Doctors and Diagnosis

J.S. Helmcken

In his 1968 article, Andrew Yarmie claims that in 1862 Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken was the only person who, "had taken steps to counteract the disease [smallpox]." Yarmie suggests that Helmcken vaccinated over 500 Native people.¹ Even if this estimate is accurate, 500 out of a population of more than 2000 can hardly be viewed as a success. Some of the French priests in other parts of the province were vaccinating over 1000 people a day.² In his memoir, Helmcken commented on the demise of the Natives, "Socially, probably, their death is of little consequence; politically, it may be of more importance, although it does not seem as though they were intended to set the world on fire."³ Given this attitude, it is hard to picture Dr. Helmcken inconveniencing himself to vaccinate Native people.

Doctors and Diagnosis