Home Offices and Laboratories.
Detroit, Mich., March 27, 1905.
Mr. Chas. M. Higgins, 271 Ninth St.,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Dear Sir:
Your communication on the subject of vaccine virus has been
received and contents noted.
What you say about the confusion existing in the minds of the
medical profession as shown by medical text-books regarding
the origin of vaccine is entirely true. No one seems to know
positively the exact nature of this product. It would seem
to us, however, that the theory that cowpox is but modified
smallpox, is the most tenable one. Particularly does this seem
true in view of the facts reported by Dr. Monckton Copeman,
Director of the Government Vaccine work in London, that he had
been able to take smallpox virus, transmit it to monkeys, from
monkeys to heifers, and from heifers to man, the resulting
vaccination on the human subject being identically the same as
that produced by vaccine as ordinarily prepared. Furthermore it
was shown that the persons vaccinated with this vaccine, when
exposed to smallpox, were immune. In other words, the chain of
evidence seems very complete, that by properly transferring
the smallpox virus from man to animals of different species it
became so modified in the transmission that, when applied to
heifers, it produced typical vaccinia, and was found to fill
every requirement as a means of protecting against smallpox
when applied to unimmunized children.
On theoretical grounds it seems to us that this is a very
plausible explanation of the origin of vaccinia. During
Jenner’s time smallpox was very prevalent and nothing could
be more natural than for persons recovering from smallpox
to transmit the disease to the udders of cows, producing an
infection which, on account of the difference in the species of
the animal, modified the smallpox virus.
Regretting that we are unable to state more positively the
exact relation between the two diseases and the origin of the
seed as used by manufacturers, we remain,
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed) PARKE, DAVIS & CO.
THE DISPUTED OR UNKNOWN ORIGIN AND NATURE OF MODERN VACCINE VIRUS
EMPHASIZED. LETTER FROM PARKE, DAVIS & CO., ONE OF THE LARGEST MAKERS
OF VIRUS IN THE U. S.
This letter, like the preceding one, frankly admits the doubt,
ignorance and confusion as to the origin of vaccine virus, and the
practically unknown origin and nature of the seed virus used by
manufacturers, except that it most probably originates in human
smallpox, pure and simple. This letter is given in full on the left and
speaks clearly for itself and is worth reading carefully on this most
important point as it shows the crude, unknown and unscientific basis
of all bovine vaccination which is proved out of the mouths of the
arch-vaccinators themselves. See also page 82.