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
Docular comment on the report that a
noted anti-yacclnationlst physician In
the East has contracted smallpox,
through visiting a hospital for persons
afflicted with that disease and purpose
ly exposing himself to contaglon. The
advocates Of compulsory vaccination
are convulsed with glce over the doc
tors alleged condition Many Of them
hope he wil die or be disngured for
aife. and express the sweet aud Chris
tinn" wish that all anti.compulsonlsts
may meet with similar fate,
on the other side Of this question Is
statement In Medical Talk" pubr
nished at Columbus Ohio, that Dr.
frank 2, Hagerty Of Vienna, Warren
Co., N, j., physician. Is suffering With
1ockjaw. A few days ago he yaccln-
nted himself and tetanus developed IN
n short time. The reading public know
very well that a number Of cases Of
iockjaw 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 ockjaw was result of vacclna-
ton.
The same paper. under the head Of
switch Is Whioh?" has the following
paragraphs.
Smallpox was almost a scourge when
the American troops first entered the
Philippines. II has almost disappear
ed now. OF course the vaccination add
herents claim that Il was vaccination,
and not sanitary precautions that did
the work OF course, Il was Had II
not been for vaccination, smallpox
would still continue to be a scourge,
yellow fever was almost a scourge
when the American troops first entered
Cuba, II has practically disappeared
now. OF course, the vaccination adher-
ents do not claim that vaccination had
anything to do with stamping out yell
low fever OF course they don't. They
give all the credit to sanitary precau-
tons. Had Il moi been for sanitary
precautions, yellow feyar would still be
scourge In Cuba
1T Is enough TO give any man mem
tai strabsmus to read the two fore
going paragraphs az 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 hardlhood
to try vaccination and sanitation IN
yellow fever and treat smallpox by
sanitatlon alone, the result would be
hxactly the same"
We quote the foregoing for what It IL
worth People on either side Of this
question VII form their own conclu.
fions 1t has recently been argued that
because Of the repeal or modification
OF the compulsory vaccination law In
England, smallpox has become vru-
lent in London and many deaths have
been the result That zone story is
good till another Ia told" Is exemplned
In these premature announcement, The
Registrar General Of England in a re-
cent report Of health conditions in Lon.
don up to January 25, 1909. gives a to-
tal OF 800 fatal cases Of smallpox, Of
which he says there were.
Naccinated .n.,,., .,.,,,... ,..,.,.1g5
Qnyacclnated .,.,,.. .,,.., .....1l3
mo statement ..,n.r, .,..,,..,.n., 81
HVial "''''' s'''.''.. ,,,,.,.,,,....3sO
The number OF cases remaining In the
hospitals at that time were: or small
pox $40; scarlet fever 265S, diphtherla
1.2SS. Will any OF the compulslonlsts
oisim that the scarlet fever and diph.
iberia cases We're also due to non-yac-
rnatonY These figures are official,
End 1t remains for the pro-vacclnation
advocates to explain the cause OF the
death from smallpox OF 1876 vaocnated
persons out Of a total OF 800
Let II be understood that the Deseret
News, IN presenting these facts and
figures, does not take any ground ok
cept against the coDpulsiou which some
people still seem TO think the proper
Thing. We would not prevent anyone
from being vaCcinated who believes IN
is virtues, We would not have any
body forced to be vaccinated who does
not Wish to submit Sanitation and
Isolation should be observed in an cases
OF contagious disorders, for Il Is certain
that vaccination alone does not give
that protection that protects.