The Detroit times., 1910-11-16
DETROIT IN LITTLE
DANGER FROM
SMALLPOX
Only One Case Here and Outbreak is
improbable, But General Vaccina-
ton Is Ordered as Precautionary
Measure.
incubation With Virus Renders One
Absolutely Immune for Five Years,
Says DR.. Kiefer.

They say AN ounce OF prevention
is worth a pound Of cure and that
is the theory | am working on, said
Dr Guy l.. Kiefer health officer, TO
The Times Tuesday. while discussing
the smallpox situation in Michigan
and the order of the board OF health,
issued Monday afternoon. for gen
eral vaccination i'm Detroit AS has
been pointed out by the newspapers,
the smallpox situation is serious III
Saginaw and other places in the state.
don't think there is any danger or
It's reaching Detroit, but you can new
or tell just when il may strike us.
Therefore, | want TO be on the safe
side.
Vaccination is an absolutely sure
preventive OF smallpox. Anybody
who is successfully vaccinated Will be
immune from the disease, provided,
OF course. the vaccination does not
extend over FIVE years. Everybody,
TO be perfectly safe from smallpox,
should be vacCinated once in Ave
years. OF course. vaccination acts
differently on some people than on
others while some might be liable
10 contract smallpox FIVE years after
being vaccinated, others may be able
10 go many years longer without be-
ing in danger Of infection.
"A general vaccination ought to
take place every five years, so that
everybody would he immune. II is
eight years since we have had a gen
eral vaccination here, and another
should be held now, even though
there might NOT be any danger from
the disease which Is prevalent in
other parts OF The state. But il IL
does come this way, we shall have
little to fear If We are all vaccinated
People who are successfully inoCulat-
ed with the virus can mingle with
smallpox patients without the slight
est danger of contracting the disease.
1t is hard 10 make some people be-
lieve this, however. Not long ago
little boy. whose parents | know very
well. was taken down with the dis
ease ordered him sent to the con
tagious disease hospital, His mother
rebelled, saying she didn't want TO
be separated from the boy. All right.
said. I can fix II so you can go. too
guaranteed that If she were TO be
vacCinated and follow my instructions
she wouldn't contract the disease.
even bet her the best bonnet she
could wear against a box of cigars
that she wouldn't get the disease. She
was cor WINGED that | was right and
she went to the hospital after being
vaccinated Her boy got we'll and
she proved immune from the disease
DR. Kiefer said that there was only
one case of smallpox in Detroit at the
present time. The patient is col
ored man and he is in the contagious
disease hospital. His case was of a
yiIulont type, but he is now recover.
ing Or. Kiefer thinks the patient
may have contracted the disease
around Saginaw, as he was sailing in
and out of Detroit during the summer
When Detroit had an epidemic of
smallpox. eight years age, there were
over a thousand cases.
The health officer plans TO carry on
the general vaccination with his pres
ent corps of doctors. They are DR..
Philip J. Loranger, No. 3S3 Canton
ave; DR.. J. w Ames, No 351 Kirby
ave east; DR.. Guy II. McFall, No. 957
Jefferson-ave., and DIR. Victor G..
Vaughan, No. 1899 Woodward-ave.
These doctors will visit the factories
and other places where they are re-
quired, in order 10 vaccinate those
who don't go to their family physician
for the purpose Of being vaccinated
Doctors will also be stationed at the
board OF health building. No. 233 St.
Antoine-st., for those who wish to
bare their arms there. BY this system
DR. Kiefer says the general vaccina
ton will not cost much.
In the circulars which DR.. Kiefer is
sending out TO employers OF labor, he
is calling attention TO the epidemic
now evisting outside the city and
urging all to cooperate in the plan
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