p. 656 | A Word in Season by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 29, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 41.

A Word in Season.

By Editor

THE California State Board of Health, in their Monthly Circular concerning the prevalence of disease in the State, utter the following words of caution in regard to small-pox, which we gladly give further publicity:—

"Small-pox has not yet made any progress in this State. It is spreading in Mexico and in Canada, and has appeared in New Hampshire and New York. It also prevails in England, France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Russia, and South America, countries with which we are in constant communication by travel and otherwise. Under these circumstances, we may very safely predict the advent of the disease to this coast before very long; it is therefore the act of prudence to take early warning, and prepare to render the invasion as limited as possible, and this can only be done by vaccination. It is now several years since small-pox was epidemic in California. Since then many thousands have been born, or added to the population by immigration, who have never been protected by vaccination; to these may be added those who, although vaccinated in childhood, have, by reason of age, acquired a renewed susceptibility to the influence of the disease. Among these classes of persons our danger lies, as it is the unprotected that are attacked. This danger must be removed by vaccination and revaccination, thus depriving the disease of the source from which it obtains its victims. By so doing we can virtually stamp it out. It is a disgrace to civilization to hear of an epidemic of small-pox in this century, when the means of averting it are so accessible, so certain, and so innocuous to the individual and the community. It is to be hoped that every physician receiving this circular will see that the unvaccinated in his vicinity are protected at once, as at any moment the disease may appear in our midst, owing to the constant communication with localities where we know it exists. If every one, male and female, were efficiently vaccinated, we might be certain to escape; but should the disease now appear, it would not fail to prostrate numberless persons who might have been protected from this most loathsome of all diseases, had physicians done their duty in admonishing their patrons of its necessity."