FORCE ON SMALLPOX. 187 



There has also been an attempt, not only upon the part of the people, 

 but also upon the part of a few physicians, to prove that vaccination does 

 not prevent the mild form of smallpox, but upon a close investigation of 

 these allegations tlioy have, almost without exception, proved to be with- 

 out foundation. The following is but a fair sample of many reports 

 received. ''Among the whole number of those exposed none took the dis- 

 ease who had been vaccinated, and of thirty cases who contracted small- 

 pox in this epidemic, none had been successfully vaccinated, or could show 

 ibe faintest sign of a mark." 



At attempt has also been made upon the part of some physicians to 

 prove that the disease Avas not smallpox, by vaccinating their patients 

 after recovery, but in most of the cases they have obtained negative re- 

 sults. While in a few instances it is claimed that the vaccination worked 

 successfully, and they have thus claimed that it was not smallpox; how- 

 ever, this does not seem to be conclusive evidence, as in an outbreak at the 

 beginning of the epidemic of mild smallpox, this question arose, and a 

 health officer who is an old practictioner in one of the counties of this 

 State, referring to the statement that vaccination would prove beyond a 

 doubt whether it was chicken-pox or smallpox, said: "Now this state- 

 ment is without foundation in fact. Let me give you the evidence. Dr. 

 Erasmus Wilson, F. R. S., of London, says in his work on skin diseases, 

 7th American from 6th and revised English edition, page 456, as follows : 



Vaccinated after smallpox with success 32 



Vaccinated after smallpox with modified success. ... 26 

 Vaccination after smallpox without effect 42 



100 



Revaccinated with success 34 



Revaccinated with modified success 25 



Revaccinated without eff'ect 41 



100 



"This shows the relative frequency of success in vaccination after small- 

 pox and after vaccination. Persons are known to have measles and scarlet 

 fever twice. There is no getting around this fact, and smallpox forms 

 no exception. Now the statement that a vaccination would settle the 

 question whether there had been smallpox or not is not conclusive, to 

 gay the least." Other physicians have claimed that vaccination after 

 smallpox, with success, did not prove that the disease was not smallpox. 



Some of the evidences of the Success of the Efforts for the Prevention and 

 Restriction of Smallpox. — The Disease Restricted to the 



One Household. 



Notwithstanding the many difficulties which the State Board and the 

 local boards of health have had to contend with, in the prevention and 

 restriction of the mild form of smallpox, yet there are evidences of suc- 

 cess of the efforts along that line. During the year 1899, of the twenty- 

 four reported outbreaks of smallpox, fifteen, or sixty-two and one-half pgr 

 cent, were restricted to the one house where the first case occurred. In 



