The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-01-07
ARE THERE TWO sMALLPoxEs,

include two related diseases. one
much milder than the other. The
author OF an article in The Journal
OF Laboratory of Clinical Medicine
(St. Louis) tells us that students of
the history OF infectious diseases
have long suspected that under the
diagnosis of smallpox we include the
Asiatic and African varieties. Small
pox existed in India in the third CEN
fury b. C. 1t ragged in Egypt as ear
ly as 1900 B. c.. as shown from err
options on the skin of mummy.
The Asiatic variety spread from In
dia into China, and then gradually
westward into Asia Minor. Says the
writer:
I'VE would know but little about
smallpox during the ninth and tenth
centuries were it not for the writings
Of Arabian physicians. Apparently
1t took centuries for Asiatic small
pox to travel from eastern India and
China to Turkey in Europe. Whe-
Their the smallpox that finally spread
over Europe came from Egypt or
from Asia is o matter of speculation.
Moreover, Egyptian smallpox may
have been identictl with the Asiatic
form of the disease, and still there
might have been an Ethiopian var
lefty which was not known to the
white man until comparatively re-
cent years. During the entire his
tory of smallpox, severe and mild
epidemics have occurred, not only in
different localities, but in the same
locality at different times. Under
the name 'alastrim' of 'Kafir milk
pox' Castellani and Chalmers recog-
nize the African or mild form Of
smallpox. Concerning its causation
and nature, these authors make the
following statement:
1.-THE causation would appear to
be the same as ordinary smallpox.
and it is generally agreed that Jen-
ner's vaccination is protective, but it
would appear to be due to an atten-
uated virus. The question which
has been much debated Is whether it
is chickenpox, smallpox, or new
disease halfway between the two
"Schamberg states that 'alastrim
apparently first appeared in this
country in Florida In 1896, and says
that the period Of incubation is long
er than that of the normal smallpox,
being from fourteen to eighteen
days. The initial stage is SO mild
that evidences OF illness are not re.
cognized even by the patient him
self. The same author continues by
saying that in this country hundreds
OF thousands of cases have develop
ed and the disease has continued 20
.laintain its mild character and is
not reverting to the normal virul-
ence Of classical smallpox. Two
phenomena Of importance stand out
in connection with this type Of small
pox: % The disease occurs almost
exclusively among the unvaccinated;
q single vaccination, no matter how
remotely performed. is protective in
the vast majority of>instances. Ne
groes vaccinated during the Civil
War, living in the same household
with persons suffering with this d.
sease, were completely protected ov.
or forty years later. This is a com.
mon circumstance. The patients
who are immune against this type OF
smallpox are not necessarily immune
against smallpox of normal yirul
ence. (2) AS has been stated, the
symptomatology of this affection
10 mild and the disease is accompani.
ed by . very low mortality. varying
from 1-c to per cent. As to the
cause of the deviation from classic
smallpox, NO definite statement II
made. Doubtless. az q result o.
SOME unknown cause, the parasite
which produces this disease. was at
tsntuated In virulence; the pheno'
msnon ID what biologists would call