The Adair County news., 1916-01-26
A Paper from DR.. Miller.

1900
statement in regard to the present ep-
idemic of small pox now existing in
the jail at Columbia, KY. On the
26th day of December, 1915, was call
ed to the jail by Mr.. c.. G. Jeffries,
our most efficient jailer. an officer that
every Adair county citizen should be
justly proud of, as he never neglects |
an opportunity to do any thing in his
power that pertains to the health,
welfare and comfort of the poor un-
fortunate man behind the bars Ar
irving at the Jail, found one John
Henry Rice, of Columbia, suffering
from very suspicious breaking out or
eruption with shot-like feeling under
the skin upon the scalp, edges of hair,
face, palms of hands, soles of feet and
other scattered over the body. at
once gave it as my opinion as case of
smallpox. He then informed me that
DR.. g NJ. Russell had been called by
John Henry previous to calling me,
and he gave it as his opinion that it
was smallpox. The case was seen
again next day by DR.. Claypool, DR..
o. P Miller and myself, all confirm
ing the above diagnosis, all agreeing
and pronouncing it smallpox, yet there
are people in the town of Columbia
who claim they do not believe that it
is smallpox, and are criticising and
censuring the board of health and
health officer for quarantining and
trying to stop the spread of this terri
BILE diseSse. There are people who are
so ignorant that they will stand up
and contend after the best physicians
in the land have given their honest
opinion that they are wrong, and act
ually are opposed to the health officer,
who is trying to protect their health
and lives by using every known meth
cd to the medical profession, to save
them and their families froma SCARED
face or premature grave. To those
who talk and believe that way l have
no remedy, and nothing more to say
except, it is folly to be wise when ig-
norance is bliss. The safe plan in
case there is smallpox in the country
is to be vaccinated When? Right
now, just as soon as you can. Fort
unately the method of prevention is as
safe and certain in its action as it is
cheap and easy to obtain. Vaccina-
tion and revacination properly done
with reliable virus, is a certain pre-
! ventive, and is free from danger.
This is conclusive of the scientific
world, after large experience and full
investigation, and may be confidently
relied upon. Vaccination should al
ways be done by competent physi-
clan, and the person should be seen by
him from time to time that he may
know that perfect result has been
secured Though simple and painless,
it is one most important OPERATIONS
that one can ever have done As inn
perfect or spurious vaccination can on
ly mislead and give rise to a false
sense of security Failure of the vac
cination to take only means that the
virus was inert and is no evidence
that the person will not take smallpox,
AS is commonly believed varioloid
may occur in persons partially vacci-
mated, but it has been demonstrated
by experience of thousands of observ-
ers under the most trying exposures
und tests that thoroughly vaccinat-
ed person will not take smallpox, al
though living and sleeping in the room
with it This dreadful scourge would
be Immediately and permanently
stamped out if vaccination should be
promptly and seriously practiced 1t
is unlawful to remain unvaccinated at
any time, but in the face of existing
conditions intelligent people should
not wait for the law to force them to
an evident duty. Health and school
boards, town trustees and fiscal courts
and corporations and business people
every where should cooperate syste-
matically and earnestly in providing
and requiring vaccine vaccination for
all within their respective jurisdic-
tion or in their employ. The business
men in many places, especially in
smaller cities and towns, where facil-
titles for caring for cases of this dis
ease are usually inadequate, have
suffered, and are continually liable to
suffer incalculable loss from outbreaks
which paralyze their trade, and which
can only be certainly prevented by
general vaccination The law is am