VACCINATION IN NEW YORK. 



335 



disease," even though the infant nursed the mother throughout the 

 illness. 



Experience has abundantly proved that, when babies not vaccinated 

 are so exposed, the result has invariably been directly the opposite. 

 In fact, the evidence in this matter is so abundant and of so con- 

 clusive a character that all who have taken the trouble to observe or 

 study it during the past five years must be convinced that perfectly 

 vaccinated persons are absolutely protected from small-pox^ at least to 

 the same extent as if they had. already experienced the disease. 



Why, then, it may be asked, do vaccinated persons have the dis- 

 ease at all ? Simply because, in order to have the protection perfect, 

 the vaccination must be perfect ; and to this end two things are 

 absolutely necessary : 1. The primary vaccine vesicle must be of 

 proper size and character, and must run its proper and normal course. 

 2, Revaccination must be performed at proper intervals, namely, 

 within five years after the primary, and again soon after puberty in 

 those who are vaccinated in infancy, and at least one revaccination in 

 those whose first vaccination was after maturity. 



It is here that the great fallacy of statistics upon this subject is 

 found ; and this is why the English statistics before quoted show that, 

 out of 22,000 cases of small-pox treated in the hospitals, 17,000 had 

 been vaccinated. They had been vaccinated in infancy — perhaps 

 properly, perhaps improperly — but in all probability had never been 

 revaccinated. It should be once for all understood that, in order to 

 have full protection, revaccination at the proj^er periods is just as ne- 

 cessary as the original vaccination. 



It should be understood that a primary vaccination is not expected 

 to protect for a long series of years, but only for a few years ; and 

 that after a limited time, although it may modify more or less the 

 severity of the disease, it ceases to be absolutely protective, and must 

 be renewed. 



Statistics, however, show that, of persons attacked with small-pox, 

 from three to four times as many deaths occur among those who have 

 not been vaccinated at all as among those who are reckoned as vac- 

 cinated, though it may have been only in infancy. They also show 

 that such vaccinations are nearly worthless as protection against small- 

 pox after several years have elapsed, and very uncertain even in their 

 power to modify the disease. 



II. Concerning the transmission of other diseases by means of vac- 

 cination. 



It may be presumed that if bad results of any kind were to follow 

 vaccination, it would happen in primary cases, where the virus exerts 

 its full influence of every kind. It has been seen with what care all 

 these primary vaccinations have been watched during the past few 

 years, the oversight extending even beyond the perfect healing of the 

 arm. A circular was left in each family, requesting that any unfavor- 



