Volume 1

Health lectures for the people.

Date:
1883-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health lectures for the people. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    429/896 (page 177)
    time, generally in a mild and modified form, though occasionally severe and even fatal cases occur. You are aware that one attack of scarlet fever, measles, or hooping-cough usually protects from a recurrence of these diseases. Exceptions, however, do occur, and every now and then we have instances of second, or very rarely of third, attacks of these diseases. Now vaccination, with its subsequent phenomena, may be looked upon as a very mild attack of small-pox; and it is not surprising that after a certain period the protective influence should sometimes wear out, and susceptibility return, though usually in a very trifling degree. An attack of natural small-pox usually, but not invariably, pro- tects against a recurrence. I remember, when I had charge of the Small-pox Hospital, having a patient with a severe form of the disease, where the pocks of the second attack were actually situated on the pits of the first. As such exceptional cases occur after the natural disease, they occur with still greater frequency after vaccination; and hence arises the question of the propriety of re-vaccination. By many this practice is only considered neces- sary when there has been some defect in the primary vaccination, as indicated by the imperfect character of the scar or cicatrix; but there can be no doubt that it is very valuable, by extinguish- ing the renewed susceptibility to small-pox which may gradually arise. L believe it, therefore, to be a very proper precaution that every one should be re-vaccinated between fourteen and sixteen years of age. In a great many it does not take, as it is called, and this merely indicates that the susceptibility to the disease has not returned; while in a considerable proportion it takes as per- fectly, or nearly as perfectly, as in the infant. When re-vaccina- tion has succeeded, it is, I believe, quite unnecessary to repeat it; but if it have not, it may be performed again a few years later, particularly if an epidemic of small-pox has broken out, or if the individual should be about to proceed to a warm climate, which appears to have the effect of increasing the susceptibility. Were vaccination and re-vaccination properly attended to, small-pox might, as I have already said, be stamped out; but although this very desirable consummation is theoretically pos- sible, I am afraid it will never be arrived at practically. Prejudice, ignorance, and indifference are too formidable enemies to be ever