B'ORCE ON SMALLPOX. 177 



Law Autliorizing Free Vaccination. 



In 1879, through the efforts of the board, a law was passed authorizing 

 local boards of health to offer free vaccination with bovine virus. 



First Document issued on the Prevention and Restriction of Smallpox. 



Eighteen hundred eighty-one finds the board making a more thorough 

 and systematic effort for the prevention and restriction of smallpox. 

 Early in the year it was voted that a smallpox document should be printed 

 to the number of 30.000 copies, and that the document should also be 

 translated into German and Holland languages and 5,000 copies of each 

 printed. The document consisted of a sixteen-page pamphlet, the first 

 six pages relating to the prevention of smallpox by vaccination and 

 revaccination, some of the subjects treated being, "Why vaccinate," "Who 

 should be vaccinated," "Who should not be vaccinated," etc. The remain- 

 ing ten pages related to the restriction of smallpox, some of the subjects 

 considered being disinfection, care of convalescents, hospitals for the 

 sick, nurses and the necessary supplies, and the law relating to the same. 



Notional Board of Health urged to enforce Rules. 



In July 1881 preambles and resolutions were adopted requesting the 

 National Board of Health to enforce rules requiring the inspection of 

 immigrants, to secure vaccination and revaccination, and to take such 

 other action necessary to prevent the introduction of smallpox into this 

 country, and especiallj- into Michigan by the way of Port Huron. 



Neiu Circular Letter and Blanks prepared. 



In October 1881 a circular letter to be used in connection with other 

 <liseases was devised, and as soon as information was received of an out- 

 break of snmllpox this Tetter was sent calling the attention of the health 

 officer to his duties in restricting the disease, and transmitting for liberal 

 distribution copies of the document issued by the board for the prevention 

 and restriction of smallpox. The letter was sent to many localities and 

 many local boards were thus spurred into action which otherwise might 

 have allowed the disease to increase without any effort for its restriction. 

 In November 1882 a blank form, designated as blank (K), to be used for 

 a special final report relative to smallpox, as well as other diseases, was 

 first sent out, and some of the principal information asked for was: the 

 source of contagium, the date of the occurrence of the first and last case, 

 the total number of cases occurring, including deaths, the measures taken 

 to restrict the spread of the disease, the success attending the efforts at 

 restriction, and facts bearing upon the period of incubation. A little 

 later, in order to facilitate and better systematize the reporting of small- 

 pox and other dangerous communicable diseases, a blank form designated 

 as blank (L.), for notice of first case of outbreak, and a blank form, 

 designated as blank (M.), for weekly reports during the continuance of 

 the disease were printed and sent out to all health officers, or to presi- 

 dents of boards of health for which no health officer had been returned, 

 asking for reports, with the hope that through the medium of these special 

 reports more knowledge might be gained for publication by the board as 

 to the best methods for preventing the spread of dangerous communicable 

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