the protoplasm to form more antitoxin. In using toxoid, lasting immunity 

 is brought about usually with one or two injections. 



Permanent Values of Immunization There is no evidence that im- 

 munity acquired in a person's lifetime is transmitted to offspring. However, 

 a baby may be for a time immune as a result of substances developed in 

 the mother's blood during pregnancy. Artificial immunization may not last 

 a lifetime. Vaccinating or immunizing is nevertheless of tremendous value 

 for those communities that have learned to use it. 



Before the German bacteriologist Emil von Behring (1854-1917) worked 

 out the antitoxin principle in the early nineties, diphtheria was most dreaded 

 by parents. For this disease in children was not only very distressing, but 

 resulted in a very high proportion of deaths — 45 per cent or more. The 

 widespread use of antitoxin as a cure has so reduced the fatality from diph- 

 theria that it is no longer dreaded as a scourge. However, it was the system- 

 atic immunization of children to prevent the disease that reduced the 

 prevalence of diphtheria. There are now many cities that have for years 

 been free of diphtheria. 



Antitoxic serums have been developed against the poisons of gas gan- 

 grene, the tetanus or lockjaw organism, and botulism. In none of these cases 

 has the antitoxin resulted in such striking success as in that of diphtheria. 

 This is largely because some toxins destroy living protoplasm before the 



Compulsory vaccmation 



13 states (including the 

 District of Columbia) 



PopulaUon: 43,000,000 



I^cal'option 



14 states 

 Population: 41,000,000 



Do as you Vik& 



22 states 

 Population: 49,000,0<X} 



Number of smallpox cases in the eight -year period 



2,462 



11,551 



52,680 



Average number of cases per year 



308 



1,444 



6,57S 



Average num b|FM"caMs...aaPaall±„Bgi.fiailhim.^^ 



7.1 



3S.2 



SMALLPOX AND VACCINATION IN THE UNITED STATES (1933-1940) 



In three groups of states divided according to their vaccination laws, average annual 

 smallpox cases per million inhabitants varied from 7.1 to 134.2. In at least eight of 

 the stjtes in the "Liberty" group conditions were worse in recent years than they 

 were twenty years earlier. And in recent years the United States had more cases of 

 smallpox than any other country except India 



237 



