If there were no higher motive, the argumentum ad pecuniam alone should impel every member of the profession to do all that in him lies to delete smallpox from the list of current diseases. There's "nothing in it," as a source of professional income; one variolous patient will ruin, for the time being, a good paying general practice. An epidemic of the disease seriously impairs the commercial prosperity of a community, and the reflex is seen in the returns of the bill collector. Aside from this, the disease is a loathsome one to treat, and even the best results of treatment are too often unsightly and unsatisfactory.
For these, among other reasons, it is cause for regret that "smallpox still lingers" in many parts of the country to such an extent as to excite serious forebodings for the approaching cold weather. Besides its existence at many smaller places, the situation