The commonwealth., 1912-03-14
SMALLPOX OR VACCINATION.
Smallpox is a Contagious Disease But
Vaccination Is a Preventive.

disease in North Carolina. 1t is
catching" from the very first symp-
toms to the falling off of the last
scab. Infected articles or things
that have come in contact with a
smallpox patient may transmit
smallpox long after the patient has
died or recovered. A little over a
hundred years ago great epidemics
of smallpox broke out, almost wip-
ing out whole families and commu-
mites. Europe lost 100000 lives an
nually from this loathsome disease.
There were at least $50 times as
many deaths from this wretcned,
reeking, rotten disease as we now
have.
A great difference between then
and now! What has wrought the
change? All the medical world. all
the scientific world know but one
answer-vaccinatio What is vac
cination? Vaccination is one of the
simplest surgical operations known
1t consists essentially of implanting
in the body small amount of i'm
munizing or anti-smallpox fluid.
When one has once had measles or
scarlet fever the body usually be-
becomes immune to second attack
Of the same disease The virtue or
value of vaccination is that it gives
even better immunity against small
pox than a previous attack of measles
gives against a second attack of
successful vaccination produces but
one sore or scar on the arm, whereas
smallpox produces hundreds Of fes-
tering sores all over the body.
For at least five years after vacci-
nation one is in no more danger Of
taking smallpox from smallpox
patient than he is of taking a head
ache or tOothache from an associate.
Vaccination so thoroughly protects
from smallpox that a vaccinated
person may sleep with smallpox
patient and be in no danger Of con-
tractinr the disease Probably the
strongest proof of the protecting
power of vaccinal ton is to be found
where a vacrinated baby does rot
contract small pox while nursing
from its mother, who has the dis
ease.
AGAINST VACCINATION.
In view of these facts. strange as
it may seem, there still exist some
people who prefer not to be vaccina-
ted. These people usually urge one
or mere Of the following objections:
Vaccination is dangerous, it is use
less, it interferes with personal
rights, or that doctors urge vaccina-
ticn for the fee they receive, or that
all vaccination statistics are false.
Only the narrowest minded people
belong to this class those that are
penny wise and pound foolish, and
those that would sooner risk their
life against smallpox than endure
the slight discomfort of vaccinated
arm for a few days. Vaccination is
no more dangerous than any slight
abrasion of the skin. 1t is not half
as dangerous as the pulling. Of
tooth or the trimming of q corn, and
does not cause nearly as much dis
comfort.
Vaccination is useless only to the
same extent that smallpox is useful.
The argument for personal rights
vanishes when we consider that com
pulsory vaccination laws, where they
exist, have been unanimously upheld
by the courts, whenever tried.
The argument that doctors urge
vaccination for the fee does not hold,
because they derive greater fees
from treating case Of smallpox
than from vaccination.
The only reply necessary to those
that do not believe in vaccination or
who do not believe government sta
tistics, is that there still a few who
do not even believe that the earth is
round or that it rotates, and it is a
waste of time to argue with such