In 1894, The Morning Democrat published an article highlighting the life-saving importance of vaccination. Written by Dr. J.W.H. Baker of Davenport, it explained how properly performed vaccination provided reliable protection against smallpox, addressed public fears and misconceptions, and traced the history of the practice. The article noted the staggering toll of smallpox before vaccination, claiming it killed ten million people in Europe in the 1500s and sixty million more in the 1700s, while underscoring how vaccines had since curbed such devastation.
