Review and Herald for 1912 – Vol. 89 – No. 49

VACCINATION has undoubtedly proved itself of distinct value in preventing the ravages of smallpox. The following extracts are presented to call the attention of our brethren everywhere, especially our foreign missionaries, to the question of vaccination for typhoid fever as a valuable prophylactic measure in this disease, with the suggestion that it be more fully used.

“Fox discusses the results of preventive inoculation in the British army in India, showing that the number of cases among the vaccinated troops amounted to 8 per thousand, while among the non-vaccinated it was 18.6; the respective mortality being 18.2 and 26.5 per cent. The vaccination of missionaries is stated as being attended with splendid results.” Journal of Tropical Medicine, Dec. 15, 1910.

“Gosman (United States Army Medical Corps), in summing up the Status of Antityphoid Inoculation,’ states that inoculations against typhoid are valuable as a method of preventing the disease, and are perhaps the most valuable single asset which we have in combating an epidemic; that there is no doubt that it should be used in the following classes of persons: nurses, ward attendants, hospital corps, Red Cross assistants, physicians, medical students, and all persons who contemplate a journey into a section where typhoid is known or suspected to exist. Also in communities suffering from an epidemic, and in families in which a case exists.’ He states further: I am convinced of the harmlessness and at the same time of the effectiveness of the procedure.’ “—Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct. I, 1910.

An editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, June 24, 1911, states: —

“The last report of the surgeon-general of the army adds more evidence to the already overwhelming testimony in favor of the protective value of antityphoid vaccination. The figures given for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1909, showed an incidence of typhoid fever sixteen times greater among the unvaccinated troops than among the vaccinated troops. Up to Oct. 1, 191o, only 5 cases had developed among the immunized, as against 418 among the non-immunized. Moreover, of these five cases four were so mild as to leave doubt as to the diagnosis, and there were ‘no bad effects of any kind as a result of the vaccination.”