The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-05-05
SMALLPOX AND VACCINATION

n ANW HEENS e5bs OEdld Hdu a pau
smallpox scare, in the course Of which
about half the population was vacc.-
mated. The scare is over now, and
few will think Of smallpox or vaccina-
ton until another fatal case Of the
former emphasizes the necessity for
the latter.
The following article is approved of
by the state board of health. and it
contains much information that all
people should have.
Smallpox, like the poor, is with US
always in Florida, and this state is no
different in this respect from the other
forty-seven, excepting that in this pc
ninsula alone the state authorities
maintain control, or at least supervis-
ion over the disease. In the other COM
monweaIths the authority to deal with
IL is vested in county health officers. It
belongs to no section exclusively, and
1t is no respector of seasons; summer
and winter are alike favorable to its
propagation and spread.
at is a disease that might be wiped
out if-but it still fiourishes although
medical science has provided tried
and tested preventive, because a rather
popular prejudice, famed by a some
times ignorant press, strangely enough
still refuse to accept the way of saliva
ton.
1.-The attitude of the people of Flor
ida varies toward vaccination. In some
sections it is indifference that helps the
spread ( smallpox. In others it is a
positive, aggressive repelling Of ways
and means provided to curb the disease
The admitted difficulty of diagnosis
and the failure to report suspicious
cases to the authorities do much to
keep it alive, but the opposition to vac
cination as preventative in certain
communities often is little short of
crime.
TT is a striking fact, however, that
the positive announcement of a well
defined case in the average rural and
small city community wipes out this
prejudice and the hurry call for help
from the state board of health, in the
form of vaccine points, becomes almost
pathetic An occasional fatal case of
hemorrhagic smallpox causes a panic
until the particular community can be
inoculated. And so it appears that in
a majority of instances the loudly pro-
claimed opposition is born of prejudice
based upon ignorance of established
historical facts in medical science.
Quarantine is believed popularity to
be an efficient protection for the public
again-t the disease But constantly
recurring instances of the uselessness
might shake popular faith IL they
could be published generally. The vic
tim of the disease is a menace to all
non immunes from the time the erup-
tion makes it's first appearance until
the last vestige of it has vanished.
Bearing that fact in mind, as we'll as
the further fact that this eruption in
its earlier stages has a marked resem-
blance to that of chickenpox, to the
extent than an immediate diagnosis of
the disease as genuine smallpox is
often the cause of the most learned
physicians, it is we'll to ponder over a
few instances of recent occurrence in
Florida.
"a well dressed and Intelligent gen
tleman walked into the office of the
state board of health in Jacksonville
not many weeks ago. An eruption COW
cred his face and neck. Doctor what
is the matter with me? I have just
arrived from the north on the Semi
mole Limited after a journey of three
days and I don't feel very we'll" 1t
was smallpox and he ignorantly had
exposed to tn infection a trainload of
passengers in the crowded Pullman
and diner.
"a railroad conductor on much
Travelled route in this state, went over
his regular run for four days, his face
covered with an eruption. He was
taken from the train with a genuine
case of smallpox, having exposed four
or five hundred persons in his train. He
was entirely innocent of intended harm,
but it might have been avoided if he
had been yaccinated.
can epidemic of something-the peo-
pie called it chickenpox, and therefore,
thought it wasn't worth while to call
in the doctor-prevailed at Eustis for
SIX weeks during the past season But
after a while a patient became very i'll.
The family sent for doctor and then
it was discovered that the disease had
been smallpox all the time. No one
had been quarantined, unknown hun
dreds had been exposed and the disease
had been scattered far and wide.
"At Palmetto twenty-one cases de-
veloped before any of them were re-
ported to the physicians of the health
authorities. Similar occurrences are not
rare. They might be quoted almost in
definitely from the records of the
state health authorities.
Quarantine loses its efficiency thru
failure to report cases known to be
smallpox, and through like failure on
account of ignorance of the nature of
the disease. Many instances are on re-
cord in Florida where the disease has
been concealed in order to avoid quar-
antine Such action is a misdemeanor
under the laws of the state It is the
duty OF the states attorneys to prose-
cute upon informa tfon, but who is go
ing to inform them and produce relia-
Bile witnesses? Certainly not the friends
OF the patient, who would be most
anxious to protect him and themselves.
Failure to report such cases through
ignorance of real conditions are not
dangerous.
What is quarantine? Under ~ the |
of the state board OF
health, patient is under quarantine
when the house or building in which he
is located has been placarded to warn
the public and he has been forbidden
to leave il and mingIe with the pub
lie. But what is to prevent his viola
ton Of such orders2 Evidently only an
armed guard II such guard orders the
patient to return and he refuses, what
further recourse has the guard? Only
10 shoot, and under the law he would
De justified only by the defense that it
was necessary in order TO protect hu-!
nan life That such condition did
exist must be proven in order
% clear the prisoner of the charge,
possibly of murder The state board
II health abandoned the guard system