Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-03-01
Vaccination Versus Quarantine
for Smallpox

Vaccination Versus Quarantine
for Smallpox
The current issue Of the "Bulle
tin Of the Virginia Board o
Health" contains an article OF
"Vaccinatlon versus Quarantine
for the. Control of Smallpox, ;
which in part is as follows:
From the December reports
smallpox exists in twenty-six coun
ties, which I fear is an underesti
mate of its prevalence in the State,
as our system of reports are very
imperfect and unsatisfactory, and
do not represent the true status
of this disease. Smallpox hal
been epidemic in this country and
endemic in our State for the past
ten years-the usual means adopt.
cd for its control and eradication
being vaccination and quarantine,
in most instances inperfestly en-.
forced. l regret to state that we
have no means Of estimating the
mortality Of this disease, but the
death-rate has been very small.
The disease in most instances has
been of a mild type, and either
has rot been recognized as such
or called by every other name but
smallpox, and in some instances con-
cealed for trade interest or CON-
mercial reasons. 1t is very rare
that you find the disease in per-
son who has a good vaccination
scar. 1 know thatit is contended
by some that vaccination does not
always give protection from the
mild eruptive disease that has
been so prevalent for the last few
years-the so-ealled smallpox of
the present day. l believe so
firmly in vaccination as the only
safeguard against smallpox that |
am willing to affirm that these per-
sons were net properly vaccinated;
that while they might have had a
sore arm from some infection or
other, yet it was not a genuine
vaccination, and did not result in
the old-time we'll pitted vaccina-
ton scar.
DR.. Bracken. Of Minnesota, in a
very able article on the control of
smallpox, says:
"Let us look into the history Of
vaccination and note what has
been accomplished. Before the
days OF vaccination smallpox was
\ disease of childhood. Whyp Be-
cause it was almost impossible for
human beings to reach adult years
without having had this disease,
90 general was the infection.
Adults were the survivors of the
disease, and were immune through
having had it. In countries where
compulsory vaccination was made
4 part of the law, and where in
fancy was thus protected, small
box ceased to be disease of child
rood. 1t affected then only the
adults who through time had lost
he immunity conferred upon them
u childhood by vaccination. In
,ur State and country smallpox is
again becoming prevalent among
because they are not
protected by vaccination, and
'ften mild type of the disease is
Tot recognized as such because of
he fact that it has involved large
number of school children at the
'utset of an epidemic through In
ection at school. Such cases are
ften supposed to be chicken
OK"
Germany, approaching tho i'm
'ortance of vaccination and re-
accinatiou, passed law in 1874
y which vaccination was made
for
(D Every child within the
esond year of life. s
~ Every school child within
he twelfth year of life (unless an
tack of smallpox, or of success
III vaccination, has occurred with
l the five years previously.
(3) All recruits in the army.
Germany has had over a quarter !
century of experience with re-
accination of all school children,
nd the result is that smallpox
pidemics have long been unknown :
that country. In the year 1899
lers occurred but 90 deaths from
nallpox in the German Empire,
nd these were in 81 different dis
lets, with three as the highest
lumber ia any one district. Most
these cases occurred on the
'ontiers of badly vaccinatsd
)untries.
Col. George w. Miles Dead