeal is growing, the American surgeons are rejoicing over the results of General Henry's order and are lauding him as a far-seeing sanitarian.
 Dr Azel Ames, who was tic direc- tor of General Henry's vaccination department in Porto Rico, has writ ten to the Medical News. calling att tention to the remarkable immunity of the island from the present small pox epidemic on the one hand and the rapid and general spread of the dis ease here and ill England on the oth- CT. Dr Ames draws from these facts the conclusion that compulsory vac cination is essential to prevent a re- turn of the epidemic.
 Dr Ames finds the chief cause of the virulence of the present outbreak of smallpox in the diminished pro- lection from the disease due to the existence of a large non-immune ele- ment of the population, which has either outworn it's vaccine protection or has never had any.
 Contributing causes he finds in the unfamiliarity of the present genera tion of physicians with smallpox and the consequent exposure of pa tients through errors of diagnosis: the fancied security and consequent re- faxed vigilance i'll enforcing protective regulations, due to long periods of immunity from the disease: and last. ''the growth of more se1f-assertive and mistakenly aggressive individual ity which, until more fully informed, often resents and resists the idea of any legal interference with personal liberty, and, lacking full knowledge, is credulous of all bugbears and dis trustful of all vaccination, and other sanitary measures to suppress the dis ease"
 With the present great factories in which single sparks of contagion readily light the wide spreading fires of an epidemic, Dr Ames says. with unprecedented facilities of commun- ication, increased use of public con- yeniences and common sources of do nestle utility and with the enormous growth of public assemblies in thea ters. churches and schools, the task of fighting smallpox is no light one He describes in detail General Hen rvs vigorous attack on the problem i'll Porto Rico, and it's success. In conclusion he says:
 "Vaccination alone did it, and will do it effectively wherever compulsory legislation, properly enforced, secures it's benefits to all.'