Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-01-19
What VACCINATION
DID WIEN TESTED

The following letter from John T.
Hyatt, of Jersey Shore, former Vice
Consul at Santiago, to Commissioner
Of Health Samuel G. Dixon, telling Of
his personal experience in fighting
smallpox with vaccine virus in Cuba
is of particular interest at this time
when the citizens of different sections
of the State are expressing in strong
terms their approval or disspproval Of
the compulsory vaccination law:
Jersey Shore, Pa, Jan. 4. 1906.
Hon. Samuel q. Dixon, Commissioner
of Health, Harrisburg, Pa:
Dear Sir-As at Lock Haven and
other parts of the state there 10 SO
much opposition to vaccination, as re-
| Quired by the Act of June IS. 1895. I
feel constrained to write you some Of
| my own experiences and observations
| with reference to that subject.
was American Vice Consul at SAINT
| iago De Cuba from 1893 to 1897 inclu-
| rural districts, where. on account OF
| the revolution, 1t was very dangerous
to live, was very heavy, and particu-
| larly after tho inhuman reconcentra-
tion order Of General Weyler. In 1895
industry was stined and poverty and
starvation were reigning supreme at
Santiago, meat selling as high Is 76c.
and 81 q pound, eggs at 1oc. apiece. and
other things at proportionate prices.
At this time yellow fever and small
| pox broke out in the most virulent
| form. 1t was estimated at the time
that during that year thers were 10000
cases Of yellow fever and 10000 cases
| of smallpox in the city of Santiago.
| As I recollect 1t now, the death rate
| from these two causes alone in that
| city aseended to a level of from so to
100 deaths per day.
| The Spanish government unmindful
of the welfare of the people, took little
or no steps to stamp out the scourges,
and although private enterprise i'm
| ported a considerable amount Of vac
cine virus, yet the Indifference Of the
authorities and the opposition Of the
] illiterates, being perhaps about rs per
cent. Of the population. prevented any
considerable amount Of vaccination.
ing Those suffering in various stages
| OF smallpox walked about the streets.
mingling with the people unmolested.
| and many Of them came into the con-
sulate on business. Smallpox broke
out In nearly all Of the houses In the
vicinity of the consulate. One man, I
remember particularly. afhicted with
the dreadful disease in its continent
form. lay in my plain sight in the open
air under the caves OF house stand
ing back In the adjacent lot. not more
than 40 feet from where l worked at
my desk. with the breeze blowing from
him to me, and saw this man die and
his corpse carried away.
My father and mother and wife were
with me at this time. and as soon as
the smallpox broke out we were all
vaccinated, although we had each been
successfully vaccinated in previous
years. The vaccination took slightly
with each member of our family. and
we were all vaccinated regularly there
after every month or two. in order to
use every possible precaution. but the
vaccination did not take in any case
practically after the first application.
Whenever fresh virus came to the
consulate from the States we distrib-
uted the supply where 1t seemed to be
most advisable. Although constantly
exposed to continent smallpox for
nearly two years., none Of my family
took the disease. Neither did others At
Santiago during that eventful period
who were careful to be successfully
yaccinated. as recollect now from in
quiries then made. although the dead
wagons were carrying such q continu-
GUS freight to the cemetery that II was
common thing for the sexton and his
help when night fell to find 20 or 80
more corpses on their hands for inter-
inent than they were able to bury. and
which they had to leave out all night
In the cemetery and bury in the morn
ing.
II this letter can be of any help to
you in your magnificent work of en-
tightening the PEOPLE Of this Common
wealth on the Importance Of vaccina-
tion, you have my permission to use It.
Very respectfully yours.
JOHN T. HYATT.