Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1902 — Smallpox No Longer Dangerous. [ARTICLE]

Smallpox No Longer Dangerous.

A physician says while it is proI per to take all precautions against I the spread of smallpox, that a feel(ing of alarm is needless, even when , the disease appears closest hand. [ Out of over 400 cases reported in t the state in December there were . but two deaths. A very much larger proportion of deaths occur from pneumonia, scarlet fever, and even the disease measles, which is so often considered a joke. In past years 50 per cent, of the smallpox patients died, and the alarm for the disease has been handed down to this generation, but with preventatives and cures known to the medical profession in this day, there is as little reason to fear smallpox as the dozen of other ailments we meet with every week. All of which is right along in line with what The Republican has said in substance several times before. In truth, in view of the fact that modern medical science seems to have so completely robbed smallpox ot its terrors, we very much question the wisdom of keeping up the ancient method of vacination. In other words, is smallpox now a sufficiently dangerous and contagious disease to apy longer justify the practice of general vaccination, with all its trouble, c;st, sickness, and dangers, which are by no means inconsiderable? Vaccination was a wonderful blessing in its day, but the question is, has it not had its day among fully civilized people, where the modern methods of medicine and sanitation have full sway?