Memorial in relation to the small pox 1856.

  • Lemuel Shattuck
Date:
[1856]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memorial in relation to the small pox 1856. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    chusetts, written by the undersigned, and published in 1850, contains the following among other recommend¬ ations for the promotion of the public health, (pp. 180, 181). “ XXVII. We recommend that every city and town in the State he required to provide means for the periodical vaccination of the inhabitants.” In the illustrations of this recommendation, it is stated in the Report that vaccination was first intro¬ duced into this country in 1800 ; “ and that in 1810, an act was passed in this State, providing ‘that it shall be the duty of every town to choose persons to superintend the vaccination of the inhabitants with the cow-pox.’ This law was repealed in 1836 ; and the Revised Stat¬ utes provided ‘ that each town may make provisions for the inoculation of the inhabitants.” This substitution of the word may for shall left it optional with towns to do or not to do it; and it has caused the loss of many lives. Under the operation of the old law many towns were accustomed once in about every five years, to have a general vaccination of the inhabitants; but this cus¬ tom, as far as our knowledge extends, has been gener¬ ally discontinued, and the inhabitants have thus been left liable to the disease from every new exposure.” * * “During the twenty-six years, prior to 1837, the dis¬ ease caused the death, in Boston, of thirty-seven per¬ sons only ; and most of these Avere at Rainsford Island. It seldom occurred in the City proper. During the twelve years ending December 31, 1849, since the repeal, it caused the death of five hundred thirty-three persons ! And in the first six months of 1850, one hun¬ dred and forty six died! These were unnecessary deaths—- they might and ought to have been prevented! and so