The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-02
A Last Word from Mr.. Rim.

A Last Word from Mr.. Rim.
To the Editor Of the Evening Sun:
Sir: My letter against vaccination
on Thursday, and the editorial COM
ment on the same, are in line with
getting at the facts, even if divergent
views are held. Being believer in
scientific medicine, as well as The
Evening Sun, I feel confident that an
examination of the facts and logical
deductions from the same must lead
to a change Of opinion on the part
of The Evening Sun and fair-minded
men capable of analysing evidence.
The Evening Sun comm ented as fol-
lows: MIR. Rim, We presume, Is not
SO simple as to suppose that the vac
cine itself is the cause Of these var
ious diseases, " (Tetanus, erysipelas,
&C.,. Now this is exactly what I 90
believe, and on authority that even
you will hardly question, viz, Bulle-
tin No. IL, United States Hygienfc La
boratory, Washington, D. c.. 1903, DR..
Rosenau on archaeological Impuri-
ties in Vaccine Virus" in which the
statements appear:
"It is impossible to use germicidaI
agents in the treatment Of vaccinal
eruptions of calves as such substances
would kill the potency OF the virus.
Therefore, it is evident that even the
greatest care will not insure such vi
L
found pus cocci (germs Of sepsis) and
other bacteria in both the dry points
and the glycerinated virus. 1t will
be seen that there is practically no
vaccine on the market free from bac-
terial contamination. Tetanus spores
We have found them alive and viru-
lent on dry points after 295 days and
in glycerinated virus sealed in capil-
larry tubes 355 days. Tetanus may
become a communicating element of
vaccine virus before it leaves the
heifer."
This evidence from a Government
certainly upholds my posi-
ton on the question, and as well
can give the names of over 100 per-
sons who died from tetanus shortly
after vaccination in 1903 and 1910,
who were apparently In perfect health
when vaccinated.
If, therefore. no vaccine virus on
the market is free from bacterial
contamination, as stated in United
States Bulletin H. why should We
have compulsory vaccination Ct
healthy school children?
i claim that sanitation and isola-
ton are the only amel1orators of
smallpox, and your reference to the
report of the Sanitary Department for
1908 on smallpox in the Philippines
offers additional proof in support Of
IL.
From 1898 to 1902 while the sani-
tary efforts put into practice had not
yet produced its effects We find that
the army was vaccinated
and revaccinated repeatedly there
We're 737 cases Of smallpox and 261
deaths, mortality Of over So per
cent. This was a greater mortality
than before vaccination was heard Of,
and it was not until sanitary condi-
tons in the Philippines began to take
effect some years later that smallpox
and other diseases were reduced in
and frequency.
Smallpox is but one of the zymotic
diseases, and they were all reduced
there through sanitation in as great
a proportion to the prevalence of the
disease as was smallpox and with no
credit for anything else as being the
Why should smallpox,
one of this Zymotic group, credit vac
cination with being the agency that
disease conditions in that
when sanitation alone pro-
duced a like result in the other Zy-
motto diseases? The story is similar
in Porto Rico and India, as at no
time or place has vaccination alone
shown power as either an ameliorator
or preventive of smallpox. When the
sanitary condition of Havana was i'm
proved by Col. Waring the cholera,
always SO prevalent there, practically
I did not claim that. the medical
profession said vaccination did not
grant immunity as they do state so,
and that was what I wished tested.
The Chicago Health Board bulletin
says: THAT true vaccination--re-
peated until it no longer takes, al
ways prevents smallpox. Nothing
else does"
AS the medical profession claims to
believe this as a fact, what is absurd
in my offer to test this belief, which
is in my opinion not supported by
the facts, and why should anything
else be used as a preventive. in a
test of the powers of vaccination I
challenge the powers Of vaccine virus,
not scientific medicine sanitation or
quarantine. If it is necessary for
healthy children to risk their lives
through bacterial contamination from
vaccine virus in order to enter school,
and the facts distinctly prove that
not even for one month
grants immunity, the cure is worse
than the disease, and it is time that
compulsory vaccination should be
abolished.
Japan has compulsory vaccination
and re-vaccination, and is the best
vaccinated country in the world, yet
it's statistics show that from 1892 to
1897 they had 142,032 cases of small
pox and 1855 deaths from it. In
1880 Cney passed even more stringent
vaccination laws. yet in 1897 they had
Al, 946 cases of smallpox and 1926
died, double the mortality that exist
ed before the days of Jenner and
when scientific medicine was in it's
infancy: During 1908, according to
the official statistics furnished by s.
Kubota, director of the Sanitary B,l-
reau of Japan. "The number OF
cases of smallpox officially notified in
Japan was 1907, and the number
of officially recorded deaths from
smallpox that year was 5,S37.'' This
shows q mortality of 80 per cent, and
yet medical men persist in falsely
stating the facts to the public and to
the press. One of the greatest cpl
denies of smallpox that Great Brit