Professor F. Blochmann's work on accidental vaccination / by George Dock.

  • Dock, George, 1860-1951.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Professor F. Blochmann's work on accidental vaccination / by George Dock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    the bandages acquired two pustules on the wrist, diag- nosticated vaccinia, and leaving typical scars. The exact mode of infection in the child's case was not known. As the children were together in the daytime, casual infection could easily have taken place, and was most likely. In discussing vaccinal injuries, Professor Blochmann shows that some are unavoidable, such as early erysipelas. Others are avoidable A single case of this class is too many. The re- sponsibility for the avoidable accidents he puts upon the State. Since the State carries out com- pulsory vaccination, which he admits is proper, it has the obligation of using all the means where- by avoidable accidents shall be prevented. In his search of the original literature, in order to find out how many avoidable cases were known, the author limited himself to the 24 years from 1880 to 1903, during which time 140 cases of vaccinal infection were reported. In almost all, recently vaccinated children, that is, persons who could not be expected to carry out protective measures, furnishes the infectious material. In 120 cases, adults or older children were the vic- tims, and as it appears, became infected because no efforts were made to protect them. In 61 cases in adults and older children the eyes were seriously involved, 9 resulting in severe disturb- ance or complete loss of vision. Mothers, nurses, and housemaids were most often affected, moth- ers in 65 cases, 30 involving the eyes, 9 the geni- tals. In 20 cases unvaccinated children were af- fected, some of the severest being in previously healthy children. In one, with skin previously intact, the disease was mild, but left an ugly scar. In the other 19 cases the children had eczema, the vaccinia became widespread, and death occurred in 5. In another case ulcerative keratitis followed, fortunately, as Blochmann