Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-23

In a statement TO The Times Dis
patch last night. DIR. L. C. Levy. Chief
Health Officer of the city of Richmond,
makes a ringing defense Of universal
vaccination as the most efficient
weapon against smallpox. and gives as
surance to the public that the exercise
of this precaution contains no element
OF danger.
Ut. Levy was led to make this public
statement by the unrest that has de-
veiopcu In certain quarters following
inc death OF scven-ycar-old Mildred
Hays Blaming. on November 49, from
tetanus, said to have been contracted
through the Infection OF a vaccination
wound.
DEATH FROM TETANUS WAS
NOT DUE TO VACCINATION
it Is not at all certain that this
death from tetanus was due 10 the
vaccination" said Or. Levy "In fact.
the physician who performed the vac
-cination and who signed the death Ger
pncatc thinks II most probable that
inns was not tho case There Is no
doubt that the child was vaccinated
ana that IT died. month later from
what the attending physician consId-
cred to be tetanus Nockja.v) we may
De very sure that the vaccine itself
nld not contain the germ OF tctanux
Tne germ OF tetanus Is rather widely
distributed. and whenever the skin is
broken In any way there is always
Some chance of tetanus developing
III lie most unlikely I'm this special
case that the tetaDus germ even gained
entrance to the body from any outside
source at the time OF vaccination: for
III that case the symptoms OF the dis
ease would hardly have been four
weeks In making their appearance II
~ most probable that there was. later
on. some other slight 'in1ury--so slight
~ 10 escape notice-and that the tcta-
nus bacillus entered the body through
this.
FIRST INSTANCE OF
SUSPECTED DANGER
Even II. for the sake OF argument,
"o admit that tetanus and death were
actually due, to vaccination. this should
not cause amy one to neglect VAGINA
ton either for himself or for his child.
iens or thousands of vaccinations have
been done In Richmond since became
connected with tho Health Department.
ana this is the first instance in which
II has even been suspected OF doing
any real harm. while, on the other
hand, these vaccinations have. beyond
All questions. prevented hundreds of
cases OF smallpox. some OF which would
nave resulted in death. many more in
permanent injury to health. and still
1T would be hard to mention anv.
tr3E which has conferred greater
benefits on mankind than has vaccina-
ton against smallpox. Before the DAYS
OF Jenuer this disease was a scourgc
which has no parallel to-day. Prac-
ccally every one had Il at some time
In life. a large proportion OF the
populace bore It's marks. II was about
as common as measles and scarlet
FEVER are to-day BEING present con-
stant!y In most communities, nearly
every one was exposed TO the infcc-
rs much disease or childh God as il
'h'ckcn-poS al the present time Its
toll In human life was appalling.
IESNER's DISCOVERY
ELIMINATED SCOURGE
With the discovery of vaccination
all this was changed. The complete
protection against smallpox which is
Afforded by vaccination Is Admitted by
all who have had any opportunity or
Judging. II would he foolish 10 argue
;his question. except for the fact that
there are always some persons In the
world Who for ono reason or another
seem to delight In denying everything
believed BY tho rest of the world.
Since data near at home always
make the strongest appeal, will tell
briefly just what the experience of the
Richmond Health Department has been
In the past eight ycars-thc time dur
ing which have been Chief Health
officer. Since 1906 VIC have had to
deal with n large number OF cases of
smallpoS--most of these persons hav-
ing contracted the disease outside OF
Richmond. Among all these cases,
there were only. two who showed evil
dencc OF having been successfully vac
c'natcd at any time during their lives
Both these cases were In old persons.
who had not been vaccinated since
infancy.
LONG RECORD or
uNBHOKEN SUCCESS
since J. have been Chief Health Of
iiccr OF Richmond. now over eight
Years, tens of thousands of vaccinations
have been done by physicians connected
with the Health Department. In all
this time there has not been single
Instance of any permanent harm re-
ultinE. Not only has there been no
loss Of life, but no one has been given
any disease OF any. kind. and no one
has lost an arm or Il leg. Sore arms
arc the worst which has happened
And between II sore arm for week or
dangerous and disgusting disease like
smallpox, one can scarcely hesitate.
In this connection / want to saw
Just D word about the proper time i'm
life TO DO vaccinated. am often asked
whether II is too soon to vaccinatc a
child three or four years old. As n
matter OF fact, every normal child
Should he vaccinated before II Is one
sycar old"
GENERAL ID. J. TURNER DEAD.