The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-01-03

am working day and night TO try and
save their lives 1t is not pleasant to
me TO make work for myself and give
up tho comforts of home life at this
age.
Two-thirds Of my stay on this earth
has been spent In scientific laboratory
work, wallowing in communicable dis
eases TO try and discover prophylac-
tics in other diseases, such as Jenner
found for smallpox. and this without
money reward
II Is, therefore, under these circum'
stances, discouraging TO read the ar
ticles in your local papers, which al
most incite your people TO believe that
! delight in doing their children harm.
This is a great mistake. have but one
child and she has been vaccinated
about every five years OF her life.
Why? Because | know the horrors OF
smallpox, the innocence of vaccina.
tion, and its great preventive quality.
Prussia has eXterminated smallpox
from the empire by vaccination to
such an extent that she has done away
with her smallpox hospitals.
In the Municipal Hospital in Phila-
delphia we have had 5000 cases OF
smallpox spreading over series Of
years, during which time not single
doctor, nurse or attendant who was sue
cessfully vaccinated contracted small
pox.
Such statistics as these I could cite
you at great length, but IL would be
tiresome. Where vaccination is not
carried on We get the opposite result
In the city of Valparaiso, Chile, there
were II 900 cases Of smallpox during
the year OF 1905, with more than 5000
deaths. During the last half Of the
year 1894 the record OF deaths from
smallpox in the United States OF
America was 6O6, Of which number 404
were charged TO our own state.
You ask II time cannot be given be-
fore legal action is taken to punish
those who defy the benefcent law to
guard the health OF our people in this
commonwealth. The resistance to vac
cination alone demonstrates the i'm
portance OF having a law to require
the vaccination Of those who desire to
take advantage Of the schools support
ed by the commonwealth.
II is evident that il we had no such
a law our innocent people would con-
stantly be thrown In contact with a
disease which is sickening TO even the
medical man, let alone those who are
not constantly thrown in contact with
diseased persons.
Effects of Epidemics.
The law has been on the statute |
books for ten years. during which time |
II has not been enforced. with a result |
OF two or three severe epidemics. which |
cost the state and different municipali- |
ties thousands and thousands of dol |
lars and many precious lives, indepen- |
dent OF paralyzing industries in certain |
centres.
Now notwithstanding that the new |
department has been in active exist |
ence since June there has not been |
a law suit brought by ii TO punish any |
one. The person made responsible for |
the executive work has trusted to the |
of our people and tried to |
educate them and disabuse their minds |
of the fallacies that they have been
taught by the charlatan.
From the fact that the department |
has given out on request over 100000
blank certificates and that ii takes
about 1000 day TO supply the present |
demand. ii is evident that vaccination
is going on most satisfactorily in the
greater part of our community. There
fore, l still have hope that those in
your community will come TO their
senses and take advantage of the great
protective - vaccination - without the
-I le- AAAANAAA bNAAAe AOANGh W punish
one for violating the law which was
created for the public good.
The law reads that no child shall be
admitted to school without producing
a certificate of successful vaccination,
Or OF having had smallpox. Therefore,
II is not in the power OF any one in
this form of government to set aside
the law of the commonwealth.
No one will ever succeed in doing
away with vaccination law in this
state, leaving us a prey to one OF the
most horrible diseases that can invade
Our commonwealth. While other states
and the federal government are pass
ng laws TO protect the health of their
people we certainly will not take a step
backward toward the dark ages.
Asking you to make any suggestions
hat you believe | could follow out to
influence your people to take a1vant-
age of vaccination, | am
Yours vary truly,