Life — November 2, 1911 — page 38: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

We Are Constantly in Receipt of Important Letters Which Are Too Long for Our Limited Space. Brevity is Absolutely Essential to Publication Advice Eoior Lire Dear Ste—As regards doctors in general, amen, say I. They need im- provement And as to. vaccination—well, I was “raised in the faith,” but believe now that the hazard of injury by vaccination is, in this country, day and age, greater than that from smallpox, which is remote. But, Ltre, as to some few other thing such as bacteriology, serum treatment, cte., your attitude toward these things seems rather one of self-inflicted blind- ness than sound and judicial criticism. Perhaps you do not realize that the engineer — a calm-blooded organism, dealing rigidly and coldly with facts, dollars and results—guided by the sci ence of bacteriology, has done more to- ward the prevention of typhoid, for in- stance, than all the medicos put together. Also, through bacteriology alone was it possible to discover the source of yellow fever, the mode of infection and to ef- fect its prevention—practically its erad- ication—in localities where it has been a frightful scourge for age: Students of bacteriolog: nity admit that this is but an infant science. But it is a tremendous and most beneficent infant even now. Read up, sprightly sir. Take Jordan's General Bacteriology, Bowhills's Bacteriological Technique—any one of the many thoughtful. balanced compendia of re- search by many indefatigable workers for many years, Dull reading, to be sure. But assume the judicial, the im- personal attitude, and weigh carefully the evidence presented by many men whose years of patient labor may pos- sibly have extracted some few crystals of truth that even Lire may recognize if Lire loves truth, By virtue of the class of people who most read and appreciate Lire, its in- fluence is great. An attitude of illogical and dogmatic unbelief is unbecoming and harmful to this influence. Burn a httle midnight oil, old friend and) immu- Sincerely, Gro. S. Bixexiey Los Axcenes, October 4, 1911. The Clean Also Suffer Deak Lt For several years I've been “ obey ing that impulse” and planking up my dime every Tucsday or Wednesday for a copy of you. I've sworn by you. Now I come to register a very strenuous kick. In your issue of October 5 you publish a letter from Ottawa, signed “ H. McD. Walters.” This party scems to think himself an authority on smallpox and vaccination. To quote him, “I have been through four epidemics and observe that it never attacks clean people, living in wholesome environments.” I'd. like to know if he has ever had smallpox. 1 have! I am considered a clean person and likewise I am considered to live in wholesome environments. Before writ- ing such a statement to an intelligent paper like Lire, to be read by intelli- gent people, this man should have posted himself, A glance at the records of any board of health will show that the best people are victims of smallpox as well as any one else. Now, Lire, in this instance be your brother's keeper and inform this man of the facts in the case. He should not be left in ignorance on a subject he writes so positively about. Now I'm going to watch and see if you will do this, in order to do justice to me and thousands of other people who are far from unclean yet have had smallpox. Yours very truly, C.D. Potann. Axxistox, Ata., October 5, 1011 A Good Argument Epitor or Lire Deax Sin—In Lire for August 24. under the heading, “Is ‘Science’ Blind in One Eye?” you speak of the case of a young woman who died of blood poi- soning following vaccination, and of others who were affected with blood poi- soning which was presumably due to the same cause. Did you read in the daily papers at about the same date of the case of a woman who was pricked in the hand by a rose thorn and dicd a few days later of blood poisoning? Or did you notice earlier in the season the case of the man who was stung by a bee and died very soon after? The chances are that in the cases which you cite the blood poisoning was not due to the vaccination, that is to say, to infection received at the time of © the vaccination, but to carelessness afterward. No one who knows the facts in the case could possibly take the attitude which you take upon this subject. Are you willing to read an article which ap- peared recently in the New York State Journal of Medicine entitled “ Experi- ence of the Army with Vaccination as a Prophylactic Against Smallpox?” This article gives very briefly the recent results of vaccination. If you are will- ing to read the article, I shall be glad to furnish you with the full reference, oF if you prefer, I will send you a copy of the article. If you read it and do not find it convincing, I should be glad to have you point out any weakness or fal- lacy in it. Hoping to hear from you, 1 remain, Yours very truly, J. Eowaxp Gites. New York, October 10, 1911. Lire docs not doubt for a moment that the article referred to is convine- ing, once admitting its statements of fact A CUM REPORTER comicbooks"com