Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-01-18
what VACCINATION
DID when TESTED

The following letter from John 7.
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 i'll strong
terms their approval or disapproval of
the compulsory vaccination law:
Jersey Shore. r Jan. 4, 1906.
Hon, Samuel &. Dixcl Commissioner
Of Health. IIarrisbuIe. Pa.
Dear Si---As al Lock Haven and
other parts Of the state there is so
much oppC sition 10 vaccination, as re-
quiyed by he Act of June IS. 1895, l
feel sonstroinrd 10 write you some OF
my own experiences and observations
with reference TO thct subject.
was American V:ce-Consul at SAINT
iaso De Cuba from 1898 to 1897 inclu-
sive. The influx to Santiago from the
e..
the revolution II was very dangerous
10 live. was very heavy, and particu-
larly after the inhUman reconcentra-
tian order Of General Weyler. In 1895
Industry was stifed and poverty and
starvation were r"ignin@ supreme at
Santiseo meat ceiling as high as 75c.
and 81 pound. eggs at l0c. apiece. and
ether things at prOportionate prices.
At this tire yallow fever and small
pox brcka ont il the most virulent
form. II was estimated at the time
that during that year there were 10000
eases cf yellow fever and 10000 cases
OF smallpox in the city Of Santiago.
As recol.ect Il now the death rate
from these two causes alone in that
city aacendpd to 4 level Of from 60 to
leo deaths per dly.
The Spanish government, unmindtul
or no steps 10 stamp out the scourges
and although private enterprise i'm
ported a considerable amount Of vac
cine virus vet the indifference OF the
authorities and the opposition of the
illlterates. being perhGps about rs per
cent Of the population. prevented any
considerable amouri Of vaccination
No esurts were m'de at quarantln-
ing Those suffering u various stages
oS smallpox walked about the streets
ming r.. with the = cple unmolested
sad r.snv cf taen, ,rne into the con-
out ir neaT.y AL o' the houses in the
vicinity Of the consulate. One man, |
Femea b.r particularly afflicted with
the drsadfrl disease in its continent
fo-ul lay in ny plain light in the open
air under the caves Of house stand
ing back ir ne ada. at lot. not more
than "a feet from whore I worked at
nv d.sk. With The breeze blowing from
him 20 me and saw lis man die and
mis- corpse carried a"-"v.
Nv f.thp- and mo and wife were
with ne AT this tine. AID as soon as
the smallpox broke oat we were all
vacciusted. although We had each been
successfnI.y yaC,inGtcd in previous
years The vaccination took slightly
with each member Of our family and
We were all vacr:Nated regularly there
after every month or two in order to
use every possible precaution. but the
vaccination diA rot take in any case
prscticnllv aftpr the first application
Whenever fresh virus came to the
consulate from the States we distrib-
uted the supply where il seemed 20 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
vaecinRted. as recollsct now from in
wagons were CARRYING such a continu-
ols freight 10 the cemetery that IL was
. common thing for the sexton and his
help when night fell 70 find 20 or 80
more corpses on their hands for inter
ment than they were ahle to bury. and
which they had 10 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 H.
Very respectfully yours.
JOHN r. HYATT.