The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-09
VACCINATIONS
BEGINNING TO TAKE"

Decrease in LiVeIiness of Public
school Children Is n Result.
There has been a decided falling off
in the much-praised and equally much
lamented liveliness and mischievious-
ness of the public school boy and, to
all appearances there has been a sud
den aversion developed to wrestling
matches and football practice. The
cause of this falling off is due to the
fact that the vaccination is just be-
ginning to take" and the children
are carefully guarding their arms.
During the days on which cards of
admission were issued the city physi-
clans vaccinated 29S small white arms
and the results are now appearing.
The boys hurry from the school-room
with their usual alacrity but there
is due care taken to avoid any crowd
ing together. or any unnecessary jost-
ling. Football, the joys of all youthful
athletes at this season of the year, has
been relegated to a back seat and mild
er games are all that are INDUCED in.
The custom among the girls of walk
ing arm-in-arm, has fallen off consid-
erably and each little miss walks de-
murely by herself. Or, when the school
girl friend, rushes up in ecstatic glad
ness to tell of some school triumph,
her ardOr receives considerable damp
enlng from the exclamation BE care
full, my 'Vaccinate' is on that side!"
About the only one who is really
happy is the school boy whose parents
had him vaccinated during the sum-
mer months and whose scar" saved
him from the physicians at Chatham
Academy. He is now in his glory and
with almost fiendish delight he swings
! his books at some suffering mortal s
arm and shakes with laughter at the
sudden movement and the accompany
ing Ouch" If the finger is pointed
suddenly at the childrens arms, even
though 1t does not touch it, there is a
| visible WinCing and now and then a
half-suppressed exclamation is heard.
And the order and decorum in the
schools is beautiful, no boy caring to
run the risk of the teacher Selling
that arm" while administering a re-
buke
Some are wearing protectors" but
even they are not immune from jump
ing when a sudden lunge is made al
the arms, and the delight of the small
! boy who has a scar scarcely two
weeks old, is great indeed. The fates
have given him a wOndrous advantage
| over his fellow. and in the great ma
| Jority of cases the opportunity for tor
ment is not being neglected. Almost
any group of children present a pecu-
liar miX-up of hilarious delight, burn
ing pain, and mental agony lest the
| ''Vaccinate" be touched.
| Next week Supt. Ashmore will visit
all the schools of the city, and each
child will step before him with barred
arm. If there is good strong evidence
of taking" the misery of the child is
over, for one more year at least. But
| if not, a note will be written to the
parents requesting that they have the
children vaccinated again. Then there
win be all the scraping to be gone
! through with again, and greatest Of
Woes when the taking" begins, there
will be less companions in misery and
the horde of tormentors will be in
| creased.
| About 500 children, white and color
ed, were vaccinated and from the ac-
! lions of the majority the result is
gratifying to the physicians and teach
ers. A complete list of those vacci-
mated by the city health officers has
| been kept by Supt. Ashmore, and the
arms of all will be examined. There
is no possible avenue by which a child
can escape, and taking" will be in
sisted upon.