Vaccinating the poor, 1873, National Library of Medicine
	...the subject of a general vaccination of the people of the State, was, in view of a threatened invasion of small pox, urged upon the Executive Committee by its Chairman in a very able report, and measures were at once instituted to carry this work into effect in as far as the limited appropriation of the Committee, the prejudices of the people, and the non-existence of a compulsory law would permit.
	In the Spring, the Secretary was instructed to procure a supply of virus for distribution to the sub-Boards of Health; this was done with as little delay as possible, and non-humanized virus in sufficient quantity was obtained from Wisconsin to supply all counties in the State, and was distributed along with a circular for using it most effectively.  Unfortunately, the season was too far advanced, and the presence of the hot weather, rendering the lymph ineffective in a short time, caused the success of the undertaking to be limited.
	This engraving from 1873 shows public health in action, vaccinating the poor in New York.