The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-01-03
DR.. DIXON'S PLEA
FOR VACCINATION
State Health Commissioner Earnestly
Appeals to Parents to Protect
Their Children From the
Horrors Of Smallpox.
SAYS PEOPLE ARE MISGUIDED
Anti.VacclnatlonIsts FIJI Parents
Minds With Prejudice, But In Spite
Of Opposition the Law 10 Being
Enforced In Thousands Of Schools.

Minds With Prejudice, But In Spite
Of Opposition the Law ls Being
Enforced In Thousands Of Schools.
DR.. Samuel G. Dixon. state commits.
sioner OF health. has given out the
following interview in reference to the
enforcement Of the vaccination law:
While the United States govern.
ment licenses and holds under super.
vision the vaccine farms OF the coun.
try in order that our people may have
vaccine virus produced in the purest
state for protection against the most
| terrible and loathsOme disease known
to man, and while the Prussian empire
by compulsory vaccination has practi-
cally eYierminated smallpox. the great
state of Pennsylvania has depended
largely on the intelligence Of her peo-
pie TO guard against the disease by
voluntary vaccination.
ITO the credit of our citizens this
precaution has been widely taken. but
the 1900 cases OF smallpox that have
occurred in Pennsylvania during the
last few years. and which have given
this state black mark among her
sister commonwealths. show the need
of enforcing the laws that have been
passed by our legislatures for the
purpose OF getting our people vacci.
mated
"One Of these laws. the act of June
Is. 1905. provides that our children In
the schools must all be vaccinated,
and that IL the parents OF the children
refuse to permit their children and
the community to be thus guarded
against smallpox such children shall
not be permitted to attend the schools.
Thousands Being Vaeeinated.
While thousands OF school children
throughout the state are being yacci.
mated with the consent of their par.
ents, who desire to protect their lit
tie ones against the ravages of small
pox, | am ashamed to say that GER
tain men are going about the state
seeking for self-adyertisement to in
cite the ignorant against vaccination
and to influence our school teachers
to become law-breakers.
THE widest literature is circulated
depicting alleged horrors of vacoina-
tion. In some districts you will find
that the death Of nearly every child
In the community is being laid to vac
cination.
Danger Of Smallpox.
i realize how a parent will oppose
the vaccination of his child when the
mind of such parent has been filled
with blind prejudice and ignorant su.
perstition If this parent could only
realize the crime he or she commits
against the child by leaving it exposed
to the horrors of smallpox.
The AUTHORIZATIONS go into
community and they say to the par.
ents: You have no smallpox around
mere now, There is no danger from
smallpox. Why then submit vour
children to vaccination?' These men
know that smallpox turks in the hand.
shake. that victim of the mildest
form OF the disease may come into a
community that has never known
smallpox, and that the infection TINS
introduced may quickly attack an en-.
tire unvaccinated district, carrying off
hundreds of children and adults be.
fore the epidemic has been checked
The very tramp that comes along the
country road and asks aims of your
child may In return for the little ones
Kindness infect it with deadly small.
pox.
These are facts, and, therefore. the
vaccination law is wise when II re.
quires that unvacclnated children shall
be debarred from school in the rural
district as well as the crowded CITY"
A Strong Personal Plea.
The following letter has been sent
by Health Commissioner Dixon to a
leading citizen Of a district where
anti-vaccinationists have stirred up Cd.
position to the enforcement of the law:
My Dear Sir-The fact that your
people are misguided worries me
much. They do not realize how sym.
pathlze with those who are In immi.
nent danger and yet refuse to prOtect
themselves. They seem to be crazed
on vaccination, which fact is inc0nsist-
ent with their faith in antitoxin for
ulphtherla, demonstrated by the fact
that they receive from one hand of
the commonwealth the antitoxin which
ls produced in the horse, while they
of this state vaccine which is nro.
duced from the cow
Ihls alone convinces me that their
minds have been poisoned by some
charlatan's statements. wish could
influence them to listen to the facts
which have convinced the medical
profession OF the great blessing that
vaccination has been to humanity.
Unchain the horrible monster
small-poX--by taking away vaccina-
uon, ana inside OF two generations our
prosperous state would have her in.
dustries paralyzed and her cemeteries
overcrowded with the victims of that
dread disease.
Your people say they have not had
smallpox for 40 years. Do they ever
stop to realize the fact that many of
them have owned their homes for a
longer period without having had them
reduced to ashes by fire, and yet dur.
ing that entire time they have been
wise enough to keep ND their fire in.
surance? Why is this? Because they
know that fire may come at any time
and leave them homeless.
WHY, therefore. do they not realize
that smallpox may come at any mo.
ment and take away from them those
nearest and dearest to their hearts.
rohbing them of all that Is in life TO