The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-02
Anent Small Pox.
II; all hammered in Atlanta.

Anent SMdli ToA.
1t all happened in Atlanta.
Small Pox has made its appearance and
the health officers Of Atlanta had issued
an order that every unvaccinated man,
woman, and child in Atlanta be v~accinated.
Now in Atlanta there are Sundry per-
sonages who think they know more about
vaccination than do the Health Authori-
ties. These men and women formed
themselves into a League called the Anti
vaccination League and were holding a
meeting, at which meeting was Atlanta's
health officer, DR.. Payson Kennedy.
Amidst the very organization Of the So
&. ciety DR.. Kennedy arose and announced
that he had vaccine for all present and
would insist that they take the dose.
H. Great confusion ensued. At one time
it seemed that the principals in the play
would come to blows but the police au-
thorities were present and prevented it.
DR.. Kennedy is an Abbeville man. He
is brother of our esteemed neighbor A.
Seldom Kennedy of Due West. He has
been Atlanta's Health officer for many
years and a most efficient officer he has
made.
The above incident is one of the disa-
greeable phases Of a public Health officers
work. There are people who do not think
that there is any virtue in vaccination.
They c~onscientiously believe that vacci-
nation Is as much to be dreaded as small
pox. =
They forget that it has not been many
years since Jenner discovered this serum
that prior to that time small pox was one
Of the most dreaded diseases in the whole
category of human ills-that the fatalities
from this disease ran up to rs and in some
cities 80 per cent. They forget that hun
dreds Of thousands Of lives have been e1-
tinguished, snuffed out, by the, then
awful pestilence. They forget the. per
cent which recovered were marked and
pittsd and SCARED and made ugly and
sometimes hideous for life. They forget
that the immunes Of the, then, terrible
disease were so few. They forget that
the disease has almost been annihilated
by the use of vaccine. They forget that,
In refusing to practice vaccination, they
bid for a return OF the p%estilence. They
forget.
It Is a troublesome question to know
just how to deal with the small per cent
which are so bitterly opposed to vacci-
n alton. II Small Pox survives it must 90
81 through the medium Of the unvaccinat-
ed. Contagious diseases cannot exist If
there be no mediuI: through which their
particular microcoeci may be perpetuated.
II all people on the face Of the earth
were vaccinated there would be an end to
Small Pox and the coming generations
would be fee, not only from the disease,
as the vaccinated are to-day, but they
would be free from the necessity Of vacci-
nation. Where there is no disease there
Is no need Of a preventative.
II those who so much object to being
y~accinated could be shown these facts
much Of the bitter opposition to the prac-
tee Of vaccination could be removed.
This Is another problem for those inter-
ested in the Conservation Of the Public
{ Health.
The u~nvaccinated who is opposed to
the practice argues this way: You are
yaccinated and therefore immune to the
disease, as you say. How, then, can my
refusing to be vaccinated affect you. You
are In no danger. I am the only one in
danger and I am willing to run the risk,
how is it you insist on my being vacci-
nated?'
Such a one should remember that he is
responsible for the presence Of Small Pox,
in that the only way by which Small Pox
may pr opogate itself is through the med
ium Of the unvaccinated. He should re-
member that he is working a hardship on
his fellow men in that a. long as the dis
ease remains vaccination must continue.
Should those opposed to the practice al
low themselves to be v~accinated they
would remove the necessity for vacci-
nation, for when the last man is ~vaccinated
Small Pox is dead.
AS long as there is one unvaccinated
human being Small Pox is not dead.
To-day in tropical countries where the
practice Of vaccination has not yet been
thoroughly introduced Small Po1 is killing
its tens Of thousands and marring the
faces of the rest.
Those who get over the awful disease
are usually left with some organ weaken
- ed or diseased for life.
A man assumes a terrible responsibility
when he refuses to be v~accinated.
Crease Your Guns And Put