El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-14

the seventeenth century. Thence it
iapidly spread through Virginia, the
CO rolinas, New England and other por-
tons of the American colonies.
Strangely enough the disease is more
| than usually fatal to aboriginal peo-
rles, such as the native indians of the
/ West Indies, the inhabitants OF Poly
nesia, our own American red men, and
the Esquimaux OF the Arctic circle
Invaded Palaces
| Neither palace nor howell formerly
was immune from the ravages of small
pox. Royalty itself persisted in the
persons OF queen Mary of England in
/ 1894, the emperor of Germany in I'LL,
the dauphin and dauphiness Of France
in 1712, the emperor Of Russia in 1870,
he queen of Sweden in 1741, and Louis
XIV. of France in 1774 In the middle
of the eighteenth century 2,0e0, 900 per-
! iEhed in Russia. In London in 1923
enc out of every IA deaths was due to
smallpox, while in France in 1854 the
rate was as high as one in 10.
| Up TO the beginning OF the nine
teenth century, when it's ravages were
decidedly checked by vaccination,
smallpox continued its course as a
deadly pestilence almost always and
everywhere present. sparing no age,
sex. condition or nationality No one
was safe from it except by virtue Of
having already passed through it's per-
lis. It's history, like that of other acute
conta gious diseases, is that, while al
nays prevailing to g certain extent.
especially in large cities, it ragged as an
epidneic every few years. This period
ical recurrence is doubtless due chief
ly to the fact that each epidemic ex-
fsusts nearly all the subjects then sus-
ceptible to the disease so that Ger sain
time must elapse for sufficient num-
Der Of others to be born into the world
70 afford the material for a fresh out
break
Vaccine is Discovered.
This theory explains the reoccurrence
Of such scourges as the plague and the
sweating sickness through so many
centuries. AS has been noted, up to
the latter part of the eighteenth centu-
~ there was no known method Of rem
dering people immune from smallpox
It looked as If the human race was
doomed to suffer Indefinitely from its
awful ravages. But about the year
i773 DR.. Edward Jenner, an English
physician and a pupil OF John Hunter
fegan the search for a prophylactic
Some time previously he had investi-
gated the cowpox, being led thereto by
accidentally hearing Of curious rustic
legend or axiom to the effect that
milkmaids or dairymatds who had con-
tracted the mild and almost harmless
oowpox were exempt from smallpox
On May Il. 1895. Dr.. Jenner vaccin-
ated boy eight years old with lymph
from the hand Of a dairymaid who had
been i'll with cowpox, and on July 1
following inoculated the same lad with
smallpox virus. The experiment was
successful and an account was pub
lished in June. 1898 The practice of
vaccination gradually gained ground,
though not without strenuous opposi-
ton which has continued to the pres
ent day. Wherever II is practiced the
Tavages OF the smallpox seourge have
teen controlled and almost stopped. and
most civilized countries now enforce
compulsory vaccine ton
According to the best medical ,au-
thority we know nothing Of the orig
inal cause of smallpox, but 1t never oc-
ours save as the consequence of infec-
ton conveyed from one person to an
ether The contagipn exceeds IN viru-
,ence that Of any other disease The
infectious principle is known to reside
IN the fluid contents of the pocks and
IN the crusts resulting from their desic-
cstion, and is is probable that it is also
contained in many Of the fluids OF the
body. Moreover, it pervades the ema-
nations from the person, so that actual
contact with the sick IS not necessary
10 the conveyance Of the disease.
COntag1on Spreads
To what distance the volatile conta-
gium may extend is uncertain, but It is
known to have crossed river 1900 feet
v ide. In its fixed condition, attached
- -, -
chendise, mail matter, paper money. /
etc. this infectious principle is very
energetic and persistent The disease
Is communicable at all periods of its
course, even in the period Of incuba-
ton before any symptoms have oc-
Cured, and as late as the close Of the
stage Of decrustation. but probably 1t
Is most intensely contagious during the
vascular stage Of the eruption Even a
dead body is capable of conveying in
lection It may also be carried from |
one person to another without the per- !
son who carries it himself suffering |
from an attack. But undoubtedly those
surroundings where poverty, squalor /
and dirt abound are favorable to the
spread Of smallpox Fresh air, sun 1
light and cleanliness are its foes.
The treatment Of smallpox, accord /
Ing 10 medical authorities, consists in /
conserving the resources OF the patient, l
end in early detecting and combating |
complications, such as chill or cold. |
No sort Of medication or regimen ex- /
erts any curative effect in the proper
sense Of the word. Many socalled spe- /
cities have been vaunted, but there is /
no satisfactory proof that they have 1
ever accompl shed anything. vaccina-
alton, although Of such signal efficacy
10 preventing smallpox, Is utterly pow
erless to curs It. No treatment will |
prevent pittiag, although many per-
sons who have undergone an attack are
rot permanently disfigured in this
way
Preventing It's Spread.
Avoidance of exposure to the conta-
son Will also prevent the disease, but
this is difficult and often impossible,
to manage. All clothing, bedding, etc,
which may have become infected are
destroyed by fire. or. II too valuable to
be sacrificed. are disinfected by heat
as high as PIP degrees F. or by the
tunes Of burning. birthstone. Everyone
exposed to the disease usually is re-
CURED to be at once revaccinated. Pa
tents are capable Of conveying the in
lection untti all the crusts have fallen
cff.~---~~