Personal experience includes 4000 cases of small-pox with an average mortality of 0.11 per cent. The chief measures in treatment consisted of plenty of ventila tion, the use of cooling acid drinks, and ice. Puncturing the pustules, the use of masks, and the like were found valueless procedures. The elasticity of the skin should, instead, be improved and the ten sion lessened by rubbing with oil. The danger of corneal ulcers and other ocular complications is lessened by painting the inside of the eyelids with a paste made from the extract of belladonna.
In convalescence warm baths were used, with a gradual increase in the diet. In prophylaxis complete disinfection, ab solute isolation, and compulsory vaccina tion are insisted upon. J. Moir (Edin burgh Med. Jour., June, '98).
Salol given in daily amounts of a drachm procures relief from the itching, and most of the pocks dry up while still in the vesicular stage. Charles Pegg (Scottish Med. and Surg. Jour., Mar., 1900).
In 36 cases of variola, of which 1 was hremorrhagic and 13 confluent, treatment by bichloride baths reduced the mortality to nil; the suppurative fever was short ened four to six days when the patient was treated from the onset; a minimum of pitting was secured, and there was an almost entire absence of odor; the period of desquamation was materially lessened; pain was much reduced, and disfigurement was avoided. The strength of the baths was I to 10,000, their tem perature 103° to 105° F.; the patient is immersed and sponged gently for ten to twelve minutes night and morning. Im mediately after the bath a mixture of carbolic acid, bismuth subuitrate, and olive-oil should be used as an ointment. II. A. Ingall (Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., Apr. 28, 1900).
Eight cases treated by the .administra tion of salol in daily closes of 60 grains. l'ustnlation seems to be prevented by this drug. The cutaneous inflammation is slight; irritation is usually absent even in confluent cases, the unpleasant odor is absent, and scarring is inconsider able. J. Biernacki and N. Jones (Brit. Med. Jour., June 2, 1900).
During convalescence the patient should be bathed with slightly-warm water daily with carbolic or resinol soap until all scabs and roughness have disap peared.
Vaccinia (Cow-pox; Vaccination).
Definition.—Vaccinia is a disease of the cow, characterized by the formation of pustules containing a virus which, if properly used, is capable of rendering man more or less immune to the con tagium of variola.
History.—Edward Jenner, a practic ing physician of Gloucestershire, Eng land, after a long and faithful investi gation, published in 1798 a complete demonstration that the cow is sometimes attacked by a mild febrile disease accom panied by pustules on the udders filled with a serous fluid or virus which, if, by either accident or design, was intro duced into a cut or abraded spot would produce the same disease in the hu man being, and thereby render him immune to the small-pox. He further demonstrated that the virus or lymph in the pustules produced by vaccination from the cow-pox could be perpetuated indefinitely by vaccinating with virus from one individual to another and thereby render it available for perpetual protection against the prevalence of vari ola, then the most dreaded scourge of the human race. The same year that Dr. Jenner published his great discovery its practice was introduced into London by Mr. Cline, and the following year, 1799, it was introduced into this country by Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse, of Boston, Mass., and in a very few years it was ap proved and practiced in every civilized country in the world. During the first half-century after the adoption of vac cination as a preventive of variola the vaccine-lymph, or virus, was propagated by taking it from the vaccine-vesicle on one person to vaccinate others, and it was called humanized vaccine-virus. But as time passed suspicions multiplied that the protective power diminished by the successive transmissions through the human. system, and also that it was liable to be vitiated if developed in persons affected by syphilitic or other constitu tional diseases. In 1866 a case of genu ine cow-pox was discovered at Beaugency in France, and under the direction of M. Depaul, of the French Academy of Med icine, the fresh virus was secured and multiplied for vaccinating from one heifer to another, for the purpose of fur nishing a sufficient amount for general use. In 1S70 Dr. Henry A. Martin, of Boston, Mass., obtained some of this Beaugency stock of virus and com menced keeping a number of heifers for propagating and multiplying it as pure bovine virus to be used for protective purposes instead of that which had be come humanized. The success of these efforts soon led to many similar establish ments, until at present the use of bovine vaccine-virus has very generally super seded that called humanized. both in this country and Europe.