The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1903-09-25
The Other Side.
EDITOR TRIBUNE:

My attentionrhas been called to an
article in your valuable paper of recent
date on the subject of vaccination.
If the writer's reference to the Jenner
and the English people! means anything
we infer he aimed to convey the idea
that they were from smallpox, being
protected by vaccination.
Let us examine the subject from this
standpoint and see what we can find:
During the epidemic of 1871 more than
l 10000 persons died of smallpox in Eng
land and Wales, 1000 of whom had
been v~accinated. There were 125, 900
cases in the whole country. There
were 10000 smallpox cases reported in
the German army in 1870.
Bavaria has been under compulsory
vaccination laws since 1907. In 1871
there were 31,000 smallpox cases in
Bavaria, 1880 had been vaccinated,
500 died.
Sweden is said to be one Of the best
vaccinated countries on the globe. In
1874 there was a death rate in Sweden
of 10, per million from smallpox.
The city of Leicester in England with a
population of 200, 900 has rejected vacci-
nation for the last 20 years. For the
whole of that period, Leicester reports a
death rate of smallpox at 10 per million,
less than one death per annum. Now
let us examine the report of the army
and navy every recruit for the army or
navy is re-vaccinated unless he has re-
Gently had smallpox. Yet the deaths
in the army and navy from smallpox
were 81 per million for the same period.
There can be no more convincing test
than this. 1t shows the worthlessness
of the "simple ~precaution." In the
smallpox epidemic of 1871 Leicester
and Birmingham were both we'll vacci-
mated towns. In Leicester there were
327 smallpox cases per 10000 of the
population. While in Birmingham
there were only 213.
"Now notice the contrast" Remem-
Der that Leicester has rejected vaccina-
ton to such an extent that in 1894 it had
only 7 vaccinations to 10, 1000 population.
While Birmingham was ~vaccinated up
to 240 per 10000 population. 1t has
been shown that the disease was brought
to Leicester on twelve separate occasions
during the epidemic of 1914. Small
poX cases in Leicester per 10000 popula-
ton 10, in Birmingham 63. Deaths in
Leicester, l. Deaths in Birmingham, 5.
An official report of the city of War
rington states that 1872 per cent of the
population had been vaccinated when
the epidemic of 1928 struck them.
The comparison with unvaccinated Lei
cester stands as follows: Leicester 10
per 10000 of population. Warrington
1913 per 10000. Deaths in Leicester IA
per 10000. Deaths in Warrington ia
per 10000. This is conclusive evidence
that vaccination is not only useless but
positively injurious. After a careful in
vestigation of the history of vaccination
[ am convinced it is one of the greatest
decisions ever saddled upon the human
race.
That it is a filthy and dangerous prac.
tice, originating back in the dark ages,
when advocates of the fiat earth referred
to by the writer were more numerous
than they are now To u~nlearn what
we have learned amiss seems to be one
of our most difficult tasks.
1t seems there are but few who have
the desire to reconsider and the power
to readjust their ~preconceived opinions:
ideas, thoughts and arguments opposed
to the way they were taught to think is
just about as effective as is water pour
ed on a ducks back.
Anti-vaccinationists have no fight
with those who desire to be vaccinated.
The fight is with those who desire to
compel the anti to be vaccinated.
Vaccination either protects one from
taking smallpox or mitigates smallpox
when one has taken it, or it does neither
of those things.
Now if it neither protects nor miti-
gates, then it is useless and ought not to
be enforced by law.
If it only mitigates, then, since the
mildest varioloid is as contagious as the
most severe form, v%accinated smallpox
is no less dangerous to the community
than unvaccinated. Again, if the doc
trine is true that it protects, those who
believe it will 60 and be vaccinated and
then being safe themselves have no rea-
son, therefore no right to enforce it up
On others. A. G.. HARLAN.