The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-07

Cow-pox is an eruptive fever of do-
 nestle cattle which, when produced by direct inocculation in humans l causes the condition known as Vac cinia. Thu process off nocculation is known as vaccination.
 Vaccinia is an accute eruptiive dis ease of limited duration purely infec- tious and occurs in humans only after | inoculation. It is the best preventive known against smallpox and even in the cases where the protection is in complete, the smallpox loses its fatal character and becomes a. relatively mild disease known as variolotd, which means Hike smallpox" True smallpox is called variola.
 It is not claimed that vaccination in the sense the word is used here will protect the patient against diseases other than smallpox. It has been successfully used in the treatment of whooping cough, but our knowledge of it's efficacy in this connection is in- sufficient to justify broad claims In the classification of diseases, in fectious diseases are those which are communicable. and contagious dis eases are those of the infectious type to the spread of which the air offers an incomplete barrier. Thus, typhoid fever is an infectious and scarlet fe yer a contagious diseases. It is a note worthy fact that the relatively mild and purely infectious disease vaccinia protects against the highly contag- ious and much more serious nlalady smallpox.
 The course and symptoms of vac cinia (vaccination) vary with the first and subsequent inoculations and, to some extent. with the patient. With the first inoculation there is a period of from three to seven days without sympt onrs after which the point of in oculation shows a characteristic reac- ton. It becomes swollen. indurated and rose-colored while the surface, in day of two following, develops a vesicIe or bleb filled with a some what milky fluid. The border of the -nocuIation grows more dusky and a neighboring infltration involves the adjacent skin and superficial tissues. If the site of the vaccination is dis turbed as by a blow this infiltration may extend a greater distance up or down the limb and the underlying skin structures may be stained a gray Ish red.
 The contents of the vesicle become yellowish, the central part recedes. becomes brown or chocolate colored and forms the characteristic umbili- cation or dinpling. This, in a day or two changes to a crust which forms a thick brown cap over the point of .noculation and is the best protection for it until the underlying tissues heal. Then the crust falls, leaving a white thin-skinned vaccination mark"
 While these local changes are oc- curing, the system likewise reacts with a rise of temperature (some- times reaching 1O5) possibly chilly sensations, a somewhat rapid pulse, a varying amount of depression nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache or a feeling of fullness in the head. There is usually diminished appetite, furred tongue, intestinal torpor. alternating with over-activity. The constitution al symptoms end by crisis and the temperature may drop from 103 to 99 in a night and fecovery promptly follow.
 This is the second of a series of papers prepared by the Publicity Committee of the Bridgeport Medical Association for the information of the public on the subject of infectious diseases. Other papers will follow