Compulsory vaccination : the establishment of a uniform system of vaccination for all citizens and inhabitants of the state of Louisiana, by legislative enactment / by Joseph Jones.

  • Jones, Joseph, 1833-1896.
Date:
[1878?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Compulsory vaccination : the establishment of a uniform system of vaccination for all citizens and inhabitants of the state of Louisiana, by legislative enactment / by Joseph Jones. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    In 1875, 935 cases of sinall-pox with 342 deaths were reported; and of cases where color was stated, there were 62 more blacks than whites, and or deaths 70 more. When it is considered that persons claimed as colored constitute but one-fourth of the total population of the city, it is evident that the cases of this disease among colored persons were more than three times the number among the whites. This is due, not so much to an especial sus- ceptibility of those of African descent to small-pox, but chiefly to lack of vaccination. Progressive Increase of Small-pox in New Orleans during the past fifteen years. A careful examination of the mortuary records of New Orleans reveals the important fact, that during a long series of years pre. ceding the recent American Civil War, New Orleans was com- paratively exempt from small-pox. The disease, from 1841 to 1861, attracted so little attention that the pages of the Keic Or- leans Medical and Surgical Journal, the great exponent of Southern medicine during that period, are almost absolutely barren of matter relating to small-pox. Deaths caused by Smallpox in N~ew Orleans during a period of 15 Years, embracing 1845, 1847, 1849, 1850,1853, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867. Year. Deaths from Small-pox. Year. Deaths from Small-pox. Tear. Deaths from Small-pox. 1845 1847 1849 1850 1853 i 27 133 37 17 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 2 103 108 43 22 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 2 605 613 188 47 Total 215 298 1455 From the preceding table, it is evident that smallpox has pro- gressively increased in the city of New Orleans, since the occu- pation of the city by the United States forces, under General Butler, during the Civil War of 1861-1865. Thus in 5 years,