The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-12-19
POSSIBLE TO PUTAN
END TO SMALL. PlR
General Vaccination Would ENTIRELY
Eliminate Il, says Georgia
Board Of Hs&Ith.


unnecessary diseases, may be easily
eradicated from Georgia as well aa
any other state, says the Georgia
State Board Of Health, by the simple
process Of vaccination; but to accom-
plish this result vaccination must be
general, thorough and complete.
Unfortunately statistics as to small
pox in Georgia are lacking; they are
kept only by one or two Of the larger
cities. But in 1910, thirtss-six states
reported SO,S52 cases with 415 deaths,
showing marked increase over the
preceding year both In number and
death rate. Taking the states around
Georgia, Florida with 1886 cases and
IL deaths, showed a marked increase;
Tennessee's report Of 2,1S9 cases was
incomplete; North Carolina reported
1921 cases, while there we're no re.
ports from South Carolina. Alabama
or Georgia.
Prevalence OF smallpox in Georgia
Is not questioned; little 10 said Of it
except when 1t becomes epidemic or
semi epidemic In particular locality;
then vaccination crusade is started.
but often too late to protect many Of
the victims.
Smallpox is one OF the Oldest Of
epidemic diseases. There are refer
ences to 1t dating back 1000 years
before the Christian era. In Europe.
in the middle ages, its death roll
would run as high as 100000 in a sin
gle year. 1t was brought to America
early in the seventeenth century, and
has been more or less prevalent here
ever since.
Smallpox is considered unQuestion-
ably germ disease, but the germ is
one about which scientists as yet
know nothing. What they do know
however, beyond all question. is how
to prevent it. Nearly everyone ez-
posed to 1t who Is not projected Dy
vaccination or who has not had tie
disease at some previous time, VIII
contract it. 1t may be gotten by d.
rect contact, such as shaking hands
with one VINO has it, or indirectly ~
sleeping in a bed which has been oc-
cupled by smallpox patient. There
is reason to believe even more remote
contaglon may take place. livery
case Of 1t comes FROM some other
case, either directly or indirectly.
Ten days, two weeks or even q
| longer time may pass before the
symptoms develope. Then comes Q
severe chill followed by rapidly dis
ing fever and severe aching pains IN
| the back, joints or head. After
| couple oil days OF fever, rash appears
usually tlrst on the forehead, and the
fever subsidies. The rash, at hESt
y nix or reddish splotches, smooth a.
hat, deyelopes in few hours into
little hard rounded bumps under the
skill These spread over the entire
body, developing blisters as they
grow. The patient again developes 9
fever, and the blisters, 1llled hrst with
clear fluid become filed with cor
ruption. The patient presents hog-
fible picture. The skin is covered
with a mass of pug, the eyes are clos
ed by the swelling and the diseased
flesh gives forth horrible odor. Az
ter about twelve days the eruption
begins to heal the bllsters dry UP and
| finally the skin is covered with nn@
scales from the top of the eruption
which are believed to contain the con-
tagion Of the disease. The patient ia
contagious until all the pustules have
dried up and scaled off and the SKID
over them Is smooth. Sometimes
great pits are left In the skin which
disfgures the patient for life.
The disease In the United States
Of late years, has been Of the milde4
tyne. said by some to be due 70 the
/ less virulent Strain Of the injection.
Notwithstanding rhis there have been
severe outbreaks at various points ~
the United States with an excea1
sively large mortality There y na
guarantee that the next outbreak ~
Georgia may not be Of the severeS
type, exacting heavy death toll.
But mild or not, no one wants
! smallpox; no one wants It around
| him. An absolute and certain meth~
cd Of prevention has been known 10
more than q century In 1910 Edward
Jenner an English physician, heard 8
! dairymaid say: II cannot take thaa
disease because have had the cow
pox.p Impressed by. this statement
he spent quarter Of century study
ing the problem, announcing his dis
covery in 1898. He inoculatea q bop
with cowpox. Six weeks later he inr
oculated him with virulent smallpox
virus, and no i'll effects followed; eli
though frequently inoculated thereaG
,er. the boy never took the disease.
Just IN proportion as the practice e
vaccination spread after that date
| the scourge Of smallpox diminished
It was the virus from the COW thae
protected the boy; It is the same VI
rus, made under approved sanitary
conditions, that protects those who
are vaccinated today.
That, briefly. is how vaccination
came about: time and tests have
proven its effectiveness and value be-
yond all question. In Germany where
every person must be vaccinated.
smallpox has practically disappear
ed. In the same manner Bmall-poE
could be made 90 disappear from
Georgia. or from the United statoss
within three weeks, never to returA,
except in imported cases which nee6
not be uuarantined as no 0ne could
contract the disease from them.
Every child should be vaccinate&
as soon as possible after about the
third month Of life. or sooner after
birth. If smallpox Is prevailing In the
neighborhood. At seven years Taccis
nation should be repeated and thea