Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-02
PLEA MADE FOB A
VACCINATION LAW
Railroad Physician Contends for
Necessity of Legislation in
Delaware.

DIR. Ira Burns, Of the Pennsylvania
railroad staff, with offices in the Pennsyl-
vania Building here, has written Every
| Evening, urging State legislation compeli-
ing vaccination. His letter follows:
That the subject Of vaccination for the
prevention of smallpox is at boiling
temperature in this State at the present
time again prompts me 10 write an article
for your readers, hoping this time to
arouse Some effective action on the part OF
influential individuals and organizations
that legislation enforcing vaccination IN
this State may he enacted and enforced.
/ wrote on this subject through your
columns during the epidemic IN this State
in 1915 and If action had then been taken
doubtless the present outbreak would have
been avoided
My reason for writing Of this negii-
gcnce, in the public print, rather than
through medical publications, NJ 30 the
people of this hustling city, that has so
rapidly come TO the front as one OF the
| live smaller cities in the East, msy at
| this particular time be aware OF the medic
| al condition of the remainder Of the State.
During my several years axocIat,on
with DR.. s. A. formation, IN the medical
I STFHfR fl Ifff ttbil@FlfNhtt fdtB11sss oS
well as my service of Is months In the
medical corre Of the q. s. Army in the
| late war, have given me most unusual
| opportunity Of Observing the appalling
| lack OF vaccination Of persons from this
| State, particularly OF those born and esiu-
| Gated outside this city. In our work with
the railroad company, we make phyg1cai
examinations Of hundreds OF men and
women coming from almost every State
and when we learn that at leae& 90 per
cent of those coming translates other than
Delaware are. vaccinated while about 95
per cent of those from this State are not
vaccinated, there is no surprise that small
pox should be raging m this State and the
disease comparatively absent IN other
States
In conversation with a wyfl-snformed
physician Of this city few days ago ne
was much surprised 10 learn that such a
iaxity exists IN this State, and was also
surprised to learn that no State law exists
requiring children upon entering public
schools 10 present certificates OF success
full vaccination; that IN Wilmington there
is city ordinance requiring children 70 be
vaccinated upon entering public schools,
but in private and parochial schools VAC
cination is optional.
Obviously vaccination should be done
at the time children enter school or sooner
and each pupil should be required To pre-
sent a certificate from reputable physi-
clan of successful vaccination and every
legal support gwen TO authorities intel
ligently vacclnatlng adults as We'll rs
children when exposed 10 the disease The
storm of opposition now encountered
down the State is the outcome OF this
neglect to have State law requiring VAC
cination and ignorance ON the part OF
great percentage to appreciate the pre-
tentative.
That successful vaccination Is an indrs-
putahle prevention of smallpox Is known
to every intelligent physician and the
danger incident TO Its careful performance
is negligible. have seen very sore arms
and sick patients from its performance,
indicating good reaction from the virus,
but | have never seen an arm lost, as some
radicalists would have US believe, or
patient who failed to recover, nor have |
known a physician that has seen such an
unfavorable result. ! have personally
vaccinated hundreds of patients IN private,
railroad and army work IN this country
and In Europe and have yet tosee the inst
case that has not fully recovered. There
can be no doubt of the efficacy of the pre-
tentative.
Those who doubt may compare the
epidemic of this year and previous years
with the record of any other State IN the
Union) and for those who know the truth
and understand the danger against which
it protects, it becomes their duty 70 teach
their ignorant and uniformed neighbors
what is the truth about vaccination,
which cannot be neglected except at 8
price of possible suffering or even loss OF
life
| again plead for instruction of the
people and l call upon the various medical,
educational, social and other intellectual
organizations, as we'll as the active mem
bers of the Red Cross, to which we CON
tributedso literally here, IN the larger cities
and towns throughout the State, but
Wilmington In particular, to be less sell
centered and with less disregard OF the
welfare of the other part OF the State,
which concerns us directly, and to and IN
keeping the State out of the joke column.
Certain philanthropic citizens have |
donated vast sums of money TO improve
and keep the State within haillng distance
of neiphboring States by building mag |
nihcent roads and III aiding the much |
needed public school improvements and |
now it behooves thinking citizens OF the |
State to see that it is brought up 10 the |
standard in this lamentable lack of proper
laws and the means of enforcing them, If
necessary, at the next session OF the
Legislature.
One can easily sense the sarcasm written |
from Cambridge, Md, in the Every
Evening of January "a, tracing case of
smallpox back to Sussex county, Del, IN
which the writer states: Fortunately we
have a State law that makes vaccination
compulsory among children OF school age,
so that the young ones are reasonably safe
from the disease All of the people who
came in contact with the victim have been
vaccinated."
In a personal letter just received from
DIR. Conwell, secretary OF the Delaware
Board of Health, he writes: 1--WE are badly
in need OF just such State law as you in
quira about.
Those of YOU who would have your
State put in the running get busy with
YOUR legislators