HISTORY AND PATHOLOGY

VACCINATION

HISTORY AND PATHOLOGY

OF

VACCINATION
VOL.

I.

A CRITICAL INQUIRY

EDGAR

M.

CROOKSHANK.

PROFESSOR OF COJMPARATIYE PATHOLOGY AND

M.B.

BACTERIOLOGY

IN,

AND FELLOW

king's college, LONDON.

AUTHOR OF PAPERS ON THE ETIOLOGY OF SCARLET FEVER; ANTHRAX IN SWINE;

AND THE HISTORY AND
TUBERCULOSIS AND THE PUBLIC MILK SUPFLY
PATHOLOGY OF ACTINOMYCOSIS IN REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL
DEPARTMENT OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL, ETC.
;

AUTHOR OF A MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY,

ETC.

PHILADELPHIA
P.

BLAKISTON, SON,

&:

CO., 1012,

WALNUT STREET

OF,

Biomedical
Library

v./

PREFACE
necessary
T N this Preface
have thought
^ before the profession, the circumstances
it

to lay

which

have led to the production of these volumes.

had

myself

devoted

for

some

time

logical researches in connection with the

man and

of

diseases

discovery of an outbreak

me

to

the

investigate

affection.

doctrines,

At

history

reference

in

when

the

1887,

led

and pathology of

this

in

and

accepted

to

commonly held by the

in

Pox,

patho-

communicable

animals,

Cow

of

time

that

lower

the

to

taught

the

which

are

disease,

this

profession, and

described

are

the text-books of medicine.

endeavouring

In

outbreak,

it

cows

had

from

Small

clinical

was

characters

of the

the milkers infected

had

to

like

cattle-plague

origin

question

by

milkers

together

fact,

of

this

that

the

suffering

with

the

disease in the cows, and in

from the cows, and the certainty,

deal

that

infected

This

Pox.

the

beyond

proved

been

not

discover

to

or

''not

with

an

infectious

pleuro-pneumonia,

676888

but

disease

with

PREFA CE.

vi

which

disease

me

convinced
of the

As

investigated
it

and

was obvious

My

much

neglected

had been opened up

interest

who

Paget,

milkers

Creighton's work on

Cow Pox

whether

attention

The

published.

my

from

casually infected

my

just

one

cows, and

the

a copy of

to

Dr.

and Vaccinal Syphilis,

question

naturally arose,

supported

observations

conclusions arrived at by

further inquiry.

for

very kindly examined

while so doing drew

then

of compara-

field

was further stimulated

subject

this

in

by Sir James
of the

country for nearly half a century,

that a

tive pathology

descriptions

Cow Pox were purely

Cow Pox had not been

natural

this

in

contact^''

of

origin

the

by

solely

commonly accepted

that the

nature

theoretical.

communicated

is

the

refuted

or

Dr. Creighton

as the result

of his historical researches.

While attending

at

National Vaccine Establish-

the

ment of the Local Government

to

obtain

of

the

there.

any

source

of

From

my

vaccination
unofficial

the

exact
the

vaccinators

of

lymph

found

were

that

this

to

employed

the

and

other

official

and

occupied

with

both

completely

vaccination,

pathological,

was

which
of

was unable

or

clinical

experience

stations,

technique

details,

Board,

exclusion

of

any precise knowledge of the history and pathology

of

the

been

diseases

obtained.

investigation,

from which their lymph stocks

Thus,
felt

that

at

this

what

early

Ceely

of

stage
said,

had

in

my

1840,

was

true

still

imperfect

knowledge which we

many

on

connected

points

of the variolce

history

natural

the

vii

The

possess

present

at

"

PREFA CE.

vaccince,

numerous and formidable impediments

ment and extension of

to the

and the
improve-

demand

knowledo^e,

that

with

the

continuance of vigilant, patient, and diligent inquiry."

of

ture

the

whom

am

a parcel

MS.

Mr.

of

the

Baily,

me.

much courteous

for

On

of Jenner's Inquiry.

differed in

it

Inquiry;

Communication

Royal
to

assistance,

He

found

of

the

to

evidence

to

Hunter

Royal

propose

upon
the

this

carefully

in

perusing

respects from

Jenner

fact,

Society.

was

so

and the small

paper,

which

to

thought to be

many

was,

it

by the contents of

ventured

litera-

librarian,

contained letters from

It

published

amount

the

re-cataloguing the Library.

in

discovered that

struck

Library

the

and a manuscript which was

Jenner,

the

at

was studying the

MSS., which he thought might prove of

cf

interest to

subject

indebted

was engaged

it,

while

Surgeons,

of

College

the

1888,

January,

In

had

first

Cow

Pox

Jenner

substitution

ot

inoculation or vaccination for the old system of Small

Pox

inoculation

carefully

history

graphy,
the

look

or

into

variolation^

the

of vaccination,

and

subject

periodicals

in

in

the

life

as

that

was induced

of Jenner and
contained

correspondence

contemporary

in

early

Baron's

and

medical

the

articles

and

to

Bio-

on

scientific

PREFA CE.

viii

Now

that the value of Jenner's

attached

have been pointed

thereto,

and entered

carefully preserved,

and may

Library,

do

to

found

and

From

so.
in

by a lady
on

the

late

Colonel

4th,

1879,

MSS.
were
I

by

the

son

Dr.

of

the

of

the

Library

of

appear to have remained

passed

cousin,

Mr.

to

College,

the

June

[now

drawer

Sir

presenting

The

College.
until

they

which

circumstances

became so

deeply impressed with

amount of knowledge possessed by

concerning

On

the

related.

gradually

small

had

Jenner.

in a

brought to light under the

Paget,

of her

will

letters

James

they

possession

President

to

have just
I

whose

Sir

to

be

will

be seen that Hunter's

will

it

which

1877,

James Paget wrote

Sir

MSS.

the

dated

letter,

Jenner,

Simon,

John]

and

death

has been

it

the catalogue of the

in

MS. were given

into

out,

the interest

be consulted by any one desiring

the parcel,

Jenner's

MS. and

Cow Pox and

other

the

practitioners,

sources

of

vaccine

lymph, and with the conflicting teachings and opinions

of

leading

authorities,

veterinary professions, that

the
in

subject

Paris, Berlin,

very short time

dealing

They
Small

with
at

Pox

myself

for

and
in

the

the

in

both

in

antiquarian booksellers

country,

obtaining a large
early

and

determined to investigate

From
this

medical

the

history

succeeded

in

number of works

of vaccination.

same time forwarded many works on

inoculation,

and

thus

niy

interest

was

PREFACE.
aroused

in

this subject

In February. 1888.
authorities

Cow Pox
during

country

obtain,

to

the
in

time

opportunities

and
for

the

possible,

the

that

of the
in

was

disease

this.

M. Hervieux

take this opportunity of thanking

information,

if

which had been met with

supposed to be extinct

much

upon the

Lymph, and

Bordeaux

of the

outbreaks of

me

bearing-

its

resolved to consult the leadinp;

France, and

in

both

history

and

also,

and pathology of vaccination was soon apparent.

history

that

ix

for

kindness

his

observing

aftbrding

in

system

the

for

of public

vaccination in Paris.

To M. Cagny,
indebtedness

and

Turenne

Cow Pox
From
and M.

cannot

both for

presenting

for

Auzias

me

sufficiently

introductions

his

colleao-ues,

copy of the

with a

containing

to

his

my

express

classical

work

essays

of

on

and Horse Pox.

Paris,

proceeded to Bordeaux where Dr. Layet

Baillet received

and afforded

me

me

with the greatest courtesy,

every opportunity of obtaining infor-

mation concerning the Municipal Vaccination Service

and we discussed

Cow

of

succeeded
Dubreuilh.

in

which

break
'

Pox

obtaining,
full

was

of the recent outbreaks

the details

which

they

had

through

observed.

source

of

"

of Dr:

spontaneous
a

recent

also

kindness

the

account of the
the

"

out-

official

Kcpurf of the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board.

1882.

p.

VOL.

iv.

I.

PREFA CE.

Stock of vaccine

lymph now employed

this country,

in

though abandoned at the Animal Vaccine

At Toulouse,

Bordeaux.^

was able

at the

Cow Pox

and Horse

characters,

Pox.

M. Peuch, the distinguished Professor of

remarkable

furnished

investigations

since granted

me

observations

bringing

be

M. Peuch 's

of the

disease

by

unrecognised

still

details

of his

and

Horse Pox,

into

subject.

will

light

to

with the

Veteri-

has

permission to reproduce the coloured

plates illustrating this

and

me

about the nature,

clinical

nary Pathology,

at

Veterinary School,

to obtain further information

and origin of

Station

of

practical

researches

greatest

value

in

horse

which

is

the

veterinarians

in

this

country.

had the opportunity of studying the

also

characters,

and

the

of inoculation

results

of

clinical

Sheep

Pox.

At
of

jMontpellier,

visited

the Vaccine Establishment

M. Pourquier, and obtained from

information.

teresting

On

him

returning to

some

Paris,

in-

was

most kindly received by M. Chauveau, who discussed

with

me

beautiful

pared

the affinities of

and

for

to the

Pox, and showed

valuable drawings which had

the Report of the

unfortunately

owing

Cow

had

been

me

the

been pre-

Lyons Commission, but

withheld

from

publication

expense that would have been entailed.

British Mofical Joitnial.

July

i4tli,

1888.

PREFA CE.

On

returning

England,

to

obtained

resulted

which

reasons)

to

by

reference

to

realised

extinct in Enofland

is

up

the

Worth

and

by

farmers

outbreaks

conceal

visiting

Purbeck,

made

are

followed

also

Dorsetshire.

from the determined and often successful

attempts

investi-

country, and fully

this

in

belief that this disease

the

that

has

Cow Pox

of

cases

with

information

additional

my

renewed

Wiltshire, and

gations in Gloucestershire,
I

xi

when

they

occur.

of

Mr.

Jesty,

history

Matravers

obtaining

the

in

the

all

obvious

(for

of

Isle

information

local

possible.

Lastly,

which
I

reference

for

have

to

hitherto

not

some

works,

succeeded

have availed myself of the British

of

copies

in

obtaining,

Museum and

our

medical libraries.

The

difficulty

gaining access

in

to

works

these

is

no doubt the reason why the originals have been so

little

read.

It

practitioner with
if

in

the

libraries,

that

would
but

to

access

undertake such an

system

the

which

has

from

the

Jenner's

P)aron's

which

original

inquiry

authorities.

will

disposal,

many
;

followed

All

the

and,

medical

iDut

induce

the

for

trust
this

in

others

to

selections

correspondence have been drawn from

Biography,

was

to

been

work of giving copious extracts

study

possible

time at his

little

without

country,

be

hardly

obtained

with
for

of one

letter,

me by Mr. W. K.

Dale.

the

exception

PREFA CE.

xii

desire

thank

to

permission

to

reproduce

composing the
with

the

him

and

of affording

object

been

have

volume

second

The

fac-simile.

in

it

owner

the

also

references

for

essays

reprinted

handy

in

form.

My
for

thanks

best

due

are

Mr.

to

James

Ceely

approving of the proposal to reprint his brother's

classical

papers, and

to

Mr. Badcock

for

granting

me

permission to reprint his pamphlet.

In conclusion,

and

E.

F.

desire to thank Messrs.

Herroun

for

the proof sheets through

Brooks,
the

success

coloured

&

Day,

Son

with

are

which

assistance

their

the press.
to

they

be

W.
in

K. Dale
passing

Messrs. Vincent,

congratulated

have

reproduced

upon
the

plates,

Edgar M. Crooks hank.

24,

Manchester Square, W.,

April

1889.

CONTENTS OF
CHAPTER

VOL.

I.

I.

PAGE

HISTORY OF SMALL POX INOCULATION

IN

CHAPTER
HISTORY OF INOCULATION

IN

FOREIGN COUNTRIES

THE OPER^VTION OF INOCULATION

THE TRADITIONS OF THE D.AIRYMAIDS

LIFE

CHAPTER

24

.52

81

V.

VI.

AND LETTERS OK EDWARD JENNER

JENNER's REJECTED " INQUIRY

...

CHAPTER

IV.

HAYGARTH's system FOR PREVENTING SMALL POX

CHAPTER

in.

CHAPTER

n.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

CHAPTER

.....

98

I25

VII.

"......-

25O

CONTEXTS.

xiv

CHAPTER

VIII.

PAGE

IENXEr's published " INQUIRY "

266

CHAPTER
HUM.A.N

IX.

SMALL POX AS A SOURCE OF " VACCINE LYMPH

CHAPTER
CATTLE PLAGUE AS A SOURCE OF

SHEEP SMALL POX AS A SOURCE OF

LYMPH

CHAPTER

XII.

"grease"

INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION

IN

"

XIV.
"

ruooRi:ss ok vaccination in England

307

329

....

337

34O

372

XV.

FOREIGN COUNTRIES

CHAPTER

....

"

as a SOURCE OF " VACCINE LYMPH

CHAPTER

287

XIII.

VACCINE LYMPH

CHAPTER

XI.

GOAT POX AS A SOURCE OF '"VACCINE LYMPH

"

"

" VACCINE LYMPH "

CHAPTER

COW POX AS A SOURCE OF

X.

" VACCINE

CHAPTER

"

419

XVI.

430

LIST OF PLATES
Plate

I.

PORTRAIT OF Mr. BENJAMIN JESTY

Reduced fac -simile of an engraving

painting by M. W. Sharp.

b}'

W.

Saj-,

The engraving bears the following inscription

" To the President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurers,

facing

title

page

from the original

Trustees, and Medical

Officers of the Original Vaccine Institution.

"This print of Mr. Benjamin

of the
Will'"-

Institution, is

Jestj-,

respectfullj'

from a picture in the possession

by their devoted Servant,

inscribed

Say.

" Mr. B.

JESTV, Farmer of Downshay, Isle of Purbeck, set. 70, who

Wife and Two Sons for the Vaccine Pock in 1774, from
that Time disorder'd by the Cow Pock, and who subse-

inoculated his
his cows,

at

quently from the most rigorous Trials have been found unsusceptible of
Having rationally- set the Example of Vaccine Inoculation
the Small Pox.

from his

own knowledge

Cow Pock

of the Fact of Unsusceptibilit\- of the Small

own Person and

Pox

and from
knowing the harmlessness of the Complaint. To commemorate the Author
of these historical truths the Vaccine Institution have procured this
portrait."
(Extract from the Minutes of the Original Vaccine Institution,
Broad .Street, Golden Square.)
after casual

Plate

II.

maid.

in his

NATURAL COW POX.

iJENNER)

"SARAH NELMES,

in that of others,

Case of

Sarali

Nelmes, Dairyfacing p.

dairymaid at a Farmer's near this place

Cow Pox from her master's cows in Maj'
She received the infection on a part of the hand which had been
1796.
previously in a slight degree injured by a scratch from a thorn.
A large
pustulous sore and the usual sj'mptoms accompanj'ing the disease were
[Berkelej'J,

produced

was

in

infected with the

consequence.

Cow

The pustule was

so expressive of the true

commonl}" appears upon the hand, that

I have given a representation of it in the annexed plate.
The two small
pustules on the wrists arose also from the application of the virus to some
minute abrasions of the cuticle, but the livid tint, if the}' ever had any,
was not conspicuous at the time I saw the patient. The pustule on the
forefinger shows the disease in an earlier stage.
It did not actually
character of the

Pox, as

it

136

LIST OF PL A TES.
appear on the hand of this young woman, but was taken from that of
another, and is annexed for the purpose of representing the maladj' after
(Jeniier.')
it has newly appeared."

INOCULATED HORSE POX.

{JENNER)

Plate

III.

"JOHN BAKER,

Fatal case of John Baker.

a child of five years old,

facing p.

was

inoculated

March

248

i6th,

1798, with matter taken from a pustule on the hand of Thomas Virgoe,
one of the servants who had been infected from the mare's heels. He

became ill on the 6th day with symptoms similar to those excited by
Cow Pox matter. On the 8th day he was free from indisposition.
" There was some variation in the appearance of the pustule on the
arm. Although it somewhat resembled a Small Pox pustule, yet its
similitude was not so conspicuous as when excited by matter from the

when the matter was passed from thence through

human subject.
"This experiment was made to ascertain the progress and subsequent
We have seen that the virus
effects of the disease when thus propagated.
from tlie horse, when it proves infectious to the human subject, is not to
nipple of the cow, or
the

medium

of the

be relied upon as rendering the system secure from variolous infection,

but that the matter produced by it upon the nipple of the cow is perfectly
so.
Whether its passing from the horse through the human constitution,
as in the present instance, will produce a similar effect, remains to be
decided.
This would now have been effected, but the boy was rendered
unfit for inoculation from having felt the effects of a contagious fever in a
workhouse, soon after this experiment was made." {Jeitiicr.)

IV.
SMALL POX AFTER PERFECT VACCINATION.
{MONRO)
facing p.

Plate

i-ji

This plate " represents large vesicles which formed on the cheek of

my

eldest son

on the 5th day of the eruption.

swollen, and the skin of a deep crimson colour.

large pustule,
pustule.

which has

The depression

The

face

was much

the temple there

is

Pox
the centre was very obvious; and between

all

in

On

the genuine characters of the Small

and the outer angle of the eye, and also above the eye-brow, there
are several pimples of different sizes and forms, some of which never
passed beyond the first or inflammatory stage."" {Monro.)
this

Plate V.

INOCULATED HORSE POX, AFTER TRANSMISSION

Case of William Pead. {JENNER)

THROUGH THE COW.

facing p.

"Here my researches were interuipted till the spring of the year 1798,
when from the wetness of the early part of the season, many of the farmers"
horses in this neighbourhood were affected with sore heels, in consequence
whicit the ("ow-pox broke out among several of our dairies, which

of

274

LIS! OF FLA TFS.

me an

afforded

opportunity of making further observations upon this

curious disease.

''A mare, the property of a person who keeps a dairy in a neighbouring

began to have sore heels the latter end of the month of February

parish,

occasional!}' washed by the servant men of the farm,

William Wherret, and William Haynes, who in consequence became affected with sores in their hands, followed by inflamed
lymphatic glands in the arms and axillse, shiverings succeeded by heat,
lassitude and general pains in the limbs. A single paroxysm terminated
for within twenty-fonr hours they were free from general
the disease
indisposition, nothing remaining but the sores on their hands.
" William Summers, a child of five years and a half old, was inoculated
the same day with Baker [see description of Plate III., E. M. C], with
matter taken from the nipples of one of the infected cows, at the farm
He became indisposed on the 6th daj', vomited once, and felt
alluded to.
the usual slight symptoms till the 8th day, when he appeared perfectly
well.
The progress of the pustule, formed by the infection of the virus,
was similar to that noticed in Case XV^II. [James Phipps, E. M. C], with
this exception, its being free from the livid tint observed in that instance.
" From William Summers the disease was transferred to WILLIAM
PEAD, a boy of eight years old, who was inoculated March 28th. On the
6th day he complained of pain in the axilla, and on the 7th was aftected
with the common symptoms of a patient sickening with the Small-pox
from inoculation, which did not terminate, till the 3rd day after the seizure.
So perfect was the similarity to the variolous fever that I was induced to
examine the skin, conceiving there might have been some eruptions, but
none appeared. The efflorescent blush around the part punctured in the
boy's arm was so truly characteristic of that which appears on variolous
inoculation, that I have given a representation of it.
The drawing was
made when the pustule was beginning to die away, find the areola retiring
from the centre." {Jcniter.)

which were

1798,

Thomas

Virgoe,

Plate VI.

INOCULATED HORSE POX, AFTER TRANSMISSION

Case of Hannah Excell. (JENNER)

THROUGH THE COW.

following Plate V.
" April 5th.

Several children and adults were inoculated from the arm

of William Pead [see description of Plate V.].
"

HANNAH EXCELL, an healthy girl of seven years old,

and one of the

above mentioned, received the infection from the insertion of
the virus under the cuticle of the arm in three distinct points. The
pustules which arose in consequence so much resembled, on the I2thday,
those appearing from the insertion of variolous matter, that an experienced
Inoculator would scarcely have discovered a shade of difference at that
Experience now tells me that almost the only variation which
period.
follows consists in the pustulous fluid remaining limpid nearly to the time
of its total disappearance, and not as in the direct Small-pox becoming
patients

purulent."

(Jciiiicr.

VH. INOCULATED COW POX AND INOCULATED

SMALLPOX. {BALLHORN AND STROMEYER) facing p.

Plate

This plate was produced by Ballhorn and Stromeyer.

riiioailafioti vaccine, 1801.

[It

Traile de

illustrates the results of cultivated vaccine

2S8

LIST OF PLATES.
In this
and the ordinary results of a direct inoculation of Small-pox.
case the appearances are strikingly dissimilar, but Adams selected a mild
variety of Small-pox, called the pearl sort, and succeeded by cultivation on
the human subject in producing appearances indistinguishable from

ordinary vaccination.

Plate

E.M.C.]
{CEELY) facing p.

VARIOLATION OF THE COW.

VIII.

Showing the progress

298

of the variolation experiment on the fifteenth

day.

"The

variolous vesicle at

maximum

its

of development with a large

had a florid glistening appearance. The vaccine vesicles

of the seventh day were also at their greatest development, had slight
central crust, and were surrounded, like the variolous vesicle, with a small
central crust

pale areola."

it

{Ceely.)

The whole

histor}' of this

" E.xpcriiiiciit first.

experiment

is

as follows

Red and white sturk, thin skin, gentle, well bred

punctures, and introduced fourteen points, charged half their

Inserted two setons,
length, near the left side of the vulva and below it.
charged with Small-pox virus from the same subject, at the same time.

Made seven

Two or three of the punctures tumid, closed with

"
Day. Some pimctures tumid.
"Seventh Day. Less tumid.
less so
setons passive, dry, adherent.
Eight/i Day.
" Ninth Day. No material alteration, and therefore vaccinated on the
"Fifth Day.

brown plugs

all

setons tumid.

S/xt/i

"

Still

right side of the vulva, in seven punctures,

with

lymph, on fourteen points, from a young child

four punctures, with eight points.

daj-

sixth,

fifth,

&\\d.

and seventh

below the vulva, in

" Tenth day of variolation, A-eco;/c/ of vaccination

Some of the variolated
punctures hard and elevated but one, near the margin of the vulva, has
assumed the form and appearance of the vaccine vesicle it is nearly
circular, has an elevated margin, and a small crust in the depressed centre.
:

By

gently removing the central irregular crust, and careful|ly puncturing

the cuticle from under which this appears to have exuded, Ij'mph
obtained, and thirty-eight points

were

was

scantily charged in the course of an

Vaccinated punctures on the right side, rather red and elevated.

hour.

"Eleventh day

oJ variolation,

third

day of vaccination: The circular

indurated intumescence, forming the margin

of the

vesicle,

somewhat

Vaccine punctures more red, larger, and more

Evening: more crust in the centre of the Small-pox vesicle;
elevated.
margin less elevated. Vaccine vesicles advancing.
" Twelfth day of variolation, fourtli day of vaccination
Margin of the
Small-pox vesicle more elevated and red; central crust darker; two of the

flattened and diminished.

other variolous punctures more tumid, but without lymph,

tubercular.

still

merelj'

Vaccinated punctures more tumid and inflamed.

" Thirteenth

Small-pox
day of variolation, fifth day of vaccination
more inflamed, nearly as florid as the mucous membrane of the
vulva, which has lately assumed a bright rose colour.
Every puncture
made for tiic vaccine lymph (five days since) effectual, vesicles of different
forms and sizes being now apparent. Charged some points from them.
:

vesicle

" l''viirtcentli

day of variolation,

sixth

ol'

vaccination

.Small-pox vesicle

LIST OF PL A

TES.

xix

has less marginal induration, seems flatter, and crust partially loosened.
Vaccine vesicles, some partly subsiding, some a little pustular, others still
red, and all surrounded by indurated borders.
*'
Small-pox vesicle
Fifteenth day of variolation, seventh of vaccination
:

enlarging; crust larger; indurated elevated margin of the vesicle quite

and glistening towards the centre. Vaccine vesicles

and more elevated. Took from them more lymph.
" Sixteenth Hoy of variolation, eighth of vaccination
Small-pox
Vaccine vesicles also
crust increased and loosening.
diminished
ished, some rather pustular crusts brown and pale j-ellow, some
circular, red,

larger

vesicle

dimincrusts

abraded partiallj', others loose.

"Seventeenth r/rtj' of variolation, ;/////// of vaccination Small-pox vesicle
has scarcely an}" redness on its border crust remaining. Vaccine vesicles
diminishing, and covered with blackish brown crusts within their circular
:

or oval margins,

which are much

flattened.

" Eighteenth

day of variolation, tenth of vaccination Small-pox vesicle

Vaccine vesicles equallj^ so, covered with black
very much flattened.
:

crusts of different sizes.

" Twenty-fiftli day of variolation, seventeenth of vaccination

Small-po.K vesicle apparent

it is

Scar of

deep, wrinkled, and of a pale rose colour.

Scars of the vaccine vesicles differ only in being smaller, less deep, and

have more induration around them."'

Plate

IX.

{Ceely.)

NATURAL COW POX. (CEELY)

" Fig.

facing p.

348

end of the second w^eek. It shows

vesicles with central crusts, acuminated vesicles, imperfectly desiccated
vesicles, and vesicles further advanced in desiccation.
Tlie teat raw and
swollen from the injuries sustained during milking.
"Fig. 2.
The teat of a cow, with a fairer skin, exhibiting perfect
cicatrices, cicatrices with secondary crusts, raw and imperfect cicatrices,
and a crust still adherent on the base of the teat." (Ceely.)

Plate X.

POX.

e-Khibits the disease at the

PHAGEDENIC ULCERATION
(CROOKSHANK)

IN

NATURAL COWfacing p.

350

Reproduced from the original water-colour drawing of a case from

This animal had been selected by the farm bailiff as one of
the severest cases, and was sent to London for the purpose of an investigation.
Subsequently the farm was visited, and in the aftcctcd herds some
cases of equal severity were found.
" In a few cases the condition was most distressing, both to the cow
and to the observer. In such cases the teats were encrusted with huge
Wiltshire.

dark brown or black crusts, which, when roughly handled \>y the milker,
were broken and detached, exposing a bleeding, suppurating, ulcerated
base.
Such ulcers varied in size, from a shilling to a florin, and in form
were circular, ovoid, or irregular. Weeks afterwards, when the animals

had recovered, the

(

sites of these ulcers

were marked by irregular

scars.

Crookshank.

Plate XI.

CASUAL COW POX.

(CEELY)
"

Case of Joseph Brooks, a milker.

facing p.

This plate is referred to in Vol. II., p. 475 it represents the casual

vaccine on the right temporo-frontal region of Joseph Brooks, with recedent
;

358

LIST OF PL A TES.
With the exception of being rather more llorid, it very much
areola.
resembles the vaccine vesicle on the white skin of the icow's udder, and,
like that, yielded lymph only from its centre, and that slowly and scantily,
after the

Plate

removal of the central crust."

CASUAL COW POX.

XII.

-{Cecly.)

Case of Joseph Brooks, a milker.

(CEELY)

following Plate

"This plate

is

referred to in Vol.

II.,

p.

476;

it

thumb and finger of the same

same day as that of the preceding plate." {Cccly.)
vaccine vesicles on the

Plate

CASUAL COW POX.

XIII.

XL

represents the casual

on the

individual,

Case of Joseph White,

{CEELY)

a milker.

facing

360

-p.

it represents the casual

491
The
vaccine vesicles on the hand and thumb of the same individual.
but the centre is more
vesicle on the thumb is still flat on the surface

"This plate

referred to in Vol

is

II., p.

discoloured, yet without

The

increased.
centre,

vesicle

any visible depression; the central crust has

on the hand is much more depressed in the

and the bases of both vesicles are more elevated."

CASUAL COW POX.

Plate XIV.

Case of Joseph White,

{CEELY)

a milker.

I.

XII

folloiving Plate
"

The

on the back of the hand, irregularly puffed

margin, puckered and depressed at its centre, where the slough
Fig.

its

{Ceely.)

vesicle

at
is

visible."

Fig.

2.

granulating,

"

The

ulcer on the back of the hand,

surrounded

deep, and not yet

with a well-defined, elevated,

and indurated

border."
" The vesicle on the thumb, with a portion of slough visible
Fig. 3.
through an opening in the bluish or slate-coloured centre, the margin
partially vesicated, the base flatter and duller."'
Fig. 4.
"The ulcer on the thumb not very deep, and granulating."
-

Cccly.

CASUAL COW POX.

{CROOKSHANK)

Plate XV.

"John Harding,
sore on the upper

Case of John Harding, milker.

the bailiffs son, also milked the cows.

facing p.

He had

362
a

lid of his right eye and on his left hand.

In both cases
he had been previously scratched by a cat, and the scratches were inoculated
from the cow's teats. The right hand also had been inoculated. The eruption
broke out a fortnight ago. His hands were swollen, red, and hot. He felt
very poorly and went to bed. Little spots like white blisters appeared
on the back of his right hand. His mother remarked that they "rose
up exactly as in vaccination." Thick dark brown scabs formed. He was
viiy ill for two or three days, but did not send for a doctor. He had
painful lumps at the bend of his arm and in the armpit.
He gave up
milking, and had not taken to it since.
"On examining him the thick crusts on his right hand were identical
with the stage of scabbing in ordinary vaccination. The scabs fell off in
about three weeks to a month, and left permanent depressed scars."
{

Crooh^haith.

LIST OF PLATES.

CASUAL COW
(CROOKSHANK)

Platk XVI.

I'(

)X.

.'asc ol"

William Plnwman, a milker.

facm<( p.

364

"This case was pointed out to inc on the occasion of mj' visit on
December 2nd, and is the only one in which I was fortunate enough to
in its oarlj- stages.
The case was of such extreme
took the lad to London on the following day.

see the eruption

interest that

He had taken the place of one

on his fingers and had been obliged
to give up milking.
After the seventh time of milking he noticed a small
pimple on his right cheek.
This occurred on Sundaj', November 27th.
The pimple became larger, and, as he expres.sed it, rose up like a
"The

historj' of this

boy

who had

of the other milkers

is

as follows.

vesicles

'

blister.'

"On December

2nd, the date of

my

visit,

there

was

a large depressed

vesicle with a small central yellowish crust

and a tumid margin, the whole

being surrounded by a well-marked areola and considerable surrounding
induration.

"After making a coloured drawing of the eruption

the tumid margin, and collected clear lymph in a

(fig. i),

number

punctured

of capillary

tubes.

" After this

raised the central incrustation, and pointed out to the

who were present the craterfrom which lymph welled up and trickled down the boy's

Inspectors of the Agricultural Department

like excavation,

cheek.

"On

the following day the crust had reformed, and

The

coagulated h^mph.

margin of the vesicle

was studded with

became more marked, and on pricking the

the contents were slightlj- turbid.
areola

" From this day the surrounding infiltration increased enormously, the
whole cheek was inflamed, and the ej'elids so CEdematous that the eye was
There was enlargement of the neighbouring lymphatic
almost closed.
glands.
The crust which had reformed, thickened day by day, and
on December 9th, when I took the boy to Sir James Paget, there was a thick
reddish-brown or mahogany-coloured crust, still bearing the character
of central depression, surmounting a reddened, elevated, and indurated

base.

(Fig. 2.)

"From

this date

the surrounding induration

gradually diminished.

The crust changed in colour from dark-brown to black, and finally fell oft'
on December 15th, leaving an irregular depressed scar. This scar, when
seen se\-eral months afterwards, was found to be a permanent disfigurement.

"Thus

the eruption appeared on the fourth day after exposure to

and allowing two days for incubation, the vesicle was at its
height on the seventh or eighth day, and a typical tamarind-stone crust
fell off on
the twenty-first day after infection, leaving a depressed,
infection,

{Crookshank.)

irregular cicatrix.'"

Plate XVII.
William
Figs.

CASUAL COW POX. Cases of William Plowman and

(CROOKSHANK'
follonun<i Plate XIV.

Hibbi-rt. milkers.
I,

2,

3,

represent the

thumb

of William

Plowman.

Sec also

description of the preceding plate.

"A

formed on the thumb of the left hand.

Two days
pimple appeared on his cheek, the lad says that he noticed a
pimple on his thumb, and this, on my visit on December 2nd, presented a

after the

vesicle also

LIST OF PLATES.
On

greyish flattened vesicle, about the size of a sixpence.

day

its

vesicular character

was much more marked, and

the following

little

central

had commenced to form. (Fig. I.) On the Sunday, especially

towards the evening, the margins became very tumid, giving it a marked
appearance of central depression. On Monday, December 5th, I punctured
the vesicle at its margin with a clean needle, and filled a number of
capillary tubes from the beads of lymph which exuded.
"On Wednesday, December 7th, suppuration had commenced; the
vesicle contained a turbid fluid, and the areola was well marked. (Fig. 2.)
On December 9th the crust had assumed a peculiar slate-coloured hue,
(Fig. 3.)
and, on pressing it, pus welled up through a central fissure.
The areola had increased, and there was considerable inflammatory
The lymphatic glands in the armpit were enlarged and
thickening.
Though there was deep ulceration, which left a permanent scar,
painful.
the ulceration did not assume quite so severe a character as in some of the
crust

other milkers."

Case of William Hibbert, junr.

Fig. 4.
"William Hibbert, a milker, states that he had both hands bad about
First the index finger of the left hand, and then the right
a month ago.
hand on his knuckle and between the first and second fingers.
" He says that it came up like a hard pimple, and the finger became
swollen and red. After a few days it weeped out water and then
matter came away. Both his arms were swollen, but his left arm was the
'

'

worst.

"About a fortnight after, he noticed 'kernels' in his armpits, which

were painful and kept him awake at night. His arms became worse, he
could not raise them, and he had to give up milking.
He also had had a
'bad place' on the lower

"On

examination,

and tender."

lip.

found that the axillary glands were

NATURAL HORSE POX. {PEUCH)

Plate XVIII.

still

enlarged

CrooksJiaiik.)

fariir^ p. 404

Eruption of Horse Pox on the penis of a stallion.

H. Loubat pinxit, April 15, 1879.
For reference to this, and the following plates see pp. 402-418.

Plate XIX.

NATURAL HORSE

Perivu'var eruption of Horse

H. Loubat

Plate XX.

POX. {PEUCH)foUozi<ing Plate XVIII.

Pox

in a five-year-old

mare.

pinxit, April 26, 1883.

NATURAL HORSE POX SIMULATING APHTHOUS

[PEUCH)
facing p.

STOMATITIS.

406

Horse Pox on the nose and lips, consisting of pearly

bullous vesicles; resembling both aphthous stomatitis and glanders.
H. Loubat pinxit, April 27, 1S80.
Eruption

of

NATURAL HORSE POX SIMULATING GLANDERS.

{PEUCH)
foUozvhig Plate XX.

Plate XXI.

Nasal eruption of Horse Pox in the stage of ulceration

glanders.

H. Loubat pinxit, 1880.

resembling

LIST OF PL A TES.

ROSEOLA OF COW POX.

Plate XXII.

{]VTr.I.A.\\

facinir p.

460

an cilloresccncc which commonly appears in a

Roseola vaccina
congeries of dots and small patches, as here represented, but is sometimes
"

diffuse; like the variolous rash

areola,

it

usually occurs at the

and around the inoculated part."

INOCULATED SYPHILIS.

Plate XXIII.
"Fig

Result of an inoculation,

I.

same time with the

(1117/iiii.)

(^R/CORD)

made on January

facing p.

13th, at half past

nine in the morning, with pus collected at the margin of the prepuce.
Drawing made at ten o'clock. Tumefaction of the tissues is already
observable, and, in the centre, the puncture of the lancet

is

surrounded by

a slight reddish areola almost limited to the swollen parts.

" Fig. 2.

noon.

The

Drawing made on the same day

is more elevated

inoculated spot

at four o'clock in the after;

the areola

is

more deeply

coloured.

Drawing made on January 14th, at nine o'clock in the

The swollen parts are sharply circumscribed, and have a deep
colour at the base.
A greyish point at the summit corresponds with
puncture of the lancet.
The inflammatory areola has, comparatively
"Fig.

3.

morning.
red
the

speaking, extended considerably.

Drawing made on the same day at four o'clock in the

The pustule has developed the greyish spot noticed in the
morning has become quite black, and forms a small gangrenous eschar,
"Fig.

4.

afternoon.

and around

it tiie

epidermis

is

raised

up by pus.

Drawing made on the

15th, at ten o'clock in the morning.

have advanced in equal proportion.
"Fig. 6. Drawing made on the l6th, at ten o'clock in the morning.
A general advance. There is an irregularity at the periphery of the
pustule, from which a small quantity of pus has escaped during the night,
and in the centre the gangrenous eschar is depressed, and appears to be
adherent to the underlying parts.

"Fig.

5-

All the parts of the pustule

"Fig.

7.

Drawing made on the 17th, at ten o'clock in the morning.

The pustule has ruptured at several points, and

general advance.

appears to be almost free from pus.

"Fig.

8.

Drawing made on the

i8th, at ten

o'clock in

the morning.

general advance, with the exception of the inflammatory areola, which

appears less intense. On raising the irregular slough which covers the
ulcer resulting from the inoculation, a red base marked with yellowish
points is disclosed. At the edges, a whitish margin is seen formed by the
elevated epidermis."
Figs. 2-8.

{Traitc coiiipkt des Maladies Ve'neriemies, Plate

Paris 1851.)

III.,

462

HISTORY AND PATHOLOGY

O F

VACCINATION.
CHAPTER

I.

HISTORY OF SMALL POX INOCULATION IN FOREIGN

COUNTRIES.

The

practice of Small

great antiquity.

person was

second

artificially

time

as a

but

rule,

one of very

is

Small

seized with

when, and

how,

the

Pox

method

of.

inducing the disease was discovered, or where

preventive treatment was

this

unknown.

It

first

employed,

is

quite

has been suggested, not unnaturally, that

Arabian physicians were acquainted with the

the

as

inoculation

had been found by experience that

It

not,

Pox

nature and treatment of Small Pox, they were probably

the

first

to

whom

by inoculation.
at

it

occurred

produce the disease

to

Avicenna, who

is

said

to

have lived

Bokhara, on the east coast of the Caspian Sea, has

been credited with

that

the

traders

VOL.

practice
to

I.

Surat,

this

was

discovery
carried

Bengal,

and

it

was supposed

by Tartar and Chinese

and

China,

and

by
I

the

SMALL POX LNOCULATION.

Mahommedan

pilgrims

Mecca.

to

according to

But,

nothing to support

or

this

Woodville/ there

is

little

there

is

no evidence that the Circassians,

for

theory,

or any of

inhabitants

the

Caspian Sea, had practised the

than

those

of other

nations

near

countries

of the

of inoculation longer

art

D'Entrecolles had

and

remarked that the Tartars were ignorant of

ment

in

There

this treat-

1724.

were

opinions

conflicting

equally

stantinople as to the origin of inoculation.

by some

the

Con-

in

It

was

said

have been introduced from the Morea

to

by

an old woman, and by others to have been imported

from

employed.

first

it

was supposed

Mead^ was

Dr.

have been

to

For, as far as

have been able

beauty

among

by inquiry,

to find out

invention of the Circassians, the

to excel in

women

the poorer sort, to sell

observed that they

who were

it

young

way

'

Circassia. De

la

the

is

very common, espe-

girls for slaves to

When

therefore

it

be

was

life

the younger they

of infecting the body that so the

merchandise might bring the greater

In

was

seized with this distemper were in

danger both of their beauty and their

were, they contrived this

to physic.

this

of which country are said

upon which account

carried awa}^ into the neighbouring parts.

less

the

have often wondered how such a notion could come into the

heads of people almost quite ignorant of what relates

cially

of

favour

in

view.

latter
"

where

Circassia,

profit."

Motraye,'^ in

171

1,

saw the

Woodvillc, The History of the Inoculation of the Small-Pox, p.

35.

1796.
*
^

Medical Works of Dr. Richard Mead, vol. ii., p. 143. 1765.

Ue la Motraye, Travels through Europe, Asia, and into Part of

Africa,

vol.

ii.,

p. 75.

1723.


FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
openition performed upon a Circassian girl four or five
years

The

old.

was carried

fruit,

An

ripe.

women

for

to a

boy about three years

woman performed

old

The manner

disease

was thus described

Circassia.

She took

navel
foot,

till

the operation

the

and prick'd

the

and,

fifthly,

first

thirdly, the

the ankle of the left

At the same time, she took some matter

the blood came.

from the pocks of the sick person, and applied

part,

whose pocks

secondly, directly over the heart

fourthly, the right wrist

who

of inoculating

three needles fastened together,

of the stomach

old,

exercised the practice of

of advanced age

in

"

Pox, and

Small

physic

pit

purged with dried

after

had caught the natural

were

being

girl,

which she covered,

first,

it

with angelica leaves

to the bleeding
dri'd,

and

after

some of the youngest Iamb-skins and having bound them all

well on, the mother wrapped her daughter up in one of the skin
coverings, which. I have observed, compose the Circassian beds,
and carried her thus packed up in her arms to her own home
with

where (as they

told

only a sort of pap

to

continue to be kept warm, eat

cummin

flower, with two-thirds water

me) she was

made

of

and one-third sheep's milk, without either flesh or

a sort of tisan,

are

all

that

very

with

made with

angelica, biigloss roots,

common throughout

this precaution

came out very favourably

this country;

description

ingrafting the Small

surgeon
"

and drink

licorish,

which

and they assured me

and regimen, the Small Pox generally

in five or six days."

In Constantinople. The
giving

fish,

and

of the

first

publication in

England

custom of inoculating or

Pox, was written by Kennedy,^ a

rather

more

particularly

take notice here of the

'Kennedy, A71 Essay un External Remedies,

-p.

153.

I, on

way

don, 1715.

or

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

of giving the Small Pox, to

manner

may

malignity (as

or

corpuscles

distempers or contagious

medecines)

show or confirm how

Pox was

practised in the Peloponnesus

called \\\&Morca), and, at this present time, is very

Turkey and Persia, where they give

in

more dismal

is

coming, as also

it

a second time.

use the Pock and matter dried

to

common way

powder, the which they take inwardly; but the

into

now used
thus

in

they

Turkey, and

wrists,

and

more

particularly

and having made

scarifications

legs, or extremities, the

the foresaid incision, being

in a

During

this time, or

and the regimen or

this

out

more kindly and

way

very regular

less

most of the malignity

diet

committed

is

if

naturally taken

to
ill,

no way

to

be exposed to

was

since

it

is

Pock comes

very probable that

increased and augmented by the irregu-

in their diet

symptoms, so as when given

I

days

of living, the distemper or

dangerous

cannot be so well seen or

there,

upon

during the whole time of confine-

or their

few days before the malady appears

ally,

is laid

for eight or ten

altogether from flesh, and one kept mostly to water-gruel.

By

larities

upon the forehead,

from the scarifications being made, the patient

closely confined to his room, so as in

is

of

ill

more kindly manner and not near the number of Pox.

though

ment

is

some one

matter of the Pock

bound on there

appear, and the distemper comes forward as

Constantinople,

the end of which time, the usual symptoms begin

together; at

the air

at

take a fresh and kindly Pock from

first

this distemper,

is

much used both

its

probably to prevent their being troubled with

This method of the Persians

(now

in order to prevent its

it

by the early knowledge of

effects

as

This of giving or

be communicated to the blood.

ingrafting the Small

easily

well

manner of

which, when

known how

after this

to

it

living

prevent

manner.

some

comes naturits

worst

Whilst as yet

credibly inform'd, both by the physicians

and mer-

number of two thousand which had then lately

method, there were not any more than two who

chants, that of the

undergone that

died, their deaths being altogether attributed to their

want of care;
}

for,

the

having been

scarified,

and the Small Pox applied

symptoms not appearing so soon as commonly

to the part,

or as they

expected, they went abroad, exposing themselves to the open

air,

which struck the distemper or malignity to the centre, or more

inwardly, and was the occasion of their death.

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
" Dr. Janoin, a Grecian,
this

same method with

Constantinople.

is,

whether or not

a second

distemper twice

For when

of malignity.

manner,

"So

same

the

Hog

this

fulness

generally

it

Pox, which

matter or malignit}'

little

con-

it.

that

presumed

is

it

be some seminal matter, in the

to

very Euibrio or Parent, and only makes

proper accident, medium, or means

the

or

Bastard or

the

empty or skinny, and very

tained in

advanced that we

is

it

happens the second time

it

proves that commonly called

is

this,

infected

have been troubled with

to

same

the

in

the patient from being

to

arrival

commonly proposed

objection

answer

in

do rarely or never find any

my

before

sisters, a little

greatest

hinders

it

But

time.

resides there, had taken or followed

two

his

The

at

who

varying

like,

according

of

aliment,

air,

our

to

appearance by some

its

contact,

or

and

natures

different

constitutions.
" But,

know

that

have advanced

be

to

it

more timorous and

of

distemper

with

practise

assert,

it

us

not

is

truth

which

maintain

to

since

there

case,

this

who

those

as

need

it

because

accompany

method,
be,

design to

probably being

this

frequently

this

it

having lived there,

Britain

in

so

of

with

though the veracity

be doubted,

to

we

though

or

not
;

of our lives in

fearful

is

parts

gentlemen who,

or

great mortalities

the

these

into

several merchants

are

here

intention

practice

this

what

of

my

however,

introduce

be no more

minded than giving or taking the ItchP

The

among

practice

"

The

place,

Woodward

more

was

fully

to

the

Royal Society.^

writer of this ingenious discourse observes, in the

that

introduc'd

the
this

of inoculation,

Circassians, Georgians,

practice
for

Woodward,

1716, pp. 72-4.

P/zz7.

and other

Asiatic/cs

Pox by a
years among

of procuring the Small

about the space of forty

Turks and others at

'

Turks

Emanuel Timoni, and communicated

described by Dr.

by Dr.

the

first

have
sort

the

Constantinople.

Trans.,

iji"}, vol. xxix.,

for the years

1714,

ij^b'

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

"That although
in

at

the use of this practice

have

found to

now

past has

the more prudent were very cautious

first

yet the happy success

thousands of subjects

in

put

out of

it

all

and

different

of the

when

at the

same time

was very mortal when

it

common way, of which half

upon his own observation.

Next he observes they that have

upon them are subject

sensible they are
it

ill

The method of

This

inoculation practised

this

very slight symptoms, some being scarce

to

and, what

or sick;

the operation

thus

is

by the

valued

is

fair,

face.
:

Choice

of a proper contagion, the matter of the pustules

municated

Pox

seized the

it

the affected dy'd.

never leaves an}^ scars or pits in the

"

ages, sexes,

all

temperaments, and even in the worst constitution

patient the

"

since the

yet none have been found to die of the Small

air,

he attests

years

eight

suspicion and doubt

operations having been perform'd on persons of

has been

it

these

for

being made
be com-

to

is

person proposed to take the infection, whence

to the

of a sound healthy

name of insition or inoculation.

make choice of some boy or young lad,
temperament, that is seized with the common

Small Pox

distinct,

it

has metaphorically the

" For this purpose they

(of

the

not

flux

on

sort),

the

thirteenth day from the beginning of his sickness

a needle,

the

prick

they, with

some

hams), and press out the matter coming from them into

convenient vessel of glass, or the

like,

convenient to wash and clean the vessel

receive

to
first

with

It

it.

warm

warm

that

carries

it,

of the expecting future

in a

the

in

and as soon as may

warm chamber,

The

patient.

the operator

be,

to

is

bosom of

the person

patient,

matter

issuing out
prick'd.

in

and mix

one drop of the matter

These punctures are made

fleshy parts, but

radius.

the glass,

succeed

The needle

is

to

best

in

is

it

being

therefore,

wounds

several little

with a needle in one, two, or more places of the skin

of the

is to

brought to the place

make

drops of blood follow, and immediately

is

water.

convenient quantity of this matter being thus collected

be stopped close and kept

or

on the shins and

(chiefly those

tubercles

twelfth

till

some

drop out some drops

well

with

sufficient

indifferently

the muscles

blood

the

for each place

in

any of the

arm or

of the

be a 3-edg'd surgeon's needle

it

may

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
be perform'd with

likewise

and

the needle transverse

a convenient

be

matter

with

the

either

with

dividing

up the skin

an

little,

perform'd

easily

or

stile

custom

to

run

that there

may

is

and the mixing of the

of the part,

blood more

blunt

The

a lancet.

rip

which

done

is

The wound

ear-picker.

is

cover'd with half a walnut shell or the like concave vessel, and

bound

over, that the

which

is

and broth

flesh

operation

for

performed

is

The

a few hours.

in

In this place, the custom

care of his diet.

from

matter be not rub'd off by the garments

removed

all

patient

twenty or twent3'-five days.

This

beginning of the

winter

either in

the spring. ... It was

common Small Pox w'as very

or in

the

observ'd
mortal,

who

had

the

four

were found

the

more,

tubercles

suspicion

that

made upon them

incision

whom

in

Of

was made.
there was
not

before the incision

purpose
incision

that

At

sort.

scattered

other

times

commonly ten

the
or

but

pustule

made,

rises,

but

are

twenty break out

the

the Small

they have cohabited

Another

distinct,

inoculation

described

was
the

in

pubhshed

operation

as

the

by
it

few,

the

and

whom

incision

was

yet these have

their w^hole lives,

tho'

it."

Byzantine

the

after

the confluent

here and there one

where

with persons having

of

present

There are some in

places

Pox afterwards

account

our

for

recovered

which SAveU up into purulent tubercles

never had

Dr.

method

v^ho

Pylarini,^

was performed

of

in

his

upon four sons of a Greek nobleman, by an

presence
old

in

same

the

There was some

Pox came near

has but two or three, few have 100.

no

persons,

was too sudden,

enough

inoculated

fifty

common Small Pox

the

is

one

these four the Small

in

It

the

incision

almost in

the eruption

four had caught

when

by

those

and symptoms worse.

these

year

in

that

were also attended with greater s3'mptoms.

day,

wholly

to abstain

is

take

to

is

woman who had

'

Pylarini, F/i//.

long practised inoculation.

Trans., 1716,

vol. xxix., p.

393.

The

SMALL POX LNOCULATION.

was

variolous

matter

punctures

made on

on both

number

into

inserted

of

the forehead, cheeks, chin, and also

wrists.

In Turkey in Asia. Dr. RusselP gave evidence

among

practice

of a

similar

Dr.

Patrick

Russell,

his

brother,

letter to

physician

who

In

Arabs.

the

wrote

Aleppo,

at

presented

to

it

1726,

Royal

the

Society.
or ten years ago, while on a visit at a Turkish

"About nine

Harem, a lady happened

who

child

to

express

much
None

that time being frequent in the city.

company had ever heard of

mentioned

and

of

my

attending

it.

old Bedouin,

account was upon the whole a just one, only that

needle

when

manner,

herself had

she

child

had,

in

adding, moreover, that the practice

that

they termed

way

did

of performing the opera-

result

been

of
of

my
long

this

from

was

inquiry

hint,

old and

of as a
its

her

about

set

Arabs,

to the

procuring

its

origin
to

make

and the

but those of seventy

have heard

of their ancestors, and

to

more

They, indeed, did not

made

being of as ancient a date as the disease

is

that

many

the practice of inoculation had

upwards remembered

manner of operating

in

inoculated

was well known

among them.

standing

common custom

disease

the

time,

the Arabs of this place

that

pretend to assign any period to

years

received

buying the Small Pox.

it

" In consequence of
particular information

of

was an

which she asserted should be done not with a lancet but

with

and

advantages

great attention, assured the ladies

not seem so well to understand the

tion,

of the ladies in the

enter into a detail of

to

peculiar

the

the distemper at

so that having once

the female servants in the chamber

who having heard me with

that

inoculation

found myself obliged

it,

operation,

the

Among

anxiety for an only

had not yet had the Small Pox

Iviii.,

spoken

itself.

several punctures in

Russell, Phil. Irans., vol.

it

little

pp. 140-50.

some

doubt
Their
fleshy

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
part,

with a needle

imbued

and the disease communicated

always

variolous matter taken

in

in

way

this

they give themselves

slight,

irom

The}' use no preparation of the body

favourable kind of pock.

little

being, as they aver,

no trouble about

or

the child in the subsequent stages of the distemper.

"

This method of procuring the disease

The

Small Pox on the following account.

carries a

few

ing them

to

the

from

child

child to be inoculated

sugarplums, or suchlike

raisins, dates,

how many pocks he

asks

termed buying the

is

whom

will

the matter

young

are too

to

name given
learn among

reason for the

by what

could

The bargain

When

speak for themselves, the bargain

This ceremony, which

is

women,

the parties

made by

is

practised, points out

still

by the Arabs

to inoculation

the

be taken,

to

is

give in exchange.

being made, they proceed to the operation.

the mothers.

and show-

not regarded as

is

it

but

indispensably necessary to the success of the operation, and

in

fact,

often omitted."

Dr.

Russell found

among

but

At

Bassora.

in

ance of Small
so that

same custom prevailed

the

Eastern Arabs, not

the

Mousul,

that

Bagdad and

only at

Mousul,

appear-

the

Pox was announced by a

who wished might have

those

is,

public crier,

their

children

tribes as well as the

Armenian

inoculated.
" In Armenia,

the

Turkoman

Christians have practised inoculation since the memor}- of

but,

like

the Arabs,

among them.

introduction
"

able

are

At Damascus, and

all

adopted

"

b}-

Whether
I

no account of

known.

In the Castravan mountains

the Arabs of the desart to the South of

this

manner of communicating

have not hitherto been able to learn

Mecca,

whom

assured

me

first

its

the Drusi as well as the Christians.

are acquainted with

Pox,

give

along the coast of Syria and Palestine,

inoculation has been long

it is

to

man

had occasion

that he himself

to

converse

but,

with

had been inoculated

Damascus
the Small

a native of
this

summer,

in that city.

SMALL POX LNOCULATLON.

"In

the

The Arabs

performed nearly in the same manner.

the punctures might

Those

made

be

have had occasion

inoculation

above-mentioned,

countries

different

examine, have

to

affirmed that

any fleshy

in

indifferently

all

is

part.

(a very

few

excepted) had the mark between the thumb and the fore-finger.
"

Some

of the Georgians had been inoculated in the same part,

Some

Arabs) bore the marks upon the hand.

women remembered

some had

the greater part (like the

thighs, but

been inoculated in both

the Armenians,

Of

but most of them on the fore-arm.

of the Georgian

colour were chosen

that rags of a red

in

preference for the binding up the arm, a circumstance of which

I

have been able

In

Africa.

to discover

Mr.

The negroes

on the arm.

children

animal

Pox

Small

the

The

in

inoculation

Senegal, wheninoculated

their

inoculated abstained

from

water acidulated

with

them,

visited

and drank

food,

thought that

Colden^

originated in Africa.

ever

no trace among the Arabs."

freely

the juice ot limes.

Here
there

no

also

it

was a

avail,

of Africa a

parts

other

In

was

called

similar

buying ike Small Pox, and

superstition that

unless the

custom existed.

inoculation

would be of

whom

the variolous

person from

matter was taken, received a piece of

money

or

some

other article in exchancre.

The

of inoculation

practice

Algiers was described by

England
'

''

in

Pox,
it is

p. 61

Tripoli,

Tunis, and

Cassem Aga," ambassador

and

Iiiq., vol.

i.,

p. 228.

An

Account of the Success of Luoculating the Small

Paper relating to the Inoculation of the Sjnall-Pox as

-practised in the

Kingdoms of Tripoli, Tunis, andAlgier.

Arabic by His Excellency Cassem Aga, Ambassador from

Done into English from the French of Mr. Dadichi."
F.R.S.

in

in

1728.

Colden, Med. Obs.

Scheuclizcr,

in

Written
Tripoli,

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
My opinion

"

Pox,

will

hath a mind
that lies

come

ill

being asked relating to the inoculation of the Small

mention
to

lew words what

in a

know

of

If

it.

any one

have his children inoculated, he carries them

when

of the Small Pox at the time

Then

to full maturity.

the pustules are

makes an

the surgeon

one

to

incision on

the back of the hand between the thumb and forefinger, and puts
a

little

of the matter squeezed out of one of the largest and fullest

This done, the child's hand

pustules into the wound.

up with a handkerchief to keep

liberty

till

it

from the

him

the fever arising confines

monly happens

and he

air,

to

his bed,

wrapp'd
his

which com-

After that, by

end of three or four days.

at the

is

is left to

God's permission, a few pustules of the Small Pox break out upon
All this

the child.

can confirm by a domestic proof; for

father carried us, five brothers

girl that

lay

same day.
pustules.

ill

and three

sisters, to the

of the Small Pox, and had us

Now

he that had most of us

Otherwise

all,

inoculated the

had not above twenty

and so sure that

this practice is so innocent

out of a hundred persons inoculated not two

contrar}',

all

die

whereas, on the

out of a hundred persons that are infected with the

Small Pox the natural way, there die commonly about

is

withal so ancient in the kingdoms

that

my

house of a

nobody remembers

its

first rise

of Tripoli, Tunis,
;

and

it

is

thirt3\

It

and Algiers,

generally practised

not only by the inhabitants of the towns, but also by the wild

Arabs."

Dr. Shaw,^

also,

has given an account of the practice

According to

of inoculation in Barbary.
the variolous pus
"

The

inoculation

wound upon

was applied
of

them

is

to a slight

his description

wound.

performed by making a

the fleshy part of the

slight

hand betwixt the thumb and

The person who is to undergo the operation

receives the infection from some friend or neighbour who hath a
favourable kind, and who is entreated to sell two or three of his
pustules for the same number of nuts, comfits, or suchlike

the forefinger.

Shaw,

Travels

and Observations relating

Barba?-y atid the Levant,

p.

265.

1738.

to

Several Farts of

SMALL FOX INOCULATION.

This they

trifles.

call

purchasing of the Small Pox

the Jeivs, the purchase alone

was

and among

without inoculation, was a

told,

sufficient preparative for the infection.

"

However,

where

the Levant

have been

tempting of Providence,

Nature

soliciting

of stories to discourage the practice

who purchased

young lady

only

fell

tell

number

particularly of a beautiful

couple

of

happened indeed she had no more than were paid

misfortune was, they

be a

to

it

a distemper before

Accordingly they

it.

Barbary or

most people esteem

and the

disposed to receive

is

in those parts of

no great repute

is in

it

pustules.
for

It

but the

upon her eyes, and she was blind by

the experiment."

In

India.

Inoculation,

according to tradition, was

We

a most ancient custom in India.

Holwell

for full details

" Inoculation

Brahmins,

who

is

are indebted to

of the practice.

performed in Indostan by a particular tribe of

are delegated annually for this service from the

different colleges of

the distant provinces

Bindoobund, Eleabas, Banaras,

;

etc.,

over

all

dividing themselves into small parties of

three or four each, they plan their travelling circuits in such wise

as to arrive at the places of their respective

weeks before the usual return of the disease

monly

in the

Bengal provinces early

some years do not begin

until

they arrive com-

February, although they

to inoculate before

March, deferring

it

they consider the state of the season, and acquire informa-

tion of the state of the distemper.

"

in

some

destination
;

The

inhabitants of Bengal, knowing the usual time

when

the

inoculating Brahmins annually return, observe strictly the regimen

enjoined, whether they determine to

be inoculated or not

preparation consists only in abstaining for a

milk,

and ghee

(a

kind of butter

made

the prohibition of fish respects only

Mahomedans who abound

'

month from

this
fish,

generally of buffalo's milk)

the native Portuguese and

every province of the empire.

When

An Accoimt of the Manner of Inoculating the Small Pox

East Indies, pp. 8-19. 1767.

Holwell,

in the

in

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
the

Brahmins begin

and operate
on a

strict scrutiny,

them.

many pocks they

but true

number

"They

it is

that they hardly ever exceed or are deficient in

inoculate indifferently on any part

elbow and the shoulder

his perquisite

but, if left to their

midway between

many

Previous to the opera-

if

the family

opulent), and with

is

linen

it

gives a dry

for inoculation for the space of

minutes, then with a small instrument he wounds,

slight touches, about

compass of a

the

making the smallest appearance of blood

just

the

and the same between the

for the females.

upon the part intended

eight or ten

silver

groat,

then opening a

double rag (which he always keeps in a cloth round his

waist),

he takes from thence a small pledgit of cotton charged with

the variolous matter,

the

operator takes a piece of cloth in his hand (which becomes

tion, the

b}'

in the

required.

wrist and the elbow for the males

friction

how
we should

on a matter seemingly so uncertain

they prefer the outside of the arm,

choice,

Winity,

chuse their children should have.

think, urged a question

the

any who have not

duly observed the preparatory course enjoined

no uncommon thing for them to ask the parents

It is

issue

pass from house to house

to inoculate, they

the door, refusing to inoculate

at

13

which he moistens with two or three drops of

Ganges water, and

applies

slight

bandage, and ordering

being

moved

remain until

"The

it

it

to the

to

wound,

remain on

then the bandage to be taken

it

fixing

for six

it

on with a

hours without

and the pledgit

off,

to

falls off itself

cotton which he preserves in a double callico rag

is

satu-

rated with matter from the inoculated pustules of the preceding year
for

they never inoculate with fresh matter, nor with matter from the

disease caught in the natural way,

species.

however

distinct

and mild the

Early on the morning succeeding the operation, four

collons (an earthen pot containing about

are ordered to be

thrown over the

two gallons) of cold water

patient,

from the head down-

wards, and to be repeated every morning and evening until the

fever

comes on (which usually

is

about the close of the sixth day

from the inoculation), then to desist until the appearance of the

eruptions (which
plete

commonly happens

at the close

day from the commencement of the

fever),

of the third com-

and then

to

pursue

the cold bathing as before through the course of the disease, and

POX INOCULATION.

SAIALL

i-^

until the scabs of the pustules

all

drop

are ordered to open

They

off.

the pustules with a fine sharp-pointed thorn as soon as they

continues in a
to change their colour, and whilst the matter

begin

Confinement

fluid state.

to the

house

absolutely forbid, and the

is

inoculated are ordered to be exposed to every air that blows

when

the utmost indulgence they are allowed

is to

be laid upon a mat at the door

fever

is

is

ordered to consist of

climate and season produce, as

made

plantains, sugar-canes, water-melons, rice, gruel

These instructions being given, and an injunction

the patients to

make

the poor

is

pund of

cowries, equal to about a

down one

goes on to another door

;

and

is

China.

medical work

of

D'Entrecolles^
Pekin,

in

lation

in

tradition to

The

concluded

on the other hand,

India,

that

inocu-

it

seems from

have been a custom from time immemorial.

methods

derived

'

author of the book

the latter part of the dynasty

Woodville

hence

employed

so entirely different,

they

in

encountered

inoculation

The

from

China had not been practised two hundred

In

years."-^

and

night, inoculating

ascertained

that

China.

in

have lived

Ming ;

sterling,

and up on the

in a house."

strong opposition
said to

penny

till

which from

fee,

side of the street,

thus employed from morning

sometimes eight or ten

In

on

laid

a thanksgiving Poojah, or offering to the

goddess on their recovery, the operator takes his

is

of white

cold water, or thin rice gruel for their ordinary

poppy-seeds and

other

and

but, in fact, the eruptive

Their regimen

the refrigerating things the

drink.

comes on,

generally so inconsiderable and trifling as very seldom to

require this indulgence.

all

the fever

their

\y.r\\.rer,o\\cs,

Woodville,

he

that

in
it

the
is

information

two countries were

scarcely
at

the

Leiires f^i/. ct Curieiiscs,^.

cit., p. 54.

probable that

same time
lo.

1718.

or

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
from

the

same

The

source.

15

who

Chinese,

two

sowing the Small Pox, took from

The

musk.

of

but

for

several

years

to

recent

pustules,

correct

if

kept

in

jar

were necessary to resort

it

was

it

placed a small

were

scales

it

dried

to four

pustules or scales, between which they

portion

called

thought

advisable

to

"acrimony of the matter" by exposing

the

it

the steam of an infusion of the roots of scorzonera

to

and

Sometimes they employed

liquorice.

been

had

The whole was wrapped up

into the patient's

China, for

in

take
the

variolous

the

place,

inflammation

being

effluvia

France.

According

to

the

did

not

inhaled

into

Small

Perigord.
first

Boyer,

who

noticed

published in

was

lawful

Paris by

declaration

Sorbonne,
to

of

success

the

that,

make

for

in

Dr. de
the

the

la

of this

different

Auvergne and
7,

was the

Six years afterin

doctors

of the public,

practice.

was

England

Costey and the

principal

benefit

in

171

inoculation.

inoculation

by

trials

especially in

who wrote

Dr.

writer

wards,

more

but

Pox.

inoculation

tradition,

had long been practised by the peasants

parts of France,

result

of

this

if

would produce the natural

lungs,

In

produced the same

membrane ensued, and

Schneiderian

paste.

want of success

tor the

troublesome

inoculation,

as

into

Woodville pointed out that

nostril.

the matter

if

which

cotton and introduced

in

method probably accounted

this

made

and

powdered,

dried,

scales

result

of

the

it

was

Shortly atter

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

de

Hecquet published a

Dr.

this,

the

reports

the

great

of the

of

brought

was attributed
inoculation

together with

this,

to

Pox

new

the

disrepute

into

and

U.S.A.,

Small

natural

the

Raisons

entitled

Boston,

in

failures

mortality

London, which
soon

and

r inoculation,

doute contre

thesis

in

practice,

France,

in

and the proposed experiments were abandoned.

was again paid

1752, attention

M. de

later,

Condamine read a paper on the

la

Academy

advantages of inoculation before the Royal

of Sciences in Paris
the

practice

Turgot

M.

was

but

aged

it

was not

introduced

really

inoculated

Chastellux,

owing

subject,

this

Dr. Butini of Montpelier, and two

to a publication of

years

to

In

four

child

twenty-one,

1755

that

France.

M.

until

into

years
also

and

old,

submitted

to

Dr. Hosty, who, at the request of the

the operation.

French Minister, had been attending the Sm.all Pox

and

Hospitals

Inoculation

London, on

in

return

his

reported favourably of inoculation, and this report had

immense
the

effect

of the

family

persons

high

of

and

physicians,
into

in

promoting

Duke
rank,

in

it

in

that

was

it

Paris.

said

were

1758,

the

practice

In

In

1756,

and very many

inoculated

His patients
that

France.

of Orleans,

most of the large towns.

settled

in

by

different
'

was introduced

1760,

Angelo Gatti

had so few pustules

he diluted the virus.

Reports
;

of failures excited general alarm, and led to a violent

controversy.

very

fatal

outbreak of Small Pox

in

|i

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Paris, in

was attributed

1763,

partly to inoculation,

was prohibited.

the practice

In

and

well as

as

two

years

returned

Madrid

to

the nobility,

In

Italy.

According

Naples from
nurses

that
to

and gave great

on

satisfaction.

M.

to

de

immemorial

time

inoculated

often

care, without

their

he operated

and

Condamine,

la

had been secretly practised by the people

inoculation

of

1772, where

in

came

method,

Suttonian

the

forty-

Gorman

Miguel

Dr.

learn

to

was not extensively adopted

had been introduced there

it

previously.

England

to

Inoculation

771, although

until

the provinces

to in

the principal towns.

in

In Spain.

ought to be per-

it

was again resorted

it

and

1768, the faculties of

physic and theology decided that

mitted,

17

the

was

it

reported
entrusted

infants

the knowledge of their parents,

by rubbing the palm of the hand with 'fluid

usually

mailer recently taken from

variolous

a ptLstule.'

It

had not only been adopted by the peasants, but was

by

practised

of

outbreak

violent

Marchese

the

la

Condamine

overcoming
practice
in

was

Pox

Small

Rome by

was introduced into

opposition

encountered,

was

this,

Buffalini.

was established

in
in

1754,

but,

in

and

about
nearly

all

the

inoculation

Considerable

Peverini.

Rome,

in

and,

in

During

'

M.

de

succeeded

in

1755,

tn

years,

the

the large towns

Italy.

In
VOL.

Germany and
I.

Austria.

Inoculation

was
2

first

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

performed

Hanover

in

on H.R.H. Prince Frederick, and afterwards onj

ated

These cases were

eight children of a baron.

ful,

Mr. Maitland oper-

1724.

in

and led

kingdom.

and

to

the establishment of the practice in that

It

was not generally adopted

owing

Austria,

although

Vienna,

the

to

opposition

in

Germany

of

Haen

answered

was

publication

his

Condamine, Tissot, and,

1768,

success-

But

by Tralles.

later,

of

by
in

some of the Imperial family were inoculated by

Dr. Ingenhousz, and shortly afterwards an Inoculation

House was
In

established
practice

Berlin, the

Meckel inoculated

in

Vienna

Emperor.

was soon discountenanced,

experiment on others had three deaths, two being

whom

much

who

three died, and the three

In

disfigured.

seventeen

persons

1774,

one

Dr.

death

recovered were

Baylies

occurred,

order^ to silence an unfavourable report,

to

" putrid

of which

tever,

symptomatic."

in the

Dr. Muzell inoculated six children,

family of a baron.

of

for

and on repeating the

children,

his

by the

In

1775,

the

which,

in

was attributed

eruption

inoculation

inoculated

was

was only
encouraged

by Royalty, and physicians from the provinces were

summoned
P)Ut

as

Berlin

to

no one

be instructed by Dr. Baylies.

to

would

Majesty was obliged

submit
to

utilise

to

the

the

operation,

children

his

in

the

1748,

by

orphan houses.

In Holland. ^Inoculation was introduced,

Dr. Tronchin,

who

first

in

operated on one of his sons, and

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
number of

then on a

but

was not very generally adopted

it

when Morand and

Denmark.

In
and

some of high

persons, including

Divines and physicians recommended inocula-

rank.
tion,

ig

others practised

by the King,

Amsterdam.

at

Houses were established

Copenhagen, and

at

1746,

countess was inoculated in 1754,

1758, two Inoculation

in

it

until

in

1760 the Royal

Prince was inoculated with success.

In Sweden.
It

made

The

first

was made

trial

in

1754.

rapid progress in this country, for Dr. Schulz,

a pupil of Dr. Archer, gave such a favourable report

of the

practice

Houses were

London, that

in

established.

In Switzerland.

ployed
in

in

75

1.

was introduced

into

was

em-

where

In this country

it

it

was

first

performed

first

Lausanne by a lady who inoculated her own

and

this

practised

at

Empire,

but

1768,

child,

encouraged many to follow her example.

In Russia.

by

Inoculation

Geneva,

from

Switzerland

Inoculation

several

when

Inoculation

an early date
it

it

Dimsdale,

was

was reported
in

unknown

to

had

been

Russian

parts of the
at

St.

Petersburg

was introduced there and

who

have been

at

Moscow

summoned

Petersburg to inoculate the Empress.

of

the

to

St.

Further details

of Dimsdale's practice in Russia will be found

description

in

in

the

method of inoculation which

he

employed.^
'

l^ide p. 71.

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

20

America.

In

country

after

Cotton

Rev.

tion o-iven

In

an

absence

of the Royal

was induced

Dr.

of Boston.
his

inoculate

to

negro servants, and

six

in

The
inocula-

the Philosophical

in

Society,

this

years.

Mather copied the accounts of

practitioners

the

visited

nineteen

of

by Tinioni and Pylarini

Transactions

Pox

Small

1721,

and sent them

Zabdiel

Boylston^

two of

and

child,

to

his

months he had inoculated

244 persons.
It

may be

244 cases,

in

I
interesting

was no

there

six

note

to

effect

of these

out

that

at

all,

and

six

died in consequence of the inoculation, but the deaths

were attributed to other causes.

"

And

Mr. White thro'

before.

than

abstinence

Indian

who died under Inoculation, I would observe

we have great reason to believe, was infected

as to those

that Mrs. Doxwell,

Searle were persons

likely these

which

delusions, died

Mrs.

Pox.

the

Mrs. Wells and

infected before."

is

found

to be

Boylston not only employed

recommended

in

the

in

own

his

method
cases,

to other inoculators.

" Take your Medicine or

Pus from the

ripe

Small Pox of the distinct kind, either from those

way, or from the inoculated

sort,

pustules of the
in the natural

provided the person be other-

wise healthy and the matter good.

An

from

worn out with Age and Diseases, and very

two were

true explanation

but also

rather

Scarborough and

died of accidents by taking cold.

girl

The

splenetic

Small

the

Historical Account of the Small Pox inoculated

E7igla7id upon all Sorts of Persons, Whites, Blacks, and
of all Ages and Constitutions. 1726.
Boylston,

in

New


FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
My way

"

of taking

(which

pick

will not

thus

is

it

Take

a fine cut, sharp tooth-

put the person in any fear, as a Lancet

do many), and open the Pock on one

will

Boil,

and scoop the matter on your

Boylston's

21

quill,

and

experiments,

and press the

side,

and so on."

particuhirly

his

fatal

cases, excited a great deal of opposition to inoculation,

and many pamphlets were published both

and against, the practice.

At

before

Peace and the Select-Men;

the

of Physick and Surgery being called before them

the following conclusion

to

Resolve upon a Debate held by the Physicians of Boston^

Small Pox, on the twenty

concerning Inoculating the

o^ July,
prov'd

a meeting by Public Authority in the Town-Jiouse of Boston,

His Majesty's Justices of

the Practitioners

operations

his

concerning Inoculation, agreed

"

72

It

1.

Death of many Persons soon

the

after

the

End prov'd

it

in

"That the natural tendency of infusing such malignant

the Mass of Blood, is to corrupt and putrify it, and if

be

not

Incision

a sufficient Discharge

or

has

Operation,
the

to 'em.

fatal

of

day

first

appears by numerous Instances, That

and brought Distempers upon many others, which have

in

of,

But the following manifesto

gave a severe check to

^^

defence

in

elsewhere,

of that

Malignity by

the

Place

Foundation

for

many

lays

it

Filth

there

dangerous Diseases.
" That

the

Operation

tends

Infection in a Place longer than

"That

the

spread

to

and

continue

might otherwise

it

continuing the Operation

the

be.

among us

likely to

is

prove of most dangerous Consequence.

'^

By

"

The Number

the

Select-Men of the

have died of

the

of Persons, Men,

Small

April last (being brought

to

the

23rd

Town of Boston, July

of this

Pox

at

Women, and

Boston,

here then

instant July

from

2 2d.

Children, that
the

middle of

by the Saltertuda' s

(being

the

hottest

worst Season of the Year to have any Distemper

in),

Fleet)

and the
are, viz.,

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

22

Men

all

of those

Young Men,

Strangers, 3 men, 3

Negro Man,

Negro Woman, and

that

have had

others in a hopeful and

Indian

some are well recovered, and

Way

fair

expressed

Boylston

it,

Women, 4 Children,
Woman, 17 in

of Recovery."

of

disapproval

his

report

this

upon the cases of natural Small Pox.

" It

a thousand pities our Select-Men

is

trifling

Representation

prov'd so fatal

New

the

made

Small Pox,

so slight and

that

had always

England^ as they seem to have done

Advertisement."

in this

would

It

in

of

appear from

converts to inoculation,

order

that in

this,

was necessary

it

to

make

to

keep alarm-

ing accounts of the natural Small Pox, before the eyes

of the public.
In

1764,

three

and

Small

thousand

this

result

Pox

again

were

persons

was attributed

and antimony

mercurials

in

Boston,

visited

inoculated

and

successfully;

to the administration of

the

of treatment

course

preparatory to the operation.

On
ful

in

other hand,

the

Philadelphia, that,

feeling in favour of

During
England,

Inoculation

the
it

Carmelite

in

decline

near

of Para inoculated the Indians,

off in large

1729;

it.

was progressing rapidly

missionary

was a strong

1750, there

abandoning

temporary

was so unsuccess-

of
in

Inoculation

South America.

Portuguese

colony

who were being

carried

the

numbers by the Small Pox,

another missionary on

In

the

in

1728 and

banks of the Rio

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Niger and some Portuguese

23

followed his

inhabitants

example,

//^In

1738,

Carolina

Pox

Small

by a

was

imported

into

South

from Africa, and Mr,

cargo of slaves

Mowbray, a surgeon, introduced

Inoculation,

He was

followed by Dr, Kirkpatrick and others, so that before

long, about a thousand

of

whom

"

These

died in consequence.

subsequently alluded

account

persons were inoculated, eight

of

is

little

to

fatal

cases were

by Dr. Kirkpatrick,^ but the

value,

for,

as Dr, Woodville says,

from the very defective statement given of the eight

unsuccessful cases, the reader

recital

of them."

is

unable to profit by a

In the island of St,

Christopher, a

planter inoculated three hundred of his slaves without

sino-le

loss,

Kirkpatrick, Essay on hiociclatioji,

1743-

CHAPTER

II.

HISTORY OF INOCULATION IN GREAT BRITAIN AND

IRELAND.

Wales.

In

When

Pox was introduced

Small

venting

when members

especially

inoculated, this subject

versation

then

the

of

in

pre-

London, and

into

topic of general con-

into

the

country, and

it

a similar practice had long

that

South Wales.

As

in

the East,

it

In Pembrokeshire,

buying the Sjnall Pox.

called

of

Royal family were

the

became a

news spread

became known

been employed

was

method

Eastern

the

according to Dr. Perrot Williams,^ the inhabitants had

carried

on

this

custom from time immemorial.

" In order to procure the distemper to themselves, they rub the

matter taken from the pustules,

skin of the arms,
infected with the

the necessary
inform'd,

etc.,

ripe,

on several parts of the

or prick those parts with pins or the like,

same matter.

evacuations,

they generally

remarkable,

when

And

such as purging,

come

off

first

notwithstanding they omit

well

yet,

etc.,

enough

as

and

am

what's

cannot hear of one instance of their having the

Small Pox a second time.

"

me

learned and very ingenious gentleman of this country told

not long since that about twenty years ago,

'

Williams, P/iil. Trans., 1722,

when

p. 263.

at school,


GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
many

he and several of his schoolfellows (how

remember) infected themselves

person, and that not one of
of the Small

"

declares that, having

the skin off his

same

time, from the

left

when

at school, as

hand, where the scar

till

There are now

neighbourhood

Town

living in this

or six persons,

five

formerly

now very

is

the btood began to

appear, he apply'd the variolous matter to that part.

"

same

with the back edge of his penknife,

visible,

don't exactly

them miscarry'd, though he had more

Pox than he designed.

He solemnly

said, rubb'd

the

at

25

[Haverford West] and

who undoubtedly had

that

distemper after taking the foresaid method to infect themselves

one of whom, a young

woman aged

me

twenty-three, told

(since

received your letter) that, about eight or nine years ago, in order

she held twenty pocky scabs (taken from one

to infect herself,

toward the

end of the distemper)

latter

a considerable time
sicken'd,

the hollow of her hand

that about ten or twelve days afterwards she

and had upwards of

and other parts

in

thirty large

and that she has since

pustules in her Face

freely conversed with

such as have had the Small Pox on them."

Mr. Wright/ surgeon, of Haverford West, also gave

a

Small Pox

of buying the

description

Mr. Sylvanus Bevan, an apothecary

"

in

a letter to

in

London

received yours the 9th instant, and in answer to

you

give

custom

all

the satisfaction

in this

country;

it

will readily

can, in relation to a very antient

commonly

which, upon a strict inquiry, since

called buying the

Small Pox,

had your

find to be a

letter,

common

practice,

persons

of unquestionable veracity, and of advanced age,

and of very long standing

they have had the Small

when about

way,^

being very
other

Pox communicated

being assured by

to

sixteen or seventeen years of age, they

capable

of distinguishing

that

that

themselves this
then

distemper from any

and that they have parted with the matter contained in the

pustules to others, producing the

'

same

effects.

Wright, Phi/. Trans., 1722,

There arc two large

p. 267.

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

26

county near the harbour of Milford more famous

villages in this
for this

The

custom than any other, namely,

Ishmaels and Marloes.

St.

which they abound,

old inhabitants of those villages, with

being in a healthful situation, say that

practice

with them time out of mind

common

has been a

it

and what was more remark-

able, one, IVilliam Allen of St. Ishmaels, ninety years of

age (who

months ago or thereabouts), declared

to some
was used

died about six

persons of good sense and

all

his time

him, that

it

the Small

that he very well

v/as a

Pox

informations

integrity, that this practice

common

that

way.

have met with from almost

me in the belief of its

practice among the common
is still

his

mother's telling

her time, and that she got

all

These, together with the

confirm

method

remembered

practice

all

many

other

parts of the county,

being a very antient and frequent

people

and

prove

to

that

this

among us, I will give you the relation of

who accidentally came into comwas reading, whose name is Joan Jones,

continued

an elderly woman, a midwife,

pany when your

letter

She

aged seventy years, of good credit and perfect memory.

solemnly declares that about

fifty-four 3^ears ago,

having then the

Small Pox, one Margaret Broiun, to the best of her remembrance

Pox

then about twelve or thirteen years of age, bought the Small

of her

Margaret Brown was seized with the Small

that the said

Pox a few days afterwards

not had the Small

Pox

verily believes that she

known

that the said

Margaret Broivn had

had not had them

She

since.

this

way

of procuring the Small

from time to time above

fifty

years

that she has

in

and she

a second time a twelvemonth ago,

that

it

farther says

Pox

practised

has been lately used

her neighbourhood, and she knows but of one dying of the

said

distemper

when communicated

after the

method

which accident happened within these two years

who

person

miscarried (a

aforesaid,

past

the

young woman about twenty years of

age) having procured the distemper from a

very malignant Small Pox.

last

The above

woman

declare two days ago, and

oath of

it

before Dr. Williams,

who

man

relation

then dying of a
I

heard the old

she was willing to take her

is

a magistrate.

As

to

what

you mention concerning the manner of communicating the infectious

matter

to

the

blood, by scraping

the

skin

thin

with a

penknife and so rubbing in the matter, that was only the case of

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

one particular gentleman, Mr. Owen, a counsellor

Law,

at

whom

heard several times positively affirm that he bought the Small

Pox when

at school,

and of such a Lady, now

living,

and gave her

That

threepence for the Matter contained in twelve pustules.

hundreds
certain

in this

and

it

way

country have had the Small Pox this

is

cannot produce one single instance of their ever

having them a second time."

In Scotland.

In the

Highlands of Scothmd, where,

according

to

Kennedy

inoculation

was

early employed, the disease

and

Munro,^

Pox

Small

was induced

by a method somewhat similar to that of holding varioscabs in the hand

lous

worsted threads charged with

variolous matter being tied round the wrists.

When

"

Small Pox appears favourable

the parents generally allow

the one in the disease

commerce of

nay,

am

for

one child of a family,

assured that in some of the

remote Highland parts of this country,

of parents

in

their other children with

has been an old practice

it

whose children have not had

the Small

Pox

to

watch

an opportunity of any child of their neighbours being in good

mild Small Pox, that they

own

children by

tying

may communicate

making them bedfellows

worsted threads wet with

the

the disease to their

to those in

it,

and by

pocky matter round

their

wrists."

In

the

island

of St.

Kilda,

Small

Pox was com-

municated by rubbing the variolous matter upon

the

skin of the elbow joint.

Inoculation

was

Scotland until 1726,

not

practised

by

surgeons

when Mr. Maitland performed

operation upon ten persons

this

but as one of these cases

'

Kennedy,

Monro, Observations o?i the Differ'ent Kinds o/Sma/l Pox,

loc. cit., p. 157.

in

17 15.
p. 54.

8 1 8.

SMALL POX INOCULATLON.

28

proved

such

fatal,

was

prejudice

excited

that

twenty years elapsed before an attempt was made to

the

revive

very

suffered

greatly

was Introduced
Britain

In

Ireland.
In

number

Two

very encouraging.

one family,

The

in

which

history

of

Bryan Robinson,

common

inoculated,

died, the

and

were

results

of these deaths

at

following

the three

in

as

not

occurred in

had been inoculated.

five children

these

performed

first

were

subjects

inoculation

1753.

was

and

In this

1723.

of this

three out

until

Pox,

they had

other parts of North

In

Inoculation

twenty-five

years,

Small

from

1733, but

in

where

Dumfries,

was not adopted

It

Dublin

At

practice.

was published by Dr.

cases

and as they well

illustrate

result of Inoculation at this period,

be without interest to produce his account

it

In

very

a
will

not

full.

" Various Reports having been spread concerning five Children,

whom

upon

pubnsh

to

the
the

Small Pox was

Account

true

inoculated,

of

have been desired

Case

their

which

is

as

follows.*

"

Gentleman had

who from

their Infancy

six Children, five

had been kept

and had scarcely tasted Flesh-meat

since that time, eat
that

*
'till

"

was a Stranger

The

fourth

Son,

aged between

to the Children,

Morning- after their Inoculation

to their Diet, their Constitutions,

for the

about a Year ago, and

and was not consulted about them

and therefore am
Parents, and those who attended them, for what relates

the eleventh

obliged to their

to a regular cooling Diet,

'till

only such as was of easy Digestion, and

once a Day.

sparingly

Sons and a Daughter

the

Manner

of their being prepared

Disease, and the Effects produced by the Inoculation before

saw them.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

nine and ten Years,

Pox

the

in

Pock being

took the Small

of a healthy Constitution,

Way

natural

on the

i8th

29

of August,

and good, the Parents resolved

distinct

from him

rest of their Children inoculated

His

1725.
to

have the

which was accordingly

done on the 26th of August, the ninth Day of their Brother's

They were each

Illness.

of

them prepared

for

the Distemper

by two Doses of a purging Infusion, one of which was given

they were

Inoculation,

From

and the other on the 23rd.

on the 2 1 St,

kept

from

Flesh-meat,

and Milk, Bread and Butter,

allow'd Bread

time of

the

and were

only

Pudding, Tea

light

with Milk, and things of that Nature.

The

"I.

Son aged

eldest

thirteen

Years was nursed

in

the

Country, where he continued

'till

he was a Year and a half

old,

and was then brought home

to his Parents in a very poor

and

Soon

weak Condition.
Disease

that

after

than a Year.

less

in

he grew

rickety,

but recovered from

some Months

In

after

his

Recovery, he got a swelling in his Foot which suppurated, broke,

and ran for several Weeks.

After this

well for about three Years, then

was

healed, he continued

he had an Abscess

in his Belly

below the Navel, which suppurated, broke and was healed

and was a strong lusty Boy when he was

of Health,

state

Since that time he enjoyed a very good

two Months.

about

in

inoculated.

On

"

ordered

Day

the eighth

with

frequent and violent

it

abated

but

Day

fourth

did

at

Day

the third

'till

No Pock

Pea.

many

times

'till

the

were observed

over his

all

of which were as large in Diameter as a midling

About

this time

ance of the Spots.

for the

of his Illness, and then

appeared, but on the third, at

he fainted

the fourth Da}', about twenty-four

and

be dis-

to

His Vomiting was

he vomited at

not cease, for

Noon.

Night, purple Spots of different sizes

Body,

he began

after Inoculation,

Head-ach and Vomiting.

He was

and died

Hours

in the

Evening of
Appear-

after the first

extreamly thirsty during his

most part pale and

Illness,

cold.

" His Incision had a good Digestion at the second

Dressing,

Day after it was made, and continued

Day on which he sickened then it grew

which was on the third

in

this

State

pale, flaccid,

till

the

and had

little

or no Discharge.

It

continued thus

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

30

the

'till

Day

third

Sickness

of his

then

it

turned

blackish,

the

Day on which he

eleven Years

of a healthy Con-

and was perfectly dry on the

fourth,

died.

The second Son aged

"II.

began

stitution,

complained of a Pain in

first

Bones and Back, and the

his

next Morning of a Pain in his Head, and was

On

that Day.

the third, he

had a very uneasy Night.

was very

He

Night, and upon the Eruption

He

vanished.
the

On

distinct,

appear on the fourth towards

to

all

the fore-mentioned

complained of a sore Throat, began

sickened

had a good Digestion on the third Day

then

the seventh

His Pock

ripened well, and he recovered.

and continued

Inoculation,

Symptoms

Morning he was very easy and without a

the

the sixth, he

" His Incision

was

all

on the third and

little

and continued spitting three or four Days.

to spit,

to a

very dozy

raved much, and

then bled two or three Spoonfuls from his Nose.

fifth, in

Fever.

it

vomited a

The Pock began

Clots of Blood.

was

restless,

and what he threw up was blackish and mixed with

fourth,

On

He

be disordered on the Seventh, at Night.

to

Day

to

make

grew pale and

it

of his Sickness

From

and somewhat dry, but

blackish,

good

flaccid,

Discharge

after

'till

and continued so

he
'till

the seventh to the ninth

after that

it

again came

good Digestion.

" III.
strong,
to be

The

Son aged about ten Years, a

third

healthy Boy,
disordered

who never had had any

on the eighth Day

Evening he complained of a Pain

was very

hot,

thirsty

Day which was

and

the Evening.

in

the

Morning,

all

Head and

that

Night.

the

in

He

Belly.

The next

the second of his Sickness, he vomited in the

Morning and continued vomiting

in

began

Sickness,

after Inoculation ;

in his

restless

fresh colour'd,

Then
it

at

Times

the Eruption began,

'till

the

third

and on the

Day

fourth,

appear'd in his Face like an Erysipelas.

could not at that time discover any Pustules either on his

Body
many purple Spots all over him, especially
Neck and Loins, many of which were as large in Diameter

or Limbs, but he had

in his

as a great Pin's Head.

in his

On

'the fifth, the

Body and Limbs, and came out

was extreamly

restless,

Pock began

to

appear

thick on the sixth.

He

and raved much from the Beginning of

GREAT BRITAIX AND IRELAND.

was

the Eruption to the sixth Day, but

and began

slept

On

to spit.

pretty quiet that Night,

much

On

but continued

and watery

flat

no Thirst, and wou'd drink but

"

Day
it

It

the Evening.

His

never

nor

fill'd

He had

his Death.

'till

during his

little

it

Illness.

His Incision discharged a well digested Matter from the third

after Inoculation

grew

pale, flaccid,

scarified

On

the

'till

and had

Day

thus to the eighth

was

in

sort of the confluent Kind,

Pock was the worst

digested

only drank and slept

state,

and he died

short, his Spitting stopt,

swell'd,

the eighth,

On the ninth, in the morning,

On the eleventh, his Breath

before.

Face abated.

the swelling of his

grew

same

the

in

more than he had done

was

the seventh, his Face

his Spitting continued, and he had some Sleep.

he continued

31

The

little

the ninth,

strong and

Son,

fifth

Day

tenth, the

Then

continued

It

turned black and

it

discharged a

it

sickened

or no Discharge.

of his Sickness, then

grew quite dry on the

" IV.

Day on which he

thin Sanies

little

before he died.

aged about eight

healthy,

Years, began to be disordered on the seventh at Night with a

feverish

Heat,

continued

much

and a Pain
the

same

the Fever encreased, and he

easier

when

His Pock was

without any
"

distinct

and good

or irregular

ill

but towards Evening

continued

He

Small Pox appeared.

the

had a very uneasy Night

following Morning, and

the

Day

Symptoms

These

Head.

his

in

the next

all

so

'till

sweated much

all

he grew
Evening,
that Day.

he had but few, and recovered

Symptoms.

His Incision suffered no Change

at the time of his Sickening,

but discharged plentifully throughout the Distemper.

" V.

The Daughter aged

six Years, of a pale

Complexion, but

always healthy, began to be disordered on the seventh

Inoculation

On

the

Day

following,

she vomited

in

the

towards Evening her Fever encreased, and she had

She was much

a very restless Night.

and continued so

She dozed

after

Towards Night she grew hot and complained of a

Pain in her Head.

Morning

Day

Evening,

the fourth

all

once or twice

'till

easier the third Morning,

the Pock began to appear.

Day, had a Looseness, and vomited

towards Evening were observed

Spots, especially on her

were not greater

when

in

Neck and Breasts, the

many

largest of

diameter than a midling Pin's Head.

purple

which

She

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

,32

had a

but was very

distinct Pocla,

On

and Limbs.

some

The Pock

three whereof were bloody.

her Face

especially in

full,

the tenth, she had

loose Stools, two or

digested well, and

fiU'd,

she recover' d.
"

Her

had but an

incision in the beginning

the time of her sickening

Day, then

it

grew blackish

on the tenth, and

after that

Inoculation
England

v^^as

from

had a good Discharge."

The

profession

in his

ortley Montagu.^

account of inoculation as practised

the

East, had rather

into

England.

The

which appeared

in

advised

against

the Transactions of the

But

Pylarini.

Royal

in 171 7,

Society,

Lady Mary

Wortley Montagu, whose husband was ambassador

Ottoman Court, wrote a

friend,

letter

in

introduction

its

accounts by Timoni and

merely described the method.

the

In

persuaded to adopt variolous inoculation

by Lady Mary
Kennedy,

it

England.

in

digestion

ill

was pale and flaccid 'till the eighth

and was scarified, the Slough separated
it

at

from Adrianople to a

Mrs. S. C. (Miss Sarah Chiswell),

which she

in

expressed her determination to persuade the physicians

London

in

to resort to inoculation.

" Apropos of distempers,

am
fatal

sure will

make

3'ou

am

and so general amongst

a set of old

tell

you a thing

is

women, who make

is

abated.

^Letters a7id

New

Edition.

People send to one another

to

when
know

Works of Lady Alary Wortley Montagu,

1887.

There

it.

their business to perform the

operation every autumn in the month of September,

heat

so

harmless by the

the term they give

it

that

The Small Pox,

us, is here entirely

invention of ingrafting, which

is

going to

wish yourself here.

vol.

the great
if

i.,

any of

p. li

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

mind

family has a

their

and when

She immediately

veins you please to have opened.

you

that

offer

much venom

as can

binds up the

little

wound with

a hollow bit of shell

and

after

in this

The Grecians have commonly

five veins.

of opening one in the middle of the forehead,

superstition

the

and puts into the vein as

scratch),

upon the head of her needle, and

lie

manner opens four or

open

rips

a large needle (which gives you no

to her with

more pain than a common

each arm, and on the breast, to mark the sign of the cross;

but this has a very

and
to

with a nutshell

of the matter of the best sort of Small Pox, and asks what

full

in

they are met (commonly

woman comes

or sixteen together), the old

fifteen

They make

have the Small Pox.

to

purpose,

this

for

parties

i2>

is

wounds leaving

these

effect, all

ill

not done by those that are not superstitious,

have them in the

The

children or

day,

and are

of the arm that

legs, or that part

young

patients play together

in perfect health to the eighth.

who choose
is

concealed.

all

the rest of the

Then

the fever begins

They have very rarely above twenty or thirty

mark

and

Where

illness.

in their faces,

which

in eight days' time they are as well as before their

they are wounded, there remain

during the distemper, which

don't doubt

Every year thousands undergo

Ambassador says pleasantly

way of

scars,

them, and they keep their beds two days, very seldom three.

to seize

never

little

is

operation

this

running sores

a great relief to
;

it.

and the French

that they take the Small

Pox here by

diversion, as they take the waters in other countries. There

is

no example of any one that has died

am very

intend to try

in

and you may believe

it,

well satisfied of the safety of the experiment, since

my

on

it

dear Httle son.

am

enough

patriot

to take

pains to bring this useful invention into fashion in England

and

should

not

particularly about

it,

fail

if I

some of our doctors very

one
of them that I thought
any
knew

to

write to

had virtue enough to destroy such a considerable branch of their

But that distemper

revenue for the good of mankind.

beneficial to

them not

to

expose

to all

wight that should undertake to put an end to

to

return,

Upon

this

may, however, have

occasion

Perhaps

it.

courage

admire the heroism

to

I.

too

in

if I live

war with them.

the

heart of your

friend."

VOL.

is

resentment the hardy

their

SMALL POX LNOCULATION.

34

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu accordingly

Maitland, surgeon

Embassy,

the

to

to

employed

to insert

habit of

the

in

The woman

it.

and Maitland the other

inoculated one arm,

course, with an eruption of about one

This took place

March

in

that the Byzantine

England

in

year the

7,

due

in

hundred pustules.

and was the

time

first

but this method was not em-

until the

year 1721, and

essay was published

first

ensued

method of inoculation was performed

on an English subject
ployed

171

was

inoculating,

disease

the

procure vario-

and an old Greek

lous matter from a suitable subject,

woman, many years

desired Mr.

in

in

same

the

which inoculation

was recommended.
de

Dr.

Castro^

Greeks,

the

stated

and

Turks,

that

it

Italians,

was
and

employed
that

by

was

it

probably introduced by ignorant peasants.

" That
neither

it

proceeded from some of the populace

first

men of

who were
me very

Fortune, Character, nor Learning, seems to

probable, in that

it

appeared

in the

World without

the least

ecom-

mendation from any of the Learned, and met with very considerable
opposition from the rich."

We

from

this

man

have had

it

inoculation

was

at

very well attested to me, that a Certain Gentle-

of this City had the operation

Children this last winter

answered

De
'

essay that

date secretly employed in London.

this
"

learn

in the event.

and that

performed upon two of his

his expectations

were

fully

"

Castro advocated arm to arm variolation.

Dissertation on the

J.C, M.D., 1721.

Method of inoculating

the

Small Pox.

By

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

"

35

There are few or none that make use of the Pus extracted

from an}'

who have

Disease by transplantation, but this being

this

of a milder Disposition

very incHnable to believe), will be as

any other."

proper as

His

am

(I

pamphlet

concludes

physicians to introduce

by a recommendation

the practice,

as

it

to

was always

attended with success.

" There, if
fact),

may

am

endeavour

Sex, to
in this

much mistaken (being

not very

be a sufficient encouragement to

Kingdom

to

have

this

all,

a real matter of

especially the Fair

method introduced and practised

as also to the Physicians to direct their Friends

and Acquaintances to admit of the operation."

Very shortly
Harris

the

after

delivered

before

lecture^

Dr.

of this pamphlet,

issue

the

College

of

Physicians of London, and described the Byzantine and

He

Chinese methods.
tion

was the

first

to

mention inocula-

by means of a thread imbued with the variolous pus,

which method had been successfully practised upon four

children of the

But

it

was

owing

not, as

Aleppo, when secretary

at

Marquis de Chateauneuf

to the

that,

French Consul

already

to the enthusiasm

at Constantinople.

stated, until

of Lady

April

1721

Mary Wortley

Montagu, the Byzantine method was openly employed

in

Ena^land.

lation of

After the

her son

in

successful result of the inocu-

Turkey, Lady Mary determined to

submit her daughter, an infant

the

same operation.
'

De

three

months

This was postponed

old,

to

for a while,

Peste Dissei'tatio, 1721 (quoted by Woodville).

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

-,6

but was eventually carried out in England by Maitland,

in

April 1721.

performed

Maitland

for the

greatest interest

news spread

in

again

fear

made

ing

some

full

pardon

accepted

nature,

if

the

was regarded

|)roduced

the

experimented

inoculat-

Newgate, who were promised a

and

were accordingly

them had the disease severely

pustules

on

the

most

upon

of

as

They

they submitted to the experiment.

offer,

it

was not

attempt

an

that

by Maitland on the 9th of August,

sixty

for

and suspicion, that

was an opportunity of

until there

criminals in

progress,

third trial took place

In fact, inoculation

dangerous

in

Never-

ranks.

all

little

months elapsed before a

London.

such

of

made very

was regarded with so much

several

with a

Keith,

and excited the

rapidly,

among people

inoculation

theless,

the

in

This was soon generally known

favourable result.

London,

inoculation,

upon the son of Dr.

May,

following

second

one

effect.

by

the

in

in

inoculated

None

1721.

fact,

there were only

whom
seventh

Chinese

of

the

operation

criminal

method.

was

The

disease followed in a mild form, but the patient suffered

from severe pains

in

her head, from the

commencement

of the eruption to the maturation of the pustules.

cases,

however, were not

sufficient to

These

convince the public

of the safety and advantage of inoculation

and many

contended that as the eruptions were so few, the true

disease had not been communicated, and therefore the

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

inoculated were liable to the disease

contracted in

the

Consequently Maitland inoculated only

ordinary way.

eight persons in the following six months.

given by Maitland^ of these cases,

the account

In

we have

the

which a century

this practice,

argument

intimation of a dans^er

first

The

pressive legislation.

Mary

Batt,

two years

was the strongest

later

abandoning

for not only

but also for sup-

it,

of these

first

from

arisinsf

was

patients

daughter of a Quaker,

old, the

This

inoculated October 2nd, 1721.

child,

having only

twenty pustules, soon recovered.

"

But what happened afterwards was,

must own, not a

little

surprising to me, not having seen or observed anything like

before.

servants,

The
who

all in

whilst under the

upon

was

case

in short

this

it

Six of Mr. Batt's domestic

turn were wont to hug and caress this child

operation, and whilst

her, never suspecting

them

to

the

pustules were out

be catching (nor indeed did

1),

were all seized at once with the right natural Small Pox of several

and veiy

different kinds."

In spite of this disaster, the practice

Dr.

of

Xettleton,

months inoculated

Halifax,

Yorkshire,

forty persons.

was adopted by

who

three

in

Dr. Nettleton intro-

duced a system of preparing his patients by means of

purgatives, emetics, and occasionally
incisions

were made, one

the

of

leg

the

opposite

dropped into the wounds.

method, cotton-wool

'

Maitland.

in the

side,

Two

by bleeding.

arm, and the other

and variolous

in

matter

Later he employed a simpler

being impregnated with

Account of maculating the Small Pox.

variolous

1722.


SMALL POX LNOCULATLQN.

38

pus,

and applied

by means of a
In

The

to the incisions for twenty-four hours,

plaster.

of Wales

Princess

upon some charity

more generally adopted.

was

inoculation

1772,

ordered

much encouragement was

followed by others, and thus

new

given, for a time, to the

was, however,

of Lord

soon destined

and the disease

in

so

that

ill-success
in

criticised,

in

fatally.

were

deaths

60.

caused

him

be

to

was generally considered

it

182

in

had attended Maitland's inocu-

country,

this

and

both cases terminated

that there

inoculations, or nearly

lations

butler

Miss Rigby, died about eight weeks

patient.

after inoculation,

The

receive a great

to

both of them a copious erup-

Bathurst had

Another

practice.

Hon. William Spencer and the

check, for the

tion,

successfully

and the example of Her Royal Highness was

infected,

It

result

have the two young

to

They were both

inoculated.

princesses

practised

and the successful

children,

Her Royal Highness

induced

be

to

it

been imposed upon by the old

women

in

he had described the treatment employed

severely

that he

For

Turkey.
in

had

Turkey, as

very mild, and yet he had had deaths in consequence;

and

further,

he had committed himself to the opinion

that the inoculated Small

Woodville,^

writing

Pox was not

more than seventy years

wards, refers to these failures

'

infectious.

Woodville,

in the

loc. cit.,

after-

following terms

123.


GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

39

" That inoculation did not constantly succeed in producing the

distinct or favourable kind of

Small Pox was

continues to be, a melancholy truth

first

unwilling to acknowledge

it,

at that time,

and

still

but the inoculators were at

and by attemptmg

to attribute

the death of persons inoculated to other accidental causes, exposed

themselves to just censure."

strong feeling of opposition to the practice arose,

and both clergymen and physicians became ardent

In 1722, an

inoculators.

anti-

anonymous pamphlet^ appeared,

which described inoculation as the outcome of atheism,

quackery, and avarice.
a sermon, in which

and

sinful practice

St.

Bartholomew's

The Rev. Mr. Massey preached

he condemned

it

as

a dangerous

and Dr. Wagstaffe,^ a physician of

Hospital,

expressed

desire

to

have further evidence of the efficacy of inoculation, and

considered that posterity would marvel that a

employed
illiterate

few

by a
and

ignorant

unthinking

practice

women amongst

people,

should

have

suddenly been adopted by one of the politest

the world.

in

an
so

nations

In criticising the cases in the family of

Mr. Batt, he said

am well informed by Persons of unquestionable reputation, that

Town of Hertford is a lamentable Evidence of the danger of

"I
the

this practice,

where the Distemper was spread by

it

to that degree,

make an havock of the Inhabitants, but to hinder

the Commerce of the place.
Thus the Operator has it in his power
to convey the Small Pox to distant Places and Persons, who neither

as not only to

'

The

New

Practice of Inoculation

A-p;plication to the

considei'ed,

Approaching Parliainent for

that Dangerous Experiment.

'

Wagstaffe.

letter to Dr. Freind.

1722.

a7id

an Humble

the Regulation

of

SMALL POX LNOCULATION.

40

avow

experiment

his practice or desire his

that the ingrafted

around by

certain death to all

violent a

this

think

fit

interpose, in

to

possible

may

How

us.

ingraft as

far the Legis-

order to prevent such an

way of depopnlating a Country^

artificial

if 'tis

method, they

Plague as has been known among

may

lature

And

can be so poysonous as to communicate

Pox

not

is

my

Province to

determine."

The

were

anti-inoculators

in turn

ansv^ered by Drs.

The

Crawford,^ Brady,- Williams,^ and Maitland/

ject

gave

such an acute controversy, that these

rise to

same

publications were in turn repHed to in the

Tanner,^ a surgeon at St. Thomas's

Mr.

declared that he had inoculated a person

Small

Pox

several

from

charge

"

followed,

the

years

previously,

who had had

and that a

Dr.

opposition

Jurin,"

statistics.

children

'

its
^

the

question

He

the

conclusion

born,

Crawford.

Advantages
Brady.

who examined

in

14

at

dies

some time

the
to

in future."

was counteracted by the

arrived

in

sufficient

prevent the patient's having the Small Pox

The

dis-

eruptions,

irregular

deemed

had

year.

Hospital,

which the inoculators

Newgate

at

and

incisions,

appearances

experiments

sub-

letters

of

by means of
that

or

of

all

other of

The Caseof Lnoctilatiiig the Small Fox considered, and

asserted.

Some Remarks on Dr. Wagstaffe' s Letter and Air. Massefs

Sermon.
'

Williams.

Some Remarks on Dr. Wagstaffe's

Letter,

with an

Appetidix.
*

Maitland.

Mr. Maitland' s Account of inoculating the Small Pox

vindicated.
''

Blackmore.

Jurin.

Small Pox,
Dr. Cotesworth.

Treatise on the

Letter

to

p. 92.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

Small Pox, while of
of subjects, only

make steady
1723,

persons inoculated with choice

all

Jurin decided in favour

dies in 91.

and

of inoculation,

In

consequence

in

The number

during the years

whom

in

the

in

addition

no

29

the

to

in

whom

in

was

there

but

Dr.

no

was

there

should

danger

and

Pox was

very

But

inoculation.
to

decline,

generally

were
died

was

in

prevailed.

from
son

the

of

effects

practice
it

which

by the

dread

natural Small

In

1725,

In

these
}^']

the

again

the
fact

two

resorted

that

Small

years,

operation.

to

began

practice

Pox

only

respectively,

the second was

Small

natural

124

and

The

Wansey, of Warminster,

Mr.

one year and a half

to

unnatural
in

this year,

the

of

inoculated;

of

occurred

to

people

and

87

effect.

was not

1727-8,

in

spite

inoculated,

and

fatal,

Of

effect.

it

in

had

inoculation

that

Pox had somewhat abated.

place,

fifty-two.

impelled

unless

risk,

of a greater

object

interest

first

40 persons

only

Jurin considered

people

that

were

there

1724,

the

had an imperfect

it

In

between the ages of twenty and

In

to 474,

9 died as the result of

that

fact

which

in

721-3 amounted

cases.

were 29

there

and

effect,

the

of these

history

of persons

There are several points of

died.

inoculation,

to

was advocated by persons of rank, and

by the heads of the Church.

9 of

continued

it

progress.

it

inoculated

41

first

aged

Enoch Trumble,

SMALL POX INOCULATLON.

42

aged eight months

years old,

son of a person of rank

the

name was

whose

and the third was a boy eleven

London,

in

Thus, during

concealed.

the

first

eight years of inoculation in Great Britain, there were

897 persons inoculated

845 had true variolous pustules,

was

13 an imperfect eruption, in 39 no distemper

With regard

duced by the operation, and 17 died.

the

13

says

an

having

imperfect

Small Pox

meant the having

is

few days' continuance, but this

inflammation

and running of the incisions

with

an

usual

the

the accounts from

as far as

it

and

time,

common symptoms

preceded

generally

of the Small

Pox

by some of the

being esteemed by

this

Turkey, and our own experience

in

inoculation,

in

that

it

in six died,

the

was claimed

had been calculated, that

those affected with Small

about one

home

the natural way."

In spite of the fatal cases, an advantage

all

at

goes, to be an effectual security against having

Small Pox afterwards

for

slighter eruption of but a

attended
for

to

having an imperfect eruption. Dr. Scheuchzer

"By
some

pro-

Pox

in

or

the ordinary way,

whereas the deaths from inocu-

contended for by the anti-inoculators amounted

lation

to not

more than one

was published

of

natural disease
'

.Schcuchzer,

'^

Au

was

1731, a pamphlet

fallacies

statistics,

in

Dr.

Jurin's

and claiming that the

inoculated

Small

fictitious.

The

Pox

over

the

writer maintained

/or. cit.

Enquiry

Inocula tion

the

In

fifty.

exposing the

and Dr. Scheuchzer's

advantage

in

into the

73 1

Advantages received by the First Eight Years'

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

by inoculation the variolous

that

43

was spread

infection

far

and wide, and a considerable increase of mortality

by

Small

the

persons

lives

Pox occasioned
themselves

from

lost

thus

the

inoculated

increased

the

saved

lives

of the

short

fell

To

infection.

to

this

pamphlet no direct reply was forthcoming, but papers

both
to
it

of and

tavour

in

against

be issued from time to time.

"

as a

continued

inoculation,

Warren regarded

Dr.

barbarous and dangerous invention imported

from Turkey."

The

and

successful

encouraging

trom America, and the increase

Pox

Small

natural

of the practice

was

very

In

died.

1742, of

in

inoculated, with

with

in

only

400,

1,500

cases, only 3

Foundling Hospital,

to
after

revival

1738,

towns,

it

2,000

women, both with

inoculations

were made,

Sussex, 300 people were

death, and at

shire,

that

In

whom

422

1753,

At Rye,

with 4 deaths.

so

employed.

generally

the fatality of the

in

Great Britain, led

of inoculation,

were inoculated
child,

in

reported

results

Blandford,

death.

In

in

Dorset-

London, out of

At the

terminated unfavourably.
186 were inoculated, and

died

and the same surgeon who had inoculated these cases

lost,

in

private

progress

practice,

made by

only

case

inoculation at this

in

370.

period was in a

great measure due to Dr. Mead's^ publication in

in

which

he

devoted a

'Mead.

chapter

to

Small Pax and Measles.

The

inoculation,
1747.

1747,

and

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

44

Spoke

of

favour

in

and

it,

which claimed a great success

Frewen's^

Dr.

to

this treatment.

for

year 1746, the art of inoculation was

the

by

encouraged

But

Hospital.

prejudiced

against

were

public

the

further

Inoculation

and the patients on leaving the

it,

were often abused and insulted

so

they

were

In

very strongly

still

hospital
that

still

an

of

establishment

the

work,

not

suffered

the

in

street,

depart until

to

the

darkness of the night enabled them to do so without

being

observed.'^

overcome

in

Worcester,

preached

These

persons

now made

Inoculation

same

the

was

This had a great

An

silenced.

published

in

1751,

treated,

uninterrupted

the opposition

time,

not

successfully

of the

anonymous

and

Rev.

the

Hospital,
published,

upon the public mind, as well as the

of 593

out

editions.

Pox
was

sermon, which

powerful

and passed through seven

effect

Small

of the

President

gradually

Maddox, Bishop of

Dr.

ways.

various

were

prejudices

that

fact

only

died.

progress.

At

anti-inoculators

discourse

Theodore

De

was
la

Faye^ preached a sermon as powerful as that of the

Bishop of Worcester, and

The sermon was

sions.

and Dr. Kirkpatrick.^

in

opposition to his conclu-

replied

to

by Mr.

Bolalne*

These were answered by

De

Frewen. The Practice and Theory of Inoculation, with an Account

nf its Success.
'

Woodville,
'*

De

Bolaine.

'

la

luc. cit., p. 238.

Faye.

Inoculation an hidefensible Practice.

Letter addressed

Kirkpatrick.

llie

to

Mr. de

la Faye.

Analysis of Inoculation.

1753.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

45

Faye,^ which in turn called forth another pamphlet

la

Some and

Mr. David

from Mr. Bolaine.'

Dr. Dodd-

ridge, "

two respectable divines," were also

of the

new

Early

practice."'

in

the

year

favour

in

two

1754,

works recommending inoculation were published, one

by Mr. Burgess, and the other by Dr. Kirkpatrick.

same

In the

year,

was resolved

it

who had

children

not

three

royal

Pox.

In the meantime, the Prince of

disease

and

casually,

Prince

Augusta were inoculated with

This

from him.

inoculate the

to

had

yet

Wales took the

Edward

and

Princess

variolous matter

taken

and particularly the following

fact,

College of Physicians,

declaration of the

Small

still

further

tended to establish the practice.

"

The College, having been informed that false reports

the

conxerning

been published

success
in

inoculation

of

in

england

foreign countries, think proper to declare

THEIR SENTIMENTS IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER, VIZ.

WHICH

ARGUMENTS

AT

WERE URGED AGAINST

THAT

IT IS

BEFORE

COMMENCEMENT

THE

OF

ThAT THE

THIS

AND

THAT

PRACTICE

HAVE BEEN REFUTED BY EXPERIENCE

IT

NOW HELD BY THE ENGLISH

IN

THE

CoLLEGE

GREATER ESTEEM, AND

AMONG THEM MORE EXTENSIVELY THAN EVER

PRACTISED

have

THINKS

IT

TO

BE

IT

W-AS

HIGHLY

SALUTARY TO THE HUMAN RACE."

In

1758,

which the
'

De

Bolaine.

an anonymous address was published,

writer

wished

to

restrict

the

practice

in

of

A Vindicatio7i of a Sertnon, etc.

Retnarks on the Rev. Mr. de la Faye's Vindication of his

la Faye.

Sermon.
'

Some and Doddridge.

'The

Case of receiving the Small Pox by

Inoculatioti impartially considered.

SMALL POX LNOCULATLON.

46

inoculation

answered by

was

This

physicians.

the

to

Mr. Cooper, a surgeon.

In

speedily-

Dr.

1759,

Franklin gave an account of the success of inoculation

England

in

" that

and

common

the

InsU'ucHons for
of

edition

was the

to

Heberden

Dr.

Dr.

as

work

at

of

among

first

was

with

Plain

second

1761,

appeared.

of inocula-

Dr.

Munro

Alexander

gave an account of the inoculation of Small Pox

Scotland, and in
" impartially

and

its

new epoch

in

1765, the practice of inoculation was

considered

"

by Dr. Andrews, of Exeter,

advantages

" signal

He

Paris by Dr. Tronchin

in

1764,

effect

method which appears

blister,

In

1756.

in

the

progress

give an account

to

by vesication or

early

and

Kirkpatrick's

have been made use

as

that

followed

Inoc2Llation,

writer

first

wrote to

America which

of

people

expected."

tion

make

did not seem to

it

and

America,

in the history

fully

approved."

of inoculation

commenced

with the introduction of the Suttonian method, which

'in the year

had extended so rapidly

1765,

in

who were

which

it

the

Kent, as to much interest the

counties of Essex and

public,

in

not less surprised by the novel

method

was conducted, than by the uninterrupted

success with which

it

was attended, upon a prodigious

number of persons."
Mr.

Robert

Sutton,

as an inoculator, lived at

who

acquired

Debenham

practised surgery and pharmacy.

great

celebrity

in Suffolk,

where he

He

began the prac-

'

GREAl BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

of inoculation in 1757, and

tice

the medical profession, assisted

inoculator

Bury

at

him during the

three

Edmunds, while

St.

Daniel,

being an assistant to a surgeon at Oxford, returned

after

Debenham, and suggested

of inoculation.

It

was

to his father a

them

oblige

patients

inoculated

the

fine

open

The

air.

but the treatment

and not

the

to

much

exposed as

be

to

new plan

said that he proposed to shorten

the time of preparation to a few days,

the

first

Robert established himself as

vears of his practice.

to

eleven years inoculated

His sons, Robert and Daniel, following

2.514 persons.

an

in

47

but

to

possible

to

house,
as

condemned the

father

to con-

was so approved of by the

scheme

patients,

they desired to be inoculated by the son, rather

that

than by

the

father,

D.

Mr.

separation.

House near

tion

made

which

led

to

Sutton then

Ingatestone,

the

disease

Inocula-

Here he

Essex.

and

and a

quarrel

handbills,

his

on an improved principle, and

hinted that by the use of certain

keep

opened an

in

known, by advertisements

intention of inoculating

entirely

medicines, he could

under

his

His

control.

system was so appreciated, that at the end of the

and

in

than

the

three

widespread

second year, his fees amounted

times

the

that

reputation,

numerous, that
village

first

produced him two thousand guineas,

year, his practice

in

it

was

of

sum.

and
difficult

He
his

to

Ingatestone.

obtained
patients

to

more

such

were

a
so

accommodate them
Mr.

Sutton

also

SMALL POX INOCULATLON.

48

employed

of

accounts

exaggerated

wrote

who preached sermons, and

clergyman,

his

The

results.

Rev. Robert Houlton, the advocating clergyman,

He

buted the success to Mr. Sutton's treatment.

" that

thousand

out of a

person

one

not

he

pustules

The

heavily^
was,

this

was said

to

reason

Mr.

that

have

than he

had twenty or

gave

Houlton

for

symptom

perceiving

Sutton,

thirty

Small Pox very

the

Mr.

that

said

inoculated

by Mr. Sutton had more variolous pustules

could wish, and that if any patient

attri-

of great fever, or a probability of their

in the patients

having more pustules than they would choose, quickly

prevented
Sutton

by virtue of

both

family

of

possession

in

is

medicines, for

his

an

" the

inestimable

medicine, by use of which too great a burden of pusules

Mr.

can

infallibly

Houlton,

be

According

prevented."

to

number of persons inoculated by

the

Mr, Daniel Sutton, from 1764-6, amounted to 13,792

and, with the aid of his assistants, he
altogether
patient

20,000 persons.

He

had

denied

inoculated

that a single

had died fairly from the inoculation, the deaths

which had occurred being attributed to other causes.

Woodville,^
"

Though

magnified

it

this

in

referring to this

and other accounts

beyond

its

new method,
of

Mr.

real merit, yet not a

tained but that the Suttonian plan of inoculation

more successful than

that of

'

Sutton's

loc. cit., p. 353.

practice

doubt was enter-

was incomparably

any other practitioner."

Woodville,

says

49

physicians were

extremely

not surprising

is

It

GREAT B RITA IX AND IREIAXD.

that

anxious to find out the secret of Mr. vSutton's success.

Baker^ was

Dr.

account ot

who was

ous gentleman

them

method

to

in-

" ingeni-

Mr. Sutton's

and

medicines,

Langton described
and

argued that

was not the Small Pox.

pointed out that the practice was, to take

day

virus the fourth

"

Dr.

imposition,

the matter communicated

He

with

of the

analysis.

gross

as

conversant

samples

obtained

subjected

detailed

Dr. Rushlin, by means of an

it.

patients,"

get

to

first

new method, and he published an

of the

formation

the

one of the

By

after the incision

means you have

this

of laudable pus, and a

the

was made.

a contagious caustic ivatcr instead

slight ferment

producing a few watery blotches

in

in

the lymph

is

raised,

the place of a perfect extru-

sion of the variolous matter."

In

the

1767,

slight,

to get

]\Ir.

by Dr. Giles Watts."

To

were replied

Bromfield

why

explain

arguments of Dr. Langton and

and

the

to

effect

justify

it,

to

of the
it

was

new treatment was so

said that the

aim was

inoculation without pustules, because they were

mindful of the observation of Dr. Boerhaave, that the

Small Pox often happened without any pustules at

That the
rule,

'

of the Suttonian inoculation was, as

a_

very slight indeed, was admitted.

Baker.

Small Pox.
*

result

all.

A/i Inquiry into the Merits of a Method of Inoctdatiitg the

1766.

Giles Watts.

Small Pox.

VOL.

I.

Vindication of the

New Method of Inoculating

1767.

the

SMALL POX LNOCULATLON.

50

"

To

say the truth,

this wa}',

and

to inoculators in

more than

then in this

way

Nay,

five pustules.

in the

Small Pox

pretty often pass through the

so easily, as to have no

now and

known

have sometimes known the same happen

old, that the patients

every

a fact well

is

it

happens

it

of inoculation, that even an adult

patient shall pass through the distemper without having one, or

even so much as a single complaint other than perhaps a slight

shivering

or

chill

some such

trifling

disorder,

which he would

hardly have taken the least notice of at any other time, so very

powerful

is

When

lessening the violence of the distemper.

in

management

the present method of preparation and

and especially

if it

happens,

this

happens without a considerable inflammation

of the skin round the puncture, the patient can hardly be brought
to believe

he has had the Small Pox.

In such cases,

it

is

ever

prudent in the operator for the satisfaction of the patients to

them again."

inoculate

Dr. Giles Watts also considered that Dr. Lano^ton's

criticism
"

It

was wide of the mark.

was, without doubt, the practice of Mr. Sutton to inoculate

from the punctures on the

in thcju zvas yet crude,

And

it

seems as

if

and

arms of

his patients while the matter

before the eruptive

he looked on

this as a

symptoms came

on.

necessary caution, in

order to render the distemper, so inoculated, light on the patient."

But while admitting

opinion

that

did

it

this,

not

Dr. Giles Watts

matter whether

the

was of
patient

were inoculated with crude variolous lymph or yellow

concocted variolous matter.
In spite of criticism, the Suttonian method of inocu-

gained

lation

general

approval;

and even

in

1815,

Moore^ spoke disapprovingly only of Sutton's unprofessional conduct.

'

Moore, The History of the Small Pox,

p. 270.

1815.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

"

It

much

is

to

51

be regretted that Daniel Sutton should have

stooped to employ such unworthy devices, for his plan of treat-

ment was greatly superior

that of

to

any former

practitioner,

and had he followed the correct rules of open professional conduct,

his

name would have been recorded with honourable

was

It

impossible

Physicians and
but

cines,

was

practitioners

could

not

discovered.

to

turn

the

treatment

when

half

The

distant

the

profits,

secret

points

essential

were

system to good account.

Suttonian
in

all

own

his

first

He

and incor-

practice,

the essential part of the

new

a treatise on inoculation.

Dimsdale became so
that

of

many

to

Dimsdale^ was one of the

Dr.

porated an account of
in

from his patients, and as

kept.

adopted the method

method

the whole system.

on condition

all

method.

to find out

his

long be

the

analysed his medi-

obtained

communicated

he

conceal

not only

chemists

endeavoured

Information

entirely

to

distinction."

the

famous

for

inoculations,

his

Empress of Russia desired

to

be sub-

mitted to the operation, he was appointed to perform

His

it.

tracts

on inoculation, which were written and

published at St. Petersburg, will be referred to in detail

discussing the Suttonian

in

method and

its

results.

In consequence of Dimsdale's works, inoculation be-

came

for a time very

was

It

finally

'

rivalled

Cow Pox

inoculation in

forbidden by Act of Parliament

Dimsdale.

1779-

by

much more popular than

in

before.

1798, and

1840.

The Present Method of Inoculating fo7- the Small Pox.

CHAPTER

III.

THE OPERATION OF INOCULATION.

The

of

accounts

which

inoculation

been given, have included several

different

described the custom which prevailed

"buying"

already-

methods of

But the writers who

performing the operation.

the world, of

have

first

in different parts

of

or "ingrafting" the Small Pox,

were unacquainted with the

details

which were essential

for the

performance of the operation with comparative

safety

and

it

only by regarding their descriptions in

is

the light of events which followed the introduction

the practice into this country, that

ciate the fact that inoculators

many

in

we can

fully

of

appre-

the East were tauQ-ht

necessary precautions by long experience.

Practice

of the

Brahmins.

In

Hindostan,

the

operation was performed only at certain seasons of the

year, and a preparatory regimen

was enforced.

the Brahmins selected the subjects

well as the subjects from

matter.

They had

varying

intensity

pustule, for they

whom

inoculation,

as

they took the variolous

certainly learnt

of the

for

Probably,

contents

by experience the
of

the

Small

Pox

were credited with being able to control

the amount of eruption by the method of operation.

^
OPERATION AND TREATMENT.
Practice of the Greeks.
were

more

still

according

Gatti/

to

an

without

cautious

The

old Grecian

inoculated

of

tens

They dispensed

accident.

women

procedure,

their

in

53

and,

thousands

with

a pre-

only operated upon those

paratory treatment, as they

perfect health.

in
**

All that

skin

is

considered

whether

and

soft,

Whenever

wound

little

conditions

these

whether the breath

is

they

found,

are

in

is

sweet,

heals

it

inoculate

the

easily.

without

the least apprehension of danger."

Having
with

selected their subjects,

and

needles,

choice

of

in the

were

the Ferment;''

made punctures

they

particularly

careful

kindly

Practice. When

English

the

or

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu had her

Mr.

But

matter.

variolous

child inoculated

Greek woman was employed

Pera, an old

the

" the

young child

Maitland's,

at

to insert

who was

Maitland,

present, disapproved of the method, of which he

the following account

"
b}'

her

therefore

blunt

complain of

When

to

hand put the

work so awkwardly, and

child to

and rusty needle, that

inoculated

and with so

little

the

pain

gave

woman went

But the good

the shaking of her

with

the

matter being used

variolous

crude state, freshly obtained from

pnstules of a

" in

other
to

him

so

pitied

much

torture

his cries,

and

arm with my own instrument,

that

he did not

in

the

least

it."

the

same surgeon operated on the Newgate

'

Quoted by Baker,

/oc. cit., p. 26.

SMALL POX LNOCULATLON.

54

incisions

criminals,

were made through the

steeped in variolous

pledgets applied which had been

from

pus

method,

This

pustules.

ripe

and

cutis,

the

called

Improved or Reformed operation, was soon modified,

Kirk-

frequently very troublesome ulcers resulted.

for

young gentleman who,

patrick mentions the case of a

by

eruption

with a favourable

had never-

inoculation,

an arm so terribly ulcerated that amputation

theless

was apprehended.
Maitland performed the
of

subjects

or

and

precautions,

other

disastrous

occasionally

with

without selection

operation

results

consequently

similar

the

to

examples which have already been given.

Jurin's

Practice.

In

Dr.

1729,

recom-

Jurin

mended
" Firstly.

Great care to be taken only to inoculate none but

persons of a good habit of body, and free not only from any
apparent, but, as far as could be judged, from any latent disease.

The

" Secondly.

ought

to

be

prepared by proper evacuations, bleeding, purging, vomiting,

etc.

" Thirdly.

body, especially

The utmost

caution

if

plethoric,

ought

to

be used

choice of proper matter to communicate the infection.

in

It

the

should

be taken from a young subject, otherwise perfectly sound and

healthful,

When

who has

the Small

Pox

in the most favourable manner.

the pustules were perfectly maturated, and just

turn or soon

after,

upon the

two or three of them should be ripped with

a glover's needle or small lancet, and a couple of small pledgets

of

lint

or cotton

are

to

be

and immediately put into a

the

warm hand

or

bosom of

well

moistened with the matter,

little

vial

or box, and carried in

the operator to

person to be inoculated.
'

Vide pp.

20, 28,

2i1-

the house

of the

OPERATION AND TREATMENT.

^^

The

Fourthly.

for the length of a quarter of an

most an

at

and

laid

over

may

be

taken

diachylon,

once a day at

to

The

they heal

till

person

be

to

is

linen

air.

sometimes

inoculated

receives

and have more or

feverish,

usual symptoms preceding the

commonly upon the eighth day from
the

Small

natural

the

happens

But the greater

way.

sort in the natural

little

leaves

discharge

the

or only with

all

common

with

colewort

any previous sickness, as often

most favourable

begin

part

first

Pox without

in the

dressed

incision

upon each

after which,

warm cabbage and

and afterwards, when

defend them from the

" Fifthly.

Small

the

laid

of sticking plaister

bit

only

twice a day

considerable,
roller

and

off,

with

or

be

to

is

about four and twenty hours

for

it,

infectious matter

the

be kept on, by means of a

to

half an inch,

inch,

This being done, one of the pledgets

inch.

moistened with
incision,

made with a small

arm and the

usually

are

part of both arms, or in one

cutting just into or at most through the cutis or

opposite leg,
true skin

or

incisions

brawny

the

lancet in

55

less of

Pox,

most

inoculation, though pretty

upon the seventh, and very rarely a day or two sooner

often

or later.

The

" Sixthly.

which disappear again

heats,

cr

fifth

day

in

and

or sometimes two or

on the

eighteenth, in one

and

in

three

the
the

the distinct kind,

" Seventhly.

matter,

and

died.

or

incisions begin
fifth

day,

The
The

last

to

grow

in

the

one on the

patient

was very

last

and about

but
full

one
of

sore and painful

the

sixth,

seventh,

they begin to digest and run with a thick purulent

which gradually increases

distemper, during which time the

afterwards,

In a few cases

one case on

in

and recovered.

The

the fourth

or eighth,

sort,

third.

sickening,

frequently on the

twenty fourth, and

on

the

after

less

seventh or twelfth,

one on

had the confluent

about

flushing

about the fourth

on the eighth or eleventh.

less

still

appeared

sixth,

with

taken

time,

little

most commonl}' on the ninth day,

tenth,
it

sometimes

but the eruption of the pustules happened generally

within a day,
viz.,

are

patients

the

running

till

about

the

turn

of the

wounds grow wide and deep

gradually

abates,

and

they

usually

SMALL POX LNOCULATLON.

56

up

heal
in

in

some,

times

about a month, sometimes in three weeks

the}^

longer.

continue running five

The

greater

the

the inoculation does not take

common

in a few days, like a

Dr.

Jurin

cold

incisions,

other

respects.

the incisions heal up

eifect,

Whitaker, the

Dr.

to

but

air,

especially during

by the
in

cut."

restricted to a vegetable diet,

the

is

found

treatment

nothing about medicinal

says

according

but,

to

is

though,

weeks, or some-

six

discharge

the more favourable the distemper

When

or

and were never exposed

were kept

in

warm

When

the eruptive fever.

was considerable, bleeding,

were

patients

blistering,

room,

the fever

and diaphoretics

were employed, with occasional recourse

to anodynes.

After the appearance of the eruption, the same treat-

ment

as

was followed

the natural Small Pox.

in

Practice of Burgess.

In

spite of the precautions

which had been recommended by Jurin, inoculation

continued to
It

be

followed

was by no means a

diminish

the

safe operation,

by bad
and

in

results.

order to

Mr.

James Burgess published,

of the

necessary preparations

risks,

an account

1766,

occasionally

still

in

and

management, with additions and improvements.

Method of Preparation.
to avoid

all

The

patient

was enjoined

excesses, and to be reo^ular and moderate

was considered necessary

in

taking exercise

in

order to promote the natural secretions and diminish

the latter

the

disposition

was

to be restricted

gentle

of the blood

purgative

both

in

to

inflammation.

quantity and quality.

was administered

at

Diet

the end of the

OPERATION AND TREATMENT.

week

second

and

of preparation,

was repeated

this

For children

three times, at intervals of three days.

dose of manna

was

syrup of roses

or

Adults were to be entirely free from

kinds during this period, to avoid

and

business

Exercise was

day and when the w^eather

to be taken only during the

all

carefully avoided.

quiet,

and anxiety

in

three

and cheerfulness."

The

words

of mind

of preparation

course

In fact, the

summed up

be

could

of body

fatigue

all

close application

all

the time agreeably with a few friends.

fine

of

being recommended to pass

sitting long at reading,

was

sufficient.

"

temperance,

being

patient,

in

proper state of body and mind, would then pass safely

through

distemper,

the

being

system

his

" cleared

from those obstructions that so often proved dangerous

to those

who have

neglected the opportunity of being

properly prepared for the

venom."

of the

reception

Individual temperaments were also taken into

account, as well as age and season.

be

to

informed of the

health, both before

considered

performed
about an

in

at the

its

in

the

exact

and

The Ope7'ation and

was

infectious

was necessary

of

the

patient's

time of inoculation.

When

state,

following

inch long

state

Accidents.
fit

It

way

the
:

the patient

operation

An

incision

lous matter,

membrane.

was

laid

of

was made on each arm through

the cuticle into the skin, but not so deep as to

the cellular

was

wound

thread, saturated with vario-

along

the whole

length of the

SMALL POX

58

LNOCULA7'I02\.

wound, and covered with a pledget of digestive

oint-

ment, fastened on with a digestive plaster and secured

with a thin linen
for

two days, and

day,

third

it

days

three

examining the wound

on

was found

on

of

the

Two

inflamed.

slightly

edges

the

after,

or

wound looked

the

had taken.

that the inoculation

whitish, a certain sign

On

This dressing was continued

roller.

the seventh day after the operation, or soon after,

experienced

the patient

chilliness,

with

shiver-

slight

back and limbs, weight and pain

ings, pains in the

in

the head, and sickness.

Young

children

became drowsy

and

they were

liquids,

and these

sometimes suffered from frequent convulsions

kept

in

warm

bed, and supplied with

and

heavy,

On

symptoms gradually abated, and sweating ensued.

the second day after the

symptoms a
its

rash,

resembling

appearance, sometimes
fever.

symptoms

decreasing,

of the

From

as small

gradually
till,

fourth

the

the
spots,

variolous

which

made
rash

the
all

other

eruptions

com-

day,

by the

beginning

day had risen apparently above the

fifth

this

red

often

flea-bites,

closely simulating

About

of scarlet

menced

appearance of constitutional

first

time

the

pimples

changed from

daily rose

red to

became

pustules

the ninth day the

limbs

from

this

charged

same

whitish-yellow hue,

time

all

the

face,

and

by

occurred upon

the

with

alteration

and

higher,

on the seventh day from the eruption on the

they

skin.

matter,

outward

marks

of

OFERATIOX AND TREATMENT.

59

inflammation ceased entirely, the skin of the pustules

matter

the

shrivelled,

was the regular

This

Pox, but sometimes

more

of

course

children

bleeding at

with

them

nose

the

from

put

apartment and

his

to

On

and

bed,

seventh

any

day,

much

The

patient

was

carefully

dieted.

If

little

wine was

the

constitu-

when

themselves, the

tendency to

means of roasted

corrected by
in

the

symptoms showed

to

diarrhoea,

sometimes

there were depression or nervousness, a

tional

Small

inoculated

suffered

Almiagement after Inoailation.

allowed.

thickened

symptoms ensued.

serious

confined

in

and the patient was out of danger.

into a scab,

adults

contained

was

patient

was

constipation

apples, currants

boiled

a bag and squeezed into water gruel, or fruit boiled

in oatmeal.

If these

administered, or a

were

insufficient,

a clyster was

purge given.

gentle

When

there

were more severe symptoms, the patients were bled

and

blistered.

symptoms were
bed

until

the eruption began to appear, the

but the

relieved,

after the

care being
solid

When

taken to avoid a

in

which case

chill.

fish

Accidents after Inocidatioii.

in

breadth

and

to

sit

in

up,

Abstinence from

unless the attack

was

was allowed.

Sometimes

with central sloughs, resulted.

tended

was kept

and then allowed

crisis,

animal diet was enforced,

very slight,

patient

The

depth, and

open

sores,

slough often exthe

wound

dis-

charged an ichorous pus, which corroded the adjoining


SMALL POX lAOCULAy/OX

6o

and the

parts,

elbow

and

tioned,

wounds were very

others the

in

the

down

extended

inflammation

condi-

well

The wounds

moderate.

dischars^e

the

to

discharging about a fortnight or three

often continued

weeks

after

longer,

and then healed up kindly under some simple

dressing

the

turn

of

the

Small

wound

to

to,

Operation.

Sometimes

it

that the inoculation did not take, although

correctly performed,

to these results

this

is

Burgess says

the case the patient

had been

In reference

not secure from

is

keep open, and the feverish symptoms come on

though not a single pustule should appear, I
is

it

happened

danger of contracting the disease afterwards

patient

encourage

and the matter good and properly

taken, the incision healing in a few days.

When

even

to heal.

Failure of the

"

or

but poultices were sometimes necessary, and

bleeding and gentle purging resorted

the

Pox,

am

as secure from ever having the Small

but

if

the

the sores

at the usual time,

convinced that the

Pox

as if there

had

been a plentiful eruption."

Practice of the Suttons and Dimsdale.

extraordinary popularity of the
tonian system, led to

and we are

indebted

account

of

the

family.

The

operation

much
to

curiosity

Dr.

method

obtained

Method, or Sut-

among

Baker

employed

details of the

were

New

The

physicians,

tor

the

earliest

by

the

Sutton

management and mode of

from

informants

themselves been operated upon by Sutton.

who had

OPERATION AND TREATMENT.

" All

persons are obliged

regimen

is

allowed, except only on those days

the

to

be taken at bedtime,

fruit

of

only three doses of the

The composition
But that

secret.

demonstrated by

it

its

powder are

is

powder

children,

any purging

industriously kept a

consists partly of a mercurial preparation,

The months

and even salivated others.

of May, June, July, and

held to be the worst season

is

habit the least proper for this

to

any one on account of what

of body, or bad blood.

No

operation.
is

indififer-

and an aguish

objection

made

is

vulgarly called a scorbutic habit

The person who

be inoculated,

to

is

on his arrival at the house used for this purpose

a public room,

But

for inoculation.

healthy people are inoculated at any season of the year,

The autumn

is

having made the gums of several people sore,

August are preferred as the most seasonable

entl}'.

is

and on

To

salt.

given, without

powder

of this

sorts

all

a purging medicine

three several times

dose of purging

following mornings, a

salt.

when

In this fortnight of preparation, a dose of a

taken.

ordered

during

every kind of animal food (milk only excepted), and

fermented liquors and spices, are forbidden

all

preparatory

strict

performed

for a fortnight before the operation is

this course,

is

go through a

to

6i

is

carried into

where very probably he may meet a large company

assembled, under the

several

stages

of

the

The

Small Pox.

operator then opens a pustule of one of the company, chusing

one where the matter

is

in

a crude state, and then just raises up

the cuticle on the outer part of the

arm where

is

it

thickest with

This done, he only presseth down the raised

his moist lancet.

cuticle

with his finger, and applieth neither plaster nor bandage.

What

is

extremely

the

moisture

with

remarkable, he frequently

taken from

the

arm

inoculates people

eruption

before

the

of

Small Pox, nay, within four days after the operation has been

And

performed.
ference

to

this

am

method.

informed, at present, he gives the pre-

He

has attempted

means of the blood, but without success.

peneth not to be at
is

looked

home when

the

new

to

If the

patient arriveth, this

upon as a matter of no importance

and so

far

he from any apprehension of accumulating infection, that

very

common

for

persons just

inoculated

by

inoculate

operator hap-

to

lie

in

the

bed with a patient under any stage of the disease, as

it

it

is
is

same

may

SMALL POX LNOCULATLON.

62

happen

sometimes,

nay,

in

room where four or

people

five

are sick.

On

"

the night following the operation the patient takes a

This medicine
All

on.

recommended.

in

the

air

is

strongly

In twenty four hours after the inoculation, the

or no

distinguish whether

operator can often

the

some degree of

to prognosticate with

the degree of the future disease.

(provided that

it

certainty concerning

In three days after the operation

has succeeded), there appears on the incision

a spot like a flea-bite, not as yet above the skin

clear lymph.

but

pustules,

This advanceth to maturation

like

which

In

is

the

last

falleth

off.

the discoloration round the place of incision

quantit}' of eruption

is

small discoloured circle

ordinary,

full

of

the variolous

proportion

as

greater, the less

whenever a

therefore,

observed, purging medicines stronger

is

and more

There never

necessar}^

And,

expected.

is

by

this spot

degrees rises to a red pimple, and then becomes a bladder

than

be

patients

He, every day, examines the incision, and from thence

infected.

seems

moderate exercise

time,

this

pill.

repeated every other night until the fever comes

is

frequently

any sore

is

are held

repeated,

to

be

the arm, or discharge,

in

but constantly and invariably a large pustule.

"The preparatory

diet is

still

continued.

some hours without any tendency

are administered,

sweat
or

but, in

pill, still

to perspiration,

the effect of which

some

cases,

burning heat of the

is

given.

...

made

As soon

first

its

is

very high, a powder

In general, during the

To

salt.

age

he obliges everybody

little

boiled

But, in

or thin

tea,

to

From
ad

up

get

this

libitum.

to

time to

On

the

appearance of the opaque spot on the

grown people he gives an ounce of Glauber's purging

children he gives a dose of

then,

water; but,

warm Baum

the turn of the disease he gives milk gruel

first

acid drops

bring on a profuse

walk about the house or into the garden.

pustules, to

some

to

as the sweat abates, the eruption having

appearance,

day following the

fever remain

fever, the inoculator gives cold

the perspiration beginning, he orders

water gruel.

is

where the fever

more powerful,

If the

if

the eruption

it

proportioned

to

their

be small, he allows them to eat a

mutton and toast and

case of a large eruption,

butter,

and

to drink small beer.

he gives them, on the third

OPERATION AND TREATAIENT.

day after their having taken the

same

and confines them

salt,

preparation.
"

What

the country several

other

There are

in

different parts of

in

some of whom are

inoculators,

have surpassed this person

We

ordered during the

the diet

be considered as relating only to

is to

the practice of one gentleman.

to

dose, another dose of the

above written

is

first

to

63

said

the boldness of their practice.

have heard of patients who have been carried into the

fields

while shivering in a rigor; of their having been allowed no liquor

except what they have been able to procure for themselves at

pump, while the fever has been upon them

the

having been indiscriminately exposed to the

weather and
This and
indeed,

it

in all seasons,

more has

been

certain that

is

air,

and of

in

all

their

sorts of

during every period of the eruption.

upon good authority

related

many thousands

of

and,

constitutions and

all

ages, even to that of seventy years, have within these few 3'ears

been inoculated according to the general method above described,

and

general have gone through the disease almost without an

in

unfavourable symptom.
I

According

which

to the best information

can procure, about seventeen thousand have been thus inocu-

lated,

of which

practice

depended
of

Glass,

being sweated.

upon

Exeter,

the

attributed

value

the

use

free

Chandler,

Dr.

have died."

five or six

Baker was of opinion that

Dr.

Dr.

number no more than

cold

of

to

it

the

who made

of

the
air.

patient

minute

exaniination of Dr. Sutton's system, concluded that the

success

of the

celebrated

inoculator

did

not

depend

upon his medicinal preparations, nor the free exposure

of his
a

point

little

patients

to

cold air

of sweating his

efficacy

was given

could
the

Mr.

patients,

Sutton
and,

never made
therefore,

be attributed to the punch

pills

but

which

were useful merely as evacuants,

and not as possessing

specific

power.

I)Ut

the grand


SMALL POX INOCULATION.

64

of

secret

"

system

of

according

inoculation,

Chandler/ was

Mr.

to

new

the

The taking of the infected humour

been, if I

may

in a crude state before

it

has

be allowed the expression, ultimately variolated by the

succeeding fever."

was

This

publication, in which

brought

never

by

confirmed

Houlton's

was asserted that Mr. Sutton

it

Chelmsford

into

Mr.

Rev.

the

who was

patient

capable of infecting a bystander, though such

convey infection by inoculation.

could

upon

passed

appreciated

own

method,

Suttonian

the
the

which

satisfaction

was not

and

public,

He

practice.

published

the methods

of

some

afterwards,

years

plan

Suttonian
siderable

stress

in

its

entirety.

years,

from

the

and as they usually had

than those
died.

'

are

Those who

Chandler.

cessful

who

An

advanced
laboured

Dimsdale

to

the

not

laid

and

until

the
con-

season.

inoculate children

tendency to convulsions,
larger
in

under

of pustules

share

life,

and many had

acute

or

critical

Essay towards an invest!gat1071 of the present suc-

and most general method of Inoculation,

Dimsdale,

on

in

a rdsumd of

was

constitution,

was not considered desirable

under two

work

it

method

the

the

to

he openly adopted

that

upon age,

gave

it

extent

but

Suttons,

the

had been
Dimsdale

Dt.

adopt

slow to

which was to a certain

subject,

It

which

spite of unfavourable criticisms

In

his

patient

lac. cit., 1779.

p. 37.

1767.

OPERATION AND TREATMENT.

or

diseases

their
"

improper subjects

" obviously

were

effects

and

unfit

and those who had marks of" corro"

acrimonious humours," or were suffering from

sive,

debihty of

manifest

frame from

whole

the

inanition

any other cause."

or

Dr. Heberden^ had

some time

previously, in a com-

munication to Dr. Kirkpatrick, insisted upon attention to

any disease

the existence of
" It

the

seems a reasonable practice

Time

Receiving the

of his

Person should be as

the

time of inoculation,

at the

may

free as

some care

take

to

of

Infection

that

at

Small Pocks,

the

from any other dis-

be

temper, lest Nature should be hindered in producing, maturating,

discharging them

or rightly

or lest he should sink under the

oppression of two Distempers at the same Time."

Dimsdale's

All

inoculated

pustules than

vided that

or too

much

to

reduce

state

to

from

The

the

inoculate

taken

disease.

more

at

all

but

in

it

seasons, pro-

keep the patients as

to

themselves

keeping

too

to

warm

winter.

general aims of preparation were

patient

if

in

high

stomach and bowels

'

I.

of the

spring generally had

health,

strengthen the constitution,

to clear the

VOL.

special

during the heat of summer, and

shut up

Preparation.

to

was

care

them

prevent

the

in

safe

possible

as

undergo

any other time of the year

at

was considered

cool

to

previous to the introduction

treatment

Persons

had

patients

Kirkpatrick, loc

cit.,

iis

p.

if

too

much

a low

to

low

and

as possible

''

271.
S

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

66

from "

from

abstain
spices

The

crudities."

all

animal

all

were enjoined

patients

fermented

food,

and

liquors,

the diet to consist of pudding, gruel, sago, milk,

and vegetables, and care was

fruit,

to

This treatment was carried

the stomach.

to overload

be taken not

to

out nine or ten days before the operation, and during

period

this

powder composed of

one-eighth

directed

doses of this were given

of the course,

one

the second in three

and

Three

commencement

the

at

same

claws,

crabs'

of tartar emetic.

of a grain

part

take

to

eight grains of calomel, the

compound powder of

of

quantity

were

patients

the

four days,

or

and

the third about the eighth or ninth day.

Mode of
drawn

But
"

through

this

The

both

the

in

an incision

is

made
little

in the

if

to

it,

is

the subject

natural

made

in

in the

same house, and, if

same room, with one who has

of the variolous matter

wa}',

sides of the point

incision

one or both arms.

patient to be infected being in the

disease, a

if

in

moistened

well

method he had now abandoned.

place of insertion,
tule,

and

pustule

a ripe

the matter, to

no objection
the

had been

of applying a piece of thread, which had been

habit

with

Dimsdale

Inoculation.

are

on

is

under inoculation, or a pus-

the point of a

moistened.

part of the

that

taken from the

is

lancet,

With

this

so

that

lancet

an

arm where issues were

usually placed, just deep enough to pass through the scarf skin,

and just

to

touch the skin

one-eighth of an

inch

itself,

the

little

and

in

length not more

wound being

then

than

stretched

between the finger and thumb of the operator, the incision

moistened with the matter by gently touching
of the infected lancet."

it*

is

with the side


OPERATION AND TREATMENT.
Dimsdale sometimes employed the
fication

"

modi-

following

lancet being moistened with the variolous fluid in the

manner as the

other, is gently introduced in

between the scarf and true

is

67

skin,

same

an oblique manner

and the finger of the operator

applied on the point, in order to wipe off the infection from

when

the lancet

was

It

said

Small

inoculated

did

matter

be

to

matter were

infective

he

withdrawn."

is

it

consider

were

taken

consequence

Dimsdale

used

of consequence

it

before

whether

from the natural or the

taken

Pox.

not

no

of

or

the

at

and

both,

whether

the

of

the

crisis

disease.

" It

is,

of maturity

and

the Small

after the matter has acquired a certain

till

much attended
commonly been
it

generally supposed that

believe,

not infectious

common method

in the

to

Pox

degree

of inoculation this is

and where the operation has

failed

it

But

ascribed to the unripeness of the matter.

so soon as

any moisture can be taken from the infected

part of an inoculated patient, previous to the appearance of

pustules,

and even previous

have taken a

little

Pox with

crisis,

at

other

the utmost certainty.

clear fluid, from the elevated pellicle

incised part, even so early as the fourth

and have,

used

times,

with equal success.

matter,

day

No

time to have

its

on the

after the operation,

fully

digested

at

the

chuse, however, in general to take

matter for infection during the fever of eruption, as

at that

any

to the eruptive fever, this moisture is

capable of communicating the Small

it

has

appears very clearly from the present practice of inoculation,

that

is

utmost

suppose

activity."

bandage, dressing, or application whatsoever was

employed

in

this

method.

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

68

"Progress of Infection.The day after the operation is perOn

formed, though it takes effect, little alteration is discoverable.
the second,

the part

if

with a lens, there generally

viewed

is

appears a kind of orange coloured stain about the incision, and

the surrounding skin seems to contract.

dose of the calomel

was given at bedtime.

pill

On

"

ness

upon applying the

the fourth or fifth day,

be

is to

The

by the touch.

felt

finger, a hard-

patient perceives an itching

on the part which appears slightly inflamed, and under a kind

of vesication

seen a

is

and

it

but

the part resembling a

fluid,

most commonly some pain and

sixth,

stiffness is felt in the axilla,

as

clear

little

About the

superficial burn.

very pleasing symptom,

this is a

not only foretells the near approach of the eruptive symptoms,

is

Sometimes

a sign of a favorable progress of the disease.

on the

on

oftener

seventh,

symptoms of

eighth day,

the

the

eruptive fever appear, such as slight pains in the head and back,

succeeded by transient shiverings, and alternate heats, which in a

greater or less degree

At

time, also,

this

it

continue

and the smell of

any
"

in

his

mouth, the breath

from what

different

it

eruption

is

always

fetid,

have ever observed

in

case, except in the variolous eruptive fever.

The inflammation

upon viewing

it

arm, at this time, spreads

in the

pustules,

which

advances.

On

efflorescence

is

increase

cuticle is

also

the

tenth

and

size

or

eleventh

extent
day,

about the size of a shilling

to the touch,

very pleasing

symptom

indicates the whole

axilla also
part, so

as

the

circular

disease

or

oval

usually discovered surrounding the incision, and

smooth

disagreeable

and

number of small confluent

infinite

in

extending sometimes near half round the arm

quently, to

fast,

with a good glass, the incision, for the most part,

appears surrounded with an

is

perfected.

is

usual for the patient to complain of a

is

very disagreeable taste

the

till

going

aflfair

off.

one

ceases,

and not
;

it

and

fre-

and being under the

This appearance

painful.

accompanies eruption, every

at

the

same time

to be over, the pain

The

more

but,

feverish

and

symptoms

it

certainly

stiffness in the

are, for the

most

mild as seldom to require any medicinal assistance, except

a repetition of the same medicine that was directed on the second

night after the operation, and in the morning, this laxative draught

OPERATION AND TREATMENT.

procure three or four stools

to

manna

now

am

arrived

the most

at

about to recommend

on

will

it

method
management of which much
pursued with firmness and

to advise their being

room when the symptoms of the eruptive fever come

soon as the purging medicine has operated,

directed, as

hear
to

the open air

in

and

stand
" In

practice

the

Instead of confining the patient to his bed or his

moderation.

abroad

interesting period of this

be requisite to give clear and explicit directions

and

this head,

essentially from

differs

heretofore in use, and on the right

depends,

two ounces,

two drams.

eruption, a period in wliich the present

tlistemper, the
I

infusion of senna

half an ounce, tincture of jalap

" Being

69

still,

be

it

cold water

to drink

much

ever so cold, as
if

thirsty

on, he is

keep

to

as he can

always taking care not

but to walk about moderately while abroad.

general the complaints in this state are very moderate,

and attended with so

well the whole time

dispersed

little

illness that the patient eats

and sleeps

a few pustules appear, sometimes, equall}'

sometimes the inflammations on the arms spread and

are surrounded with a few pustules, which gradually advance to

maturity, during which time, for the most part, the eruption pro-

ceeds kindly, and there

patients vi^ithin

much more

is

due bounds, and

difficult^'

the public and spreading the infection (which

to prevent),

than there was at

the

to restrain

prevent their mixing with

to

always endeavour

prevail

to

first

upon them

to

go

abroad.

"The system
credited with

of purging and

that

is to

say, without

on the inoculated part

affairs.
little

were

Those who had

longer.

it

to

go about

their usual

a greater degree were confined a

marks of

infection

Sometimes the inoculated part showed

a day or two after inoculation,

incision appearing considerabl}^ inflamed

"The

the slightest

any appearance of eruption except

soon allowed
in

in

Occasionally there were dangerous symptoms, and

accidents of various kinds.

certain

use of cold air were

free

Those who had the disease

crop of pustules.

manner

the

preventing either alarming symptoms, or a large

patient about

following complaints

pains in the part,

this time
viz.,

and elevated.

frequently makes

chilliness

and sometimes

in

the

some of

the

itchings and small pricking

the

shoulder

giddiness,


SMALL POX IN0CULA210N.

70

and a

drowsiness,

but

feverish heat,

seldom

headach,

slight

often

without

any.

hours,

often

twenty-four

last

sometimes attended with a

.

These

not

so

complaints

long.

The

inflammation on the arm, at the time of the complaint, advances

apace, and feels hard

to a

common

small scab

and the party

distemper.
" In

to the touch

some

upon

but,

wearing

their

off,

was before red turns livid,

and nothing more is heard of the

the skin that

quite

is

gradually lessen, and the part dries

appearances

the inflamed

well,

instances, these

symptoms

attack

much

later

even

on the seventh or eighth day, when an eruption might be expected

in

consequence of them, yet none appears

very soon, and the disease

is at

Similar appearances
there were

not

look

occurred

resulted

such

was

he

practice,

cases
in

whether the patients would be quite secure

from an attack of the disease

whether they were

time,

every stage

so,

them

and caused

to

to

be perfectly

new method of

were

to

appreciated,

practice.

He

fijture

to

test

persons

in

exposed them to

all

but there was

it

safe.

was

that

inoculation in

he was led to
1765.

heard that inoculation of the patients with

and exposure

doubt

producing any disorder, so that they

its

Dimsdale explained how

try the

first

them a second
with

associate

other means of catching the infection

were pronounced

in

and, in order

he inoculated

of the disease, and

no instance of

gets well

other cases, though

in

When

pocks.

true

Dimsdale's

in

arm

few pustules which, moreover, did

only a
like

but the

an end."

the

open

and

concluded

air,

produced
he

therefore

by saying

He

had

fluid matter,

results

that

borrowed

the

OPERATION AND TREATMENT.

" Should

it

be asked, then, to what particular circumstance the

owing,

can only answer that, although the whole

success

is

process

may have some

the

share in

it,

my

in

method of inoculating with

chiefly in the
in

management

have improved but

opinion

and

of the patients at the time of eruption.

If

little

we

should be found to

upon the judicious Sydenham's

warm

in

may be

arrival at

some

was summoned

Petersburg, resolved to

of a

distinct

anxious for

the

opera-

of Small

matter for their

who was

"

second

with

other
"

great

day

sickness

symptoms

discovered

after

first

that

of

inoculation,

and
fever

" pretty full

attempt, and the

Basofi"

vomiting,"
;

but

it

On

was

was

seized

attended

with

subsequently

he had improperly overcharged

stomach with a quantity of dried

fruits,

which

it

Dimsdale. Tracts on Inoculation writtoi and published at

Petersburg in the year 1768, zi}ith adclitio7ial observations. 1781.
'

in

Every one was

Pox."

success of this

man

experiment caused Dimsdale considerable anxiety.

the

to

Dimsdale, on

child of a poor

Petersburg,

St.

kind

led

commence

The

old.

was taken from a

suburbs of

Russia,

two young gentlemen of

were about fourteen years

the

in

These boys, Basoff and Swieten,

the Cadets Corps. ^

inoculation

to

results

England.

in

by experimenting on

tions

as the

detail,

of inoculation

St.

specialist

the Empress, and his procedure

inoculate

followed in

the revival

He

in-

her servant's bosom."

Dimsdale now became recognised as a

the art of inoculation.

method

cool

woman's method of

of treating the disease, and the old Greek

oculating with fluid matter carried

1768, to

consists

it

recent jhiid matter,

these conjectures should be true, perhaps

in

71

his

was^

St.

SMALL FOX INOCULATION.

^2

hoped might

be

of that disorder."

the sole occasion

Dimsdale's anxiety was reheved, for the symptoms of

eruptive

the

fever

on the arm,

followed

pustules

three

were moderate, and only two or

which had never seemed

remained

trials,

arm,

produce any eruption,

likely to

Four more youths of the Cadets Corps

well.

young maid-servant were

and a

Swieten's

selected

further

for

and a case of natural Small Pox, with the eruption

a suitable stage for the purpose, was chosen.

in

The

"

was

whom we

child from

and near the time of maturation.

"As we were
tion,

to take matter for inoculation

Small Pox, the kind was favourable and dis-

ratlier full of

tinct,

were

extremely anxious for the event of this inocula-

our observations were carefully and frequently

progress of

it

the five patients

in

... on

made on

the

the punctured part

almost immediately arose a pimple, which scon became one large

filled with yellow matter, very much resembling the Small
Pox completely maturated. This continued to the seventh and
eighth days, when the eruptive symptoms might, in the common

pustule

Not one of them, however, had any

course, be expected.

nor did

The wounds upon

turned out wholly ineffectual.

and the patients continued

up,

was

Dimsdale
these patients
early period

existed

in

the

in perfect health."

strongly

disposed

to

believe

had passed through Small Pox

of their

arms dried

lives,

at

that

some

but no evidence whatever

He

support of this theory.

proposed that

same persons should be inoculated a second time

the
in

illness,

then expect they would, and in short the experiment

the

also

old

and

original

recommended

to

The

manner.

frequent

the

patients

rooms

of

were
those


OPERA TIOX A A'

TREATMENT.

7.)

who were under

worst

sort

under

Small

way

and

Pox,

symptom

the

but

execution,

was

was

"

The

every

the

into
least

whom

on

the

undergo

to

Small

ino-

Pox had

operation was secretly performed.

The Empress, during

ment with her usual

in

appear'' was selected and taken to

just commenced to
the palace.

labouring

was produced.

"

child

of the

carried

not

that

The Empress was now determined

culation.

those

themselves

proposal

result

infection

of

expose

This

infection.

to

Pox, even

handle

they should

that

Small

the natural

7i

this interval, took part in

afitability,

every amuse-

without showing the least token of

uneasiness or concern, constantly dined at the same table with

the nobility, and enlivened the whole Court with

graces of conversation for which she

for her

is

those peculiar

not less distinguished than

rank and station."

Dimsdale also recommended inoculation of the Grand

Duke,

of a

if

it

were performed by a very slight puncture

lancet luet with recent

some anxiety was

as

After relating

remarks
" But
the

these

felt

and fluid

variolous matter,

about the state of his health.

facts

and

occurrences,

Dimsdale

must not omit mentioning

Grand Duke were pleased

inoculated from them,

and,

by

which had reigned among the

party would suffer from

whom

to

that both the

Empress and

permit several persons to be

this

condescension, the prejudice

inferior ranks of people, that

the infection

was

taken,

the

was most

effectually destroyed."

For these

services,

Dimsdale was made a Baron of


SMALL POX INOCULAllON.

74

Physician

Her

to

sum of ^10,000

The

appointed

Empire,

Russian

the

addition to an annuity of ^500.

in

following

a short account of the progress of

is

Empress

inoculation of the

Previous to inoculation she abstained

supper, and at

The day

" she

inoculation

Sunday^

12th,

took

animal

night

grains

late in the evening,

with fluid matter by one puncture

succeeding

" from

was very

the

was

pain

little

the

on the places

under the arm."

felt

in

" she passed a

14th,

tolerable night, certain signs of infection appeared

incision

"on

and complained of pains

On

of mercurial

she was inoculated

each arm, and

in

restless,

different parts of her body."

of

food at

dinner ate such only as was easy of digestion."

before

powder."

awarded a

Majesty, and

Imperial

of State,

Councillor

On

October 15th, "the giddiness and the pain under her arm ceased.

The

became more

of incision

places

"complained of heaviness

On

red."

her head at intervals;

in

the
.

i6th,

she

four grains

of the mercurial powder were given;" on the 17th, "she took half

an ounce of Glauber's

salt

warm

dissolved in

water, but in the

evening she complained of a pain in her head, and that her hands

and shoulders seemed benumbed, and she was inclined

.

The

places

of

advanced

incision

assistance of a magnifying glass

pimples around the part."

On

properlj^,

to sleep.

and with the

could plainly discover small

the i8th, "the incisions in the

became more red and inflamed."

On

looked more red, and in the evening

the

many

"the incisions

19th,

of the pimples

tioned before appeared to unite in a general inflammation."

more pustules appeared around

"

the 20th,

circumference of the

One

pustule

wrist."

was

wound

itself

"some

the incision, and the

and two upon the

pustules appeared on the face and

arms, and the fever was entirely gone."

22nd,

"more

pustules

On

October

appeared, and advanced according to our wishes."

24th, there
tonsil."
.

was "a

25th,

some

menAbout

looked more red than before.

also discovered in the face

October 2 1 St,

arm

large pustule on the upper part of the right

"the pain and swelling of the throat were abated;

of the pustules began to change their colour to a darker

OPERATION AXD TREATMENT.

On

now become brown."

October 27th, "all the pustules had

hue."

" she

October 28th,

health,

to

The

St.

Petersburg

perfect

in

the great joy of the whole city."

Duke was

His

of

case

The

returned to

75

Highness the

Imperial

Grand

milder.

still

was performed on him with fresh fluid matter,

the matter was taken
by one puncture in the right arm only
"

inoculation

from the youngest son of Mr. Briscorn, apothecary to the Court.

.

November
November

symptoms of

4th,

infection appeared

on examining the

5th,

infection very evidently appeared,

and he complained of the part

around the wound being somewhat painful.

he had shivering, succeeded by a feverish heat

the pulse increased.

ing

night

...

November

considerable

mark of the

the

incision,

on the arm.

7th, he

had

shivering.

November

6th,

the quickness of
slept the preced-

November

one

9th,

pustule appeared upon the chin, and three were discovered upon

November loth, more pustules appeared on different

November
parts
and he was quite free from complaints.
November 14th, his throat
2th, his throat was sore and painful.
much better. From this time he was quite free from pain the
the back.
;

pustules,

which together did not exceed

forty,

matured kindly, soon

dried up, and the illness terminated very happily."

At the request of the Empress, Dr.

ceeded to

Moscow, where the

citizens

Dimsdale prowere desirous

of receiving the inoculation.

"

was informed

that at Mosco, as well as at St. Petersburg,

every possible precaution was used to prevent the spreading of

and

the Small Pox,

lost before the

it

was very probable

for inoculation.

therefore thought

it

an expedient that was thought pretty

inoculate one or

answer

that

much time might be

disease could be discovered there in a proper state

two children

at St.

the purpose of infection

make use
was
it
extraordinary
advisable to

Petersburg to take with

when we should

of
to

us, to

arrive at Mosco.

SMALL L^OX INOCULATION.

;6

was with some

It

two children were procured,

that

difficulty

though the idea of arbitrary power conveys with

tion that nothing

a presump-

more would be wanting than an Imperial order

on the persons we thought most

for us to fix

it

for

such

eligible, yet

mildness and benevolence prevails under the Government of the

Empress, that no such compulsion

is

After a few

ever practised.

days, two children were obtained, the one a boy about six years

son of a

old, the

daughter

of

widow, the other a

sailor's

deceased

children were inoculated

at

St.

Mosco on

we hoped

The

that the

to arrive at

and as the patient that we brought with us was

a very proper state to take

in

of the nobility instantly applied to have their families

inoculated,

time

ten, the

was expected

it

in four da3's,

the 6th after inoculation.

Many

"

about

officer.

Petersburg two days before the

time fixed for our setting out, and as

journey would be performed

girl

German

subaltern

matter from,

at that

wc began

inoculate on the day after our arrival, so that in a few days

had inoculated more than

the

were recovered,

first

success,

78

published

and appended

which,

several

encouraged

others,

were desirous of being inoculated

Dimsdale
1

patients from that girl only.

fifty

the

as

modified

his

result

early

of

further

method of preparation, he had come

that
for

was hardly necessary

such

some years

past

he had not

of enjoining any restriction from

any

special

caution
or

other

infection,

purgatives.

in

in

points

in

the

regard

he had
to

the

to the conclusion

and he stated that

been
diet,

in

the

habit

or prescribing

medicine before the operation,

was exercised

by their

Russia,

experience,

With

practice.

in

of

description

After

also."

experiences

his

to

we

and more

repeatedly giving mercurials

With

regard

to

the

mode of

he now restricted himself to inoculating by

means of a

lancet,

the

point

of

which was

slightly


OPERATION AND TREATMENT.
t

lipped

recent

in

The

eruptive fever.

matter

variolous

was

lancet

77

taken

during

introduced

the

obliquely

beneath the superficial skin, making the smallest puncture possible,

to yield the variolous

were no patients

If there

dried

fiuid,

was charged with

a fluid state, which was then allowed to dry,

matter

in

When

required

use

for

was held over the

it

of boiling water, or a small

for dilution,

of water, barely

qucUitity

was added

to

steam

it,

and the matter

moistened was used for the purpose of inocula-

thus

The

tion.

practice of going out in the fresh cool air,

were

recommended

and

the

but,

when the complaint was moderate, a

use

always

he

a proper state

lymph was employed.

lancet, or a plate of glass or gold,

sufficient

in

of aperients

endeavoured

still

obtain,

to

result

these

which

injunctions

were dispensed with.

Sometimes patients under inoculation passed through

the

illness

manner

that differed

materially from

Small Pox.

natural
" Yet,

in

where the infection appeared

have succeeded

to

satisfactorily

on a punctured part of the arm, although no eruption should be

discovered in consequence of

it,

the party will never receive the

disease in future."

In

speaking of the

nicating

the

Dimsdale

states

"

That

with
three,

fluid

if

infection

methods of commu-

employed

by

inoculation,

inoculation
matter,

different

the

be performed by a slight puncture, and

progress

is

usually

this

After

or four days a small redness of a particular colour

two,

may

SMALL POX INOCULATION.

78

be distinguished, which gradually rises to a pimple, resembling the

Small Pox in its first appearance this fills with a pellucid fluid.
;

About the time of the commencement of the eruptive symptoms,

the inflammation increases, very often during the fever.
"
I

Now, when

gradual progress

this

maintain that, although

the

observed to take place,

be unattended with fever or derange-

it

and not followed by any eruption, the person

during the remainder of his life be secure from receiving
I
am emboldened to speak in this positive
disease.

ment of
will

is

health,

manner

having

from

made

repeated

such

infect

to

trials

patients again, and in every instance ineffectually."

Dimsdale proceeded

ment,

more

the

discussing

after

Finally,

old

method of

treat-

give the credit of this

to

system to the family of the Suttons

successful

the essential difference between them consisting in the

method of

return to the original

of recent

the use

wonderful

effects

fluid

matter.

puncture, and

slight

The

accounts of the

of medicines, which were also alleged

Pox

most malignant kind of Small

to cure the

after

the eruption had appeared, served to disguise the true

secret of the

Many

new method.

years afterwards, Sutton' published an account

of the practice which he had introduced.

His method

had been carried out

He

ledged
fresJi

that

matter. " the

tions

on

glands
'

Sutton.

The

in

his

upon

experience with

was not so rapid

axilla

Iiiociilafoi-,

1763.

were more

liable

acknow-

use of crude

the

arm not so favourable

the

fully set forth.

for

100,000 cases.

relied

infection

tht:

in

had

he

matter;

in

the
to

concocted

the

indica-

conglobate

suppurate

or the Suttonian system of

i7iociilatio7i


OPERATION AND TREATMENT.
symptoms were more

eruptive

the

cind

ungovernable,"

In

" a

encountered

fact,

very

the patient

and

irregular
all

likelihood

Pox,

which he

in

Small

copious

79

would not have had from the use of fresh matter."

Sutton describes

"

words

following

the

in

The

being

lancet

method

the

which

employed

he

charged

with

the

perceivable

smallest

quantity (and the smaller the better) of unripe, crude, or waterymatter, immediately introduce

scarf and

the

than

deeper

not

skin,

the

it

by puncture, obliquely, between

barely

sixteenth

sufficient

to

of

an

part

nor daubing of the matter,

patting,
part,

true

in

at all necessary to its efficacy.

is

rather prejudicial than otherwise, as

and thus be apt

incision,

blood, and

Neither

inch.

or over the punctured

This practice indeed

may

it

draw

affect the

form of the

confound our judgment upon

to

^^Indications of the Incision.

In

is

it.

the incipient state of variolous

increase in the incision, a small florid spot appears on the part of

access, resembling a flea-bite in size
lightly

over

head.

This

variolous

it,

a hardness

appearance and

florid

principle

effectually

is

and on passing the finger

not larger than a small pin's

is felt

hardness denote

imbibed, and their

the

that

indications

point no farther, unless the progress to vesication be very slow,

which case an uncomfortable number of pustules may be

in

The

e.xpected to follow.
lation is

somewhat

florid spot in

larger, or

most instances of inocu-

more extended, on

the second than

on the third day after the insertion.

"

About the fourth day from inoculation, should the

incision

begin to vesicate, an itching sensation will be complained of on

the place of insertion

the occurrence of which

symptom

is

the

first

indication of a favourable event, yet not of sufficient importance to

justify

The
visible

any present relaxation

in the preparator}^ proceedings.

vesication of the incision in

on the fourth or

the sooner

it

becomes

be the event.

The

fifth

day

so, the

most instances

will begin to be

after the insertion of the matter

more favourable may be expected

to

extent or diameter of the vesication at this


SMALL POX INOCULATION.

8o

stage does not usually exceed that of a large pin's head, and

it

has invariably a dint or small depression."

It

note that Sutton frequently met

interesting to

is

There were one, two,

with cases of insusceptibihty.

three persons every day w^ho could not be infected.

such cases the result of inoculation

In a few hours after the insertion of the Small

"

became considerably inflamed and hardened

part

Pox

In

thus described

is

or

matter, the

to the extent of

a shilling, or wider, resembling the effects produced by the stings

or bites of small
sensation.

venomous

These

and attended with an itching

insects,

effects increasing,

continued for two, three, four,

or more days, and then disappeared.

which have since happened

sort,

some instances

In

of this

to me, the part thus irritated has

suppurated, and a small sloughing ensued

but this matter will not

give the Small Pox."

However, instances sometimes occurred of accidents

and even death

but

causes, in order to save the

many

a fact which was

upon by Moore
"

and

An
is

were attributed

these

new method from

afterwards

years

in the following

empiric never

hesitates at

words

making

never at a loss for pretexts to cover

other

to

reproach,

commented

positive declarations,

Should an

failures.

infant at the accession of the variolous fever be carried off

convulsion, he denies with effrontery that the Small

cause, and invents another

upon the

spot.

by

Pox was the

Should the confluent

Small Pox and death ensue, he soon detects that his instructions

were not
committed
little

in
fall

strictly

in

exposed

complied with, but some important error was

regimen

or, that

to the air.

the patient

In fine, the fault

the nurse, or in the inoculated, but

upon the

'

is

was

may

too

much

or too

be in the parents,

never allowed

fairly to

inoculator."

Moore.

'J7/C

History of the Small Pox,

p.

269.

1815.

CHAPTER

IV.

nAYGARTHS SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING SMALL

POX.

The history of Small Pox inoculation has been given

preceding

in

the

in

England

continued, had

Small

Pox, but, on

doubt

that

ease.

Instances

not
the

actually

it

been

natural disease,

The
to

futility

suggest a

year

In the
ject,^

only

into

interest

to

resulted

in

I.

Small

Pox

dis-

was

towns which were and

perfectly

free

from

the

and an epidemic followed.

of inoculation led Dr. Haygarth

new

carry out

in

1777

exterminating Small Pox.

plan for

1784, he published a

to

little

work on

sub-

this

and the means by which

his

scheme.

It

will

be

ot

follow his arsfument and conclusions, which

Haygarth.

VOL.

can be

spreading the

which

in

years

in

externiinate

to

failed

contrary, there

explaining his reasons

he proposed

adoption

general

This practice, though so

occurred

many

for

employment

first

its

the

assisted

introduced by inoculation

had

of

Suttonian method.

of the
Ions:

time

the

to

from

pages,

his anticipating,

An

Inquiry hoiv

by nearly

to preveijf the

a century,

Small Pox.

17J

the

PREVENTION OF SMALL FOX.

82

modern method of stamping out

Haygarth

pointed

infectious

distemper

out,

its

original

that

by

season, but

it

four or five thousand

this distemper.

endemic

It is

all

in the

1745,

years before history takes any notice of

All

Europe was infected from

was

It

this

did not appear in Greenland

carried thither

1742^ that
to

is,

till

by a native returning

distemper, from Copenhagen.

was again brought

it

about

universally allowed to have been originally

disappeared from 1725 to

ships

nor

soil,

existed

other parts of the world that were then known, or

JThe infection

^7?)Z-

be

to

infection.

The world had

only.

have since been discovered.

home,

Pox was

Small

occasioned by neither cHmate,

or near Arabia.

in

and

place,

is

infection

an

is

commencement

produced by any other cause than

" That at present

Pox

Small

that

secondly,

never known since

first,

diseases.

infectious

In Minorca,

it

entirely

for seventeen years.

In

Minorca by one of His Majesty's

and there can be no doubt that the former infection was

imparted

by some ship, though unnoticed by the author.

Boston, in

New

England, the Small Pox had been epidemical

only eight times

Massachusetts

At

from the
1752,

till

as

first

settlement of the

appears

from

the

composed out of Dr. Douglas's Historical and

province

following

of

tablcr

Political Sunuiia/y

of North America.
Epidemical Small Pox
AT Boston.
1649

1666

......

Years
absent.

17

1678

12

1689

11

1702

13

^1^"^

19

^11^

1752

22

"Before the epidemic of 172 1, the Small Pox was imported

from Barbadoes, before that of 1730, from Ireland, and before
that of 1752, from London.
At Rhode Island, in America, this

HAYGARTH'S

SYSl^EM.

distemper was never epidemical, according

which

to

83

authentic intelligence

have received from Dr. Moffat, who practised physic

Newport, their

from 1740

capital,

to

1765, and from Dr.

at

Water-

The former gentleman acquainted

The Small Pox was never
epidemical during my residence in Rhode Island, nor before, that
ever heard of
As far as I can recollect, there never was, at the
a native of the island.

lioiise,

me

with this fact in these words

'

same

more than

time,

happy exemption

five or

the

disease

probable

conjecture

" \st

becomes

he

evidence,

eruption

to obtain a

patient

following

never liable

regulations

infectious

the

that

patient

the

warrant

seldom

is

before

or

the

appears.

and 2nd

Cases.

whose eruptions, of the

His two

of the iever.

attended a

distinct kind,

sisters,

One

out of the house.

on

little

boy, in the Small Pox,

appeared on the fourth day

their appearance,

As

on being exposed to another infection.

was only removed

were removed

of them became feverish on the eleventh

day after her removal, the other was not attacked

after,

but

would

considered,

number

which day of

communicate the disease

to

Such a

established

sufficient

with certainty on

ascertain

to

of the distemper.

by

"

Haygarth was unable

of facts

ill

accomplished

is

there for the purpose.'

six

to a

seven weeks

till

the former sister

neighbouring house, there

may

be some

doubt whether she might not be infected by some future com-

The

munication.
" T,rd

and

the Sunda}'

4.1/1

other was sent to a

Cases.

A gentleman's

Friday, the sixth day,

One
had

became feverish on

child

lay

every night

with

and were then removed

in the

the

same

patient

till

yet neither were

though the pustules had appeared a day or two before.

of them

" 5^^'

greater distance.

two others of his children were daily

room, and one of them

infected,

much

Case.

never

was inoculated soon

In

a family

been exposed

after

and had the distemper.

where there were four children who

to

the

infection,

when

the

eruption

PREVENTION OF SMALL POX.

84

appeared on the

first

patient,

which was on the fourth

the disease, the other three were separated from

da}^ of

^nd escaped

it

infection."

these observations were not sufficiently numerous

As

to establish the

Haygarth quoted the testimony

truth,

of Dr. Heberden, in confirmation of the theory he had

This authority made the following statement

advanced.

a letter to Haygarth

in

"

Many

who never had Small Pox might

in the

me which show

instances have occurred to

same

one

that

and even

safely associate,

lie

two or three

bed, with a variolous patient for the

days of eruption without receiving the infection."

first

From

this

opinion that

and other experience, Haygarth was of

it

was quite established

That when one person

"

Pox

in

generally

family where

avoid

the

is

accidentally seized with the Small

others

natural

are

liable

infection

to

either

it,

the rest

may

by separation or

immediate inoculation."

Haygarth continued thus

" In

an enquiry how

prevent the Small Pox,

to

of consequence to determine

on

the patient's body.

this subject, chiefly

Jioxv

long

is

a point

the variolous poison

remains

it

have collected som.e authentic

facts

on

from the register of the Small Pox Society.

Out of 90 single patients the shortest continuance of the poison

was to the tenth and the longest to the fortieth day from the
commencement of the variolous eruption till the last scab dropt off,
and of these only 16 were

later than the thirty-eighth day.

Haygarth then pointed out

that

" All the discharges

Pox

selves,

of a Small

patient,

either of

or the probable mixture of serum, pus, or scab

them-

may

be


BAVGARJH'S
and ought

infectious,

prevent the propagation of the distemper.

to

Pox are

Small

to the

liable

near the variolous poison in a recent state/

so well established as to require

no proof.

widely and fatally this poison

dispersed

people.

It

may

That

very

Let us

among

how

reflect

ranks of

all

be conveyed into an}^ house unobserved from

furniture,

as

etc.,

"Clothes:
flannel)

Gloves

Linen;

i,

4, Silk

9,

Food :

Butter;

5,

Cotton;

2,

Millinery goods

3,

(particularly

Stockings

6,

Woollen
;

7,

Stays

8,

Shoes.

Bread;

10,

Milk;

15,

Tea;

18,

persons
air

a medical opinion

is

a great variety of families, adhering to clothes, food,

'^

order

in
'

by breathing the

infected

is

85

by cleanliness

destroyed

be

to

SYSTJiAl.

16.

Huxtery

12,

13,

Fruit; 14,

Sugar and other groceries;

N.B.

Nuts.

19,

Cakes;

11,

Food

boiled

17,

or roasted at

Salt;

home

is

probably not infectious.

"'Furniture

Money
ated

Earthenware;

20,

28, Medicines.

Hardware;

21,

Pens; 24, Paper;

other toys; 23,

25,

Books;

besides several of these

have mentioned, as

who by

this

linen, etc.,

means may communicate

the distemper, namel}' the seller, maker, washer,

and wearer.

clothes of a patient generally contain the largest quantity

of variolous poison.

many more

However,

The poison

a certain rank.

the enumerated articles and

all

come out of an

that

infectious person find their

among

Dolls and

Letters; 27,

Tenfold more articles might be enumer-

icludes four families each,

"The

22,

26,

infectious

house or from an

way unsuspected

into all families of

is

quickly and universally dispersed

the lowest class of people

whose poverty renders them

dirty."

As an
poison

time that the variolous

instance of the long

retains

its

following example

quality

infectious

was quoted

in

clothes,

the

'About 17 1 8, a ship from the East Indies arrived at the Cape

Good Hope. In the voyage, three children had been sick of

"

of

the Small

Pox

the foul linen about

them was put

into a

trunk

"

PREVENTION OF SMALL POX.

and

Upon handUng

given to some natives to be washed.

were

they

with

many

miles,

almost depopulated.^

From

and made such a desolation that

a variety of considerations

distant place

am

inclined to

believe,

is,

bedaubed with the variolous poison; either shut up

as to exclude

access of fresh

all

This event,

time.

munication of dirty clothes,

up

by

has been remarked that

this

believe,

in boxes,

clothes, paper, etc., so

in

It

air.

relations at a distance are infected

same

to a

by sending to relations and acquaintances clothes,

or what has a similar effect, folded

the

was

it

most usual method of transferring the Small Pox

that the

etc.,

the Hnen,

Pox, which spread into the

'

Haygarth added
"

the Small

seized

country for

was taken out and

ship's landing, this

At the

locked up.

distemper nearly about

happens from

com-

and sometimes possibly from a

etc.,

Whoever reflects that a piece of paper on which a letter

is written may have lain on the bed where there is, or has been,
a Small Pox patient, or on a table, chair, etc., where the foul
handkerchiefs, clothes, etc., are thrown, or may be smeared with

letter.

by the unwashed hands of a servant, corre-

variolous matter

spondent, or a patient
to

exclude the

and nose
mouth,

will

to

air,

that the letter is folded

that

when opened

it

up carefully so as

held near the

is

be read, and afterwards a child puts

not be surprised that

it

it

mouth

into

the

may sometimes communicate

an infection."

Haygarth argued

the

that

variolous

poison, in

the

form of serum, pus, and scab, by impregnating the sur-

rounding
if this

air,

was the

were 'granted, the

be much diminished.

were

sole

produced,

show

to

means of

Mead,

and

that

difficulty

of prevention would

number of

cases and arguments

that the

infectious to a slight distance

'

infection,

air

is

only rendered

by the variolous poison.

Or? the Plague.

fi


HAYGARTH' S SYSTEM.
There was only one cause
disperse the infection

room,

"

a strong wind

viz.,

directly

To

to a

would be

that

uncommon

diminish the force of this argument,

dissolved in the air of a Small

much

variolous

distemper to thousands
diluted several
it

to

and we

but

poison

sufficient

when

the

infectious

hundred times with fresh

lOOth,

excite a

to

much

air,

fermentation

lOOOth

less

allow that

some

in

would communicate the

as

air

is

light.

in

again

we cannot suppose

fact respecting

kind of ferment sets this point in a true

is

may even

Pox chamber -can produce

any mischievous energy.

retain

be suggested

perhaps a much smaller quantity of miasms,

infection,

so

may

it

which by an admixture

cannot be denied that by inocula-

It

very small portion of matter

subjects

circumstance.

particles with blood occasions the generation of

its

a large quantity of poison.

by natural

to

provided that the wind blew

that the variolous infection is a ferment

tion a

likely

distance from the patient's

through the room, an

of a few of

8;

another

pint of yest

a barrel of ale

part of this quantity of

but

would

yest,

not have the effect."

In further support of his doctrine,

Haygarth pointed

out

"That Small Pox was epidemical

to

January

778.

in

Chester, from May,

1777

"(i) At the beginning, two or three families were seized, not

immediate neighbours,
" (2)

Then

but in the same quarter of the town.

the children of a neighbourhood comprehending an

entry had the distemper, but

it

did not spread from

them as a

centre.

"(3^ In no part of the town

it

has spread uniformly from a

centre farther than thro' an entry or narrow lane, where

all

the

children of a neighbourhood play together.

"

(4) Afterwards the poor children in several parts of the towji

were attacked,

at

a considerable distance, in

some

places half

a mile off each other,

"(5) Yet

many

portions

of

all

the

large

streets

were not

PREVENTION OE
November

infected in

but so late as December and January the

many who had escaped when

distemper returned to attack

was

it

neighbourhood some months before.

their

in

SJ\/ALL FOX.

"(6) In Handbridge, a part of Chester, only separated from

the rest of the town by the river Dee, not more than y had
been

during

infected

epidemic,

the

children in this quarter are

"

of

the middle of the city, in one street (King's) of 24

(7) In

who never had passed

only

distemper,

the

thro'

both

2,

in

house, were attacked.

same

the

numbers

great

tho'

the distemper.

to

liable

"(8) During the summer and autumn of 1777,

epidemic was general in Chester,

were

this

of the surrounding villages

etc.),

and some larger towns (as

Barrow, Tarven,

(as Christleton,

while

many

by the Small Pox

one

Nantwich, Neston,

etc.)

or more families.

Yet the distemper did not spread generally

As both

any of these towns.

thro'

visited

same

the variolous poison were the

why
"

did
(9)

not equally

it

the

state

and

of the air

in these places as in

their air as well

infect

in

Chester,

as ours ?

At Frodsham the Small Pox began in May, and gradually

to be remarkably epidemical in one

became more frequent, so as

part

months

several

for

Nov.

18,

1777,

trary,

at

Upton,

24

except

all,

fection),

small

in

it

speedy propagation

was

less
I

village

miles

never been attacked

(who

one

had

one half of the town,

nearly

yet,

On

remained quite uninfected.

still

who had

children,

certainly

also

than two months.

shall give

from

by the
exposed

'

to the

spreading

but,

air or contiguity

It

is

and,

if

to

which

prevent the

it.'

universally allowed

that

attacks the children of the poor people

generally

was taken

care

on the contrary, there seemed to be a general wish

that all the children might have

" (10)

No

its

of houses, but has increased in proportion to the communication

with each other.

in-

of

words of Mr. Edwards,

in the

The distemper has not been propagated by the

families have

of

distemper,

The reason

surgeon, a very intelligent inhabitant of the place

"

the con-

Chester,

but the air

infectious,

is

the

first,

variolous

and by

infection

far the

most

equally breathed both by rich and poor,

would equally communicate the distemper

to

both

HAYGARTH'S SYSTEM.
in

Many

proportion to their respective numbers.

occur of a favourite child, living

in large

instances daily

towns where the Small

Pox almost constantly rages, who, by anxious care

has escaped

distemper,

to avoid the

arrived at maturity, and received

till

it

by mixing with society

the infection by inoculation or

Of many gentlemen's children

Chester, not one was seized by the

cautious manner.

distemper

in

Pox, whose infection could not be accounted

time of this epidemic."

(ii)

gentleman's

occasion of their

tions,

of

whom

during the whole

eight were children

walk

first

all

One

of the

in the

town they met a

of the child, and

her brothers, she believes, were

except one of the brothers,

Pox

look at this Small

child a year

The breadth of the path was a 3'ard and

children, a young girl, passed within half

Both parties walked uniformly forward

near.

the

to

famil}',

old with the Small Pox.

a yard

liable

natural Small

Small Pox, became inhabitants of Chester, and on the

liable to the

a quarter.

for,

in a less

who

all

as

in opposite direc-

out of curiosity stopped to

he did not touch the

child,

but he

approached nearer than any of the others of the party.

This

brother
all

patient

was the only one who was

infected.

At the same

tim.e

the other three were susceptible of Small Pox, for they were

attacked on the 24th, 25th, and 26th day after they met the child,

being infected from the brother

29th

second,

who had

These

facts

sister

on December the

not accompanied the others.

afforded an opportunity of judging

distance in the open

The

influence.

while another brother was seized

November, and another

on the

air a

how

small a

Small Pox patient exerts a pestilential

following account indicated that

the variolous

not infectious to any persons out of

Small

poison in a house

is

Pox occurred

a family in a quarter of the town where there

in

were numbers of children

liable to infection.

was explained

of prevention

were attacked by the

except a boy
tions

Small

who had been

in

Pox,

liable to

twenty six

in

it,

prevent any

"Tho' two of her children

and one of them

the sick

were given, not a single

two were

The new method

to a lady in order to

of her neighbours catching the disease.

it.

died, yet,

chamber before the

child caught

direc-

the disease, altho'

even at the next door, and not fewer than

the near neighbourhood."

PREVENTION OF SMALL POX.

90

These observations convinced Haygarth

Pox

Small

that

did not render the surrounding air infectious to such

a distance, as to frustrate

human attempts

all

to stop

progress, and he therefore formulated the following

its

conclusions

"If the Small Pox be communicated by infection and by infection only

if it

be only caught by approaching very near to the

a recent state, or that has been

variolous poison

in

up from the

ever since

air

miasms do not render

Small Pox may

was

the infectious distance

The

can be destroyed.

for sufficient time, is

probably deprived of

being dissolved in the atmosphere.

meeting and walking

in

that an infectious quality

it

may

and

//

the variolous

follows that the

of the variolous poison

variolous poison,

where Small Pox was communicated

that

recent

be prevented by keeping persons liable to the distemper

from approaching within

till it

it

clothes, etc., infectious,

close shut

is

open

quickly given to the

which has been attributed

to the air

infectious quality,

have known several instances

in the

opposite directions.

soon be exhausted.

exposed

if

its

air

by two persons

These
air,

facts

proved

and consequently

The epidemical Small Pox,

to a peculiar constitution of the

atmo-

sphere by the sagacious Sydenham, and by most other physicians

who have

since written on the subject,

patible with this conclusion

satisfactory
I

manner on

but

think

may
it

be supposed incom-

can be explained

the principles of this inquiry."

request the reader to consider the following table

Deaths by the Small Pox

Manchester.
Januarj'

\^

in

1781.

in


HAYGARTH'S SYSTEM.
Hence we

"

see,

on surveying" several large neighbouring towns,

Warrington, and Chester, that the distemper

as Manchester,

very seldom

qi

any

irom

absent

them,

of

but

that

is

becomes

it

generally epidemical at uncertain periods in each, and at times

which hold no correspondence with one another.

on comparing several

neighbouring

others suffer a general

numerous

seizure.

have a few

onl}- infected,

Whoever

considers the

perhaps be convinced

facts here faithfully related will

becomes epidemical neither

that the distemper

state of the air,

we observe some

villages,

entirely free from the distemper, others

human

nor of the

In like manner,

thro'

No

constitution.

any peculiar

such difference

can reasonably be supposed to exist in large towns within twenty

miles of each other,
of
is

in

in

all

much

above advanced be

true, the

neighbouring villages, and least

same town or

seeming

village.

may

m3-ster3'

what

If

be explained

The Small Pox continues spreading as long as

few words.

less in

of the

difterent parts

persons liable to the infection approach patients in the distemper, or

same chamber, or very nearly

infectious matter, either in the

open

air,

wa}' this

and then
theor}'

ceases.

was capable of

point

was

application,

practical

With

of charity and benevolence to mankind.'

Ilaygarth drew up the following instructions

"

in the

to inquire in
'

what

either

by

by a private society founded on principles

regulations, or

civil

The next

this

end

in

view

Mankind are not necessarily subject to the Small Pox

ALWAYS CAUGHT BY INFECTION FROM A PATIENT IN THE DIS;

IT

IS

TEMPER, OR THE POISONOUS MATTER, OR

SCABS THAT COME FROM

A PATIENT, AND MAY BE AVOIDED BY OBSERVING THESE

,

"RULES OF PREVENTION.
"I.

Suffer no person

into the infectious

who

house.

has not had the Small Pox to come

No

visitor

who has had

an}-

com-

munication with persons liable to the distemper, should touch or

sit

down on anything
"II.

to

No

patient, after the

go into the
"III.

infectious.

street, or

The utmost

pocks have appeared, must be suffered

other frequented place.

attention to clcanliiirss

during and after the distemper.

dog, cat, money,

No

is

absolutely necessar}-

person, clothes, food, furniture,

medicines, or any other thing

that

is

known

PREVENTION OF SMALL FOX.

92

or suspected to be daubed with matter,

or other infectious

spittle,

discharges of the patient, should go out of the house

be washed, and
fresh

No

air.

till

foul

they

till

they have been sufficiently exposed to the

or anything else that can retain the

linen

poison should be folded up and put into drawers, boxes, or be

otherwise

up from the

shut

water and kept there

what

to

is

When

but immediately thrown into

air,

No

washed.

till

go into another family

hands are washed.

their

till

a patient dies of the Small

attendants should touch

Pox, particular care should

be taken that nothing infectious should be taken out of the house,

so as to do mischief.

The

" IV.

liable

to

patient

must not be allowed

the distemper

and

during the distemper,

till

his hair,

face,

every scab

till

clothes, furniture, food,

approach

to
is

dropt

an}-

person

till

all

off,

the

other things touched by the patient

all

the floor of the sick chamber,

and hands have been carefully washed.

and

till

After

everything has been made perfectly clean, the doors, windows,

drawers, boxes, and

should be kept open

air

As every

till

restriction

Haygarth proposed

places

oi,her

all

be cleared out of the house."

it

is

can retain infectious

that

attended with inconvenience,

that a rew^ard should be given for

attention to the rules, and

this

w^as to

be secured by

annexing to them a
"promissory note
"

DATED

" The Society for

Promoting General Inoculation

and for Preventing

the

pay

sum

the

as soon as
family,

all

Natural Small Pox

/'//

at stated periods,

Chester,

promises to

of [half-a-crown or a crown, or

the scabs have dropt off the patients in

on condition that the said

exactly observe

and

the foregoing rules,

the society, or their

exactly observed

to

and allow any member of

inquire

whether

and as a farther encouragement

directions attentively
]

nispector,

and

faithfully, the society

the reward

if

family

they

are

to follow these

promise [double or

no neighbour or acquaintance be

HAYGARTH'S SYSTEM.

93

attacked by the Small

Pox during

the said

nor within 16 days after

entirely fallen

ofif

"

the time

it

the family of

in

is

all

the scabs have

the family.

By

order of the Society,

Inspector."

As

were inhabitants

there

improper

desirable to affix
to the rules

pecuniary

offer

to

the

whom

to

reward,

was

it

following request

would be

it

thought

such

in

cases

" The independent citizens to ivhoin the rewards of the Society will
not

ivorth

be

acceptance, are

earnestly

requested

to

observe these

regulations through motives of humanity, in order to preserve their

fellow creatures from so fatal

and

to

a pestilence as the natural Small

permit the inspector, if they have no other medical

see that they are observed, lest their servants inadvertently

Pox

visitor,

to

spread the

contagiony

An
rules

was

inspector

were observed, and to keep a register containing

of families

information

full

to be appointed, to see that these

The name,

Pox.

were to be

patient
ticulars

date

when

address,

attacked

and

with

of

each

following

par-

occupation

entered,

with

the Small

Pox

the

Small

the

fever began, date of

information, date of receiving the rules of prevention,

whence

infected,

being washed

date

and

municated or not,

of death or

aired,

last

scab,

date

of

whether infection was com-

whether the

rules

were observed

or transgressed.
It

was

l)0ssible,

also considered desirable

the inspector should write

that,

down

where

it

was

in the register

PREVENTION OF SMALL POX.

94

the

Thus,

of infection.

proofs

move

necessary to

suffering froni

upon

the eruption

One

her, ran

of the children, with

carried

of the poison upon her clothes.

Some

family

belonging

against a child

who probably

another

to

was

it

house while they were

into another

Small Pox.

one family

in

home some
had

children

been allowed, contrary to the promise of the parents, to

play in the street, and they communicated

Pox

to another family.

he cjave

another instance,

upon him was playing

with the eruption

window

In

through

teetotum

bed-clothes

children

who had

died from the Small

to a distant part of the

Hay garth

anticipated

deduce
in

Haygarth

many

facts

from

to

Pox were

sent

off,

to be

distemper to another
experience would

that

also

was reason-

it

other

stated

of a prac-

he could

that

infectious

favour of the doctrine maintained

but he considered that

sash

by

ably hoped that such defects would admit

correction.

a street

foul

discover defects in the regulations, but

tical

a child

to a family.

town nearly a mile

washed, and communicated the

family.

the

made

been

had

that

in

Pox

a boy, and communicated the Small

Again,

the Small

in

distempers

the

inquiry

argument from analogy would

be superfluous after so many direct proofs had been

produced.

As

the

that in a

the Small

result
rejjort

of these sanitary

by the inspector,

Pox had been stopped

measures,
it

in

was

we

find

certified that

ten different parts


HAY GARTH'S

SYSTEM.

95

of the city, and that so tar as could be learned from

minute
patients

Chester,

in

were

there

inquiries,

only

three

Pox

were principally

which

results

Small

produced by the rules and the rewards of the Society

preventing the Small Pox.

for

When
inquiry

in

1778,
the

to

Haygarth submitted the preceding

consideration of his

including

friends,

Dr. Waterhouse, he ascertained that this practice had

been carried out

actually

Rhode

in

of years

Rhode

Island,

was discouraged, and the following method

inoculation

was employed
If

long series

and

Boston

In

Island.

for

for preventing the

any who resided

Small Pox

those parts had gone to the

in

Southern Provinces to be inoculated they were enjoined

"never

to

back any of their clothes worn during their

bring

Never

stay at the inoculating place.

to quit

of time

fixed

And

they have any sores about them

if

harbour,

not

by the inoculators

come on shore

to

it till

a certain space

be the disease ever so

till

when

slight.

they arrive in the

they are examined by the

inspector appointed for that purpose."

If a

case

inspector

Pox occurred

of Small

was sent

for

in

if,

his

in

the town the

opinion, the person

were infected, he took with him some overseers of the

Small Pox, and

titioner

they

pronounced

the family

was,

if

had

little

it

in

conjunction with

to be a case of the Small

more

to

do with the

patient,

prac-

Pox,

who

from that time to the conclusion of the disease,

wholly under the direction of these officers,

who removed


PREVENTION OF SMALL POX.

96

him

an

to

island

where

convenient was

everything

already provided.
If the disease

known

to be the

were so

advanced before

far

Small Pox, that the patient could not

be removed without danger,

the

up,

fact

was

was

it

the

advertised

in

street

the

was boarded

newspaper, and

guards were placed to prevent any person coming to

were taken to the island before referred

sick

quarantine and

ship was obliged to undergo

a jack

her shrouds,

in

board her.

vessel

Pox on board, the

arrived in the harbour with Small

"

If a

a certain distance of the house.

within

the

to,

to

hoist

which case no boats could

in

Dr. Waterhouse adds

acknowledge some of these rules are unnecessary and

in-

convenient, but the dread of this disorder induces the people to

adhere to them with cheerfulness.

stranger would be ready to

conclude that they could not be so scrupulous^ complied with,

without exerting an authority disagreeable to the people

but

it

is

not the case, for the united voice of the people coinciding with
the magistrate, gives every regulation
it

its

wished for

effect

so that

rather appears like a popular custom than the restraints of the

law."

Haygarth proposed
stated

intervals,

to

but

it

would be most agreeable

The

object

course,
fection

to
;

of having

avoid

because,

the
if

have general inoculation

at

was

as

only

subject liable to infection

such

time

to the inhabitants in general.

general

danger of
the

at

inoculation

propagating

inoculation

was,
the

of
in-

were general, no

would remain.

It

was only

HAYGARTH'S SYSTEM.
proposed

this

two years, or

about
be

perform

to

made

publicly

less

at

by

lasting

Pox
lost

many

security

sight of.

was

to

intercourse with

was

to

be

as

the latter
visionary,

system
it

however was

was not generally

and when the promise of perfect and ever-

inoculation,

VOL.

all

in

who never

those

practice of inoculation

isolation,

regarded by
adopted,

this

once

subsidiary to the plan of stamping out the

altogether
disease

and

fi-equently,

known, so that

The

time

fixed

had the disease might easily avoid

the infectious.

97

was made by the promoters of

Haygarth's system was

Cow

ignored and

CHAPTER

V.

THE TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

Adams

in

his

" Shall

we

forget

work
that

which

they

the

to

Poisons

barbers

we

writes

owe

the

the Jesuits, of the Peruvian

bold use of mercury, to

bark,

Morbid

on

of the

learned

Indians,

that

an

African showed us the value of quassia, that a Greek

slave

tauQfht

woman

blessings of which

the

were

art

of

inoculation,'

for a time almost lost

fancied improvements and ill-directed cautions

shall

we

contrast

all

the

by our
Lastly,

with the manner in which a

this

Jenner has availed himself of the neglected traditions

of cowherds and dairymaids
In

some

"
?

parts of the country, a belief existed

those

who had

cows,

which

cated

to

the

the

they

care
called

milkers,

of

cattle,

Cow

afforded

Pox,

that

among

a disease

of

when communi-

them protection from

Small Pox.
It

how,

is

not without importance to consider when, and

this belief arose.

of opinion that

it

Pearson and Jenner were both

originated

simultaneously

with

the

TRADITIOyS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

Pox

introduction of Small

be seen

how

inoculation.

far their conclusion will

99

remains to

It

enable us to explain

the origin of this tradition of the dairymaids.

Had

a belief in the protective

Cow Pox

power of

existed prior to the practice of inoculation,

and possibly explained

experience

who had

of persons

Cow Pox

although

show

that

the early experience of these

we may

Pox

Small

gave

rise

to

could

inoculated
the

way,

natural

popular

Pox

Small

and

and

as a

Pox on

Cow

tradition.

to

fact

Pox
that

was

it,

result of
in

arms of
which

Pox,

and

The

distinguish

Small

the

the

to

with

failure

dairymaids,

the

expected

be

How

evidently

contracted

among

of the

not

But,

simultaneously

arose

was

Small

recently

gossip

foundation

folk

It

inoculate

who had

Pox.

no evidence

is

diseases.

tradition

inocidation ?

attempting to
those

the

that

ask,

there

originated

belief

this

Cow Pox

contracted

and natural Small Pox have been

known from time immemorial,

the

outcome of the

the

as

it

had not subsequently caught Small

and

early-

Pox would doubtless have mentioned

writers on Sniall
it,

the

laid

dairy-

between

caught

in

Cow

some

Poxed milkers were proof against inoculation was so

interpreted,

as

a foundation for the popular

to afford

belief that they

were

for

ever after secured trom the

danger of catching the Small

of the
those

country, the

who were

tradition

quite

Pox.

In

many

parts

was unknown amongst

familiar

with

Cow Pox

and


cow POX AND SMALL
may be

this

some

in

the

Another circumstance

counties than in others.

which points to the relation between

the inoculation of Small Pox,

some

cases of those

who

to those

before

" It is

death

was alleged

it

among

"

Cow

Cow

had the

that no writer

one

having

The Cow Pox

Pox.

from having the Small Pox.

Pox,

and

with

the

number,

believe

variolous
I

think

it

but

only,

convinces

that

should

have taken

now

person

to

them

Cow

have had the

I

twenty,

other

about

inoculated

could not

infect

nearly

or

that

very reasonable to presume (as they were

real

of

that

me

Pox who ever

certainly prevents a

have

reported

the

Small

the

forty of

least

at

virus

no judges), had not the

opinion

who have been

persons

sixty

the papers of Mr. Nash^

Pox.

never heard of

following

the

that

rather remarkable

notice of the

known

w^as

the notice of the profession

to

statements were found

after his

that the resistance in

is,

practised inoculation in the country, long

Thus,

generally.

and

this tradition

who had had Cow Pox

was brought

it

inoculation

that

fact

more commonly practised

much

Pox was

Small

of

by

explained

FOX.

the

Cow

Pox.

Cow Pox

It

other

several

not

my own

gentlemen,

prophylactick

is

is

medical

for

the

Small Pox.
"

have not been able

get

it

from

the

cows

in

to

discover

that

the

human

any other manner than by contact

with the parts immediately infected, such as in milking

do

neither

another but by the same means, as

of the inhabitants of a
of those

'

apprehend that one of the human species can communicate

to

it

species

who

Pearson.

I/o7/s('

lay in the

house where

it

I
have known some
was escaped, but none

same bed with the diseased person.

A?i Examinafioii of the Report of the Committee of the

of Connnons,

1802, p. 24.

TRADITION'S OF THE DAIRYAIAIDS.

Mrs. Scammell and Mrs. Bracher,

" /;/

no eruption, no sickness, and

punctured

place

the

than

suppurated

large

Pox,

Small

large

as

much

than

larger

and

inflamed

frequently

It

measured

have

(I

when

bigger
head.

pin's

considerable marks, which are

inoculation produced

or no suppuration of the arm,

little

being

not

loi

those

some)

as

leaves

of the
a

silver

threepence.
"

My

intention

principal

opinion

(and

known,

therefore

medical

friend

me

give

so

it

hope

enforce
credit

far

experiment, and then

if,

from

little

and

upon

it

my

for

the

world,

assertions

them

put

oKveeiv,

in

the

make

to

the

But

itself.
it,

no
will

can-

saying of Hippocrates,

looking into the systematic writers, as

Machide,

those

or

who have made

of definitions of disease, as Linnaeus, Vogel,

"

they

known, they should disregard

remembrance of

Upon

etc.

Sauvages and

find

have

that

as

made

yet

introduce

sufficiently

will

any

to

although

trust,

my

them that we had the art of inoculation first

women, who were both ignorant and illiterate,

Grecian

from

Mt;

being so

far superior, in

is

but remind

not

and

my

it

that

from experience),

judge

to

being to recommend

publishing

in

the world a method of inoculation

tT

any disease mentioned by them

at

all

catalogues

and CuUen,
the

like

Cow

do not
Pox.

Although some people cannot, from the peculiar nature of

their constitutions, take the

many persons

reason of so
other,

being incapable

"

That

the

Cow

is

it

Small Pox

but that cannot be the

one part of the country, and no

in

of taking the Small Pox.

not more surprizing that no one has written on

Pox, since Dr. Heberden was the

the Chicken

first

who

described

Pox, which had been in the country one hundred

years.

"When
the

arms

those

abscess, but
"

On

principally

but

never,

some hard tumour

cows,

pustules,

who have had

inflame,

the

Cow Pox

Cow Pox

the

or

least

at

in the

usuall}'

muscular

teats.

comes

They do

teats

not

form an

first

in

round

and udders, but

appear

Their teats are so

inoculated,

flesh.

appears at

afterwards in ulcers upon the

upon the

are

seldom,

to

have any

far injured

by the

sickness before

it

inflammation

produces, that people are frequently obliged to open

it

out.


POX AND SMALL

COl^F

POX.

the tubes through which the milk passes with a knitting needle

One cow having

some such instrument.

or
it

to a

whole

dairy.

unless proper

means

'

"
"

This disease

butter.

Cows have

The

told, is soot

been able to determine whether a person

Pox

Small

is

not had

the middle,

those

who have had

those

who have

death,

Pox, the arm on inoculation

a greater extent than

to

but then there

little

is

those

in

or no matter in
it

fill

he

died

in

were sent by

They

Battiscombe.

was rumoured

The

1785.

mother

his

to

the

in

papers,

on

Similar testimony was afforded by Mr. Rolph,^

well

enced

nine years

for

acquainted

many

contracted this disease.

a partner

of

practitioner

and
from

at

Mr.

his

Mr. Grove

own

milkers

Mr. Rolph

for

Grove, who had

Thornbury

the following

Pox, and had experi-

inoculate

to

facts

for

related

observations

and

by

Pearson,

two years was

forty

medical
years,

Mr. Rolph were

the

loc. cit.^ p. 13.

who had

been a

nearly

'

who

Gloucestershire, and

in

Cow

with

failures

It

was acquainted with Nash.

that Jenner

had practised

his

Thomas

1799, to Mr. Robert Keate.

in

year

her brother, Mr.

passed, about 1795, to Mr.

Nash, and from him,

was

as in

not had this disease, but soon heals and dries."

Nash's observations were written

and

78 1,

inflamed
it

Cow

the

where the puncture was made, nor does

who have

Mr.
1

am

has had the Small Pox can receive this disease.

" In

for

best,

not very frequent in this country.

is

the disease but once.

have not yet

who

communicate

be employed to cure them, which means

'

are the unguents to the sore parts.

and

will

it

continues after a long time upon them

It

experience

of


TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.
Cow Pox

"

very frequently epizootic

is

the spring season.

It

duced into the herds.

same time

the

is

matter

is

the dairy-farms in

in

Cows newly
Cows on a farm

intro-

When

are at

the

affected,

number

infection

of

seems generally

Hence they

affected

first

For

are infected.

Whether

to a single beast.

Cow

the

if

the disease in the

the morbific poison

is

is

confined

generated in

diseased in a farm, de novo, from time to time, and

first

among

disseminated
poison,

have

be perceived in a certain state, and obvious

precautions be taken, the infection does not spread, but

the

to

some one Cow, and before

aware of the existence of the disease, the infectious

probably conveyed by the hands to the teats and udders

of other Cows.

Cow

103

especially breaks out in

originated in the constitution of

milker

'

Pox

the rest of the herd, or, like the Small

only communicated from animals of the same species to

is

one another,

is

No cow

not ascertained.

has been knovv'n to

die,

or to be in danger from this disorder."

Numbers of
Pox had

fallen

of milkers suffering from

cases

under

Mr.

Rolph's

many hundreds more under

Mr. Grove
case

affection

of his

and

partner,

late

but not a single fatal or even dangerous

The

had occurred.

of a slight

that

observation,

Cow

ordinarily were

patients

fever for two or three days, and

seldom called

ill

the local

for the assistance of a medical

practitioner.

Mr. Rolph added

"There
in

is

not a medical practitioner of even

Gloucestershire, or scarce a dairy farmer,

from his
suffered

little

experience

who does

not know,

own

experience or that of others, that persons

the

Cow Pox

are

who have

exempted from the agency of the

variolous poison.
"

The

late

Mr. Grove was a very extensive Small Pox inocu-

lator, frequently having two hundred to three hundred patients

at

one time, and the

fact of

exemption,

now

asserted,

had been

COJV

104

POX AND SMALL

POX.

long before his death abundantly established, by his experience of

many

Cow

who had

scores of subjects,

previously laboured under the

Pox, being found unsusceptible of the Small Pox either by

inoculation or by effluvia."

Rolph

Mr.

Thornbury, not
in

estimated
less

he

while

that

practised

at

than threescore instances of failure

attempting to produce the Small Pox by inoculation

occurred

his

in

almost

all

took Small Pox, and

being

without

cases

and

these were cases

all

previously affected with the

freely associated with

many were
Mr.

infected.

after

may

the

Cow

who

those

repeatedly inoculated,

Rolph was not able

any instances of persons taking the

recollect

Pox

practice,

who had been

of persons

Cow Pox

own

to

Small

Pox, but he was of opinion that

have, and indeed had, occurred to others.

Mr. Dolling, a practitioner

Blandford, had inocu-

at

number of persons who

they had

had

lated

Cow

Pox, and very few of them took the infection.

Mr. Fewster, who

in

his

with Sutton in the practice

said

early days

of

was associated

inoculation

for

Small

Pox, had repeatedly heard the tradition that

Cow Pox

afforded security against Small Pox, and had

met with

cases in his

own

practice which

seemed

to support the

tradition.

About seventeen years

Inquiry,

Jenner's

went

to

there

was any

to

before

satisfy

publication

of

woman who had had Cow Pox

an Inoculation Hospital
truth

the

in

her brother's

the

to

ascertain

common

curiosity.

belief,

whether
in

order

This circumstance

TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

thus related

is

tJie

pubHshed

Pock,

Coio

Dr. Lettsom

b)"

after the publication

"Although the

1801,

in

Observations on

his

in

just

of Jenner's Inquiry.

Cow Pock

has long since been found by in-

been applied to any beneficial purpose

its

permanent security against the variolous

was

ventive quality of the vaccine fluid

now

appear, no one,

men many

into practice as a

it

This pre-

infection.

known even to
strange as it may

certainly

years ago; but,

Jenner promulgated his discovery, had

till

ever improved that knowledge by applying

About twenty years

inoculation.

had never

it

the genius of Jenner

till

powers, and introduced

scientific professional

years

three

cidental experience a security against the Small Pox,

discriminated

105

ago,

to the process

it

when

Dr. Archer

was

now

physician of the hospital for inoculation, Catherine Wilkins,

who had had

Titchenor, from Cricklade in Wiltshire,

Pock

Cow

the

consequence of milking cows, came to her brother

in

London (where she

is

now

resident),

who,

of
the

in

being desirous of

ascertaining whether this circumstance could be depended upon

as preventive of the Small Pox, sent her to the hospital for inocu-

when she

lation,

received the variolous matter from Dr. Archer,

against which, however, she

course, could not be

from the

who
that

proof,
;

and the Small Pox, of

but no advantage was derived

fact."

Not only was the

lators,

was

communicated

we

but

well

known

it

who had

for

it

was equally

contracted

when Jenner mentioned

that

neighbours

Cow

the

many

subject

of

the

well

known

Cow Pox had

sequently suffered from Small Pox.

this

Inocu-

to

are also informed that there were

did not believe

many

tradition

It

to

was owing

his

Baron.

Life 0/ .dward

prophylactic

'Je7i?ier, \o\.i.,

"p.

to

professional

power of

Pox, their reply was not very encouraging/

sub-

125.

COW POX AND SMALL

io6

We

"

have

give

some

heard

all

(they would

"

we have even

mention, and

POX.

observe)

sort of countenance to the notion to

we have also known

many who were reported
but

powers probably,

to

have had the

Cow Pox

The supposed

Pox.

who

In short, the evidence

is

In

wiil lead to

prophylactic

may have

received

it,

and cannot think

Dorsetshire, according to Mr. Dow^ne,^ a

some of

among

similar

the public as well as

among

the practitioners in those parts.

The lower

class of people

still

from an opinion that the resistance

wear out

the

in

anything but uncertainty and disappointment."

disbelief prevailed

"

having sub-

altogether so inconclusive

and unsatisfactory that we put no value on

it

has escaped the Small Pox, and

not on any efficacy of that disorder which they

that

which you allude

depend upon some peculiarity

therefore,

constitution of the individual

from the cow.

what you

cases of a perfectly different nature,

Small

sequently caught the

" of

seen examples which certainly do

in a

refuse the vaccine inoculation,

to the

Small Pox after

it,

will

few years, which opinion some medical practitioners

encourage."

The
of

Cow Pox
is

it

tradition

was founded on the

an attack

interfered with inoculated Small Pox,

not therefore surprising that

generally

fact that

accepted

by

the

it

should have been

country people as worthy

of credit, and that attempts should have been

communicate the disease by

different

made

the disease

methods would
peasant mind

'

either,

Letter from Mr. N.

to Dr. Pearson.

was contracted by the

naturally

S.

suggest

to

methods, with a

view to afford the benefits that were alleged to

when

and

result,

Two

milkers.

themselves

to

the

to handle the teats of the cows,

Downe, Surgeon, dated Bridport, June

7,

1802,


TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.
or

inoculate themselves

to

according

some

parts

the Small

the

in

needle,

employed

practice

in

of buyincr

Pox.

had

Cow Pox had

which

commonly

of the country

Pulteney

Dr.

method

the

to

arm with a

the

in

107

heard

an

of

instance

in

been contracted intentionally by

contact.

me

'*A very respectable practitioner informtd

whom

children

previously infected with the

Cow Pox

which they suffered the distemper.

Cows

the Small Pox, did net sicken

Mr.

Downe gave

Robert

Fooks,

butcher

Cow

infected with the

consequence of

in

to

after inoculation for

the following history of intentional

when about 20 years of age was

was

five,

had been

the other two took the distemper."

inoculation in the year 1771

"

These

five

by being made

purposely,

handle the teats and udders of infected

of seven

that

he had inoculated for the Small Pox,

Pox.

near

Bridpcrt,

It

31

years

ago,

farmhouse when the dairy

at a

being suggested to him that

it

would be the means of preserving him from the Small Pox, which
he had never taken,

Cow Pox
in

if

two or three places

began
other

he would submit to be inoculated with the

matter, he gave his consent

symptoms of

permanent

in his

and his hand

to inflame

scars.

fever

hand.

he was infected by a needle

In about a week, the parts

to swell, his

came

He was

head

The

on.

afterwards

to ach,

and many

parts inoculated

left

by

my

inoculated

twice

grandfather, and a considerable time after, twice by m}' father,

but without
is

any

effect

than a slight irritation of the part, such as

occasioned in the arms of persons

Small Pox.

The Small Pox has been

who have

already had the

repeatedly since in his

own

'Letter from Dr. Pulteney to Dr. Pearson, dated Blandford, July 14,
i:q8.

cow FOX AND SMALL

family,

and he never avoided

POX.

being confident that

it,

it

was not

possible to infect him with this disease."

Mr. Nicholas Bragge,^ an apothecary, reported

letter written in 1802, that a farmer's w^ife

In

had performed

a similar operation.
"

It

is

now,

believe,

twenty years ago that Mrs. Kendall, the

wife of a respectable farmer in the parish of Whitechurch, near

Lyme,

in

Dorsetshire (who

at

is

Caroline Damer, in the same

this

time

tenant to

parish for which

cerned as an apothecary for the poor ever since

business),

and those

Lady

have been con-

have been

inoculated herself and three or four children for

children,

who have long

in
it

arrived at manhood, have since

inoculated their friends and neighbours whenever an opportunity has

offered."

But these inoculations were not only performed by

farmers' wives.

Mr. Nicholas Bragge appears himself

Cow

to

have inoculated

its

prophylactic efficacy.
" It

is

now more

Pox, and to have advocated

than thirty years ago that

periments, and proved that the Vaccine Distemper

vative against the Small

Pox

twenty years ago,

through

that,

and

it

the

is,

Rev.

first

was

made exa preser-

more than

believe,

Herman

Drew,

acquainted Sir George Baker with the observations and experi-

ments

had then made, which

am

certain

Sir

George

will

readily acknowledge."

This statenient was

a letter

'

Sir

in

supported

by Mr. Tucker,^

in

1802, in which he wrote that Mr. Bragge,

Mr. Nicholas Bragge's Letter, dated Axminster, April

12,

1802, to

William Elford, Bart.

-Letter from William Tucker, Esq., of Coryton, in Devonshire, to Sir

William Elford,

Bart., April J2, 1802.

TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAJDS.

109

assiduity

recommended

the practice of vaccine inoculation, and

had furnished

twenty years ago, with

great

George Baker, through the Rev. Herman Drew,

Sir

with a variety of papers

proof of

in

being a sure

its

guard against Small Pox.

The Rev. Herman Drew

Mr.

Bragge's

was not only

but

researches,

in

interested in

a letter conveys the

impression that he too had performed

some experiments

about 1782.
Nearly twenty years ago,

George Baker on
his laying

aside his intention

He had had

No one

crepidam,'

of

know

paper

to

Sir

not what occasioned

publishing his investigations.

Dr.

Pulteney of

can have an higher opinion of the good effects of the

vaccine inoculation than

for years,

and

correspondence with

previous

Blandford on the subject.

"

wrote sheets of

this disorder,

have.

and nothing but

me

has checked

or saturated

advice,

from the use of

E litre

cotton.

nous,

my

has occupied

It

Horace's

Ne

'

thoughts

sutor

ultra

the infected lancet

I have had

little

sitccessjnl

practice."

According

to

Dr.

Shinach) had been

the Small

as

having

had

Pox.

Barry,

known

in

age,

remember,

the

she

people

'

Letter

l.ited

could
ivho

had

the Coiu

from the Rev.

Ireland, perhaps, as long

Pox

woman, eighty years of

as

(or

Instances had occurred of persons

Cow

the

Cow Pox

the casual

about

asserted

opinion

Pox cannot

Herman Drew

Abbots, near Honiton, April

i,

1802.

to

Sir

and

one

as

long

prevailed

that

750,
that

take

the

Small

William Klford, Bart.,

and small

corr FOX
Pox;
to

it

purposely exposed

and that people

cases of intentional inoculation in Ireland were

by Dr. Barry.

related

"A woman

of

ill

casual

the

infant then at her breast, produced

this

themselves

from the Small Pox.

to protect themselves

Two

pox.

child

slept

Cow
Cow

with another child

by handling

Pox,

Two

Pox.

Small

with

her

years after

was

Pox, and

also inoculated for Small Pox, but without exciting the disease."
"

Cow Pox

gardener gave himself the

himself

some person who was

against

conviction

that

would

it

happened several years ago

way

prevent

purposely by rubbing
with

affected

the

Small

from

it,

This

Pox.

and though he has often put him-

Pox infection, and even lain in

same bed with his children when they were covered with
he has not taken the disease.
If I had time to make
self in the

necessary

of Small

inquiries

am

sure

could

multiply

instances

the
it,

the

of

this kind."

Mr. Jesty.
very

is

just

may perhaps be

It

interest

little

the

in

there

accounts

which

have

been related, owing to the absence of

evidence,

reliable

authentic.

But

to

this

evidence

which

different

sources,

it

to

sufficiently

be regarded

as

cannot be said of the inoculations

I

have
with

as an

the merit of discovering

shall

been

give in

able

to

full

all

collect

the

from

view of establishing Jesty's

experiment as an historical
account of

them

entitle

performed by Mr. Jesty.

the

that

said,

for

fact,

Jenner regarded

invention to deprive

Cow Pox

inoculation.

him of
Baron,

the biographer of Jenner, turned a deaf ear to anything

'

Letter to

Journal,

Dr.

p. 503.

Pearson, Oct.
1800.

i6,

1800,

and Medical and Physical

TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

which he considered might detract from Jenner's

biography to Jesty's alleged

and only referred

in

his

and

in

more

vaccinations

of vaccination

history

credit,

times

recent

there

Simon's

in

no mention of Jesty

is

whatever.

Benjamin Jesty
Yetminster

sending

one time, a large farm

at

and

Dorset,

in

by

business

held,

From

Yetminster, he removed to the

shay,

belonging to

Swanage.

troduced

the

of

from

far

formed

who had

Bell,^

vaccination

Down-

in-

Swanage.

into

having inoculated his wife and two children with

Jesty,

Cow Pox
the

very

years afterwards, he

of the Rev. Dr.

practice

farm of

not

Calcraft,

many

There,

acquaintance

the

Mr.

extensive

London market.

the

to

cattle

an

on

carried

at

in

1774,

discovery

original

gave

accordingly

became anxious

Dr.

an

account

ceedings, and suggested that he

narrative,

Jesty's

was

and

drew

of

and

he

his

pro-

entitled to

some

Dr. Bell was

reward as well as Jenner.

with

known

be

should
Bell

that his claims to

up

much

the

struck

following

paper on the subject, though he was afraid that Jesty

was

too

made

his

late

in

making

discovery

known

practised inoculation on
"
1st

Of

the

August,

"The

Vaccine

his
at

as

had

his

performed

own
thirty

not

only

family.
years

ago.

1803.

inoculation with vaccine matter, as taught by Dr. Jenner

and diffused over the globe by the

'

he

the time, and had

members of

Inoculation

as

claim,

Southey.

abiiit}',

industry, and

The Life of the Rev. Andrew Bell,

vol.

ii.,

p.

well

CO IV

FOX AND SMALL

POX.
human

directed exertions of that great benefactor of the

now

such

on

rests

experience

universal

Franklin, Monsieur Lavoisier (or,

success

spread

the

in

of

some who question the

however, there are

Dr. Black),

period, boast of equal

discoveries

respective

their

to

Newton, Dr.

you chose, rather

if

same short

not, in the

and Harvey, could

as

Sir Isaac

require no further support or illustration.

race,

seem

might

still,

efficacy of vaccination

as a preventive of the Small Pox.

" After

was

all

had

from a distance of
persons

men,

the

in

miles,

women, and children

and neighbourhood

(Isle

which

matter

vaccine

hundred

five

my

in

Purbeck), where the visitation

of

having only occurred twice

years,

once by infection, and once by inoculation,

mortification

stranger,

the

that

find

to

disputed, and that parents

simple

this

to

have argued

efficacy

still

of this

discovery

Dr. Jenner's

variolous

the

have the

disorder

is

still

decline to submit their children

is

not

standing to establish that the vaccine inoculation

against

of

forty

in

Even learned and able physicians

operation.
that

parish

insulated

Pox

brought

upwards of three hundred

Small

is

that

(for

instance) the practice into this

first

with

inoculated,

peninsula,

by way of introducing

spring,

last

proposed

infection

for

longer

of

sufficient

a security

is

period

than

his

practice extends.

" It

may

not therefore be altogether useless to bring forward

a fact which, in an earlier stage of Dr. Jenner's practice,

(had

been known

it

and which

still

to

him) have given weight

perhaps

may

be thought not

history of the

Cow

influence with those parents

who

the

place in

Pox.

Mr.

Jesty

which attaches

"In

the

it

unworthy of a

should have any

decline the offer

of having their children vaccinated,

let

If

my

object

is

made

spring

of the

it

them

to

attained

have that share of credit (whatever

to his bold

would

to his doctrines,

may

and
be)

and successful experiment.

year

then of Yetminster in Dorset,

now

1774,

of

Farmer Benjamin

Downshay,

Isle of

Jesty,

Purbeck,

inoculated with vaccine matter, his wife^ and two sons, Robert

'

He

is

said to have

from the cows before

had the infection himself by casually

Bell.

this.

taking-

it


TRADITIOXS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

113

two years of age, and all three

was inoculated in the arm under the
The incision was made with
elbow, her sons above the elbow.
a needle, and the virus taken on the spot from the cows of
and Benjamin, of three and

now

Mrs.

alive.

Jesty

Farmer Elford of
family

favourable way,

but

boldness and

the

alarm

in

Mr.

novelty

of

no small sensation

the family, and

Abbas,

Pox

Small

the

The arms

by

with others

along

Mr.

Trowbridge,

who

had

of the former inflamed,

and

subsided,

observable

no

the

disorder

fever

or

had

of

Cerne

Cow

the

Pox.

inflammation soon

the

went through the

latter

and

were inoculated

variolous

usual course of the inoculated Small Pox.

the neighbour-

in

surgeon,

not

but

other

inflamed

his
in

produced no small

attempt

the

carried

Jesty

The sons had the

Mrs. Jesty's arm was much

Fifteen years afterwards (1789), the sons

hood.
for

whither

Chittenhall,

purpose.

that

for

symptom

was
and

eruption

fever

Mrs. Jesty and the tw.o

sons have often since been exposed to the variolous contagion.

" It

may be

what led

inquired by the future historian of the

this

to

early essay

into the

human frame

attempt

fell

this effect

"

When

still-born

of introducing

and how

it

happened that

from the cow ?

Mr.

Cow Pox

vaccine

the

virus

this successful

Jest3''s relation is to

the Small

Pox raged

in

the vicinity and inoculation

was

introduced into the village (Yetminster), alarmed for the safety of

his family, he

There had

bethought himself of this expedient.

two maid servants, Ann Notley and Mary Read,

having the disorder from the cows, and knowing this to

been, in his family,

who, after
be a

preventive

of the Small Pox,

had attended, the one her

nephew,

taking the infection.

This circumstance led

in

Pox without
Mr. Jesty to com-

the natural Small

brother, the other her

municate by inoculation the disorder of the cows to his family.

For

this

farm,

purpose he carried them

to

the field of a neighbouring

and, as has been related, performed the operation on the

spot.
"

To

the other question,

expired at

its

birth, a

did

ready solution

of the ingenious farmer,

those

how

it

will

be found

I.

and

the character

in

whose pursuits were widely

of medicine, or literature, or science,

VOL.

this discovery

happen that

different

in

from

the natural
<S

COW POX AND SMALL

114

prejudice of

POX.

mankind strengthened by the alarm which the inflam-

To

mation of Mrs. Jesty's arm had excited.

such a height was

this prejudice carried that a

neighbouring surgeon, whose name

have not been able

had almost

to learn,

bare proposal of following up Mr. Jesty's

from the

lost his practice

and successful

bold

experiment.

"With
into the

those

human

who

objected to introducing the bestial disorder

many

frame, already liable to so

diseases, the

farmer has been heard to say that he argued after this manner

" For his part he preferred taking infection from an innocuous

animal

a cow, subject to so few disorders, to taking

like

human

the

body, liable to so

had experience on his

many and such

side,

casual

the

as

diseases

Cow Pox was

attended with danger like the variolous infection

there appeared to

him

little

risk

in

constitution matter from the cow, as

eat the flesh

from

not

and that beside,

introducing into the

we

it

and that he

human

already without danger

and blood, drink the milk, and cover ourselves with

the skin of this innocuous animal."

This Statement was forwarded some time afterwards

to

the

to

the Right

Jennerian

panying the
" If
Pitt,

it

my

upon you
is

Dr.

leave.

etc.,

have

at this time,

now

to

Bell said

In a note accom-

worth the previous notice of your

Sir H. Mildmay,

have

and

Hon. George Rose.

latter,

you think

and a copy was also sent

Society,

friends,

or of being otherwise disposed

many

apologies to offer for

but as this

be forwarded to

affair

the

has long

R.J.S.,

lain

am

of,

Mr.

you

obtruding

dormant,

exceedingly

desirous of presenting to you this simultaneous communication."

An

answer

was

returned by

the

secretary

Jennerian Society, stating " that he had

Bell's

of the

received Dr.

very interesting paper of the vaccine inoculation,

and that he should have an opportunity of laying

it


2RADITI0NS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

115

before the two boards at their meeting on the following

At the time

evening."

which

in

drew up

Bell

was not aware of Dr.

statement, he
l)hlet,

Dr.

that

pam-

Pearson's

name had

Mr. Jesty's

this

been

already

mentioned.

Dr.

Indeed,

Pearson

Dr.

Mr. Jesty,

from

direcdy

had

Bell

and

son's

publication

quite

independendy of

sufficient

is

information

his

was Jenner's view

" trick "

was a

and

this

utterly unjustifiable

story

obtained

show

to

the whole

that

invented by Pearson.

fell

Dr.

into

Bell's

how

Dr. Pear-

hands

shortly

afterwards, and he wrote immediately to the Secretary

of the Jennerian Society

"

Central House, Salisburv Square,

" JiUy yih, 1804.

In

into

my

Pearson's pamphlet

Dr.

"SiR,^

hands,

read as follows

'

which has just been put

Mr. Justins

(a mistake for

'

a farmer of Yetminster in Dorset, inoculated his wife and

Jesty),

'

family

with matter taken from the teat of a cow that had the

Cow

Pox.

In about a

week from the time of

inoculation, their

arms were very much inflamed, the patients were very

man was
Read, of

much alarmed as to call in medical

Cerne).
The patients soon got well, and
so

and the

ill,

assistance (Mr.

they have since

been inoculated for the Small Pox by Mr. Trowbridge, of Cerne,

but without

effect.'

'"I cannot inform you at what period Mr. Justins inoculated his
family, but

have no doubt

it

was previous

to

Dr.

Jenner's

practice.

"'The farmer

alluded to in Mr. Pulteney's letter to you,

who

inoculated his wife and children with matter taken from a cow,

and the person mentioned in Mr. Drew's

is

the

same person.

gence came from me,

letter, viz.,

Mr. Justins,

Both Mr. Pulteney's and Mr. Drew's

I

am

intelli-

not certain at this time as to the year,

CO TV

:i6

but

believe

still living,

"

In

June

FOX AND SMALL

POX.

whom

letter

dated

Pearson,

Dr.

to

Chattle

Mr, Dolling informed him that Mr. Benjamin

1802,

15th,

is

can have the particulars.

subsequent

The farmer

was on or before the year 1786.

it

of

Jesty (not Justins) performed the inoculation above mentioned as

early as 1774,^ and he
"

'

know

is still living.

man

a medical

who was

country

this

in

injured in his practice by a prejudice raised against

for his intention of substituting the

"These

had

extracts,

Cow Pox

have preceded the statement which

and you

letter,

subjoined

be

should

still

detailed

were communicated

their accuracy

Mr.

may

Banks,

forwarded

in
to

note.

me by

you

in

my

late

the parties themselves, and

be depended on."

the

member

Corfe

for

Dr. Bell on the same subject

to

to

me in opinion that they

The facts which I have

perhaps agree with

will

him long ago

Small Pox.'

Pearson's pamphlet, should

seen Dr.

for the

greatly

Castle,

wrote

" October i6ih, 1804.

" Sir,

be the same that

to

is

in evidence before the

whom

a farmer in Dorsetshire, which

fact relating to

mentioned

in

the enclosed papers,^ given

committee of the House of Commons,

Dr. Jenner's petition

was printed

in

was

referred,

and

There was,

their report.

those

deny

who
its

The
seeing

'

am

am

to

not mistaken

sure,

abundant

preventive power,

its

nor, at this

moment, do

continue to doubt the complete efficacy of the

Cow Pock

success in innumerable instances."

Society

Jennerian

Mr.

induce him
" Dr. Jenner

was not

name was heard

if

proof of the disorder being known, and of

long before Dr. Jenner's

take

Jesty,
to

is

go

said

until 1796 that

and

an

endeavour

up

to

London

first

to

desirous

of

was made

to

fearing

an

but,

have considered the subject

he made his

Dr. Bell's statement.

now became

first

experiment."

in 177s,

Bell.

but

it

TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.attack

of

gout,

which he was subject, he declined

to

undertake the journey.

to

secretary of the society

In the

am

own

him by the

to

London, July

z^ih, 1805.

desired by the medical establishment of this insti-

propose to you

tution to

your

next

"

course of the

was addressed

year, the following letter

"Sir,

117

that,

provided you will come to town at

convenience, but as soon as possible, to stay not longer

than five days, unless you desire

it,

purpose of taking

for the

Cow

your portrait as the earliest inoculator for

expense of the

institution,

expenses, and the

you

members of

will receive

15

Pock, at the

guineas for your

the establishment will be

happy

to

show you any civility during your stay in London, on which

account it is hoped you' will be put to little or no expense.
"

have the honour

"Your

to remain, Sir,

Obedient,

Humble

Servant,

"Will Sancho."

Mr. Jesty accepted

son Robert,

his

"

invitation,

this

whom

he had inoculated

They met with great attention from

who were much amused with

society,

appearance.

He

than

left

home, his family

himself somewhat more

attire
'

Before he

did not see,' he said,

in

the country

;
'

'

taking with him

why

in

1774.

members of

the

tried to induce

fashionably, but

the

manners and

Jesty's

without

him

to

effect.

he should dress better in London

and accordingly wore

which was peculiarly old-fashioned.

his

order

In

to

usual

dress,

prove their

statement, Mr. Robert Jesty willingl}' consented to be inoculated

for the

Small Pox, and his father for the

Cow

Pock, but neither

took effect.
" Mr. Jesty

mounted

was presented with

lancets,

and

his portrait

but he proved an impatient

sitter,

a pair of very

was

also taken

handsome goldby Mr. Sharpe

and could only be kept quiet by

Mrs. Sharpe's playing to him on the piano."


COW FOX AND SMALL

ii8

The
was

from which an engraving was made,

portrait,

exhibited

and

hands,

son-in-law,

who,

anxious

possess

to

Robert

After

with

it

that

time

it

the

death,

Jesty's

then

into Dr.

passed

his

to

were

family

Robert Jesty.

to

remained

portrait

House, near

Wraxall

at

afterwards

fell

Jesty's

presented

it,

for

death,

his

finding

widow

his

on

and

House,

Somerset

at

placed in the Vaccine Institution

Pearson's

FOX.

Maiden Newton.
During

my

enough

was fortunate

frontispiece

the

portrait

was

Dorchester

thus

and

the

original

which

of

the

also ascertained

possession

the

in

of

of

Jesty's

Frank Pope, of Chilfrome, near

Mr.

portrait,

portrait,

this

a reduced fac-simile.

is

great-grandson,

the

obtain one

to

made from

engravings,

that

Dorsetshire, early in 1888,

inquiries in

had

of

an

opportunity of

much

acquiring

seeing

interesting

in-

formation.

The

following

signed by the

statement

members of

presented with the portrait

" Mr.

having,

establishment

drawn up and

the Jennerian Society, and

:

agreeable

Golden Square,

it

an invitation

to

of the Original Vaccine

municate certain
think

also

Benjamin Jesty, farmer, of Downshay,

Purbeck,

Street,

was

visited

London

facts relating to the

Pock
in

in

from

the
the

Institution,

Isle

of

Medical

Broad

August, 1805, to com-

Cow Pock

Inoculation,

we

a matter of justice to himself and beneficial to the Public,

to attest that,

among

other

facts,

he has afforded decisive evidence

of his having vaccinated his wife and two sons, Robert and Ben-

amin,

in

the year 1774,

who were thereby rendered

unsusceptible

TRADITJONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

of the Small Pox, as appears from the exposure of

the parties to

all

during the course of thirty-one years, and

that disease frequently

from the inoculation of the two sons for the Small Pox

That he was led

ago.

Pox

counteract the Small

common

from knowing the

since he

was a boy, now about

cows, were

Cow Pox

unsusceptible of

years

in 1774, to

time prevalent where he then

at that

resided,

had gone through the

fifteen

undertake this novel practice

to

opinion of the country ever

sixty years ago, that persons

naturally

(/'.t'.)

the Small

by taking

Pox

it

who

from the

himself being

b}-

incapable of taking the Small Pox, by having gone through the

Cow

Pox many years

indi-

before; from having personally

viduals who, after the

excited

Cow Pox was

and from his opinion that by the

known many

Pox, could not have the Small Pox

from believing that the

from danger
lation

Cow

an aifection free

Cow Pock

inocu-

human
and many bad

he should avoid engrafting various diseases of the

constitution

such

as the

madness,

evil,

lues,

humours, as he called them.

"

The

remarkably vigorous health of

two sons,
his

own

now

Mr. Jesty's

thirty-one years subsequent to the

wife and

Cow

Pox, and

healthy appearance, at this time seventy years of age,

afford a singular

proof of the harmlessness of that affection.

But

the public must, with particular interest, hear that during their late
visit to

town, Mr. Robert Jesty very willingly submitted publicly

to inoculation for the

that Mr. Jesty also

Cow Pock

Small Pox

in the

was subjected
most

after the

most rigorous manner, and

to the trial of inoculation for the

efficacious

mode, without either of them

being infected.
"

The

circvmistances in which Mr. Jesty purposely

the vaccine pock inoculation in his

own

precedent, but merely from reasoning

family

viz.,

instituted

without any

upon the nature of the

affec-

tion among cows, and from knowing its effects in the casual way
among men, his exemption from the prevailing popular prejudices,

and his disregard of the clamorous reproaches of his neighbours,

in

our opinion will entitle him to the respect of the public for his
superior strength of

mind

but, further, his

conduct

in

again fur-

nishing such decisive proofs of the permanent anti-variolous efficacy

of the

Cow

Pock,

by submitting

in

the present discontented state of

many

families,

to inoculation, justly claims at least the gratitude of

cow POX AND SMALL

the country.

POX.

As a testimony of our personal

regards,

and

to

commemorate so extraordinary a fact as that of preventing the

Small Pox by inoculation for the Cow Pock thirty-one years ago,
our request a three-quarter length picture of Mr. Jesty is
painted by that excellent artist Mr. Sharpe, to be preserved at the
at

original Vaccine

Pock

Institution.

Surgeons.

Consulting Surgeons.

Physicians.

Joseph Constantine,

Wheate,

George Pearson,

Carpue,

F. Foster.

L. Nitell,

Thos. Nelson.

Doratt.

J.

Treasurers.

Visiting Apothecaries.

Heaviside,

Fra. Rivers,

J.

Everard A. Brande,

T. Payne."

Philip de Bruyn.

London had

Jesty's visit to

satisfactorily established

his claim as the first inoculator of

matter ended

the

Cow

and while he was

Pox, but there

in

London he

does not seem to have pressed for any pecuniary reward.

The

following year, however, he wrote to Dr. Pearson

on the subject, and

the

members of

the

his

was communicated

letter

The

Institution.

to Jesty in answer, stating that they

to

promote

his views, but they

to

secretary wrote

would endeavour

were afraid

was very

it

improbable that any such reward would be obtained.

After

this,

Jesty

circumstances
little

gave up

all

expectations

were such as to render

it

and

his

a matter ot

inij)ortance.

But the interest of his family

on that account cease.

in

the subject did not

His son Benjamin became an

TRADITIONS OF THE DAIRYMAIDS.

enthusiast

Cow Pox

the cause of

in

the year 1809, he

In

have performed the opera-

said to

is

inoculation.

on great numb(;rs, and to have kept a regular

tion

names of the

register of the

and of the

individuals,

progress of the disorder in each.

There

also

is

additional local evidence, nrovino- the

accuracy of Dr. Bell's account, in a letter

Rev.

M. Colson, of Swanage,

J.

My Dear

coming

to

Bradley,
contain
give

our house

clean

his

on

evidence

my

thing

(a

On

i860.

saddle-bags

to

going to London

to

bygone

of

but,

and

vaccination,

being

now

quite

as

more

ages,

portmanteau

return, he gave

his

able report of the metropolis

great comfort there indeed

of

with

extinctmn genus), supplied

of

pair

he was

discovery

his

father

when

shirts

convenient vehicle.

\6tli,

one now inhabited by Mr.

the

Corfe,

at

saddle-bags

February

have a perfect recollection of old Jesty

borrow of

to

the

vice

an

Sir, "

Rev. F. F. Tracy.

to the

^^

"

written by the

very unfavour-

per contra, said there was one

viz., that

he could be shaved every day,

instead of wearing his beard from Saturday to Saturday, on which

day alone
of

when

miitaiitiir).

from

he rode into

encumbrance

that

May 1800
at a

(Dorset),

Wareham market
was then

till

October 18 10, and

farm

in

6,

or

Some

7.

was

thought,

my

he relieved

noiv,

We

belief is that

years before

this,

first

Trowbridge, the medical

years

in later

will get 3'ou

'

it

must

he had

the neighbourhood of Cerne, of this county

and there he

he had done.

fenipura

lived at Corfe

practised vaccination on his

own

Fever ran high with his patients, and he called

dren.

it

cannot precisely date this event.

have been about 1805,

lived

(as

when we

man

(whom

full

well

remember

and

told

him what

lived near that place),

Trowbridge
through

of Cerne

it

said,
if I

'

You have done

can

'

treated

Papers read before the Purbeck Society,

chil-

in Mr.

it

a bold thing, but

as fever, and

p. 244.

i86o.

was


CO IV
successful.

POX AND SMALL

POX.

should have said that old Jesty, not being equipped

with a lancet, performed the operation with a stocking needle!

" Believe me,

"

Truly yours,
"J. M. COLSON."

1816, and v^as buried in the church-

Jesty died in

yard

On

Worth Matravers, near Swanage.

of

tombstone

is

the following inscription

the

Sacred

To

Memory

the

of

BENJN. JESTY

Who

(of

DOWNSHAY),

departed this

April

6th,

life

18 16,

Aged 79 Years.

He was
honest

born

man

Yetminster

at

this

in

County, and was an upright

particularly noted for having been the first Person

(known) that introduced the

Cow Pox by

inoculation, and who,

from his great strength of mind, made the experiment from the

Cow on

his wife and

The

anxiety

two sons

which

in the

year 1774.

Jesty must

have

felt

when

his

inoculations were in progress, can be well understood in

the light of later experiences.

occurred,

which have

so

Those severe symptoms

commonly followed

of lymph direct from the cow.

his

aid

patients,
;

in

fact,

and

he was

the

use

Fever ran high with

obliged

to call

in

medical

he met with similar occurrences to those

which many years afterwards alarmed Jenner, Bousquet,

Estlin,

the

and others

full effects

to

of the

whose

lot

Cow Pox

it

has fallen to observe

virus.


TRADITIONS OF
Mrs. Jesty,
to

who was

DAIRYMAIDS.

TIIK

thus

have been intentionally

the

Cow

eighty-four,

credited

the

to

result

which

beneficial

if

person

Poxed,

not

on the

was

had produced no permanent

Elizabeth jEbXV.

Inoculated with

known

only

re-

ill

effects.

in 1774.

side of her

stone bears the following inscription

Sacred

to

tin:

Memory of

ELIZABETH JESTY,
Relict of the late

BENJAMIN JESTY,
Downshay, who departed
this

life,

Jan.

8,

1824,

Aged 84 Years.

actually

constitution

Worth Matravers, and

the churchyard of

of

not

certainly testimony

Cow Pox

Mrs. Jesty was buried by the

in

was

it

effects

alleged to follow the operation,

it

first

from the operation, but lived to the age of

covered

that

123

husband

her tomb-

cow POX A AW

124

To
shire,

the descendants of Jesty,

I

am

evidence

is

living in

here reproduced.

of the

are records of persons

imaginary.

still

indebted for the copy of the

Mrs. Jesty, which

tional

SAIALL POX.

fact

that the

Dorset-

portrait

It affords

of

addi-

above accounts

whose existence was not merely

CHAPTER

AND LETTERS OF EDWARD

LIFE

Edward Jenner was

He

cestershire.

of

son

VI.

a nativ^e of Berkeley, in Glou-

was born

Rev.

the

'JENNER.

in

1749, and was the third

Stephen Jenner,

Vicar

jNI.A,,

of

Jenner's father had been tutor to a former

Berkeley.

who had

Earl of Berkeley,

a great regard for

all

the

family.

Berkeley manuscripts, published by

In the

Dudley Fosbrooke
foundations

1821.

in

Jenner's

for

it

Thomas

remarked that the

is

subsequent

investigations

on

the subject of protection from Small Pox, were probably

laid

in

an early period of

very

low

sweeten
to

one

haltered

of

was

time he

diet,

the

This lasted

inoculation.

for

which

during

He

life.

when he was put under

years of age
reofimen

his

blood."

the

then

After
usual

up with others

although none died."

in

this

the preparatory
tor

six

purged,

bled,

and dosed with

was eight

" a
"

he

inoculation

diet

was

weeks,

kept

on

drink

to

removed

stables,

and

a terrible state of disease,

By good

fortune, Jenner escaped


EDWARD

126

with a mild

comment
"

It

making

in

justified

felt

which

on

the incident

is

the

following

noticeable incident in

superstition, a

without

is,

graphical

Such

attack.

Fosbrooke

JENNER.

account that the misery endured

in

the

bio-

Small Pox

process should have laid the foundation for the extermination of

the disease, and
the character.

and a view

strongly indicative of a philosophical bias in

is

it

exhibits impression accompanied with reflection,

It

to the

removal of the

Whereas common man

evil.

takes such incidents as usual inevitable occurrences, feels

irrit-

swears stoutly, and then forgets."

able,

Jenner was

afterwards,

Shortly

Cirencester,

sent

school

to

where he stayed half a year; but

at

his health

not being reinstated, he was placed with a private tutor.

The

of the preparation and inoculation was said

effect

to be

this

was

and

and a

"

As

constantly

tormented by

Jenner

is

said

to

many

by

his

and making a collection of

Jenner was

of age,
Messrs.

Sodbury,
years.

It

Ludlow, then

near

years."

have been

evidenced

history," as

the

imaginary

Bristol,

was during

according to Baron, an

"

As

a schoolboy,

enamoured of

possessing

birds'

nests.

placed under

eminent

noises

and sudden

sensibility too acutely alive to these,

jars subsisted through

years

never enjoy sleep,

a child he could

natural

dormouse,

At

thirteen

care

of

practitioners

at

the

and remained with them

his

apprenticeship

incident

six

there, that,

happened which

laid

the loundation of Jenner's future observations.

"

It

has been stated that his attention was drawn forcibly to the

AND

LIFE

Cow Pox

nature of

brought about

LETTERS.

127

while he was yet a youth.

manner

in the following

He

The

was pursuing

professional education in the house of his master at

young countrywoman came

Pox was mentioned

'

to seek advice

her presence

in

cannot take that disease, for

his

Sodbury

the subject of Small

she immediately observed,

Cow

have had

event was

This

Pox.'

incident rivetted the attention of Jenner."

That

an

such

event

occurred

extremely

is

pro-

bable,

for

the

famous tradition was part of the stock

gossip

of

the

dairymaids,

many

practitioners

" rivetted

allusion

on

"

Newton had unfolded

Baron

was

period,

it

it

is

were

attributes

and colours before

Temporis Partus

his

during

incident.

his doctrine of light

it

incident,

contained

nevertheless

Maximus

Montesquieu had sketched his Spirit

of Laivs at an equally early period of

life

and Jenner, when he

younger, contemplated the possibility of removing from

still

among

this

interesting

this

Bacon wrote

before he attained that age

an

anecdotes

importance to

was twenty

he

the

authority.

greatest

at

if

biography was written

first

and

life,

written
the

the

as

especially

Jenner's

"

to

Fosbrooke should have

that

such

to

But

districts.

the attention of Jenner

no

known

was well

dairy

in

somewhat extraordinary

made

and

the

list

of

human

diseases one of the most mortal that ever

scourged our race."

hypochondriacal

Jenner's

Small

Pox

though

it

the usual

surgery,

is

inoculation,

said to

habit,

still

existed

at

this

have gradually diminished.

course of instruction

Jenner

attributed

became,

at

in

the

to

the

period,

After

materia medica and

age

of twenty-one,


EDWARD JENNER.
house

mentioned
assisted

him

undertook

Berkeley,

same time commenced

at the

we

stage,

this

are

position

of

him.

He

surgeon

first

Hunter), while

was

It

of

at

event of

great

During the

indis-

Gloucester

the

success

with

operated

and

on

of

case

hernia.

strangulated

Jenner was also interested

and

to

practice.

occurred.

senior

the

he

Infirmary,

that the

told,

career

professional

his

have

anatomical

by

physiological researches (suggested

he

to

said

forming his valuable museum, and on

in

to

return

his

is

Cow Pox

of

subject

the

and

Hunter,

John

to

pupil

experience,

as, in his

in

pharmaceutical chemistry,

some of the preparations were

by no means perfect, he was led to investigate them.

was

This

He

the

particularly

case

earliest

the

results

publication,

of his

acknowledged

and

he

inquiries

"Dear
am puffing

have given

off

your

it

called

that

to sell, as

Jenner's

Tartar
do,

The

original letter

make

trial,

not better

and

but have had

let

a bookseller

Let

it

be

Emetic, or any body's else you please.

I

will

speak

thermometer;
is in

were

Jenner.

Had you

some,

to

are very sly, although you think

for a

Glass of Oxford did his magnesia

mode would

modestly ask

communicated

tartar, as the tartar of all tartars,

no account yet of the success.

have

E.

physicians to

several

to

it

also

following letter

in the

Jenner,

You

emetic.

Hunter, which

to

Mr. Hunter to

If

tartar

wrote a small pamphlet on the subject, apparently

his

"

with

will

viz.

cannot see

Newbery,
it

etc.

you very

send one, but take care

the library of the Royal College of Surgeons.


LIFE A.YD LETTERS.

129

d clumsy fingers do not break

that those d

also.

it

should

be glad to have a true and particular account of the cuckoo, and

as far as possible under your

of dispute,

own

To

eye.

put

sparrow's nest

they were

which

in

laid,

matters out

all

the cuckoo's eggs were taken out

if

of the hedge-

and put

into another

by human hands, there could be no supposition that the parent

cuckoos would feed, or take an}- care of them.

young

ones.

had a

also

want some

moth got

series from you, but a

in

among

them, and plucked them.

"Let me hear from you when you can.

" Yours,
"

Jenner

made

some
of

natural

history

subject

of a paper

returned

wrote

with

the

letter

" In

consequence of

give

you a

it

is

bird,

he

the

made

the

Society.

Joseph

Sir

was

It

who

Banks,

discovered that the young

removes the eggs and young

deposited, the council thought

scope for altering

full

Another year we shall be glad

Your other papers

it,

to receive

hope you

you

as

best

again and print

it

proceed

will

it

shall choose.

with,

it.

when your

allows you opportunity."

leisure

The paper was

published

in

the

finally

read on

Philosophical

March

13th, 1788,

Transactions

for

and
that

According to Fosbrooke

year.

proved the very singular

from the egg

bird

Royal

you having

and not the parent

from the nest in which

" It

which

cuckoo,

from

on

observations

original

the

Hunte:r."

cuckoo,

to

for

J.

in the

by placing them upon

Nature gives

for

fact

that the infant cuckoo reared

sparrow's nest expelled the young of that

its

shoulder, on a depression, which

the purpose, on

the

back of the

cuckoo, and throwing them out of the nest.

VOL.

I.

unfledged

There are also other

9


EDWARD

130

yENNER.

phenomena never before noticed. These curious incidents were

affirmed by Pennant to have eluded research from the time of
Aristotle."

On

continent,

the

the paper appears to have been

read with interest, and

praise

from

Blumenbach wrote
" Give

me

one

least

at

leave,

to

have

to

tell

In

person.

to Jenner

Sir,

received the highest

you also that

friend and even teacher of Natural History,

to see at

a postscript,

I,

as a very

warm

long very eagerly

once your paper on the migration of birds, mentioned

in

your masterly observations on the cuckoo."

After the pubHcation of this paper, Jenner was elected

a Fellow of the

was married

to

Royal Society.

Miss Kathleen Kingscote, and he was

assisted in his practice

had taken as

Soon afterwards he

by

his

From

his apprentice.

whom

nephew, Henry,

the proceeds of his

and a patrimonial inheritance, Jenner

practice,

took out a diploma.

He

then settled

Berkeley, where he

Cottage,

he

down

in

in

1792

Chauntry

devoted a good deal of

his spare time to landscape gardening.

In 1794, he had

a severe attack of typhus, and was confined to his house

by

debility

till

the

spring

of 1795.

He removed

to

Cheltenham during the season, and was occasionally

called

in

?""osbrooke
"

it

was

consultation

we

chiefly

by

local

practitioners.

From

learn that
during these periods of residence

in

Berkeley

and Cheltenham (because he was not then burdened with the

labours which vaccine has generated) that Dr. Jenner used to

AND

LIFE
amuse

extemporaneous

with

himself

LETTERS.

In

intended for the press.

epigrammatical turn, but was

an

eflfusions

way

this

131

his

taste

poetry,

in

not

generally took

confined to harmless

strictly

gentlemanly facetiousness."

The statement of Fosbrooke,

had generated,

how

ask

to

the

year

important, and leads one to

is

that the Inquiry, published in 1798, has

is

it

up

was not burdened with the labours which

1795, Jenner

vaccine

that

been described by Simon

the

as

outcome of

thirty

years of incessant thought, watching, and experiment.

"

Thirty years elapsed before the

fruit

was borne

to the public

but incessantly he thought, and watched, and experimented on the

suhject."

Baron

is

Sodbury,

responsible for this illusion.

1770,^

in

settled

subject

in

of

conversed

on

Pox, and

the

it

subject

is

was again drawn

to the

stated that in 1780, he

with

his

Baron^ gave the following account of

"It was not

atten-

Jenner returned from London and

practice, his attention

Cow

incident at

was credited with riveting the

When

tion of Jenner.

The

triend

Gardner.

this conversation:

1780 that he was enabled, after much study

till

many

and inquiry, to unravel

of the perplexing obscurities and

contradictions with which the question was enveloped, and which

had impressed those

the opinion that
In the
his

it

who knew

defied

month of May of

all

the traditions of the country with

accurate and satisfactory elucidation.

the year just mentioned, he

disclosed

first

hopes and his fears respecting the great object of his pursuit,

'

Simon.

Papers

Vide, p. 127.

Baron,

loc. cit.

relati7ig to the History

of Vaccination

185;.

EDWARD JENNER.
to his friend

By

Edward Gardner.

mind had

this time Jenner's

caught a ghmpse of the reputation which awaited him, but

still

clouded by doubts and

that

it

He

difficulties.

was

it

then seemed to

feel

might, in God's good providence, be his lot to stand between

the living and the dead, and that through

On

stayed.

him a plague might be

the other side, the dread of disappointment, and the

his purpose, restrained

probability of failing to accomplish

that

eagerness which otherwise would have prompted him prematurely

publish the result of his inquiries, and thereby, probably, hy

to

conveying insufficient knowledge, blight for ever his favourite hope.

"

He was

and

Bristol,

riding with Gardner, on the road between Gloucester

near Newport,

Pox

when

He went

have made mention.

the conversation passed of which

over the natural history of

opinion as to the origin of

stated his

the heel of the horse

attacked the milkers

from

affection

this

Cow

specified the different sorts of disease

which

when they handled

dwelt

cows

infected

upon that variety which afforded protection against Small Pox;

and with deep and anxious emotion mentioned his hope of being
able to propagate that variety from one

he had disseminated the practice

till

extinction of Small

Jenner

words

in

the

following

effect

Gardner,

entrusted a most important matter to you, which

will

prove of essential benefit to the

and should not wish what

versation

ments,

for should

human

have stated

subject of ridicule, for

to

am

the

my

mark they

race.

his

Cow

Pox,

and, in

1787,

have

know

you,

be brought into conin

my

experi-

medical brethren, the

all

Jenner was evidently much interested

history of

firmly believe

anything untoward turn up

should be made, particularly by

to another,

The conversation was concluded by

Pox.

to

human being

over the globe, to the total

all

it

shoot

the natural

in
is

at."

related

that

nephew, George Jenner, accompanied him into the

stable to look at a horse with diseased heels.

"

There,"

said Jenner, pointing to his horse's heels, "is the source

ot

Sinall

which

Pox.

hope

in

have much

due time

to

say on that subject,

to s^ive to the world."

LIFE
In

with

Everard

Sir

now

Pox

Cow Pox,
Home and

became

1787 he wrote

Chimerical.

of the

my

truth of

students

to

the

after

the

in

by more
of

incident

meeting, treated

last

Farther

investigation

assertion,

beyond the

has

my

But

convinced
of a

possibility

prolific

must not anticipate

dis-

you

have a paper."

shall

had always

Jenner

and

subject,

this

made

replying

same year

name)

to

strange

so

observations on
be required

to

You say

published

friend

work

(with-

this

subject,

very clear and

this

other medical friend.

full

to

past

all

evidence

will

credible.

whole rare phenomenon

not mention

but do

indeed very marvellous

and so contradictory

it

in

history,

render

that

is

his

Haygarth, who

Dr.

the following criticisms

Your account of the Cow Pox

being

his intimate

gave an account of

mentioning his

out

conversed with others on

freely

the

in

Dr. Worthington

will

our

at

among men.

source of disease

"

conversation

to

Cow

subject of

Domestication of animals has certainly proved a

denial.

"

of

topic

it

friend

as

cover}^

me

The

others.

Seven years

than one lecturer.

Our

133

London, and showed

to

and was mentioned

profession,

"

LETTERS.

Jenner took a drawing of the hand of a

1788,

milker

AND

is

soon

to

be

whether by yourself or some

In either case,

trust

that

no reliance

be placed upon vulgar stories.

"The author should admit nothing

by his own personal observation, both
species.

must be

It

would

satisfied

be obtained.

be

upon

useless
this

to

subject,

but

what he has proved

in the brute

specify

before

the

and human

doubts

rational

which

belief can

EDWARD JENNER.

134

" If a

more,

adopt such

should

physician

he should publish

if

would materially

character

upon

it

the

in

suffer

much

and,

doctrine,

inadequate

evidence,

his

opinion of his

public

knowledge and discernment."

The

and

conversation

in

referred

to

was

but

work on Morbid Poisons, pub-

in his

The Cow Pox

a disease well-known to the dairy-farmers

is

The only appearance on

Gloucestershire.

in

London,

in

1795, says:

lished in

"

lectures

only mentioned

not

medical works.

in

Adams,

Dr.

Cow Pox was

of

subject

phagedaenic ulcer on the

the animal

is

without any apparent inflammation.

teat,

When

communicated

in the

hand, a considerable tumour of the arm, with symptomatic

fever,

both which gradually subside.

ordinary,

person

as

to the

as

far

it

produces, besides ulceration

What

is

still

have hitherto been

facts

who has been

human,

infected

rendered

is

more extra-

ascertained,

insensible

to

the

the

\ariolous poison."

second edition

the

In

of

work,

this

published

in

1807, in a footnote he adds:

"

in

Though

when

the

edition

first

account of

printed
object of

Dr.

my

the

my

of

register

historical

from

this description of

consequence on

its

the

Cow Pox

human,

and

it

as an

imperfect knowledge of this disease

was published.
There was then no

Cow
by

Mr.

Pox.

enquiries, acquainted

Jenner,

incorrect, excepting

is

have preserved

his

me

knowing the

Cline,

with what he had heard

correspondence

procured

me

further information."

From
dently

this

it

would appear that

commenced

inquiries,

Adams had

though,

in

indepenletter

to


AND

LIFE

LETTERS.

'35

Jenner, Cline thought that he was entirely responsible

Adams' information on the

for Dr.

"

am

very glad

on

inquiries

Cow

the

learn

to

Pox,

you

that

for

a most

is

it

prosecuting your

are

Adams had heard

All that

curious subject.

subject.

interesting

and

of the disease

was

publication,

Dr.

from me."

The same

year

Adams'

as

Beddoes^ wrote as follows

"

have learned from

my own

of some old practitioners, that

is

Cow

destroyed by the

first

observation, and the testimony

Pox

Small

susceptibility to the

Pox, a disease from cows, which

is

malady more unpleasant than dangerous."

And

year

the

referred

same

the

to

History of Small
" It

been

has

following,
subject,

Pox

in

footnote

of

that

itch

the

to

conjectured

mange

man,

or

the

that

Small

affecting

Pox might have

to

variolous

Jenner
from

this

Pox

after

is

if it

be

Cow

is

not

of cases

Pox,

but

certain

thereby rendered

afterwards,

conjecture

had not only heard

Small

and

having received

ever

infection

have asserted, then indeed

dogs can communicate a species

person

that

disorder from handling the teats of cows,

insensible

his

in

Inoatlation.

been derived from some disease of brute animals

true

Woodville

Dr.

796,

some

as

improbable."

of immunity

he had

made

notes of a few which had been brought to his notice.

In 1778, he inoculated a Mrs.
result

'

he

attributed

Dr. Beddoes,

to

her

H.

unsuccessfully, which

having had

Cow Pox

Queries C()7tcer)iing Inoculation, 8vo.

i795-

EDWARD JENNER.

136

Simon Nichols had Cow Pox

when very young.

"some

1782, and

and

in

in

years afterwards" inoculation failed,

1795, Jenner failed to inoculate Joseph Merret,

who had had Cow Pox

in

1770.

In 1796, an opportunity occurred for an experiment

Cow Pox

of a different kind.
Berkeley,

May, and a

in

Sarah Nelmes,

dairymaid,

On May

caught the disease.

occurred at a farm near

14th, matter

was taken

from a sore on her hand and inserted by means of two

(as

incisions

superficial

the

in

method of performing

Small Pox inoculation) into the arm of James Phipps,

a

boy about eight years

healthy

the

succeeded,

tion

same as

the

except

that

in

more "of an erysipelatous

died

away, leaving

usual

on

that

the insertion of the

was

applied,

Jenner

ist,

of variolous

effect

only

weeks

six

matter, variolous

by means of punctures and

his

The whole

and subsequent eschars."

Cow Pox

communicated

Dear Gardner,
" As I promised

success,

lymph

slight incisions.

experiments on

Phipps to

to let

you know how

proceeded

inquiry into the nature of that singular disease the

and being

after

Gardner.

his friend
"

July

efflorescence

look."

Jenner was so impatient to try the

inoculation,

much

same way with

the

the

had

" scabs

inocula-

being described as

inoculation

after

matter,

variolous

result

The

old.

fully

you

satisfied

will

accomplished what

how much you

feel

be gratified in hearing that

1

have been so long waiting

Cow

interested
I

have

for,

my

in

Pox,
in

its

at length

the passing of

Fiiri/ig j<a^e 136.

PLATE

II.

P5

X
c w
^

PS

50

<
w.

<


AXD

LIFE

ordinary
"

mode

137

one human being

Vaccine Virus from

the

LETTERS.
to

boy of the name of Phipps was inoculated

way

to the

hand of the milker,

that

before,

listen to the

most

The boy has

since been inoculated for the Small

predict,

produced no

my

delightful part of

ventured

my

in

its

when communicated from the cow

I
was astonished at the close resemsome of their stages, to the variolous

is,

blance of the pustules, in

to

infected by

Having never seen the disease but

casual

But now

arm from

in the

young woman who was

pustule on the hand of a

her master's cows.

pustules.

by the

another

of inoculation.

effect.

Pox which,

as

now pursue

shall

story.

experiments with redoubled ardour.

''

Believe

me

yours, very sincerely,

"

"Berkeley,

Jtily 19,

Edward

Jenner.

1796."

Jenner had now materials for another paper

Royal

Society,

but

he

waited

add two or three more cases, of

casual

after

Rod way's

case

of Sarah

cases

Jenner
little

Cow

lost

Pox.

and

in

"It

Baron says
was

his

1797,

month

inoculate

William
the

later

finishing his paper, but

anticipated the reception

with.

to

to

Wynne.

Elizabeth

no time

order

in

failure

February

In

was added,
and

year

for the

it

was destined

to

he

meet

intention

that

it

should

first

have

appeared

before the public in the Transactions of the Royal Society, but this

design

was abandoned, and

the

work appeared as a separate

publication."

Baron does not say here, why the idea was abandoned,

and

Janies

what actually took

Moore was
place.

In

the

first

1796 or

to

publish

1797, Jenner


EDWARD JENNER.

138

transmitted

was

Royal

of the

be printed

no

admonition

by

tation
it

in

of

suppressed

longer,

which
paper
"

reference

Society.

my

second volume

in

letter

to the

no

Baron,

1837,

connection

with

of Jenner's,
of

rejection

first

was shewn

It

think,

patient only

of the

paper on the

said before,

Cow Pox

in

the

was

in the

to

that passed

Home

he took

the Council, and returned to me.

year 1797, after the vaccination of one

but even this

numbers

all

intended for the Royal

was not with Sir Joseph, but with

It

the paper.
This,

in

Society,

respecting

that

made

is

explained in conversation, as

In the

details

published

but

incident,

this

friendly

one, which would

this

credit.

the

Royal

the

to

published

Biography,

the

produced

experiments

to present

established

his

would

it

he had gained some repu-

papers

former

his

that

and he received

reply, that as

was advisable not

injure

and

cases

whatever,

conviction

President

Transactions of the Royal Society.

the

of his

perusal

who

correspondent,

doubting

not

Society,

in

to

of Sir Joseph Banks,

confidence

in the

The

manuscript

his

was strong evidence,

had put

to

the

test

as

it

followed

of the Small

Pox

after casual vaccination."

After making a few

additional

experiments, Jenner

resolved to publish the paper himself

he wrote
"

Fox

to

our

friend,

his approbation
l)aniphlet,

1797,

have shown a copy of

In June,

of

instead

my

intended paper

on the

Worthington, who has been pleased

it,

and

to

of sending

to

recommend my publishing
it

to

the Royal Society."

Cow

express
it

as a


AND

LIFE
His

by

and

it,

number

of

submitted

also

persuade

particular

his

out

leave

to

hear of

London

for

24th of April, and returned

While

The

it.

with

Inquiry was

1798, Jenner having

see

to

to

from "the grease;"

published about the end of June,

Berkeley

was

It

speculations

his

but Jenner

not

and scrutinised

to

associates.

Cow Pox

wc^uld

con-

who endeavoured

Woodville,

to

Jenner

was shown

it

regard to the origin of

left

139

Gardner and Hicks, were often

friends,

sulted about

LETTERS.

on the

the printers

home on

the 14th of July,

London, Jenner had another opportunity

in

speaking about

ot

brethren,

this subject to his professional

but he was unable, durino; the whole time that he was

whom

the metropolis, to procure a single person on

in

he could
the

exhibit the results

however,

virus,

presented
inserted

Mr.

to

it

which

Cline,

he

who,

at

into the hip of a patient

end

the

was thought

the

Cow

intended
into

an

Pox,
to

that

convert

issue.

prove

the

ulcer,

is

Extracts from Journal

the matter of

joint,

and
by

Cow

Pox,

like

referred

it

was

ot

in

to in the

1798.

the Small

any diminution

evinced by the following experiment.

and

which was anticipated,

following extract from Jenner s Journal

"That

July,

by two punctures.

beneficial,

This operation

be preserved without

of

the counter-irritation, excited

might

of

him was

with

carried

This patient had some affection of the hip

it

Some

of inoculation.

its

Pox

active

matter,

may

qualities

is

EDWARD JENNER.

140

" Mr. Cline inoculated a child with matter that had been taken

from the pustule on

pamphlet) when
the

to

The

arm of Hannah Excell (see page 39

ichorous state, and dried by exposure

preserved three months

after being

air,

seal.

the

in a limpid

following

is

the result

on

a quill

in

Copy of Mr. Clink's Letter.

"

" Lincoln's-Inn Fields, 2d Aug. 1798.

"The Cow Pox experiment

moderate,

extended

subsided
to

and the

eleventn

the

which was

The inflammation

da}'.

ulcer

was not

have not converted

enough

large
it

which were

to

contain a pea,

an issue as

into

intended.^

Pox matter

have since inoculated him with Small

places,

fever,

having been attended with pain, or other incon-

The

therefore,
I

day

about four inches diameter, and then gradually sub-

sided without
venience.

on

The

has succeeded admirably.

sickened on the seventh

child

in

three

on the third day, and then

slightly inflamed

subsided.
" Dr.

Lister,

who was

Hospital, attended

"

and he

think the

Pox promises

substituting of

Cow Pox

poison for the Small

in

medicine

for

it

is

not only so safe in

does not endanger others by contagion, in which

also

Small

Pox has done

the subject, the

more

infinite
I

am

With great esteem

"

The more

mischief.

impressed with
I

am, dear
"

Your

its

With

itself,

but

way

the

think on

importance.

Sir,

faithful servant,

"

Henry

Cline."

the intention of proceeding with the experiments, Mr.

Cline took matter from the pustule, and with

other children

'

Pox

convinced that

be one of the greatest improvements that has

to

made

ever been

"

is

not possible to give him the Small Pox.

is

it

the Small

formerly physician to

child with me,

the

but on none of these did

it

it

inoculated three

take any effect."

This boy was brought to town on account of some disease in the joint
Mr. C. therefore inoculated near the part, with the view of

of the hip.

exciting inflammation, and subsequently of forming an issue.

vol.

ii.,

p.

184.]

E.

J.

[See

AND

LIFE
"

have observed that the matter of

powers of infection after

its

LE7TERS.

141

Cow Pox

appears to lose

Probably

ceases to be limpid.

it

it

might have passed the bounds of perfection when Mr. Cline made
second experiment."

his

Henry

"

Cline, Esq., to Dr. Jenner.

" Lincoln's-Inn Fields,

"

Mv Dear

Sir,

Cow Pox

with

Seven

matter, and

da3's since,

fear

think

might come

it

in a quill in a

by the same conveyance, or

shall be entirely

appointed unless you can contrive to send

I

Augitsf, 1798.

have the mortification of finding that

the infection has not taken, and

tin-foil,

i?,th

inoculated three children

me some

dis-

fresh matter.

or inclosed in a bit of

letter,

any other way that may be

in

more convenient.

"With much

esteem,

am, dear
"

Your

Sir,

faithful servant,

"

Mr. Cline having

the

first

also

lymph
to

of vaccination

case

having

failed
lost,

vi^as

supply those

inoculation,

failed to carry

and

Accordingsatisfied with

to

in

and the

latter

who were
to test

its

London, and Jenner

the

of

stock

was therefore unable

anxious

to

try

the

new

alleged prophylactic powers.

Mr.

Baron,

Cline."

on the disease from

country,

the

in

Henry

Cline

was

more

than

the result of his experiment.

" Mr. Cline, perceiving at once from the success of his

first trial

what incalculable blessings were connected with the diffusion oi

the practice, with just a becoming regard for the welfare of Jenner,

wished his personal advantage

the benefits

which he had

it

to

keep pace in some degree

in his

power

to

witli

impart to mankind.

He, therefore, immediately advised him to quit the country, and

take a house in Grosvenor Square,

annum

to

and promised him ^10, 000 per

as the result of his practice."

EDWARD

42

JENNER.

Another friend endeavoured

Jenner

But

reason

retirement

ferred

and

declined,

his friend the

his

and

he was

letter

that the variolous

test

already prepared with

Jenner pre-

tested

rigidly

to

because he knew

country,

evidently

answer

in

apparent.

prepared to face

not

he was

stage,

the

in

in

made

is

would be

theory

that

early

to seize

an opportunity of acquiring fame and fortune.

as

this

him

to persuade

in

At

this

of the

fact

failures.

conscious

London,

would break down, as he was

answer to meet the

an

results

he anticipated.

"
" It is

an opening

town

in

in the public eye.

"

How

for

29^/2.
is

now

any physician whose reputation stood

But here,

my

dear friend, here

is

the rub.

fair
.

very few are capable of conducting physiological experi-

I am fearful that before we thoroughly understand what

Cow Pox matter, and what is not, some confusion may arise, for

ments
is

Cheltenham, September

very clear from your representation that there

which

be made answerable.

shall unjustly

instances will occur where those

be subjected to the

shall

tion, vesication,

The

axilla will

and even pus

show

system may even,

What would
this ?

common

who have

In the
truly

first

had the disease

process of inoculation, inflamma-

will

appear on the wounded part.

that the lymphatics have been active,

in a

place,

very limited degree,

feel the

and the

consequence.

the enemies to the improvement of science say

to

But the very same

leave you to answer this question.

who have had the

example) who are much

thing has happened again and again to those

Small Pox

exposed

[The

P)Ut

and do not those (nurses

to the

for

contagion of Small Pox ?

"
.

rest of this letter is unfortunately lost.]

in

the

.seclusion

of his

country

home, Jenner

LIFE
was able

LETTERS.

143

ponder over unfavourable

to

exercise his ingenuity

not long

AND

before

in

finding explanations.

the anticipated

and

criticisms,

opposition

was

It

had

to be

encountered.

Dr. Ingenhousz, a distinguished physician and

science,

was on a

at his seat

in

to

visit

the

man

of

Marquis of Lansdowne,

Wiltshire.

Ingenhousz had made a special study of Small Pox,

and having read Jenner's publication,

inquiries

among

the dairies in Wiltshire.

His experience was

letter

from

wTitten

once instituted

at

communicated

Bowood

to

Park,

Jenner

in

October

12th,

1798:Dr. Ingenhousz to Dr. Jenner.

Having

read with attention your performance on the

Variolae Vaccinae,

and being informed by everyone who knows

"Sir,

you that you enjoy a high and well-deserved reputation as a man

your profession, you cannot take

of great learning in

it

amiss

if

take the liberty to communicate to you a fact well deserving your

attention,

and with which you ought

prefer this private

to be

made

acquainted.

method of conveying ray information

to

other which might expose you to the disagreeable necessity

entering into a public controversy, always disagreeable to a

any
of

man

so liberal-minded and well-intentioned as your treatise indicates

you
"

to be.

As soon

as

arrived at the seat of the Marquess of Lansdowne,

Bowood, near Calne,

thought

it

my

the extraordinary doctrine contained in

duty to inquire concerning

your publication, as

knew

Cow Pox was well known in this country. The first gentleman to whom I addressed myself was Mr. Alsop, an eminent
This gentleman made me acquainted with
practitioner at Calne.
the

Mr. Henry Stiles, a respectable farmer

at

Whitley, near Calne,

EDWARD JENNER.

144

who, thirty years ago, bought a cow

infected the whole dairy

which he found

at a fair,

Cow

be infected with what he called the

to

This cow soon

Pox.

and he himself, by milking the infected

cow, caught the disease which you describe, and that in a very
severe way, accompanied with pain, stiffness, and swelling in the

Being recovered from the disease, and

axillary glands.

sores dried, he

The

disease took place

for the Small

a great

he communicated the infection

to his father,

being an incontrovertible

of which

from the very

man

first

fact,

to

whom

who

prove erroneous."

excite

you

finally

to

fail

inquire

to decide

mischief should

great

in
it

may do

which

favour of a doctrine,

This

it.

addressed myself, cannot

you venture

farther on the subject, before

died of

obtained the knowledge

make some impression on your mind, and

to

the

all

Pox by Mr. Alsop.

many Small Pocks came out ,and

was inoculated

Dr. Jenner to Dr. Ingenhousz.

"

Dear

Sir,

consider

ever

shall

obligations to you, for the very liberal

communicated a

fact to

me on

myself deeply interested

that

the
is

am happy

first

in

me

which you have

I

feel

momentous a nature

has attracted the attention of some of

it

to

say that

among whom

it

have long classed you.

full investi-

but as that moves on (and from the nature of the inquiry

must move slowly)

plainly foresee that

respecting the validity of

to be

a subject of so

in

doubtless, in the course of time, meet with a

It will

gation

manner

a subject in which at present

medical philosophers of the present age,

no compliment
"

it

to find

myself as under great

my

many doubts

assertion, from causes

examined with the nicest inspection before

will arise

which ought

their convictive

force be fully admitted.

"Truth, believe me.

Sir,

in this

investigation which has occupied

object which

have endeavoured

cation on the Variolse Vaccinae,

and every other physiological

my

attention, has ever

to hold in view.
I

have given

simple detail of facts which came under

the public
inquiry,

stand pledged for

its

my own

veracity.

little

been the

In the publi-

more than

inspection,

and

a
to

In the course of the

which occupied no inconsiderable portion of

my

attention, not a single instance occurred of a person's

time and

having the

AND

LIFE
disease,

LETTERS.

145

either casually or from inoculation,

who on subsequent

exposure

variolous

to

contagion

Small Pox, unless that inserted

exception.

And

from what

jiamphlet,

the

may

page 71^

in

of the

infection

be admitted as an

from the information you have given me, and

who have perused

have obtained from others

am induced

received

my

suppose that

to

the

conjecture respecting

the cause of that patient's insecurity, namely, her having

had the

disease without any apparent affection of the system, might have

and that

been

erroneous

lairly

attributable to a

address to you,

feel

it

consequences

the

cause on which

my

duty

to

appear in the present instance that

fond as

may appear

strangle

it

who has once

speak

labours,

present

Should

it

error,

had rather

and do a public

injury.

have not the most distant doubt that any person

felt

the influence of perfect

Cow Pox

ever be susceptible of that of the Small Pox.

1

be more

my

in

explicitly.

my

to exist,

it

might

shall,

have been led into

of the offspring of

once than suffer

at

At present,

matter,

would

But on the contrary,

perceive that after a disease has been excited by the matter of

Cow Pox
stitution

in

an imperfect

the specific change of the con-

state,

necessary to render the contagion of the Small Pox inert

not produced, and in this point of view,

is

there

is

and the Small Pox.

Therefore,

until further inquiry has

it is

my

conceive

thrown every

light

capable of receiving, that (like those

experiments)

matter

as in most others,

a close analogy between the propagation of the

all

Cow Pox

would be prudent,

on the subject which

who were

the objects of

should be subjected to the test of variolous

who have been

When

it

inoculated for the

discussing

the

subject

Cow
of

Pox."

Cow Pox

with

neighbouring practitioners, Jenner had previously been

confronted

with

statement

the

that

and he had met

there

cases which

were two

I.

were unafter

Cow

argument by the assertion

kinds of

Cow Pox

and

those

had been subsequently variolated must have

'

VOL.

this

there

Pox occurring

doubted instances of Small

Pox,

that

Vol.

ii.,

p. 32.

10

EDWARD JENNER.

146

Cow

had "false"

which

those

while

Pox,

been variolated had had "true"

Cow

had not

Ingenhousz

Pox.

had independently brought forward the argument of the

neighbouring practitioners, and this led Jenner to realise

more the weak point of

still

necessity

the

disseminating,

for

Cow

doctrine of spurious

He

keenly

felt

and

wide,

the

his case.
far

Pox, which would cut away

the ground from under the feet of a host of objectors.

In

cause, he enlisted the

this

assistance of his friend

Gardner.
Dr. Jenner to Mr.

Dear Gardner,

"

ton

to-morrow

fully

depend upon meeting you

me now.

Brickbats and hostile wea-

me

pons of every sort are flying thick around

a few friendly

aid,

little

me no

do

will

so

opiates

my

has declined

offer

but with a very

of receiving

must be modelled anew.

that

seasonably administered, they

injury.

" Ingenhousz
print

at Easting

on several subjects of high import.

to sit in council

M}' friends must not desert

Edward Gardner.

We

must

my

letter in

set

by

off

impressing the idea that there will be no end to cavil and controversy until

Cow
"

be defined with precision what

it

The

true has

and nipples

and

all

imitations

is

not

\\\^

false on the cow's udder

it

or

all to

from a quarter where

do single-handed.

had the most right

"Bodily labour
heavy

cow

to the

least assistance

expect

for me.

disregard, but pressures of the

Added

to all

with the reigning epidemic

the paper-maker ?

my

other cares,

Impecuniosity.
" Adieu
"

'*

and what

Coiv Pox, whether on the

called

is

by

Not the
to

many

human animal.
My experiments move on but I have

communicated
"

is,

Pox.

Wednesday

Jiioniiiig."

am
Any
I

mind grow too

touched hard
supplies from

Your

faithful friend,

" E.

J.

LIFE

AND

LETTERS.

147

Jenner recognised a formidable antagonist

whose opposition bid

housz,

He

Mr.

deputed

therefore

to

fair

his theory.

who was

Paytherus,

Cow Pox

trained in the cause of

wreck

Ingen-

in

well

inoculation, to endea-

vour to gain over the enemy by personal explanations.

Mr. Paytherus, however, entirely

mission.

his

failed in

Paytherus, Esy., to Dr. Jenner.

T.

December

^^

i/^th,

1798.

Dear Jenner, The moment I received your letter I called on

Ingenhousz he was in the country, but expected in town the next
Yesterday I called a second time, and made an appointment
day.
"

for this

morning,

in

consequence of which

have had an interview

with this very interesting character.

"

more determined or

more formidable opponent you need

Unfortunately for your hypothesis, he made

not covet or desire.

who immediately named

his first inquiry of a Mr. Alsop, of Calne,

a person

who had had

the Small

Pox

person he was afterwards introduced

The second

the/r7c/.

application

was

after the
to,

to

and

Cow

This

Pox.

satisfied himself of

Major-General Hastings

he also pointed out an instance of the Small Pox subsequent to

the

Cow Pox

at Adlestrop.

" Dr. Garthshore has also at Dr. Ingenhousz's request written

to Dr. Pulteney, of Blandford,

who

in reply has assured

the inoculators of his neighbourhood have

of the Small
it

does in

Pox happening

many

stitution as to

it

is

He would

He

call

that

believes that

human

con-

its

not hear a word in defence

origin.

confident that a spurious Small

by what you

Pox.

him

instances

unsusceptible of the Small Pox, but not

of your opinion respecting

He

Cow

instances produce that change in the

render

with certainty in all cases.

"

after the

known many

Pox cannot be produced

putrescent variolous matter, and that whether

the matter be kept in a wet sponge, or on cotton, either in a moist

or a dry state,

will

it

confessed in his

own

uniformly produce the Small Pox.

practice that the dried matter

produced a confluent Small Pox.

Yet he

more generally

In your last letter to

him you

EDWARD

JENNER.
Cow Pox

speak of the putrescent state of the

matter, and that

To

the milk might Hkewise undergo a similar change.

objects,
"

and says that milk

That

it

and not of

him

in

he

this

become acescent, not putrescent.

will

should render the habit unsusceptible of Small Pox,

its

own

one of your

letters that

the

Cow

To

Pox.

You

incredible.

now

girl

think,

thinks that the Small

seems,

it

His respect

it.

for

and

to doubt,

is

he says the ambiguity on the part of the father confirms the

statement instead of weakening

tell

you have heard from Adlestrop,

and that the father of the boy or

Pox preceded

him

specific action, is to

first

your character

has kept him from publishing, and he declines entering into controversy with you.

Had you

been a less formidable antagonist

He

he would have flogged you long since.

me

somely of you, and desired

have kept him from answering your

satisfying his

mind on the

letters

He

subject.

sufficient

number

own

cause

the

desire of

Cow

Pox, but wait

you would not be per-

that
;

that

you were now before

*******
and so long as sub judice

the tribunal of the public,

till

of facts, and to secure your

He remarked

ground as you advance.

mitted to be judge in your

but

desires that you will not

be in haste to publish a second time on the

you have collected a

spoke very hand-

you that nothing would

to assure

lis

you

est,

ought not to risk an opinion."

Jenner keenly

the

felt

and was

at

writes to

Gardner

a loss

to

antagonism of Ingenhousz,

know what

Again he

to do.

sympathy and advice.

for

Dr. Jenner to Mr.

Edward Gardner.
" Berkeley.

"

Dear Gardner,

answering

tempest

my
is

We

wondered

letters, particularly the

generally preceded

measure exemplified the remark,

at

Ingenhousz's

by a calm.
I

know

He

has

my

future

in

some

letter.

It

a matter on which, perhaps, much of

indeed, my existence. sometimes

moment
peace may rest

a matter of real

in

not what to do with

him, and wish for your advice, after you have seen his
is

delay

long one that you inspected.

AND

LIFE
think that

he

all

it

knows

LETTERS.

would be most prudent

of the

Cow Pox

determined at present

is

appendix, or say nothing

my

this

till

him

to desire

to

make

public

but would there not in this measure

The grand

be a sort of defiance that might irritate ?

1)6

149

Shall

every bolt

question to

immediately publish an

is flung,

and then attack

adversaries ?

"This very man Ingenhousz knows no more of the

Cow Pox

of the

among philosophers what Johnson was among

the way, not unlike

When

eagle.

real nature

than Master Sehvyn does of Greek.

him

shall

in figure;

'tis

no use

the

Yet he

literati,

is

and, by

to shoot straws at

an

see you ?

"Yours

sincerely,

"E.
After his return from London,

J."

July 1798, Jenner

in

spent most of his time until the following February at

Cheltenham and Berkeley.

He

had

depended not only

Such was the

istence.
at

period,

that

despair

his

but

destined

to

on whose opposition
but his very ex-

future peace,
state of the

and Jenner might

the fate of the

be consigned

to

now

and

lymph,

of

stock

an antagonist

encountered

had

his

lost

new

Cow Pox
well

have

inoculation

oblivion,

question

for

felt

in

was not

the

much-

needed help came from a very unexpected quarter.

The
from
to

subject had

men

obtain

been receiving increased attention

of science
further

in

London.

information,

Some were
others

anxious

questioned

accuracy of Jenner's statements, and treated his

trines

as

" conjectural

and

ridiculous."

Among

the

docthe

former were Dr. George Pearson and Dr. Woodville,

physicians to the Small

Pox

Hospital.


EDWARD JENNER.

150

Pearson set

Dr.

making

practitioners

in

country, and

parts of the

all

extraordinary

than six months after the publication of Jenner's

produced a volume

zeal,

means of correspondence

by

inquiries

work with

to

in

less

Z^^^^^zry,

which he incorporated

in

with

the

all

information which he had received as to the prevalence

of

Cow Pox and

with his

its

alleged protective power, together

own comments on

the proposed substitute for

Small Pox inoculation.

make any

Dr. Pearson had not been able to

ments, as

been making

inquiries,

with an outbreak of

book

months

during the few

"

Your name

sent

next wish was to inoculate.

to press, his

he wrote to Jenner, on November 8th, 1798

men

meeting

in

having

but

will live in the

memory

of

had

which he

in

he had not succeeded

Cow Pox

experi-

his

Thus

mankind as long as

possess gratitude for services and respect for benefactors

and

if

you

live for ever."

Dr.

about

can but get matter,

announced

middle
to

am much mistaken

book was issued

Pearson's
the

Jenner

in

the

do not make

by the publishers

November, a

of

if

fact

following

which

he

letter.

Dr. Pearson to Dr. Jenner.

"

My Dear

Sir,

Unexpectedly

appearance a day or two ago.

by what conveyance

have a parcel made up, and

I

am

pamphlet made

its

public

sorry to trouble you to say

can send you a copy, and to what place.

you have any commissions

"

my

to execute in
I

will see

it

London, you

may

If

as well

forwarded.

observe several errors since printing, partly mine and partly

AND

LIFE
those of the printer; but

and

errors,
"

know

Cow

business of the

nasty to derive

151

other authors discover similar

readers do not perceive them.

tliat

You cannot imagine how

to this

LETTERS.

it

fastidious the people are with regard

One

Pox.

says

it

from the sore heels of horses

God, we shall introduce the diseases of animals

many

have too

own

already of our

!'

it

All this

among

O my

and we

us,

know

it

is

not what to think

hear very quietly, and recollect that a

and

filthy

Another,

third sapient set say

a strange odd kind of business, and they

of

very

is

more

still

unfavourable reception was experienced by the inoculation for the

Small Pox.

"I wish you could secure

depend upon

for

me matter

for inoculation, because,

thousand inaccurate but imposing cases

it,

want

to

send their names abroad about anything, and

think yourself and

me

must inoculate.

sent to me, and

also

fair

By way

game.

have thought

my own

it

be

will

who

published against the specific nature of the disease by persons

who

will

we

of se dcfendendo

right to publish the evidence as

reasoning, because

know you

are

too good a philosopher to be offended at the investigation of truth,

although the conclusions

too,

your principal

happened that
"

may

facts will

be different from your own.

had uniformly acceded

am, with Mrs.

P.'s best

to all

think,

be the better established than

if it

had

your doctrine.

compliments

to Mrs.

Jenner

and yourself,
"

Your

faithful Servant,

" G.

"Leicester Square,

A^ot'.

13///,

Pearson.

1798."

According to Baron, a few days afterwards (November

virus

26th),

Jenner

from a farm

succeeded
at

in

obtaining

Stonehouse, and on the following

day,

he inoculated two of the children of

Mr.

Hicks

disprove
first

an

of

Eastington.

assertion,

vaccinations

Cow Pox

Baron

subsequently

performed

by

his

relates

made,

Jenner

friend,
this

that
after

to

the

the

EDWARD JENNER.

152

publication of

the Inquiry were

from Pearson.

This subject

meantime

the

in

London

will

what occurred

new

curious to try the

was

received

was

Cow

welcome

the

Pox

existed

same

in

reported

Woodville

to

it

Road, near Paddington.

from

these

the

that

herd

large

New

sources,

intelligence

broken out among the cows

Pearson heard

time,

among

raging

Wachsel obtained

1799, Mr.

Cow Pox had

the

after patiently

for

gratified,

that

Gray's Inn Lane, and

at

and

dairies.

In January
that

inoculation

was

wish

their

London

in

Pearson, were very

Dr. Woodville, as well as Dr.

news

be continued.

will

waiting,

received

be referred to again
of

history

the

with lymph

cows

of

in

and

disease

the

in

With vaccine matter

Woodville

experimented

at

the

Small Pox Hospital, and Pearson also induced persons

be inoculated.

to

Jenner received information of the discovery, a few

days afterwards, from Woodville.
Dr. Woodville to Dr. Jenner.

*******
"

"

"

out

Dear

On Sunday
among

next day

persons

last,

Mr.

it

was informed
cows

Harrison's

took Mr.

as he declared
six

Ely Place.

Jcdi. 25, 1799.

Sir,

with

the

in

Gray's

Tanner with me

to be the

to

genuine disease,

matter
'

that

Vide^.

Cow Pox

that the

he

162.

Inn

had broke

The

Lane

examine them
I

thai

procured

and

day inoculated
from

cow

AND

LIFE
appeared

which

be

to

to

make

to

disease,

the. disease

with

this

called again at the

cow-

was very much pleased

were infected with the

milkers

exhibited a

affected

more

beautiful

specimen of

than that which you have represented in

From

plate.

whom

one of

the

when

farther inquiries,

two or three of

find

153

most severely

the

On Wednesday,

pustular complaint.

house

LETTERS.

person

this

which appeared

charged

with

a lancet

the

the

first

matter,

from that taken from the cow, as that

difterent

of the former was purely lymphatic, and the latter of a purulent

With this lymphatic matter I immediately inoculated

two men at the hospital.
" Finding now there could be no doubt of the disease, I the
same day called upon Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Pearson, Dr.
form.

Willan,

them of the circumstance

inform

to

etc.,

and these

gentlemen, together with Lord Somerville, Sir William Watson,

and Mr. Coleman, met me the following day

where your
with

figure

was produced

book
the

disease

and

every

we proceeded

to

to

all

the hospital,

Cow

where

be

seemed

gentleman

good an example of the

gratified at seeing so
this place

upon comparing your

was allowed by

it

representation,

faithful

and

at the cow-keeper's,

very

highly

Pox.

From

inoculated six

*******

patients, so that the

Cow Pox

whole number inoculated by me with the

matter amounts

to

fourteen."

Jenner was quite satisfied from

Woodville

had

wished himself

discovered

this description

" true "

Cow

Pox,

that

and

London.

in

Dr. Jenner to Dr. Woodville.

"

My Dear

letter,

my

Sir,

am

extremely obliged

to

you

for

your

and most sincerely wish circumstances would admit of

being at your elbow while you conduct your experiments

on the interesting subject before you.

"

answer your

perhaps

is

letter

needless)

who may
may have been exposed
those

resist

by return of

the
the
to

immediate
action

post,

to

propriety

of the

suggest (what
of

Cow Pox

inoculating
matter, and

variolous contagion at the hospital.

EDWARD

154

JENNER.

After the description you have

I

among

the disease

think, that

there can be no doubt,

given,

cows

the

Inn Lane

Gray's

spurious

the true, and not a species of the

is

in

Cow

Pox.

In

the account of the appearance on the milker's hand, the report

my

of

Tanner merits great confidence.

what other cause

friend

cold season of the year or to

I

know

not, but out of six patients

of them only were

arms of

the

would not

and

all,

feel

and even went on so as

that

for

"It has not happened

so,

constitutions

more than a week,

However, once

generally.

was

in

scab behind.

to leave a little

course of the last summer,

two

was excited

whose

those,

away

die

to the

can be ascribed

lately inoculated

inflammation

some of

in

did not

it

it,

An

infected.

Whether
it

foiled in a similar

the

in

Three

way.

or four servants at a farm were carefully inoculated with matter

cow:

fresh from a
all

case of

Cow Pox

of

they

resisted

all

but in the course of the

it,

As every

them were infected by milking the cows.

season,

mention these

is

some mode more

be considered as a case of inoculation,

to

to you,

facts

that

it

may

the subject than

certain of infecting

present in use with variolous matter

may

that at

not be thought

of.

would imitate the casual mode more closely were we

" It

by scratch or puncture to create a

be considered whether

first

scab, and then, removing

little

apply the virus on the abraded part.

it,

am

shortly

going

pamphlet

(which,

by

"

directed

it

the

be sent

to

to

way,

you before

to

an appendix

publish

hope
I

left

"

Cow

etc.,

was used soon

(see page 41').

This

weeks ago,

after the

the

same as

infection appeared

you now.

About

at

James (see page 40^) with fresh

the same time exposed her to the

The appearances

patient.
if

as

mention

inoculated M.

Small Pox matter, and

effluvia of a

to

one of the cases where

symptoms of

shall concisely relate to

received,

London)

late

etc.

shall also point out the result of

caustic

six

Pox,

my

and the general sources

the precaution of destroying the pustule,

of spurious

you

to

of the arm

she never had had either Small Pox or

and on the eighth day,

^

expected, from

Vide\o\.

ii.,

p. 174.

were just

Cow Pox

the appearances, she

AND

LIFE
would be

She was

ill.

and

night, but slept well,

LETTERS.
than

hotter

little

it

155

was supposed

few hours about the wrists.

for the space of a

during the

usual

that a rash appeared

inserted matter

woman

from her arm into two other subjects, a boy, and a

The

fifty.

were

which

of

preceded

who had

sixty years of age,

exposed
fully

contagion

of

the

exposed herself now

to

this

the

to

consequence, and

had

Pox

perfect Small

Small

Pox and

infection.

it,

She sickened

in

would be unfair

It

been

life

resisted

of which

three pustules, one

pustule.

person near

the early period of her

in

was

appearance

The woman, though she

pretty general rash.

b}'

Their

characterised.

fairly

an indisposition, had not a single pustule.

felt

of

had about half a dozen pustules, two or three

bo}'

became a

draw

to

positive

conclusions from such scanty precedents, but yet they lead one

*******

hope that

to

Small Pox might thus be

mild variety of the

actually created."

recommended

had

Jenner

employed
strongly

destroy

to

objected

to

the

by

Pearson alluded

ville.

and

15th,

at

this

On

telling

was

Wood-

February

letter,

same time mentioned the prospect

the

new

increasing opposition to the

"

in

this

and

Pearson

both

to

but

pustule,

be

should

caustic

that

Woodville that

Dr.

your publishing the use of the

practice.

had

of

been

anxious

he replied

caustic,

'

that

about

would

ha\e damned the whole business.'

"Be

assured that

the caustic, or call

with the public.

had

if
it

the practice cannot be introduced without

by any other name,

cannot yet

tell

whether

affection of the constitution.

sufficient

it

will

all

my

never succeed
patients have

There has not been

time for a second inoculation and with variolous matter.

Some

of the patients had undergone the Small Pox.

" Dr.

you,

but

Parr's
it

letter

contains

extracted from

it.

you

shall

nothing

must

tell

see in
that

you

is

town,
relative

that

Dr.

merely
beside

to satisfy

what

Parr has written

EDWARD JENNER.

156

to

me

he

say that although

to

We

soon a number of gnat

forward,

worthy and

to those

If the

bites.

their a priori opinions,

"

Cow Pox

We

favour

the

go

to

owes

obligation society

with

public

Tantaene

animis coeles-

we

trust

likely

is

is

experience

to

having never seen the disease, and not

even understanding the arguments

tibus irae

practice

What
men who

liberal

have

shall

will excite opposition.

it

he

yet convinced,

not

is

'

staggered, and begins to doubt.'

establish

shall

have got

proceeding, as

able,

we have

same

to

who have

side,

and

feel

any

do not

yet taken the

Pearson enclosed a

letter,

prove whether

of the variola or not.

done, circumspectly,

all

field."

of thread

bit

and Jenner made a number of

infected with the virus,

inoculations,

enough
that

and worthy men on our

candid,

dread from the opponents

In the

facts

extinguishes

inoculation

and reported the

results.

Dr. Jenner to Dr. Pearson.

"

My Dear

"
to

of the

did not

fail

Berkelev, March

received your letter while

Woodville, and

Dr.

result

Sir,

with

inoculation

to execute

him

requested

my

the

London

been inoculated with matter produced by

took
little

of

This

the infection.

ill-no eruptions

Cow

is

Pox, except that

virus.

to

you the

hope he

patients have since

They

this virus.

the ninth day,

The

yet.

i^ih, 1799.

was writing

transmit

to

Twelve

wishes.

and they appear a

character of the

arm

is

to

believe

this

the following circumstance

"

with

One

of

the

pustule

the

the genuine

sickened
its

the

am

the

Cow Pox

from

preceding

day

Yet

the

course.

advanced with the same regularity as

presume,

the

in

which went through

had not been present.

1

to be

boys inoculated

measles,

just that

do not see the disposition

pustule to ulcerate as in some of the former cases.

more induced

all

Now

this

the

measles

would not have been the

had variolous matter been

under similar circumstances.

if

inserted

No Cow Pox

into

the

case,

skin

yet in the country!

AND

LIFE
Should

know
at

appear within a particular

it

now be

cannot

It

it.

least

can speak

there as a medical
"

district

long before

shall

you

shall see

undoubtedly

town

in

with as great a certainty of being

man

What
am glad to find
among your patients
'*

157

soon

can.

hear of a child covered over with pustules at the Small

Pox

LETTERS.

Hospital.

none of your
Rolph's

Tanner,

find,

into a

does not increase, as you

inoculated

last

went

children

through

ments have hitherto

been

with the matter of grease

but

was previously

that

the matter there,

to Mrs.

conducted
;

it

that

Mr.

without

them.

Cow Pox

to the

same way as
confute

to

when he found

affected

me
that

by inserting the virus

is,

nipple, in the

tell

any, and

disease

the

way, that

in a direct

sound part of the

nipple

patients had

could not succeed in giving the

cow

veterinary

are they ?
that the disposition for forming eruptions

with

my

experi-

notions

part of the

sore,

and applied

With

best respects

took effect immediately.

all

Pearson,
"

remain, dear

"

sir,

Yours very

truly,

" E. Jenner."

about two months, Pearson

In

and Woodville had

inoculated upwards of one hundred and sixty persons,

and above sixty were afterwards inoculated with Small

Pox. but none took

On March

the

12th, 1799,

infection.^

Pearson sent a

letter enclosing

an infected thread to two hundred practitioners, request-

them

to try

its

Pearson

also

sent

ing

Geneva,

and

to

effects

virus

Hanover,

and report the

to

Paris,

Portugal,

results.

Berlin,

Vienna,

America,

and

also supplied the army.

In

May.

1799,

Woodville
Vide, p. 163.

published

his

report.

EDWARD

is8

Between the

JENNER.

of January and the i8th of March,

21st

he had inoculated two hundred persons, and within a

short time, four hundred more.

Woodville had
by

inoculation,

new

Cow Pox

and

and

zeal,

by

dis-

whole medical world was

inoculation, that the

in a state
It

Pearson and

promoting

in

energy

their

fact,

lymph and disseminating information about

tributing

the

succeeded

so

In

of agitation.

was obvious

limited

Jenner's

that

when

efforts,

compared with the work of Pearson and Woodville,

were

Jenner

danger of sinking into insignificance.

in

without delay, issued a counterblast

pamphlet,^ the data of which
together.

Criticisms

and, according

to

also,

the form of a

in

had been hurriedly put

overwhelming

were

Baron, he began to

him,

deeply the

feel

weight of the responsibility which rested on him from

the

again appealing to his

friend

Dr. Jenner to Mr.

"

Dear Gardner,
when my situation

There
called

colours, reach the shore at last,

"

am

beset on

all

language.

my

my

existence

and

The

it.

is

and so ignorant

last philippic that

it

in

harsh and unjustifiable

impossible for me, single-handed, to combat

]^ide vol.

ii.,

has

communicated by Dr. Sims of

adversaries.
'

my

flying

of the disease they write about

Sims gives comments on

It is

in

Though my bark will, with

yet it is now in a storm.

than the animals which generate

London.

help.

the assistance of

sides with snarling fellows,

Bristol,

for

him

find

Edward Gardner.

loudly for

know no more

appeared comes from

Gardner

never was a period

so

literary friends as the present.

withal that they

Hence we

of the Inquiry.

publication

p. 155.

all

AND

LIFE
" Standing, as

LETTERS.

159

do, before so awful a tribunal,

my

friends will

volunteer their counsel and immediately appear in court.

" M}^ intended

pamphlet has only been looked over

nicest balance that

human

the minutest flaw were

" Give

me

the matter

much

as

of the

inmost recesses, and discover

its

Language

suffered to be present.

it

the

in

prejudiced most bitterly against

critic,

the hypothesis, will penetrate

cursory

The eyes

can invent.

intellect

philosophic and medical

out of the question

in a

must be again revised and weighed

Ever}^ sentence

\\z.y.

what

is

allude

company

of your

as

put

to.

you can, and as

speedily.
" Yours, very faithfull}',
" E. Jenner.

" Thursday, Marxli yth, 1799."

But more trouble was

Jenner
greatly

happened
alarmed

Woodville,
post-haste

be

to

the

at

the

uncle,

his

in

part

particularly
to

store

in

London,

and

that,

that

known

in

he did not ^o

if

his

chance of obtaining

lost

for ever.

wrote

him

warning

at

became

Pearson and

He

former.

Georofe

and

played by

would become the chief person

ness,

him.

for

off

Pearson
the

busi-

once to London,

fame and fortune would be

G. C. Jenner to Dr. Jenner.

"Norfolk Street, March

"
it

Mv Dear

will

Sir,

me

be needless for

your coming

to

iith, 1799.

After what Mr. Paytherus has written to you,

town

to

to say anything to urge the necessity of

wear the

laurels

you have gained, or

to

prevent their being placed on the brows of another.

"

shall only state a

wrote to you

last.

few

facts

Dr. Pearson

the medical gentlemen to

let

is

have got possession of since

going to send circular

them know

that he will

letters to

supply them

EDWARD

i6o

Cow Pox

with

JENNER.

matter upon their appHcation to him,

known

means he will be the chief person

consequently deprive you of that merit, or

of

it,

which

is

Doctor

so justly your due.

Cow Pox

by which

and

the business,

in

at least a great

share

gave a public lecture

P.

Farmer Tanner was

there.

Doctor Pearson adopted your opinions, except with regard

to the

He

spoke

on the

on Saturday

last.

probability of the disease originating in horses' heels.

some unsatisfactory experiments having been made by

of

ing from the greasy heels

was

we

the liberty to

it

tell

from you by

is

in

some

the

at

to the

inoculat-

difficult

it

another by

to

greater difficulty

still

The farmer says

cow.

part of his lecture, which he took

him.

" Mr. Paytherus

now

from the horse

was wrong

Dr. Pearson

wonder

are not to

communicating

to-da}',

how

consider

communicate the disease from one cow

to

inoculation,
in

when we

but

is

much disappointed

and therefore did not

your time

not to receive any letter

but hopes you

this day's post,

may

be coming up

All your friends agree that

write.

your fame and fortune

to establish

but

if

you

delay taking a personal active part any longer, the opportunity will

be lost for ever.

Pearson does not intend

If Dr.

give the merit to himself,

you gave the disease

why

endeavour

to

should he quibble about the

The

eruption

he

rails

the

to

name

vaccinoits

eruption.

"

Your

affectionate

nephew,
" G. C. Jenner.

" Mr. Paytherus has just told

lecture

was exhibited yesterday

get a sight of

it I

will

me that
at Sir

a copy of Doctor Pearson's

Joseph Banks's.

send you an account of

When

it."

Jenner promptly wrote to his counsellor and guide,

proposing counter-action.
Dr. Jenner to Mr.

Edward Gardner.
''Berkeley, Wednesday, 1799.

"

Dear Gardner,

informs

me

letter

that Dr. Pearson

have just received from G. Jenner

on Saturday

last

gave a public lecture

LIFE A AW LETTERS.

Cow

on the

Pox, and

that

it

any gentlemen

furnish
"

the

As

this is

man

first

was

He

Banks's on Sunday evening.

i6i

publicly exhibited

Sir J

at

has also given out that he wil

at a distance with the virus.

probably done with the view of showing himself as

in the concern,

should not some neatly-drawn para-

graphs appear from time to time in the public prints, by no means

on the conduct of

reflecting

that

alive

Pox

P.

was not

P.,

but just to keep the idea publicly

the author of the discovery

mean Cow

inoculation ?
"

Yours

trul}',

"E.

On

the

March. Jenner acted on the advice

2ist of

of his friends, and

23rd, he

Berkeley for London.

left

saw Woodville, who informed him

and the patient had had

it

Cow Pox

he concluded that

the

in

one

by

effluvia,

way}

in tke confluent

same month, Woodville published

On

that

Cow Pox was communicated

of his cases the

J."

In the

his Reports, in

manifested

itself

which

sometimes

as an eruptive disease of great severity, for three or four

cases

out

hundred

of five

and one

danger,

case

results

proved well-nigh

tion.

However,

had been

Baron says that these

died.
fatal

considerable

in

cause of vaccina-

to the

other localities where

in

lymph had been employed, much happier

met with.

One

had vaccinated

explanation

in

was,

as Woodville

that

and Small Pox occurred simultaneously.

Woodville

grand-nephew,

Stephen

name of

Hill,

VOL.

I.

Jenner,

who was about

'

Baron,

and

lymph,

and

Cow Pox

Jenner had
inoculated

boy

four years old.

loc. cit., vol. i., p.

were

results

atmosphere.

variolous

employed the

Woodville

322.
I I

his

of the

With

EDWARD

62

lymph from

arm of the boy

the

two of the children of

same

the

friend,

his

Jenner inoculated

Hill,

Mr. Hicks, and

at

i6 others, and with matter taken from

time,

Henry Jenner,

nephew,

his

source,

this

yAL\'EA\

successfully

vaccinated a child twenty hours old, and no eruptions

The same

resulted in any.

stock supplied Mr. Marshall

with virus for inoculations on 107 persons, and in only

one or two cases were there any eruptions.

jenner had

procured

in

before

Mr. Clark's farm

at

June

order to

in

any eruptions

dairies,

from

virus

Kentish Town, and sent

Marshall by his friend Mr. Tanner,

cases without

some

departure

his

but

from the London

of lymph

study the effects

he

London

left

who used

to

it

it

Mr.

on 127

Jenner there-

resulting.

fore concluded that, in Woodville's cases, the eruptions

from

resulted

" the

action

matter which

of variolous

crept into the constitution with the vaccine."^

Roth Woodville" and Pearson" acknowledged

after-

wards that the eruptions arose from variolation.

"

It

is

true that

many

of these vaccine cases were conjoined

with the Small Pox from the influence probably of the variolous infection, but as the eruptive cases exhibited the

on the part inoculated, and the matter of

gated the Vaccina without eruptions,
country,

'

Vide

it

is fair

vol.

ii.,

and Praciice of
-

Woodville.

to

vol.

Vaccination,

i.,

p.

244 and p. 184

Pearson.

Cow Pock

and Moore.

cases."

History

p. 26.

Observations on

tlie

Cow Pox.

1800.

Examination of the Report of

House of Commons. 1802. p- 49.
^

Cow Pock

private practice and in the

admit them into the class of

p. 252

An

in

genuine

very generally propa-

it

tlic

p. 21.

Committee of

tlie

J.IFE

This accident was

10 the interests

the
1

AXD

far

LE'JTERS.

from proving "well-nigh fatal"

of vaccination

it

new

60 cases
the

the

for

Jenner and his cause.

been

fir

of opinion

scale

The

inoculation.

had

cases,

was, on the contrary,

as having been ])roductive of results which

completely turned
the

it

most fortunate occurrence

regard

variolous

question

conclusively,

tor

and

patients had

the fact that these

perhaps
fore

Cow Poxed
was

Pox,

same

at the

from

naturally protected

Small

many

overlooked

time),

nor

The Cow

similar cases,

arofuments

Cow

been

in

Pox.

But

\^ariolated

(and

and were there-

subsequent attack

and

wavering opinions were secured

inoculation

result.

power of

of the prophylactic

favour

settle

inoculation

one of the stock

constituted

this

But here were

neither

the credit in these 60 and

of

Jenner's

in

appeared to

test

exposure to infection produced any

favour

in

test,

from convincinsf.

which the variolous

in

Pox got

163

tbrgotten.

in

of

]\Iany

fivour of the

new

by the immunity which was demonstrated

on applying the variolous

test

in

must repeat, Ike immtmity

7^'as

produced by small pox

these

cases

but,

which was introduced into the constitution as the result

of vaccinating in a variolous atmosphere or of employing
contaminated lancets}
It

is

not then

continued to
sons,

in

surjjrising

Cow Pox

that

inoculation

gain ground, and that distinguished per-

different

parts
Vide

of the

vol.

ii.,

kingdom, adopted the

pp. 137

147.


EDWARD
new

practice,

known

widely

conspicuous

JENNER.

and exerted themselves

in this

as

it

were particularly

Ladies

possible.

as

make

to

work, becoming most energetic and

successful vaccinators.

Jenner

this

at

so increased, that he had

vaccination

employment.

influential

It

was

members of the

this

at

and

Berkeley

at

His correspondence on

Cheltenham.

other

resided

period

subject

the

leisure for

little

time that various

profession opposed

Cow Pox

But Jenner enlisted a powerful advocate

inoculation.

the person of Mr. Ring.

of

Ring not only

in

replied to the

objections which were brought forward, but also collected

together a

number of medical men who, having

themselves of the efficacy of

fied

Cow Pox

inoculation,

put their signatures to the following document

Many unfounded

"

tendency

Pox

duty
the

reports having been circulated, which have a

to prejudice the public against the inoculation for

We

the undersigned physicians and surgeons think

declare our opinion that

to

satis-

Cow Pox

those persons

are perfectly secure from

it

Cow
our

who have had

the future infection of

the Small Pox."

Here followed the signatures of

thirty-three physicians

and surgeons.
In

London,

determined
of

Cow

to

Pox.

in

the

organise

He

meantime,
an

Dr.

Institution

l3y

himself,

of York consented to become a patron.

should

be

for

had

inoculation

appointed a vaccine board, of which

the chief place was occupied

Jenner

Pearson

connected

in

and the Duke

In order that

some way with the

AND

LIFE
Institution,

LETTERS.

165

Pearson wrote offering to make him an extra

corresponding physician.

Jenner thought that

shown

consideration had not been

and wrote a hasty

liim

sufficient

the matter,

in

Pearson, decHning the

letter to

offer.

Dr. Jennkr to Dr. Pearson.

"

"Sir,
I

felt

surprised at the inlbrmation

" It

appears

me somewhat

to

formed upon so large a

Cow

inoculation of the

almost

17,

1799.

fact

But

abilities.

conveys.

that has for

object

its

the

Pox, should have been set on foot and

without m}^

The

it.

imparted

at the

receiving

most

the

institution itself cannot, of course,

but be highly ilattering to me, as

importance of the

it

extraordinary that an institution

and

scale,

completely organised

distant intmiation of

first

Berkeley, Dec.

received your letter of the lOth instant, and confess

same

am

is

thereby convinced that the

acknowledged by men of the

time, allow

me

to

observe that

if

the vaccine inoculation, from unguarded conduct, should sink into

disrepute (and you must admit. Sir, that in

has
or

its

reputation suffered),

alone must bear the odium.

To

any other of the gentlemen whose names you mention as

up the medical departments,

"

At the present

business that
in

more than one instance

London.

crisis

it

you,

filling

cannot possibly attach.

feel

so sensibly the importance of the

shall certainly take

For the present

an early opportunity of being

must beg leave

to decline

the

honour intended me.

''I

remain,

Sir,

your obedient Servant,

" E. Jennek."

Jenner

left

January, 1800,
there,
tion

London- on the 28th of

Berkeley for
in

order to

watch what was going on

and shortly afterwards he published

of Facts and Observations Relative

Vaccina:.''

Soon

after his arrival,

Vide vol.

ii.,

Continua-

to the

V^ariolce

Jenner wrote to Lord

p. 247.

EDWARD JENNER.

i66

Eo-remont. askino- for an

by which

plan

submit

Jenner had,

advice.

Duke

and

Clarence,

of

antidote,

also,

enable him

to

country might

the

new

the advantages of the

his

interview

an

and

Egremont

following proposals to Lord

derive

by

to profit

with

the

submitted

the

interview

subsequently

to

DR. JENNER FOR A PUBLIC INSTITUTION FOR VACCINE INOCULATION.

PROPOSALS BY

(for lord egremont.)

"

Having now pursued the inquiry

into the nature of the

Cow

Po:: to so great an extent as to be able positively to declare that

those

who have gone through

this

mild

rendered

disease are

Pox

perfectly secure from the contagion of the Small

and being

convinced from numberless instances that the occupations of the

mechanic or the labourer

will

meet with no interruption during

progress, and the infected and uninfected

the most perfect

safety,

inoculation

gratuitous

metropolis would be
quences,

and that

conceive

mingle together in
institution

the

most

beneficial

might be so constituted as

benefits throughout every part

London,
In

"

diffuse

its

Edw. Jenner.

Alarcli \bfh, 1800."

order

to

diffuse

the

advantages of the

promoting the inoculation of the

it is

to

the

conse-

of the British Empire.

"

"

for the

lower classes of society in

of the

attended with

it

may

that an

its

Cow Pox

institution

for

as widely as possible,

proposed
1st.

That communications be made

gentlemen

in

London and throughout

to the principal

medical

the British Empire, acquaint-

ing them with the nature of the Institution, and soliciting their
associating as honorary members.

" 2ndly. That a Physician be appointed

the
'

who

shall superintend

medical department.
3rdl\".

of this

That a house be appropriated in some convenient part

metropolis,

containing

the necessary

apartments for


LTFE

AND

LETTERS.

medical attendant, a secretary, porter,

reception

the

occasional

of the patients sent

reception

Apartments also
and

for inoculation,

who may choose

those

of

etc.

167

aid

to

for

the

for

the

charity.

That virus

'*4thly.

Cow Pox

for inoculating the

such honorary members as

may make

be sent to

a proper application for

all

it

at

the apartments of the Institution, and that none be sent forth

without the signature of the superintending Physician, as a test of

its

being genuine.

That the virus be accompanied

" Sthly.
its

use,

and

(to

on the nature of the

tions

" Gthl}'.

with

directions

for

guard against error) with some general observa-

That the

disease.

Institution

be supported by voluntary con-

tribution.

" /thly.

That an annual subscriber of

" 8thly.

That the Governors meet

day of every month

as

it

at the

be a Governor.

apartments the

etc., etc.

That an abstract of the reports be published as often

may

be deemed proper."

Ultimately, Jenner succeeded in inducing the

of

York and

Vaccine

to

great

announcement
dedicate

later

formed

Baron,

designs of those

Majesty

Egremont

Lord

Institution,

according

first

for the inspection of the reports relative to the

general progress of the inoculation,

" 9thl3\

....

Jenner

piece

of

that

the

for

news

and

Pearson,

defeated

who sought

from the

to withdraw^

by

the

second edition

he

was presented

high patronage.

for

had an interview with

of the

by
his

thus,

ambitious

was

Jenner

King had permitted

the

Duke

Inquiry

Lord
Royal

him

the
to

to

His

Berkeley,

and

Highness the

Prince of Wales.

Concerning the progress of vaccination

at this

time, Jenner wrote to Mr.

in

Shrapnell

London,

EDWARD JEN^ER.

68

"

the

to Tierney,

Pray write without delay

Cow Pox

is

the whole island.

lation

and

tell

him how rapidly

marching over the metropolis, and, indeed, through

The death

of the three children under inocu-

with the Small Pox will probably give that practice the

Would

Brutus-stab here, and sink for ever the tyrant Small Pox.

Tierney

may

like to

have a

Cow Pox

virus, that the

little

own eye at Edinburgh ?

Let him know that my new

be set going under his

happy

to furnish him.

tioning his name, with the appendix,

would place the practice

attention

is

in its

should be

men-

edition

published.

proper light

inoculation
I

in

very

little

Edinburgh,

a thing devoutly to be wished."

From
engaged

this

time until he

London, he was busily

promoting the cause of the nev^ inoculation,

in

by meeting

his professional brethren,

at the medical societies.

Avith his

left

And,

and by discussions

finally,

he

left

nephew George, on the 23rd of June,

where he had the

tures of a

testimonial

Oxford,

gratification of obtaining the

number of learned

"We, whose names

signa-

scientists to the following

drawn up by Sir C. Pegge

the conviction of our

for

London

upon

are undersigned, are fully satisfied

own

observation, that the

Cow Pox

is

not

only an infinitely milder disease than the Small Pox, but has the

advantage of not being contagious, and

is

an

effectual

remedy

against the Small Pox."

On
ham.

the 13th of July,

1800, Jenner went to Chelten-

His time was principally occupied

in

correspond-

ence, in explaining the failures reported to him, and in

collecting

evidence

in

at this period that the

in

support of his

theory.

It

was

Earl of Berkeley took the lead

advocating some practical expression of the public


LIFE
feeling in the county.

AXD
He

LtTTERS.
induced

169

many

to subscribe,

and Jenner was presented with a service of

Jenner took great interest

Hicks, he refers to

a letter to his friend

Cow

resisted variolous inoculation after

" Darke,

me
me

as well as

it,

necessity of collecting cases of those

to the

when

at

who have

because they had undergone the

dantl}', as

it

to

can also favour

resisted variolous inoculation,

Cow Pox

Evidence of this kind

is

Pox.

He

power of Cow Pox.

with cases of those

of their lives.

who had

Cheltenham, mentioned some strong cases

the preventive

of

In

testimonial.

this

in

plate.

at this point the public

at

some

distant period

cannot obtain too abun-

mind makes a pause, from

was made of its proving a temporary

This must be the form first state the evi-

the early impression that

preventive only.

dence of the preventive powers of

comment you

Cow

Pox, and then add any

please upon the utility of the discovery.

compare the anxiety you

felt

on the variolous inoculation

family, with

your feelings respecting the vaccine.

of Paul.

is

money
of, in

what
etc.?

It

after

shall be.

it

What

think

gold cup

Cow

two ago

how
I

the animal

jump

reported

your

should make choice

allowed to

name

of an appropriate device,

you of the cow jumping over

make

in

Say nothing

the subscription

may be

if I

Have you thought

1801, Mr. Ring

"Your
fully

preference to anything else,

not enough to

In

time enough to determine

shall be disposed of

You may

for joy ?

the

moon?

Is

it

"

a case of Small

Pox-

Pox, and Jenner replied

case would certainly have raised a clamour a year or

;

but

now

the

phenomena of Cow Pox have been so

examined, and are so well understood, none but the igno-

rant and illiberal will lay any stress on

But the way

in

which

it

for a

moment."

Jenner answered those

who


EDWARD

JENNER.
Pox

reported successful cases of inoculation of Small

Cow

after
letters

may be gathered from

Pox,

the following

Dr. Jenner to Mr. Boddington.

"London, April
"

Dear

Sir,

How

gentleman, following a

guardian angel of which

self as
is

have called

to

1801.

2\sf,

the

profession

fame, should have so committed him-

is

this a case of

anything of the animal economy.

Cow Pox

Small Pox after

who know
He should have known that

not only astonishing to me, but must be so to

all

upon the skin of every human being that possesses a more than
ordinary share of

the insertion of the variolous virus

irritability,

(whether the person has previously had the

Pox)

produce either

will

the Small

communicating

pustule

and

Pox,

or

Cow Pox

frequently

or Small

capable

vesicle

attended

of

with

extensive inflammation."

Dr.

Dr. Jenxer to
"

How

Ketley-Bank.

he (Mr. Cartwright) must have known of the

little

agency of variolous matter,

Wonderful as

Evans,

it

is,

to

have argued as he has done.

yet there are abundant facts to prove, that

the insertion of variolous matter into the skin has produced

virus

fit

for the

the person

has borne

it,

subsequently been

rated, has

exposure

who

purpose of continuing the inoculation

and on whose skin

infected

with

" Vaccine inoculation has certainly unveiled

terious facts attendant

How

often have

many

upon the Small Pox and

we seen

(apparently) the

full

and yet

was gene-

it

the Small

Just so with the vaccine.

to its influence.

Pox, on
.

of the mys-

its

inoculation.

effect

on the arm

from the insertion of variolous matter, indisposition, and even

eruptions following

deep cicatrix
this,

In

and

it,

yet,

and

its

termination in an extensive and

on exposure, the person who underwent

has caught the Small Pox."

the

same

year, Jenner

published

his

account of

AND

LIFE

the orio-in of the \-accine

that
his

failure to inoculate those

said,

vague

opinion

time of

prevailed

He

added

that

the

in

Pox, but

of the

" This,"

with success.

the

but

did

not

extinguish,

my

He

have

to

the

method.

undergone

Small Pox

" for a while

He

ardour."

at

investigation

inoculated with

he says,

the

opinion was

this

Suttonian

of

course

Pox" and were

Coiu

l)y

originated

he had found some ''who seemed

the

sul^ject

that

Cow Pox was

that

and apparently

introduction

the

and

1776.

the

to

maintained

who had had Cow Pox.

a preventive of the Small

comparatively new,

He

about

had been drawn

attention

171

inocuhition.

conimenced

inquiries

his

LETTERS.

damped,

was

led to

assume the existence of a "true" and a "spurious"

Cow

Pox,

the

latter

over the constitution.

But

obstacle."

who had had

Pox

true

afterwards.

obstacle,

soon

" This,"

But he attributed

tion,

instances

of those

and yet received Small

" like

he adds,
to

It

my

to

the former

fond and aspiring

the

possibility

one day and obtaining

of a

protec-

while another milker infected the next day would

remain unprotected, the matter, having

prope7'ties,

ance,

power

specific

surmounted a great

were

there

Cow Pox

milker being infected

"

Thus he

gave a painful check

hopes."

no

possessing

producing

instead

of the

sores

and constitutional disturb-

particular

necessary to render the

human

observation

led

ultimately

lost its specifie

to

change

which

l)ody insusceptible.

the

theory

was
This

of spurious

EDWARD
He was

vaccination.

'JENNER.

struck with the idea of propagating

the disease by inoculation after the

manner of the Small

Cow Pox was now

Pox, and he concluded by saying that

proved to be a perfect security against the Small Pox

and therefore

that

it

was beyond the bounds of con-

troversy, that the ultimate result of the practice

would

be the annihilation of the Small Pox.

At an

early stage in the history of his observations,

Jenner had hopes of his discovery proving a financial

success.

Baron, quoting from Jenner's diary, has given

an account

of his aspirations, after his successful com-

Cow Pox

munication of
"

While

the vaccine discovery

the prospect before

at

take

to Phipps.

away from

me

was

progressive, the joy

felt

of being the instrument destined to

the world one of

its

greatest calamities, blended

with the fond hope of enjoying independence and domestic peace

and happiness, was often so excessive,

among

favourite subject

myself

in

the

meadows

that

in

pursuing

have sometimes

my

found

a kind of reverie."

Jenner complained of impecuniosity when the Inquiry

was published
a

in

1798, but four years elapsed

claim for remuneration

He

went

was

laid

London on December

to

before
9th,

before

Parliament.

1801, to pre-

pare a petition, for which he obtained the promise of

every assistance from Admiral Berkeley.

lUK HON. ADMIRAL BERKKLKV TO DR. JENNER.
" Friday Evening.

"

Dear

Sir,

-1

Committee, and as
up the

petition,

have arranged everything with respect to the

I

find

Mr. White was employed by you to draw

consulted him upon the best

means of conducting


AND

LIFE

He

it.

mean

LETTERS.

wishes to see you with the Jicads of the allegations you

to prove,

upon the

and

have therefore desired him

he

subject, because

will

put us

dence with the least inconvenience

who

173

are likely to appear

we ought

Mr. White,

may

think

hope you

me

of calling evi-

to

little

time

accommodate them as much

If you wish for any assist-

capable of affording before you see

believe

will

you

to write to

way

as the respectable characters

as the nature of the case will admit.

ance which you

the

probably wish to be kept as

w'ill

as possible, and of course

in

you cannot

afford

me

a greater

satisfaction than emplo3'ing me, being with great truth

" Sincerely yours,

" G. Berkelkv."

Henry Mildmay

Sir

claim

either

laying

House

or seconding

The
I

petition

his

promised

also

remuneration

for

by

his support,

before

the

it.

was drawn up and duly presented, March

7th, 1S02.

The

followino;

Firstly.

That

were the discoveries

Cow Pox was

alleo-ed

cow

inoculable from

to

man.
Secondly. That persons so

inoculated

for

life

Jenner added that he had not made a secret of his

dis-

perfectly secure from Small

Pox.

coveries, that the progress of Small

Pox had

checked, and that he had been put to

anxiety
"

were

To

"

the Honourable the

The humble
Sheweth,
"

been

much expense and

therefore he prayed for remuneration.

Commons

Great Britain and Ireland,

"

alread}^

Petition of

Edward

of the United
in

Kingdom of

Parliament assembled.

Jenner, Doctor of Physic,

That your petitioner having discovered

tliat

disease

EDWARD JENNER.

174

which occasionally exists

known by

particular

form

among

name of the Cow Pox, admits of being

human frame with the most perfect ease and

the

on the

lated

in

cattle,

inocusafety,

attended with the singularly beneficial effect of rendering

through life the persons so inoculated perfectly secure from the

and

is

infection of the Small Pox.

"That your

petitioner

most attentive and laborious

after

investigation of the subject, setting aside considerations of private

and personal advantage, and anxious to promote the safety and

welfare of his countrymen and of mankind in general, did not wish
to conceal the discovery

new

this

whole

he so made on the mode of conducting

of inoculation, but

species

to the public

parts of this kingdom, and in

all

endeavoured

to

immediately disclosed the

and by communication with medical men

foreign countries,

in

sedulously

spread the knowledge of his discovery and the

benefit of his labours as widely as possible.

" 'i'hat

this

in

latter

respect

the views

and wishes of your

petitioner have been completely fulfilled, for to his high gratification

he has to say that

this inoculation is in practice

throughout

a great portion of the civilised world, and has in particular been

productive of great advantage to these kingdoms, in consequence

of

being introduced, under authority, into the army and navy.

its

"

That the said inoculation hath already checked the progress

of the Small Pox, and from

its

nature must finally annihilate that

dreadful disorder.
"

That the

series of experiments

by which

this discovery

was

developed and completed have not only occupied a considerable

portion of 3'our petitioner's

life,

and have not merely been a cause

of great expense and anxiety to him, but have so interrupted him

in the
its

ordinary exercise of his profession as materially to abridge

pecuniary advantages, without their being counterbalanced by

those derived from the

"

Your

new

practice.

petitioner, therefore, with the full persuasion that

shall
this

he

meet with that attention and indulgence of which

Honourable House may deem him worthy, humbly

prays this Honourable (louse to take the premises into

consideration, and to grant him such remuneration as to
their

wisdom

shall

seem meet."

AND

LIFE

The

kinf^'s

ment.

Majesty recommended

his

was referred

It

laid

three.

After

Admiral Berkeley moved

carried

of

conclusion

the

inquiry, Jenner left

London

Once more, he had

by a

to j^rotect

of

majority

Parliamentary

the

Berkeley.

for

leisure to

attend

spondence on the constant subject of

Pox

Report

the

^10,000, which was duly seconded by

Henry Mildmay, and

Sir

June 1802,

in

before the House.

for a grant of

Parha-

to

it

Committee, presided over

to a

by Admiral Berkeley, and

was

175

pleasure was taken on ihe contents of the

and

petition,

LETTERS.

corre-

his

to

failures of

Cow

from Small Pox.

To

R. Dunning, Esq.
" 1802.

"

My Dear

Sir,

Our

each other on the

letters crossed

last

Your letter of April the 22nd reached

me at a time when my head was brimful of the bustles of the
Committee, and was not, I think, sufficientl}', at least properly,
road, according to custom.

noticed in any subsequent letter of mine.

your account of the inoculation of

iVIr.

What

marine

of the

at

Add

Now, my good

Portsmouth.

mind having long since obtained what security

possessing,

request of you to

me what

tell

it

is

was

Portsmouth

imperfect.

The

malignant

shout

people
(see

at

the

Letters

this,

capable of

That of the

made

out

to

have

set

up

of

Hope

in

the

Plymouth adopted

it;

been

kind

of

Report of

They

the Committee) at finding this case of supposed failure.

disliked vaccination because

the

my

friend,

sea-port

clearly
this

to

time and enquiry

have developed respecting these Pl3^mouth cases.

marine at

is

Courtney, Mr. Yonge, and

the staggering cases of yourself and Mr. Lisle.

case

allude to

taiita

est dis-

cordia fratrum.

" Mr. Bankes,

who drew up

the Report,

was no

friend

either

EDJVARD JENNKR.

1-6

me

to

or

mv

cause, or he

would have listened

to m}- solicitations,

and inserted not only the certificates you mention, but your letter
Let any one read the Report of Dr. Smith, and compare

also.
it

with mine

was

a most

allowed
it

then

The

had none.

my

On

chairman, Admiral Berkeley,

The whole

Mr. Bankes

merit

the score of discover}^ in vaccination (considering

abstractedly)

was

from one human being to

that of inoculating

this subject

Cannot you contrive

remonstrated, but

was

it

m}' assistance

whenever

3'ou

in vain.

all

your papers into the Journal

to get

command

you might

them judge who had indulgences and who

unfortunate event.

me on

another.

let

indisposition of

Surely

please

would gain admittance with the most perfect propriety

and produce good

to Pearson's audacious assertion,

the}'

reply

in

effects

in

variety of ways."

London

After his return to Berkeley, several friends in

resolved to endeavour to form a Jennerian Institution for

On

promoting universal vaccine inoculation.

meeting was convened and presided

19th, 1803, a public

over by

" that

seconded,
society
It

Lord

the

the

for

happened

that

January

INLiyor.

this

proposed

meeting do form

extermination
his

was

It

Royal

of

itself

Small

the

Highness the

and

into

Pox."

Duke

of

Clarence was prepared to move, by deputy, a vote of

thanks to Dr. Jenner.

that
to

th(;

Duke

vSo

it

was immediately resolved

of Clarence should entreat his Majesty

become patron of the proposed

permission

for

it

to

be

called

institution,

the

and grant

Royal Jennerian

Society for the extermination of the Small Pox.

His

Majesty graciously consented, the Queen became patron,

and other royal personages vice-patrons

of rank

als(j

were induced to

interest

many

ladies

themselves

in

LIFE
supporting
a

AND

vaccination.

medical

LETTEK\S.

board

177

of

directors

were appointed.

council

Jenner remained

at

Berkeley

On the

he went to London.

February 1803, when

until

3rd of this month, he took his

seat for the first time, as President of the

Royal Jennerian

At a subsequent meeting, Dr. John Walker

Institution.

was appointed
were opened

resident

able

had taken

place,

Thirteen stations

inoculator.

the Metropolis, and in eighteen months

in

they were

to

announce that 12,288 inoculations

and 19,352 charges of

foreign countries.

led to Dr.

to

Events, however, did not continue

his influence to obtain his dismissal,

Walker's resigning

on

lingered

virus

Jenner disapproved of Dr. Walker,

to run smoothly.
all

Cow Pox

Empire and

supplied to different parts of the British

and used

and

some

for

his

but

time,

Vaccine Institution was established

were nearly exhausted, and

it

The

office.

when
in

Society

National

the

1808,

which

its

finances

had practically collapsed.

Shortly after the formation of the Royal Jennerian

Institution,

Jenner was induced to take up practice

London.

He

Street,

He

settled

INIayfair,

for

some

therefore determined to leave London, and com-

have now completely made up

have done with

found

Hertford

in

but the result was disastrous.

municated his intention to one of

"

years

in

my

it,

his friends.

my mind

respecting London.

and have again commenced the

village-doctor.

purse not equal to the sinking of a thousand pounds

annually (which has actually been the case for several successive
years), nor the gratitude of the public deserving such a sacrifice.

VOL.

I.

12

EDWARD

178

How

what

hard, after

and the anxieties

have done, the

have endured

man

greater gift than

my

expenses

Ten

toils

have gone through,

obtaining for the world a

in

on them before (excuse

bestowed

ever

this burst of egotism), to be

"

of

JENNER.

thrown by with a bare remuneration

years afterwards, Jenner gave a detailed account

of his experiences.
" Elated

and allured by the

Exchequer,
rent,

of

and furnished

my own

speech of the Chancellor of the

took a house in London for ten years, at a high

it

but

my

first

year's practice convinced

me

temerity and imprudence, and the falsity of the minis-

My

ter's prediction.

extraordinary

to

tell,

before employed,

number and value

fees fell off both in

some of those families in which

now

for,

had been

own domestic surgeons

sent to their

or

apothecaries to inoculate their children, alleging that they could

not think of troubling Dr. Jenner about a thing executed so easily
as vaccine

at the second,

who gave me such

Others,

inoculation.

thought myself entitled

to

at the first inoculation,

and sank them

an

to

new

alarming

much taken up

in

that

this

Cow Pox,
Cow Pox

ol

all

afforded

its

new

it

only

had

some

His time was

suggesting

numerous

failures.

friends

were of opinion

era

the

according to Baron,

for,

been correct,
nearly

some of Jenner's

year formed

even

correspondence,

fresh explanations to account for the

Nevertheless,

inoculation

and

degree,

of his friends began to lose confidence.

again

lower at the third."

still

In the year 1804, failures of the

multiplied

fees as

reduced them

in
if

history

of

the assertion that

temporary security had

would have deprived the discovery of

value.

Jenner had conceived that

Small Pox occurring after

Cow

in

cases

Pox, the vaccination

"

AND

LIFE
have been

not

could

Dunning

of the same year,

course
the

and

Varieties

same end

respondence
with

by

Pox,

explaining
In the

Jenner published his

tract

Vaccine

of the

Modifications

Mr.

answers

same

the

at

the

vaccination.

time,

and

vaccination,

perfect

with

various

in

view.

in

after

Mr.

belief

Pox had

Jenner, however, was fully aware that Small

occurred

but

by a State of the Skin, which had

Pustnle, occasioned
the

Cow

of

protection

establish

as the result of spurious

failures

on

to

179

performed

properly

endeavoured

permanent

LETTERS.

Dunning,

meet

to

was

he

these

he endeavoured

his

in

cor-

prepared
though,

cases,

to i'suppress

their

publication,
"

have just received

sent to me,

April,

large

letters,

the

paper of the 2nd of

Portsmouth

suppose, by the printer.

the following sensible paragraph

cases of Small

Pox

after vaccine inoculation

It

contains, in

Reports of some

'

were read

very

at a

meeting of the Medical Society of Portsmouth on Thursday

full

last the

29th instant, which

and published

press,
to

post

his old

in

What

we

are informed will be sent to the

few days.'

continental neighbours laugh at us

His

when he was applied

Berkeley
"

Dr.
!

Hope

returned

How

will

were

ready to

Thus he wrote

to.

our

however,

explanations,

Is

a set of blockheads

to

hand,

Lord

expect that cases of this sort will flow

inconsiderable

numbers

and

for

this

plain

in

upon me
reason

in

no

great

number, perhaps the majority, of those who inoculate are not

suflicientiy

acquainted with the nature of the disease to enable

EDWARD JENNER.
them

This

and imperfect pustule.

but unless

it

is

due accuracy between

with

discriminate

to

perfect

a lesson not very difficult to learn,

is

Cow Pox

to inoculate the

learnt,

the

and

folly

is

presumption."

him

Another correspondent pleaded with

the

doctrine,

who opposed

of those

the writings

to

the Jennerian

But

anti-vaccinists.

so-called

reply

to

Jenner

declined to enter into the controversy.

"The

post

is

my

Jenner and

come

just

in,

and

have been entertaining Mrs.

Some

family with your dream.

kind friend had

perhaps thrown your stomach into disorder by tempting you to

go too deep into an oyster-barrel

or had our friend

seduced

you with the fumes of one of his favourite supper dishes

your stomach shewed
letter

moment
so

as

my

is

if it

However,

at

for.

Why

and

and your
for a

it

are imposed upon, and

Vaccination never stood on more lofty

present.

wise and great upon

reason on

will

You

were not a dream.

friend Fox.

ground than
a straw

resentment on your head

its

the consequence.

is

or a something, had certainly disordered your stomach

devil,

it

know very

and the

should

we

foolish
fix

well the opinion of the

and the

little I

don't care

our eyes on this spot only

Let them range the world over, and they must contemplate with

and exultation what they behold on the great continents

delight

of Europe and America

in

our settlements

in

India,

where

all

ranks of people, from the poor Hindoo to the Governor-General,

hail

Vaccina as a

new

In

divinity.

of Ceylon,

the island

my

account states that upwards of thirty thousand had been vaccinated

a twelvemonth ago.

could march you round the globe,

wherever you rested you should see scenes

1

have honour, here

have none

my feelings may have

What
have said on
it

It is the

has been current

let

me

tell

this vaccine subject is true.

secures the constitution as

possibly can.

and

these.

Small Pox

among

in

much as

and

There

you, whatever

been on this subject, they are

ducted^

like

now

at rest.

If properly con-

variolous inoculation

a purer form than that which

us for twelve centuries past."

AXD

LIFE
"

You and my

employ

my

very opposite

(where

my

nearly engrossed by

is

my

till

am grown

pen

but

it

won't do, Mr. D.

it.

in

On an average
my hand, bending
make me

to

mad

as

so good-night to you.

hops

pillow, not of thorns, believe me, nor of

am

over

as a
to

I'll

my

but of poppies, or

something that produces calm repose."

Jenner had constantly

if

So

as crooked as a cow's horn and

tawny as whey-butter; and you want

at least

no longer

of the case, that were you here

state

hours daily with

writing-paper,

that

should be very glad to see you), you would see that

least six

bull

idle

thoughts on the vaccine subject.

the real

is

whole time

at

my

me

suppose

city friend

time and

LF.TTERS.

resort

to

Cow

Small Pox occurred after

the theory that

to

Pox, the vaccination

could not have been properly performed.

Dr. Jenner to Mr. Dunning.
" ^u/y

"There

is

'^th,

1804.

not a single case, nor a single argument, that puts

the weight of a feather in the scale of the anti-vaccinist.

which seems

to

be the heaviest, becomes light as

consider that the

human

of variolous contagion,
bility

constitution

at another,

sometimes continues

to a

at

is

not so

late

That

when we

air,

one time susceptible

and

period of

this insuscepti-

Elizabeth

life.

Everet was a Small Pox nurse in this neighbourhood for forty

She supposed she had had

years.

the Small

Pox when

a child.

few years since she was sent for to Bristol to nurse a patient,

caught the disease, and died.

" Mr.

Long,

instance in his
"

surgeon

own

it

Bartholomew's,

you and Dr. Remmet

Exmouth case.
Small Pox after Cow Pox.

Never

bungling vaccinist
G.

to

of the

enough of

like

St.

was

had

similar

family.

thousand thanks

tigation

of

who

It

for

you

must be

your inveswill
so.

hear

Every

excites a pustule on the arm, will swear

correct, without

which every man ought

up the vaccine lancet."

mind

to

knowing

know,

that nicety of distinction

before he presumes to take


EDWARD JENNER.

i82

it

was well known

could

be infected by

But even after perfect vaccination,

that after a

time, patients

little

To meet

inoculation.

urged

Jenner

this,

the

that

inoculation test should be abandoned.^

"
it

Had

vaccination wanted firmer support than

would have obtained

from the very

it

destruction.

is

exposure to variolous contagion

inoculation
to

Who

is not.

efforts

remark that the

will just

its

does not

this

know

made use of
of

fairest

the

is

(all

has ah-eady,

it

for

all

tests

natural

test,

men ought

medical

that the insertion of the variolous poison into the skin

know)

of an irritable person will sometimes produce great inflammation,

disturbance of the sj'stem, and even eruptions ?

my

" Adieu,

dear

sir.

write, as

you must observe,

in haste.

" Yours truly,

" E. Jenner.
"

Just setting off with

" P.S.

am

my

sorry to say

family to Cheltenham.
I

cannot send

The review

cover of the Medical Journal.

to the

will teU

you

of G.'s book

have no interest there."

Mr. Dunning himself encountered

fiith

you advertisements

vaccination was fast disappearing.

in

and

failures,

his

He

conse-

and

to that

quently was severely reprimanded

" Vaccination calls imperiously for
I

am

determined

But while
vexatious

foremost

No one

to
in

am
see
the

my

all

fighting

my

the

my

enemy

aides-de-camp

field,

dexterity.

the

But

of mankind,
turn

shy.

foe

with

see

my

friend

'

be
the

live

to

his general,

greater

force

led such hosts into the field

Extract from letter to R. Dunning-.

and

dismayed

at

the

will

he

mere shadow of fortune on the side of the enemy;

who has

yield.

will

Among

commands of

sword against the

shall

it

have always ranked Richard Dunning.

has been more obedient to the

or wielded

attention,

worldly concerns shall

other

and found them invulnerable,

Baron,

loc. cit., vol.

ii,,

p. 339.

AND

LIFE
start

see

the continuation of

in

if,

you are growing timid

The moral

letter of this evening,

was sorry

the

to

Had

it

been at your elbow,

which

man
that

is,

so manifest

is

would be wrong

never wish

your pen when you

this

all

More convincing

observe.

public could

of

the timidity so conspicuous towards

the close of your pamphlet, and that

your

183

combat, he sliouid see a

tlie

Enough of metaphor.

fall ?

LETTERS.

in

or

me

in

not to say

stronger

facts

than your pamphlet exhibits.

for

should have certainly pulled back

The

began reasoning upon them.

result

of your experiments authorised you to speak in tones the most

and triumphant

exulting

but most

you almost

unfortunately,

new and

give up the field to the anti-vaccinists, by speaking of

better arrangements, if variolous inoculation should supersede the

Now, my good and valued

vaccine!
think

that

call

mind,

To

those

ordinar}',

me

to

of temper
I

with

that befell

to

conclusion under pressures

scarcely

who made remarks upon what appeared

I

communicated

account for

the

circumstance which

The 115th page

it.

on with vaccination, the more

and grand impediment

constitution,

is

to

in the

detected a case of Small

the cause of failure w-as

Are such

scalp.

cases

Pox

am

communicated

The

variolation)

subject?

Is

are

faith

common

to

seemed

the

to

that

is

further

convinced that

Since

go

great

expected that

my

my

writing

it,

have

Small Pox inoculation, where

after

these
in

to

are

such as Mr. Embling,

your pamphlet

are

are

more

who

public,

difficult to

make impressions

of those

Mr. Tyre's

Mr. Kite's of Gravesend,

go unnoticed by the

failures in vaccination (a science far

stagger the

extra-

Medical Journal for August, would

in the Star

thousand others,

bearable.

so

evidently an herpetic affection of the

as

so circumstantially described

to

Your

the correct action of the virus on the

have attracted more attention.

than

must

of your work,

the co-existence of herpes.

paper on this subject,

and a

speak

to

your family.

which has occasioned the general surprise.

lately

mean

you, or

attributed this oversight (such

know, must have been oppressed, and you were bringing

work

3'our

out

the contrary,

the dreadful calamity

to

it)

am

On

harshly.

moment

friend, don't for a

are well

sense to be attached

so

while

understand

deep as even

informed upon the

to

one side of the


EDWARD

JENNER.

question only, and to have nothing to do with the other

case,
I

those

with

connected

London

in

*'

Is

possible

it

of the

Cow Pox

this

and

Cow

them

calls

not to be regarded

to expect while

Inclosed
for

the letter

is

me

that

which

name

Pox

the Small

this

daub

shall not

any of

if not,

my

in

to return

pustule, of

times before,
the

correctly,

catch

With

the

in

it

may

may

respect to

my

ing to them.

Be

presumptuous as
disappointed.
people,

if

do

of good cheer,

it

work on

Let
this

not

to)

our

passing

of

my

it

it

was
say,

to

vaccine

the

points
occur,

is

in

it

or

is

not correctly

Moyle,

me

in

must

subscrib-

man

will

will

be defective.

spurn the great

our

upon

Those who are so

friend.

His works are and ever

have

judgment

of Mr.

not justify

bestowed, and turn again to variolation.

by

and

me

of

There

for.'

common prudence
may possibly

to expect perfection in

it,

from

secure

is

Cases

the doctrine

experiments

they choose

If the vaccine pustule

character

be,

saying

in

(from the interposition of those events

opportunities

candidly say,

me

occasioned

a pustule during those stages, whether

defined.

'

can only go

discrimination,

in

which medical men are always subject

to

What

impossible

is

it

patient

instructions

arises

whatever kind

where even 30U or

are

paper, sanction

stages ?

security cannot be answered

early

deviation

fifty

out the necessity of re-inoculation.'

power

my
its

experience justifies

sometimes a nicety

is

which

When

My

stages

its

first

at this hour, in conjunction

you requested me

have said

goes through

certainly

by Woodville's

such things as these are going forward

reasoning.

into general

Wood-

knew nothing

go into particulars on such cases.

to

back and

hundred cases of Small Pox,

the taking of virus from the pustule at

we

What

look

Surely his early inoculations

Pox.

with a person whose dirty

are

but

evinced

clearly

is

and does he not

you

affright

will

coadjutor Wachsel

his

pamphlet, where he gives three

'

Dunning.

can

you

if

Rents,

those children were inoculated.

and

time,

that

at

appear,

when

consider the period

ville

ugHness

their

they

This

'

Fullwoods

at

grieve to say, appear extremely ugly.'

phantoms must

gift

be grievously

Let

that heaven has

What

will

they get

them consult pages 6y and 68 of your decisive

subject, and they will know.
Let them peruse

AND

LIFE
the following extract from

LETTERS.

a letter

'

which

i8s

have, within these

few days, received from a medical gentleman of great respectability

county.

this

in

'

poor family belonging

Sudeley parish,

to

consisting of a man, his wife, and five children, were vaccinated

or

four

been

who had

daughter,

eldest

Pox

Small

by

an

eminent

This summer she caught

secure.

the

paper

and had a very numerous and confluent eruption.

The

have no

rest of the family

fully

the

the

for

when working among

Pox

Small

mills,

except

ago,

inoculated

and pronounced

practitioner,

the

years

five

before

exposed

the

to

and have

fears,

Now

infection.'

what a precious morsel

reversed,

my

Adieu

anti-vaccinist.

rags

the

it

at

escaped, though

all

had

and

dear friend,

been

case

this

would have been

for

an

assured of the

be

unalterable regard of yours,

"

For a time the

which

upon

effect

was soon followed by another,

it

was

flattery

had the desired

letter

Mr. Dunning, and

Edw\ Jenner.

employed

smooth

to

in

ruffled

his

feelings.

To Richard Dunning,

Plymouth,

Esq.,

"Cheltenham,
"

My Dear

Sir,

The

on the road has,

see,

x'-^th

old occurrence of our

taken

again

Nov.

letters
If

place.

my

1804.

crossing
writing

frequently to you will afford you the least gratification,

not be slack in
" Inhere is
all

is

my

no one more

entitled to

vaccinists Vv^ho have

the

enlisted

no one who has a greater claim

no expression
struction

in

my

you seem

letter,

to

put

my

attention,

under

my

my

regard.

for

upon

it.

You were
in

your glancing

at

a better

of the Small Pox, if

we

are obliged to turn to

fear of

reviews and of

whom you

shall

are opposing

a
;

regulation for

little

but

and among

banner,

there

There was

hope, which would bear the con-

on your timidity respecting the ugly cases

on

correspondence.

the
it

shrinking, even,

all

was done

rallied

little

town and country

in

management

on

your

from the

man

again

perfectly good

EDWARD

86

humour, and now you

*

allow

will

Richard's himself again

me

" Pray indulge

an end

Pox

to

Cow

to assert that the occurrence

Pox, actually strengthened the

You

perplexity.

little

puzzled and wrote

Cow

me

tell

put

to

you know Small

that

and nevertheless assert

Pox,

which has happened under your immediate

that a case of this sort,

on higher ground than

places vaccination

observation,

with a line or two very speedily,

sometimes follow

will

triumphantly to exclaim,

'

Even Jenner was

theory.

me

"

Dunning was now ready

of Small Pox after

JFNNER.

has

it

yet stood on.

"

Do

"

pray explain, as soon as you can, your meaning.

pleased

am.

showing themselves
while

Journal

the

seeing

at

of

friends

meets

of

that

many an

men

medical

only,

cause

vaccine

the

These meet every

the newspapers.

in

proved the tomb of

the

eye,

and has

impressive paper."

But Dunning was not yet completely subdued, for

a

work which he wrote on vaccination, he was

pamphlet

necessity

for

as

whole, while

collecting

vaccination and rejecting

To
"

My

Dear

Friend,

notes

Page

made
in

16,

containing

in

the

Your

perusing

more

all

evidence

it.

general

complete

urge objections from

reply
a

the

of

favour

in

criticism.

"

Berkeley,

little

pamphlet

contains

now

you

will

The book

to

the

first

Feb. \oth, 1805.

refer

itself

shape and

concluding sentence of the

a

upon

insisting

R. Dunning, Esq.

great and useful observations.

printed

all

still

Jenner commended

willing to discuss doubtful cases.

the

in

to

many
a

few

should have been

form

of

pamphlets.

paragraph, pithy, and

anti-vaccinists,

who may

few solitary cases of Small Pox after

AND

LIFE

Cow

who might

Pox, or

times

numerous.

as

disciples

fair

Half that number

They

among
obey

implicitly

by

reckon

can

far

of which are from

be

credit

their

to

not heard of one sinister event

And why?

they were ten

if

vaccination,

of

inoculations, 20,000

and,

cases

100,000

from extra-professional

my

187

bring them forward

few to calculate upon.

too

LETTERS.

spoken,

it

have

this class of inoculations.

vaccine

Page

laws.

good reasoning on the subject of population.

have

12,

often

urged the following argument when too numerous a population

has been thrown

attend vaccination.

He

holds

obstinately

behold the vaccine

veil

this

the

light.

has

than

me

invitation to visit

(perhaps

too

conversion

he

is,

is

far),

will

wish

man on

this situation,

after

appoint

Portsmouth

at

man

it

to

of

my word

One might

the nature of the prism,

an

that

his

The

fact

power,

wise discriminating

that

can be a perfect vaccinist

him.

him

deputation

have gone further

have almost pledged

not

a stronger pull

have sent

as

well

and

it

is

my

contend with

as with a person

and entertain a hope of being successful

Small Pox inoculation.

were

they

Page
I

make

to

yet.

will

in

but to

In another edition, pray take in Kite's cases of Small

proceed.

Pox

about

at Berkeley, or to

ignorant

totally

impart

to

am

his arrogance.

and

eyes,

his

be the consequence of the interview.

without which no

a blind

before

veil

been done

from the Medical Society

as

effects likely to

ill

as one of the

teeth,

Your manner of speaking of Goldson increases

**

at

my

in

published

They

antecedent

to

are

the

the

more

vaccine

Are you sure the pustule was variolated?

38.

do not see the necessity

feelings are too acute, but

whipped even

for
I

your parenthesis.

do not like to see

with a feather.

In

my

forcible
practice.

Page 41.

Perhaps

my

darling child

your postscript, why

not

ask for cases of Small Pox after Small Pox inoculation, as well
as cases of Small

On March
failures

this

Pox

ist,

after vaccination."

we

find

Jenner

shows how much

with them at this time.

his

again

writing

on

mind was occupied

'EDWARD JENNER.
"The
is

by vaccine inoculation,

security given to the constitution

To

exactly equal to that given by the variolous.

from

it

presenting

my

we must

from

commencement

its

them

expect to find

among

example,

for

others,

the

to

the former also.

in

same causes

opinion, in either case, they occur from the

one might name

expect more

failures in the latter are constantly

nearly

themselves,

present time,
In

As

would be wrong.

some

peculiarity

which prevents the virus from acting properly,

of constitution

even when properly applied

knowledge in the inoculator

from inattention, or want of due

being able

not

particularly in

to

discriminate between the correct and incorrect pustule."

Dunning wrote disapproving of the

Pox

off cases of Small

of Small Pox after

"

Think a moment of

tardiness

the

pressure
either

is

my

is

my body
exactl}^

Pox.

Jenner replied

situation

do assure you, so

mind can

or

what

its

own

it

You

well endure.

on

attend

to

great, that

is

say,

foundation.'

want, and the course

before you censure

correspondence of the world

often,

nation, for God's sake, rest

that

Small Pox, against those

after

Cow

policy of setting

me

for

The

to.

more than
'

let

My

vacci-

dear

sir,

have been pursuing.

Neither the impudence of Pearson, the folly of Goldson, nor the

baseness of Moseley and Squirrel, to which

absurdity of Birch, has put

why

placed

immoveable, before

Some

time

spoken out
"

pretty

veneration
ten

times

do

make one

where

rock,

may add

my way

knew

Dunning

the stupid

in the least,
it

and

would

be

it."

appears

to

have

Jenner replied:

freely.

sharp philippic,
I

out of

invited the public to look at

afterwards,

hold the

as sharp,

emotion, yet

on

it

me

man

good

friend

of feeling, that

should have read

certainly without

observation.

my

it,

murmur.

Should anything

but

if

it

in

such

had been

though not without

Allow me just

to

like the present occur-

AND

LIFE
rence ever happen again,

moment

let

me

you not

entreat

to indulge for

As such

a fanciful speculation against your ftiend.

hope ever

to be,

and so

to be considered

Jenner continued to
Small

LETTERS.

for

of Small Pox after

collect cases

and wrote

Pox.

by you."

assistance

his

to

friend,

the Rev. John Clinch, Trinity, Newfoundland.

" Never aim,

my

friend, at

But

domestic peace.

will

but cheerfully submit, as

the hands of that

my

to

me

and

errs,

of doing incalculable good

You would do me an

essential kindness

with the state of vaccination in your island, as

Commons

can from foreign parts.

to

be shown to the House

me

to

not as

Commons, and

if

your

detail

letter

the real

was
state

Mrs, Clinch, and

my

is

becoming useful

to

of facts relative

the

old friend

you

and believe me, dear Clinch, ever

and sincerely yours,

Do you

after the

recollect

Edw. Jenner.

any cases of persons catching the Small Pox

Small Pox, either after casual contagion, or inoculation

have collected a great number of such cases, but want more."

We

may now

London.
the

in

In

the

same

in

year,

1805,

Magazine,

would venture

Vaccine

by Birch,
'

the

our attention for a

turn

Gentleman s

that then

of

to

Remember me kindly
Edward, who I ardently hope

"

next session,

from the new practice.

to

"

you love

look upon myself as the instrument in

collecting all the information

benefits derived

truly,

if

do not repine,

am

Write
of

appear again before the House of

shall

Nay,

not repine.

power which never

fellow-creatures.

in acquainting

being a public character,

System."

" the

to insert

moment

to

paper appeared
only

publication

anything adverse to

This paper had been written

1804, and circulated

among

his

intimate

John Birch, Surg'eon Extraordinary to His Royal Highness the Prince

Wales, and Surgeon of St. Thomas's Hospital.

EDWARD JENNER.

[go

given

Commons.

Committee

Birch

condemned

"

Had

Magna

had

he

House

the

vaccination

of

an

as

and unsafe,

est Veritas et pr^valebit.

what has been

for

Inoculation

the

of

unphilosophical,

experiment,

unnatural

"

the

before

which

of the opinion

vindication

friends, in

called

Cow Pox

succeeded, agreeably to the sanguine promises and expectations

of

advocates,

its

Commons, and

have thought myself called upon

should

opinion

the

recant

to

gave to the Committee of the House of

having persevered

to apologize for

in

it

but as

the experiment has failed in several instances, and the truth can

no longer be concealed from the public,

think

it

necessary to

appeal to the judgment of discerning persons, whether

been treated with much

for

which

" It
St.

have not

had such strong grounds,

was a maxim handed down to us while I was a Student at

Never to sacrifice Experience to Experi-

Thomas's Hospital,

ment

maintaining an opinion

injustice, for firmly

and therefore

;'

and Observation had

cautious

how

'

in Diseases, for the

" The judicious

down a

laid

exchange

manner

in

rule of successful practice,

new

this for

treatment of which Time

which

am

opinions.

my

excellent

friend,

Baron

Dimsdale, managed the Inoculation for Small Pox, had long convinced

me

that

if

any man deserved well of

his Country,

entitled at least to the thanks of the Legislature;

tunities

taught

me

had of making myself acquainted with his opinions,

When

with caution to any

to listen

to overturn
'*

all I

had made myself master

therefore

Disease into

tlic

it

was proposed

huuian system,

given to me, that

it

was

still

Pox, was productive of no

arrest

the

he was

and the oppor-

progress

Abraham Howard,

the

should be vaccinated.

of

ill

practice,

which was

of.

me,

introduce a neiu

to

hesitated; but on the assurance

milder than the Inoculated Small

consequences, and would equally

variolous

first

to

new

Infection,

Child mentioned at

The Cow Pox terminated

consented

my

Examination,

successfully, but

the Child afterwards sickened, and had an eruption, which

sidered the Small Pox, though others called

it

that

con-

an Hybrid Eruption,

AND

LIFE

common

iqi

was told had been described as not unSmall Pox Hospital, when the patient had been

appearance which

;ui

LETTERS.

at the

previously in a variolous Atmosphere.

"

Two

other Cases

however were followed by

'

unequivocal Small Pox after Vaccination, and then

Cow Pox would

the

that

Infection

although

Pox within a
"

it

and subdue

it.

was no such thing as an

what had been called so at

that there

Hybrid or Mulish Eruption, but that

"

and

known. Inoculation of the Small

limited period will supersede

These Cases ascertained

the Small

distinct

was admitted

not arrest the progress of variolous

well

is

it

Pox Hospital was the

real

Small Pox.

appeal therefore to persons of Discernment, whether such

new

mistakes, in the outset of a

grounds

for a cautious

new

of introducing a

which

gave

to the

man

disease into the

from Messrs. Slater of

and heard

Hope

human

system.

and published

Wycomb, Grosvenor

The opinion
in

in their Report,

of Oxford, Nooth of

of Haslar Hospital, that

has only served to determine

since,

sufficient

Committee, was supported by such proofs,

the answers sent to their enquiries

Bath, and Dr.

were not

practice,

admit some doubts of the danger

to

what

me

have seen

not to be misled

by the fashionable rage.

"

The steady and

single opinion

has brought

to this practice,

me

have maintained

Abscesses and Disorders, which

tions,

in opposition

new Erup-

acquainted with some

I

had not before observed

but these accidents are generally attributed to a Spurious sort of

Cow

This

Pox,

is

a term

do not admit of;

know

of no such

thing as Spurious Small Pox, Spurious Lues Venerea, Spurious

Scrofula.

We

origin of

what

to the

with

Cow

yet

called

Doctor

left

Cow

unsatisfied

Pox.

wished

It

in dirty dairies,

as a blessing revealed from

it

" If

are
is

to corroborate the

is

the

nature and

a disorder

known only

as

to

though we are taught

to play

Heaven

to this enlightened age.

grounds

for

my

doubts,

might

mention an almost equally fashionable rage, which had seized too

man}^ of the faculty, previous to the appearance of

Cow

Pox,

in

favour of the Nitrous Acid, as a remedy for the Venereal Disease.

Mercury was no longer

'

to be called in aid,

Will. Rinch,

M. Solloway

and the press teemed

vide Rejhort.


EDWARD JENNER.

192

with publications to prove the mistaken opinions of hospital Sur-

This Novelty

geons.

resisted with equal firmness

here

was

unwilling to give up Experience for Experiment^ wanting nothing

more

which for so many years, in

many competent Judges, had proved an Antidote
malignant poison. The advocates for the Nitrous Acid

safe or certain than Mercury,

the practice of so
that

to

now no

are

longer heard

the books on the subject no longer

of,

regarded.
" Sacrificing, therefore, every consideration to
I

have avoided the practice of Vaccination, but

result of

it.

do not mean

to enter into the

my
I

actual Opinion,

have watched the

proof of

its failures,

or mistakes: Mr. Goldson has published some, in a very candid

pamphlet

more

are expected from another pen

and unless the

Projectors have something better to say, than what has yet

first

been

to

said,

reconcile the public

in Fullward's

Hodges' children,

mind

Rents,

those Cases of Mr.

to

Holborn,

shall continue

House of
Commons, That what has been called the Cow Pox is not
A preservative against the Natural Small Pox."
firm

the opinion

in

On
fight

the

gave

other hand,

Jenner's

London

the Committee of the

conferred

of

festival,

Dr. Lettsom

his

The
gold

discovery,

Medical

medal
and

the

marks of

The Rev.

sermons on

the practice.

"

You

Jenner

in

anniversary

both at

were

home

Clergymen warmly advocated the practice

of vaccination.
jjrinted

of

distinction

conferred upon Jenner about this time,

and abroad.

Society

upon

at

to

delivered an oration on vaccina-

honours and

V'^arious

came forward

Dr. Lettsom

battles.

honour

tion.

to

will see,

the subject, that

the

Dr.

subject,

Booker,

of

Dudley,

and thus promoted

In a letter of his to Jenner,

we

however,

to parents

in the

annexed address

have done m.ore than recommend

it

read

on

from the

LIFE
One

pulpit.

AXD

LETTERS.

of these printed forms

193

give to every person

who

my own

resi-

brings a child to be baptized either at church or at

when

dence, or

By

sent for to baptize abroad.

means

this

distribute about twenty a week, and have the satisfaction

that the expedient has

produced the desired

when mankind

time

at

effect.

are easily convinced

It

to learn

influences

of the precarious

tenure of infantine existence."

The Rev. James Plumptre preached

vaccination

Cambridge, and, again,

at

Hinxton, taking as his

church,

"

text,

a sermon on
parish

the

at

And he

stood

between the dead and the Hving, and the plague was
stayed."

The

practice

was

still

influential section of the

troubled

with

this

very soothing

medical profession

hostility

consolation

at

by

opposed

strongly

but while

home, Jenner

from

derived

accounts

the

an

which

were received of the progress of vaccination abroad.

In

1805,

Jenner was again

with his friends

in

London, discussing

" the establishment of vaccination

the advancement of his private fortune."

who had taken up

Petty,

hand,

in 1806,

and the Duchess

promised her influence.

Birch

Lord Henry

the cause of vaccination, had

become Chancellor of the Exchequer

of Devonshire

and

On

the other

published his reasons for olojecting

to the practice of vaccination.

It

was by

far the

most

temperate of the arguments against the new practice,

and deserves to be quoted

'

in extenso.

Serious Reascns for uniformly ohjectiitg to the Practice of Vaccina-

tioti,

in

VOL.

A nswer to
I.

the Report of the Jeniierian Society.

1806.

13

EDWARD JENNER.

194

"That

enthusiasm with which Vaccination was

the

at

first

adopted should subside, and that the PubUc should express regret

what ought

that

have been admitted as an experiment only, had

to

been adopted as practice, are circumstances which,

foresee,

would sooner or

later occur.

Truth must ultimately

inquiries.

all

In

all

it

was easy

to

and

in

investigations,

prevail.

In the present,

it

would have long since prevailed, had not the patrons of Vaccination had recourse to such expedients to interest the passions, and
mislead the judgment, of the Public as could hardly
ing

triumph of prejudice and novelty

empire of Truth alone

fore,

we

but that

opinion
air

fail

of obtain-

system a temporary kind of success.

for their

is

shall

the

The

always be transient.

will

permanent.

But

entertain no doubt, there-

soon see what yet remains of popular

favourable to the cause of Vaccination vanish into thin

and that the speculatists

politics, will

in physic, like the speculatists in

be brought back to the old standard of sober reason

and experience.
" Impressed

with

awaited the event

my

this

conviction,

should

have

patiently

and, contenting myself with having declared

opinion publicly, should have forborne taking any part in the

controversy, had

it

not been for considerations of humanity, which

supersede every other.

"

Wherever

go,

find the

doubt, and labouring under

minds of parents distracted with

They

gloomy apprehensions.

tell

that the fluctuations of medical opinion concerning the origin

nature of the Vaccine disease

they are

most

in the

fill

them with alarm

fearful state of suspense,

me
and

and they say

dreading

lest

what

they were persuaded to do in the hopes of saving their children

from one disease,

another
"

Much

suspense,

may

not prove the means of plunging them into

once novel and malignant.

at

as
I

lament their being in so distressing a state

cannot wonder at

it.

of

For while, on the one hand, they

hear of repeated instances of the failure of Vaccination, on the

other, they find that reports

scribed by names,

some of

from the Jennerian Committee, subthe highest respectability, are widely

circulated, full of

seeming arguments and assertions

the experiment

assertions which they have

contradicting,

and arguments

just

plausible

in favour of

not the

enough

means of
to

excite

AND

LIFE

LETTERS.

195

doubt, but not sufficiently strong to operate conviction.

these circumstances,

may enable persons

can adduce what

under

If,

of this

form a fixed opinion on the merits of Vaccination,

dcscrijition to

and thus rescue them from

the misery of uncertainty,

shall

consider myself as having discharged one of the most important

duties
"

owe

Such

pages

it,

me

candidly

and

and

primary motive

the

a secondary motive

have sent

may

Society.

is

why

them why

tell

is,

following

the

January

last

my

for

have hitherto forborne

shall never subscribe

To

it.

signature,

this report

therefore,

and most candid writer that has appeared

support of Vaccination,

The

remarks.

of

"The Report opens by

Committee

and

invective,

of

partisans

their opponents, as they offer

the

Vaccination

unhandsome
have assailed

the

reply.

Medical Council ap-

stating that the

of

Jennerian

Society

the result of their inquiries that

Council,

is

must observe that

Societ}^ is

both sexes, and

of

it

became them,

who

importance, to inform us

these

professions,

in

evidently,

\'accination,

it

besides

Medical

a matter of such

many

what may be

cf

Committee might have

the

been formed of persons not altogether competent

since

it

twenty-five persons were.

very numerous, comprehending

all

and

submitted to the Public.

without calling in question the judgment of the

For as the

as

inquire into the truth of various cases that had

to

occurred, excitmg prejudices against Vaccine Inoculation

"Now,

in

my

as possible

no argument, merit no

members

twenty-five

much

shall confine as

bitterness

sneers, with which the

is

to subscribe

very ingenious pamphlet written by Mr. James Moore,

to a

certainly the ablest

pointed

writing

that as the Jennerian Committee

Report of

their

my

for

called

was necessary there should be

to the

task

knowledge

of

likewise a thorough

In other words, the Public ought to have

knowledge of medicine.

been assured that the Committee was composed of regular and

experienced

physicians

and surgeons before they could be

reason expected to assent to

its

decisions

we

we

are

have a Committee made up of persons whose very names

unacquainted with.

throws as

much

over a verdict

confess that this circumstance, in

my

suspicion over the Jennerian Reports, as

in a

common

in

instead of which

court of law to be told, that

it

it

mind,

would

was the

EDWARD

no one member of which the defendant was

verdict of a jury,

permitted to challenge

whose names, conditions and character

were studiously concealed

appeared

and who had never so much as

during the

in court

" This,

JENNER.

however,

trial.

not the only circumstance that makes

is

me

regard with an eye of suspicion the Reports of the Committee.

The

several articles of that Report are couched either in a style so

dogmatizing, that the Committee seem more intent on imposing a

law than on producing conviction

or else in terms so vague, and

ambiguous, that the reader must be at a loss to obtain any fixed

and
will

definitive idea of the subject.

pass over, as

it

entertained

viction

positions

but the

may

The former

of these faults

by the Committee of the justness of

latter,

be attributed to the force of the con-

as an honest man,

cannot, since

their
it

has

a tendency to mislead, rather than direct the judgment of the

Surely the Committee are aware that nothing

Public.

suspicious than the use of equivocal expressions

is

and

is

moie

that there

By

nothing the candid disputant more scrupulously avoids.

means of these confessions of error, extorted by truth, may be

made no confessions at all may be so worded as to produce no
;

effect,

and yet carry with them the appearance of candour, and

concession.

will instance the truth

of this remark in the Ninth

and Tenth Article of the Jennerian Report.

"The Committee,

being

at last

cases have been brought

compelled

before them,

in

to

acknowledge that

which

it

was inconCow Pox

proved that persons having passed through the

testibly

in a regular

way, had afterwards received the Small Pox, contrive

to destroy the effect of the concession,

by the following ambiguous

expressions.

"It

is

admitted that a few cases

them, of persons

Pox
"

in a

Now

who had

apparently passed

brought before

through the

(not to remark on the use of the indefinite

know, when

it

five or six, or five or six

Cow

word

sage stands worded,

it

must observe,

might seem as

if

feiv,

dozen, for ought

was so obviously important, and easy

specified the precise number),

all

been

regular way, etc.

which may mean

seen

have

that as

to

we

have

the pas-

the Committee, having

the cases of failure in Vaccination that could be produced,

'

'

AND

LTFE

LETTERS.

197

How many

found only a feiv they could admit to be genuine.

cases they

did see,

me

not take upon

will

suspect they did not wish

many,

see

to

for

conjecture

to
if

many

might have seen, or have had unquestionable testimony of

hundred cases of

failure, of

which not a

they had, they

feiv, but far the greater

whole, would have been found conclusive against

part, if not the

them.

"But

said,

is

it

If the

Pox.'
satis-

the patients had really passed

fied

to,

they

Why

a feiv

call

introduced

cases.

mittee,

and thus make

But

this

through

the

then

the

is

Cow

Pox,

the}'^

of

what

failure

word

apparently

'

can imagine no other cause, than that this equi-

word might serve

vocal

through the

have admitted the

neither would, or ought

"

Cow

Committee had not been

'apparently passed

What, only apparently

is

not

it

all.

to qualify

Com-

the confession of the

appear less conclusive than

really

it

The Committee proceed

is.

that

to say,

'cases supported by evidence equally strong were brought before

Pox a second time by

them of persons having had the Small

natural infection.

"Will the Committee pardon me

if

remark that they are

here guilty of reasoning very unfairly, to say no worse of

In

it.

the one instance they argue from cases brought before them

when

is,

a case

the evidence of their

own

on the evidence of others.

in

both

required.

it

senses

instances, a similar

If

in

makes against them, they admit no proof but

cause, they admit

ing,

That

the other, from the evidence of cases brought before them.

when
degree

it

is

favourable to their
In

reason-

fair

of proof ought

to

on the testimony of others are admitted

cases

be
to

prove the failure of inoculation, cases on the testimony of others

should be admitted to prove the failure of Vaccination

the

Committee

cases, but that

many hundred
who have had

will

and then

be compelled to state that not merely a few

many hundred
cases

are

the Small

cases of failure have occurred

already before the

Pox

for

public of persons

by the

after Vaccination, attested

evidence, not of hasty observers and unscientific operators, but of

able

and experienced practitioners.

But

this

is

not the only instance of unfair reasoning

complain of on the part of the Jennerian Committee.

am

to

EDWARD JENNER.
"

They

say,

In many of

'

occurred after Inoculation

sion

presume

cases

the

Many

'

This expres-

the cases I

few

the

Vaccination, and the reader

admitted in

which Small Pox has

in

of

with

contrast

to

is

inference nothing can be

For, in the

that cases

left to infer

is

Inoculation are of frequent recurrence

of failure in

of failure

cases

than which

more unfounded, more contrary

first place, if

been adduced on anything

we

could grant

all

to truth.

the cases that have

like proof, to attest the recurrence of

Small Pox after Inoculation, these, during a period of more than

half a century,
" But,

would not amount

the second place,

in

more than

to

the fact itself has been uniformly

by the best and most able

denied

three.

They have

practitioners.

always maintained that the Small Pox never has been known
recur after Inoculation

and however the contrary may be as-

sumed by those who have systems of

considered

as one

exceptio

their

own

to advance,

it

is

the invariable laws of nature, that (and

of

an exception could be proved,

if

to

should be justified in saying,

probat regulani) a patient can suffer the Small Pox but

once.
"

might quote

Baron

brated

be of greater authority, in

will

opinion of Mr.

who

admits

my

support of

in

of the cele-

opinion, that

Dimsdale, Dr. Archer, and

many

the present case,

others

but

quote

to

it

the

J.

Moore, the candid supporter of Vaccination,

in his

pamphlet, that Small Pox does not recur after

Inoculation.
"

shall

his

have dwelt longer on these two Articles, than

on any of the succeeding, that

guard

against

otherwise be
mittee write.

saying,

that

the

And

particular instance,

presume not

into

this

in

which he might
which the Com-

part of the subject

individual

to decide) that

by

acci-

reigns in this

reigns throughout the whole of the Report.

that the inference,

a single

probably

same inaccuracy of expression (whether

dental or studied,

So

conclusions

shall dismiss

might put the Reader on

by the ambiguous manner

led,

the

false

to

drawn of
the

old from the

craftiness

of a

artful

whole

applied to the arguments of the Committee,

"

'

Crimine ab uno,

Disce omncs

'

conduct of

race,

may be


AND

LIFE
"

now

Let us

"They

LETTERS.

199

follow the Committee to other particulars

proceed to assert, that most of the cases they examined

were misstated, or unfounded.

" If they allude to the cases mentioned by Mr. Rogers in his

Pamphlet

entitled,

Commons,'

of

Examination of the Evidence before the House

'

pledge

my word

myself

if

more cases are necessary,

many more,

to

Public,

character as
I

pledge

produce many, alas

too

of Variolous Infection caught after regular Vaccina-

the

before

laid

the

cannot be either misstated, or unfounded

majority

the cause of the Committee

so,

if

my

Nay, further,

all.

But of the abundant number of cases

tion.

and

man, and

as a

a professional person, to prove them

falls at

once to the ground.

For granting (what never can be granted) that only one-third of

the cases adduced

were substantiated, there would remain above

one hundred and

fifty

would be

surely these
person,

of acknowledged

sufficient

to convince any dispassionate

that Vaccination

to this,

is

it

is

and cannot

not,

What

against the Small Pox.

tion

and

instances

shall

we say

be,

then,

failure

a preservative

when,

in addi-

proved, that several patients have died of the

immediate consequences resulting from the puncture of Vaccination

an}'

while on the other hand

truth,

asserted

never was, or could

it

similar

that

fatal

single instance resulted from the puncture of Small

The

lation ?

inoculated patient,

three hundred

in

and not one

in

of

Pox Inocuis

not one

mode of proceeding,
among observant practitioners), dies
nothing but Small Pox the appearance of

the general irregular

in

punctured arm

it is

he dies (which

in

a thousand

of Small Pox, and of

the

if

be with

consequences had

is

and the treatment

surgery, peculiar to Baron

uniformly the same

one of those judicious points

in

Dimsdale's method of cure.

"The Committee,

to

exonerate the Society from the censures

of repeated failures, state

the

that

many persons

not acquainted with

Disease, have undertaken to vaccinate, and that

consequent

ill

much

of the

success has resulted from this circumstance.

But

they forget that the principal evidence they themselves adduced

to

support

their cause

of a Clergyman

Preachers

among

before the

House

of

Commons was

they forget too, that several of the

the Sectaries,

that

Fanatical

have been ever since the most

EDWARD JENNER.
zealous and approved champions of their system, both in their
preachings, and practice

same

who

set of people

So

Dr. Jenner himself.

received their instructions from

the

some Ladies, who have

together with

when

are disowned,

it

that

convenient

is

disown them, are brought forward as good evidence, when

to

suits the cause.

which throws a just suspicion over the cause altogether

"

equivocal

these

But laying aside

ignorant, the Committee,

the Accoucheur

were again

demand

it

have occurred

failures,

in

my

within

after Vaccination,

characteristic

it

knowledge.

more mild than

is

marks

many

but in

any

the practice of

by the Committee, that when the

" It is further asserted

its

or Mr. Ring,

House of Commons
more deaths

the

if

more

of me, of

who have come

other two persons

Pox occurs

and yet from the patients vaccinated by these

and more diseases than

some of

the

presume, do not mean to class Mr.

would bring instances,

to

among

practitioners,

Wachsell, Apothecary to the Small Pox Hospital

two persons,

it

not this another instance of that mala fides,

Is

Sniall

and loses

usual,

cases in which

recurs after Inoculation, or the natural disease,

it

particular]}'

is

it

severe, sometimes fatal.

" This article appears to

genuous.

many

For, not

to

me

extremely objectionable and disin-

mention the improper use of the words,

cases of the recurrence of the Small

Pox

Committee

the

here argue from an assumption of their own, which as

honest reasoners, as

men having no

gation of truth, they never ought to have done.

is,

that though Small

this

circumstance

return,
in

it

many

is

is

severe and often

after Vaccination,

not to create any alarm

for

which
fatal.

it

its

existence

is

Thus

arbitrarily to

Inoculation,

favour of their system,

is

For

addressing their Reports to Medical

Men

if

is

to

the

doss

whereas

particularly
fact,

build on

my mind

only,

it

that

denied by the

a fact

in

proceeding bordering on criminality.

it

assume the

Advocates of Vaccination themselves, and then

in

when

doubtful

recurs after Inoculation,

Small Pox does occur after

argument

Their assertion

Pox does sometimes recur

so mild that even

cases in

and

fair

other object than the investi-

it

mode

an
of

Committee were
no great mischief

would ensue, since the fallacy would be immediately detected,

and any argument built upon it would of course fall to the ground.

LIFE

AND

LETTERS.

201

But as the Committee are addressing their Report

to Parents,

who,

being ignorant of the history of Diseases, are compelled to rely

on those who profess

iinplicity

have remembered

to

the case, to have

'

was

it

them the

to tell

a solemn

duty

truth, they

ought

statement of

in their

turned neither to the right hand, nor to the

They ought to have told their

Small Pox after Inoculation was

left.'

readers, that the recurrence

of

a fact,

evidence,

slender

contrary

so

generally discredited, that

a second time,

this

in

the

That the Committee

one of the points

is

omitting

"The
'

it

would be

parallel.

assertion of the Committee in the XX'*^ article, that the

and cutaneous, and

Inoculation,

Many

to

difficult

Diseases which are said to origmate from

lous,

should

this

all

as proved, which

that

such an instance of unfair

dispute, is

in

was not the Small

instance,

first

therefore

boldly beg the question, and argue from

reasoning as perhaps

supposed,

is

considered as a proof that the disorder

is

which the patient had

Pox.

does occur, as

it

such

b}'

laws of nature, and so

the

to

when

supported

according

is

similar

my

to

Cow Pox

observation

are eruptions of a nature

\'accination

and peculiar

Such was the case of

will

unknown
to

those

the child in

incorrect.

my

far as

before

introduction of

the

who have been

Jermyn Street

respect to

ex-

venture to affirm they

Vaccinated.

such was that

of a child near Guildford, vaccinated by Dr. Elliot; and of

more whose names, from

from

arise

quite

As

of the eruptions are perfectly novel.

perience and m}' information go,

are scrophu-

which

those

to

the

parents,

many

forbear to

mention.
"

As

case differed as

for Latchfield's child, that

characteristic

essential

from Scrophula

as

much

in

The

possible.

every
first

appearance, the increase, the colour of the suppurating part, and

the indelible dark

'

Eschar,

Scrophula

disease.

"The words

of the

is

all

a useful

marked a new, and undescribed

name on various

effects of

Vaccine Inoculation, when

This

Committee

in

fact they originated from other

another instance of the bold

assert, to get rid

of difficulties.

manner

What

that the complaints did originate in other causes

dixit of the writer.

But

Committee are " Complaints represented as the

causes.'"

is

occasions.

proof

in
is

which the

advanced

None but

the ipse

EDWARD

202

symptoms

its

JENNER.

known and

are well

defined

they cannot long be

confounded with those of any other disease

experience shall

many

not,

have made the distinction

whose parents transmitted

a babe

and vigour,

health,

experiment
disorder,

will

who may escape

tremble

still

it

the fibres of

new

the ravages of any

dreaded

that

lest

to

little

mistake

effects of unsatisfactory

lament the dire

shall

while those

and when a

clear, then, if

the natural

evil,

Small Pox, which they sought to avoid, should

hour

in a luckless

overtake them.
"

not

is

It

my

intention

Jennerian Committee.

my

to

rially

argument

expose

Public and

myself, did

have already noticed, there are

and expressions so ambiguous,

me from

deterred
"

Thus

in

XVI.

Article

the Small

tion,

subscribing

Pox has

it

in

the errors and fallacies

all

would be a painful task

contains,
to the

to

pursue further the Report of the

to

have answered whatever applies mate-

it

should however be unjust

not state, that besides those

in

it

that

assertions so unfounded,

these

alone would

have

it.

is

said, that

by means of Vaccina-

some populous

been wholly

Cities

exterminated.
" In Article XVIII. that the prejudice raised against Vaccination

has been, in great measure, the cause of the death of near 2,ooo
persons this present year, in London alone.
" In Article III. that the cases published to prove the failure

of Vaccination, have been for the most part fully refuted

" In

Article

Jennerian

those

IV,

Medical

Men who

and

dissent from

the

Committee, are stated generally, as acting perversely

and disingenuousl}'

and refuted reports

persisting in bringing forward unfounded,

and even misrepresentations,

after they

have

been proved to be such.

"

Of

these Articles

am

compelled to say, and

prove, that the three first are absolutely unfounded.

I

must

declare,

illiberality

and

that

it

seems

ungenerous

to

me

censure,

am ready to
Of the last

conceived in a

such

as

of

spirit

should

ha\e

imagined a Committee formed of Gentlemen never would have

used
"

and which certainly no circumstances can

presume not

know my own, and

to
I

justify.

judge the motives of action

am

conscious of

my

sincerity.

in

others
If

could

AND

LIFE
be actuated by party
of the PubHc.

reject the

my

my

to declare

have from the

assert, that

mistake

of error,

'till

then

first

asserted,

and why

conduct

may

argument than

The paper which

and which

at

was

"If

"

my

human

have been firm

met with nothing

'

Though

to the

let

me

contributed

to

J.

will

shews the ground

opinion

its

had

stand

to

very commencement.

have uniformly maintained

new source

of

frame.
in

my

sentiments,

in the sequel that

it

is

because

my

has shaken

in

have

judgement.
of discussing

any other than a serious

which they have worded their Vth

investigation in

manner

afterwards

Moore's pamphlet.

admit with the Committee, the impropriety

subjects of serious

must object

question,

in

a dangerous practice to introduce a

disease into the

society.^

published in the Gentleman' s Magazine,

shall here reprint,

have never changed

it

continue to

still

have

imagined.

be

first

upon, in opposing the experiment at

that

consider

they will be found to bear more upon the

proceed to offer a few strictures on Mr.

"

shall

and the welfare of

since motives of action are called

my

shall take a

fear the experiment of Vaccination will be found

mention a few of the circumstances that

influence

indig-

opinion openly, and to state the reasons

injurious to the peace, the health,

"But

With

charge of acting perversely, and

am convinced

pride in acknowledging

duty

should be unworthy the confidence

spirit, I

When

disingenuously.

my
why

203

seek for Truth, and Truth alone.

nation, therefore, do

it

LETTERS.

style,

Article.

some "printed accounts, adverse to Vaccination, have

and disgusting levity" (expressions
I think much too strong, and coarse) they add, "as if the good or evil
This seems to me
of society, were fit objects for sarcasm, and ridicule.'
an invidious, and an unfair manner of stating the question. The :'oad and

Having

said,

treated

the subject with indecent

evil of

society never were the objects of ridicule.

But a system being

was apprehended would ultimately prove an evil, not

a good, it was thought proper to attack that system and while * some
chose the sober method of argument,! others preferred that of ridicule
still, however, it was W\& system, not the good or evil, that was ridiculed:
and that system was ridiculed only so far as it was judged likely to injure,
advanced, which

it

rather than benefit, society.

* Mr. Rogers,

and Mr. Lipscombe.

t Dr. Moseley, Imcs Bovilla.

EDWARD

204

"

true the opinion of

It is

opposition to mine.

I,

and dispassionately

to

did so

therefore, felt

incumbent on me, carefully

it

and

opinion

in their

To

'*

me

which the system rested, Vaccination was

into Spurious

and Genuine.

would have recourse

and finding

The Cases

me,

my

my

What

been couched

support

in

I"

then thought

what

of

then wrote, and

all

Never

shall

my

have written

the language of Seriousness,

in

it

dut}' to

Gentleman

that

had

since, has

and Candour, not

be ashamed that

was

the

express a doubt whether Inoculation, so perfectly under-

and

stood,

judge-

a proper

reasons of dissent.

of levity or prejudice.
to

was

of Mr. Hodge's Children occurred, confirming the

opinions

advanced.

first

my

patiently submitted to have

truth of Mr. Goldson's Reports.

print

any expedient, rather than abandon

to

called in question for a season, resolving to wait

period to explain
"

divided

foresaw the consequences.

stood nearly single, and that the tide of Opinion

set strong against

ment

Jennerian Society, having once embarked in the

satisfied that the

Surely this did not

original position.

and which evidentl}^ affected the soundness of the

principle on

it

could tlraw

obviate the objections naturally raised from this extreme

uncertainty-,

cause,

my

to alter

Vac-

for

such inconsistency in

was, they knew not what they were doing.

authorize

found from time to

most favourable conclusion

that the

direct

in

Reports of the advocates

in the

such fluctuation

their practice

was

colleagues

observe the result of the experiment.

time such contradiction

cination

my

some of

read what was published

JENNER.

so

abandoned
serious

ashamed
generous

lor

successfully

mere

matter, to
to

say,

artifice

that

be
I

trifled

viewed

as

with

it

was,

ought

holding

the

neither

shall

to

be

change too
I

with indignant scorn

ever

be

the

un-

adopted by the Jennerian Society, of sticking up

in

every Station-house,

in

Sunday Schools,

Individuals,

managed

Experiment

and

ornamented with

in

the Vestries of fanatical Chapels, and

that false, Comparative View of the Effects on

Society,

tablets

by

the

like

Sniall Pox,

and

School-boy's

the

Cow Pox,

writing-piece, re-

presenting to the gaping multitude a frightful picture of Inoculation,

with the supposed misery attendant on

it

representations equally false, and exaggerated,

and exhibiting

of the blessings

AND

LIFE

When

of Vaccination.

ti.is,

and

afterwards

where the Truth would

Colonies,

and Argument be

205

understood

Pictures were intended for the use of our

that these disgraceful

distant

saw

LETTERS.

totally lost,

long

was compelled

be

concealed,

to suspect,

still

more and more, not only the goodness of the cause itself, but the
Candour of those who stooped to such means in its support.

"Soon

after this,

had been made

his

Grace

Archbishop of Canterbury, persuading

the Clergy

direct

to

heard with great surprise that an application

to the late

recommend Vaccination frcm

"

received a letter from

know

if

had originally advanced

and a respectable Clergyman waited on

talk
I

me

with

contented myself with relating to him

my

correspondence with other medical

left

him

judge

to

for himself.

He

Grace must not commit the Church!

well
it

known,

me from

Without entering

on the subject.

into

why

retired

This

has been concealed,

it

Grace, to

any argument,

all
knew shewed him
men on the subject, and
:

from me, saying,

transaction

has never been hinted at by any of the writers

Cause, and

his

is

is

in

'

His

perfectly

Why

believe, to all tlie Partisans of Vaccination.

to

the Palace at Lambeth, desiring to

had changed the opinion

Church of England

of the

their pulpits.

favour of the

a secret best

known

to

themselves, and the Jennerian Committee.

"These circumstances occasioned an increased degree of

in

my mind

especially
hospital

and

when

in

more loudly

called

for care

802,

where

What was my

of the meeting

was

to

as

surprise then to find, that the sole business

begin a canvass for names to a petition to

refused to sign

surprise

expected to meet the Professors, the

Parliament, in support of Dr. Jenner's

me, and

My

and circumspection

recollected the Anniversary dinner of Mr. Guy's

Gentlemen, and the Students, on the same terms

Medical
usual.

"

distrust

bill ?

it

was presented

to

it.

was increased

after the dinner, to find that toasts,

songs, and compliments from one Professor to another in honour

of Vaccina, were the order of the day.

"As
cal

had seen, among the various business of

life,

some

politi-

manoeuvres, and the management of some party schemes,

was not

at

a loss

to

conjecture in

Vaccination would be carried on.

what manner the cause of

EDWARD JENNER.

2o6

" The Royal Patronage, the authority of Parliament, would

made use

beyond what the sanction given warranted

of,

])e

the

command of the Army and Navy would be adduced, not merely

as the mean of facilitating the experiment, but as proof of the
triumph of the cause

and above

all,

monopoly of the

the

press,

and the freedom of the Post Office would be employed to circulate

the assertions of the friends of Vaccination,

"What

many

Jennerian Society, that

cine Inoculation

moment,

assert.

was

Ladies

in

to contradict

its

was hardly

possible,
to

even

for

were prejudiced, were influenced, and

Men midwives found

defence.

were essentially connected

if

it

any thing the Society chose

vain to argue against the system

themselves

in

publishers and booksellers refused

consequence of which

in

at the first

the

suppress the

such works as might be deemed adverse to Vac-

to print, or sell

employed

to

foresaw happened: and such was the influence of the

It

and

their opponents.

arguments of

in its success

interests

their

and they foresaw that

they could vaccinate at the breast, without danger of conveying

they should secure to themselves the nursery, as long

infection,

as Vaccination lasted

they would
distance

no one could enter

prescribe

the Apothecary, and

for

Surgeon would be

the Physician and

any accident occurred that

necessary,

some anatomist,

The College

eyes

to

the

set aside

dissection

after

at

and

if

death

of Physicians seem at last to have opened their

innovations

managing the whole

"

him

hold

friendly to the cause, might be called

of these

Jesuits of old, through the

at

rendered

them

alarms of a family.

in to quiet the

"

to interfere with

They have

who,

like

the

of the female branches, aim

family.

therefore forbidden

children above two years old

in peculiar cases,

practitioners,

medium

them

to prescribe in future for

that safe age, before which, unless

according to Baron Dimsdale, Inoculation ought

not to be performed

and that

for self-evident reasons.

For

if

the loss of beauty, or the probability of danger are proportionate

to the crop of pustules

on the

face,

who, but one ignorant of

Surgery, would advise that bed of roses, the blooming cheeks of

an

infant,

the

warm

during the eruptive fever of Small Pox, to be applied to

breast of a well-fed nurse ?

What

maturating poultice

LIFE
more

is

AND

LETTERS.

likely to invite the pustules to

that part ?

every notion of sound sense revolts

practice,

affirm that the majorit}- of children

who

and

Against this
will venture to

from Inoculation,

suffer

are those inoculated at the breast.

"When,
that

fall

therefore, such pains are taken to

why

victims to Small Pox,

is

magnify the numbers

not this pernicious custom,

which ever}' sound practitioner reprobates, taken into the account?

and wh}'

is

not

it

remembered

that in the populous parts of the

Metropolis, where the abundance of children exceed the

means

of providing food and raiment for them, this pestilential disease

considered as a merciful provision on the part of Providence, to

is

lessen the burthen of a poor man's famih' ?

"

who examine

Let the College of Ph3^sicians,

shops in the narrow

streets,

state of the medicines, the scales

reproofs the}' are constrained to

"

and measures, and the annual

make

many, where,

to

among- the shelves

'

the Apothecaries*

and suburbs of London, report the

beggarly account of empty boxes,

Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds,

Remnants
Are

and then, we
little

of packthread,

thinly scattered to

and

old cakes of roses

make up a

some measure be

shall in

show,'

how
mode of

able to determine,

can with justice be urged against any particular

practice,

from the frequency of deaths

among

the poorer classes

of mankind.^

"

Enough has been

said to explain wh}', from the

first, I

was

led

regard with a certain degree of suspicion, the conduct of the

to

friends of Vaccination
their proceedings.

'

"One

of the

It

and why

Women who

their milk to a stranger, will be

An

their deserted babes.

at

have uniformly disapproved

most prevalent causes of death among infants

of their mothers' milk.

settled

remains to make some observations on an

Bay's-Water,

to

but

own

receive the

it is

is

the loss

children, to sell

found too frequently to have destroyed

all

Hospital, the Enfant trouve at Paris,

;

their

Hospital under the Queen's

subsisted a very short period, for

will elucidate this fact

abandon

children

the children died.

and the

patronage, was

thus deserted, but

it

The Foundling

registers of large parishes,

never mentioned in the Bills of Mortality.

EDWARD yENNR.
ingenious pamphlet written by Mr.

What

defender of the Jennerian cause.

duce,

Moore, hitherto the best

J.

Dr. Thornton will pro-

has announced himself employed by the Committee,

who

answer the wit of Dr. Moseley, and the sober arguments of

to

Lipscombe,

Mr.
Dr.

Moseley

event will

the

will

prove.

be able to answer

doubt not but that

Thornton

that Dr.

all

shall

advance.
"

With

Mr.

respect to

praise for the pleasant

but

much more

Moore, he certainly deserves some

J.

manner

the justice to point this out,

pleasantry,

should

which he has treated the subject,

in

candour he has shown.

for the

himself

suft'er

must do him

the Reader, seduced by his

least

misconstrue

to

Author's

the

intentions.

"I cannot, however, discover

answer

Mr.

J.

Moore's pamphlet, any

arguments of Mr. Rogers,

to the

reply to the five questions in

reply, indeed,

in

was not

my

any thing

or

printed

Letter.

he chuses to unite

to expect, for

writers against Vaccination in one class, as

like

particular
all

the

he wished that a

if

censure applicable to any one of them individually might attach

to

them

all

As

generally.

unfair and sophistical,

do not approve

shall not

follow

it,

method, which

this

neither will

is

pay his

ingenuity so bad a compliment as to couple him with Mr. Ring,

to

whom, perhaps, Mr.

Squirrel

"Mr. Moore,

beginning of his book, for what reason

in the

is

more than equal antagonist.

I

cannot discern, pays a studied compliment to the humanity of the

But he must

Faculty of Medicine at the expence of Surgeons.

allow

me

to say,

it is

the peculiar boast of Surgery to have softened

the malignity, and to have discovered

the

greatest evils that

the judicious practice of

afflict

mortality,

in

Inoculation and by the improved treatment of

"Surgery has
secure to

it

positive

grounds

should lose any part of

its

to rest upon,

due estimation,

properly educated in
"

its

who

which

will for

mankind;

this will be

practise

it

if it

owing

ever
ever

to the

without being

principles.

Every Apothecary's journeyman, lectured

for

pass an examination for the lower ranks of the

now

of the

Lues Venerea.

the gratitude and the support of

unwarrantable presumption of some

of two

cure

pretends to be a proficient in this

art.

six

Army

months

to

and Navy,

AND

LTFE
"The
in

fatal

LETTERS.

209

consequences that result from uneducated practitioners

every branch of medicine, assuming the province of the Surgeon,

and experimenting on Inoculation,

of the Jennerian Society.

and

is

justly depicted in the Report

Mr. Moore makes the same observation,

us that the results from this general practice were so

tells

Jenner and his friends that

different to the accounts of Mr.

experiments were set on foot

By

theory.

these

it

was ascertained

was a distressing circumstance

Experiment, as he was
speaking,

sure

ventured to propose

it

that Dr. Jenner's account

was unfounded, and untrue.

of the origin of the disease

morally

many

order to establish a permanent

in

who ought

called,

of

to befal the great

certainly to have been,

of

principle

his

he

before

action,

Public, or petition

to the

This

Father of the

Parliament for

It was now asked, what had

Wnat had he recommended ?
What were

a reward for his discoveries.

discovered

These were awkward

principles as well in Theory, as Practice ?

questions

to

answer them was

difficult

made

perplexing appeals that were daily

that

Doctor would have found

Had
his

it

therefore, to avoid

to him,

were perpetually sent requesting him

the Doctor retired from London.

the

he
his

the

and the messages

to visit

untoward

cases,

matters gone on smoothly,

incerest

to

have remained

in the Metropolis.

"

The

which Mr. Moore paints of the Con-

horrible description

fluent Small Pox,

and of the Lues Venerea, may be just

they happily are not often seen,

procured, and will

can be
cases,

be

if

ever,

but as

where proper treatment

followed, they stand

as extreme

on which the rhetorician may declaim, indeed, but from

which the sound reasoner can draw no conclusive argument.

see not,

therefore,

description.

me an

what Mr. Moore gains

must however, thank him

opportunity of saying, that

have reduced

the

mortality

"

is

it,

his cause

the pride of Surgery, to

first

of

and that attendant on the

by the

as he thus affords

consequent on the

disorders, to one in a thousand

to nearly the

it

for

to

these
last,

same proportion.

The Natural Small Pox might almost always be

Inoculation were duly performed

avoided,

if

and instances of persons dying

of Lues Venerea, except in ill-conducted Workhouses, are almost

unknown
VOL.

to regular
I.

Surgeons.

14

EDWARD

210

be alleged against

facts could

was opposed

asserts, that Vaccination

"Mr. Moore
business as

JENNER.

But

it.

in

so early a stage of the

House

before the Committee of the

when

of

Commons,

and named /o;/r others, of Small Pox follow-

brought three cases,

Was

ing Vaccination.

before any

opposing without facts

this

Nay,

it

was

these very cases that taught Dr. Woodville, what he had mistaken
for

an Hybrid Eruption, was

real

Small Pox

and which made

Mr. Cline acknowledge, that Vaccination would not prevent Small

Pox, where the patient had breathed variolous atmosphere.
"

Our Author goes on to relate the rapidity with which VaccinaThat the
tion was spread through every part of the world.
progress of Vaccination was rapid, beyond almost belief, I readily
admit

that

System

circumstance

this

We

deny.

is

proof of the merits of the

age

live in a capricious

of believing paradoxes, and of grasping

is

fond

And

this

an age that

novelty.

at

alone might account for the wonderful avidity with which the

experiment was adopted.

operated, and
liberty

But there were other causes that co-

So long as the

have alread}^ specified them.

Post Office was allowed, and the Press was

of the

in

possession of the Society, had their scheme been more objectionable than

and as

it is, it

would with

facility

have been

at

home propagated

for the Continent, English faith stood so firm there

that period, that

any thing from England was received as

sterling.

had accounts even from the Continent, very different

Yet

Mr.

Moore's representation

accounts

about

to

which lamented the too

easy faith of some Hanoverian parents, whose children were the

victims of this
"

new experiment.

Mr. Moore's candour begins to shew

Cow Pox to
No Cow that

page, where he admits this

to that gentle

own

Calf,

Animal.

'

itself

about the ninth

be erroneously attributed
is

allowed to suckle her

untouched by the Milker, ever had

this complaint.'

concludes therefore, that the Vaccine Disease

is

some

He

pollution,

imposed upon the harmless Animal by contact of the Milker.

This I can readily believe to be the case. We do not understand
indeed by what law of Nature the corrupt

humour

of an

human

disease acting on the teats of an harmless animal, can generate a

new

disorder

but

it

seems

ing for the phccnomenon

be the only rational

way

of account-

and nothing remains

for

us but to

to

AND

LIFE
inquire what that disease

LETTERS.

which being communicated from the

is,

Milker, produces the Vaccine Matter.

Venerea? or
thing

Pox

the Small

common among

itself?

"A man

me

applied to

at

St.

hand and arm, which were

his

belonged

to a

the Itch? the

it

it

was

them

originates:

it

often the Itch.

Thomas's Hospital

to

of ulcerations.

He

full

Lues

evidently must be some-

It

the lower orders, for with

could almost be tempted to think

Is

milk house near the end of Kent-street

examine
said he

that several

of the milkers were in the same condition with himself; and that

most of the cows'

similar
"

As

manner

He
On

Cow

to see the natural

the patient exhibited every

which

itch, in that stage,

commonly

is

Pox,

symptom of
Rank

called the

farther examination, the appearance about the

confirmed his observation

Itch Ointment,

was Cow Pox.

it

Pupils from the country what he thought of the

replied, that

having the
Itch.

my

belonging to the house, were affected

had not been accustomed

asked one of
case.

teats,

he added, he had been told

directed the

and he appeared again

man

fingers

to use Jackson's

end of a week, quite

at the

cured.
"

From

itching
it

will

itch

and from the tormenting

this accidental circumstance,

which some children, when vaccinated, are

be worth while for the Committee to inquire whether the

may

not

be one of the diseases that form the base of the

Vaccine Matter.

At

all

and the Milker alone

complaints

are,

Holstein are

to

events, since the

guilty,

will be

it

which the

Cow

proved innocent,

is

proper to ascertain w^hat the

Milkers

in

even by his best friends

but surely,

it

to distinguish the

genuine source from which

however are we forbidden

to

it

now

foul milker

contaminates her teats

disease be meliorated by passing through

perhaps to be sacrificed

in

given

may

enable us

Why

originates.

inoculate from the

Does her simple food increase the virulence of

is

in

time either for

is

himself or them to find us some just criterion, that

which the

and

Glostershire,

liable.

" Dr. Jenner's theory of the grease of the horse is

up,

with,

afflicted

Cow

herself?

that disease with

? or again,

some human

consequence, before

it

must the

victim,

can be

who

fit

for

general use ?

What

the Small

Pox

is,

we know

and we know

also, that

EDWARD JENNER.
when given properly by Inoculation it will communicate a mild
I say we are fully acquainted with
disease to the human frame.
the benefits and the management of that meliorated contagion
a
management so simple, that we have little to apprehend even from
;

unskilfulness

the

of ignorant

Practitioners

now

unalloyed, that the experience of

of

that the use

wishing

is in

disorders.

near a century, has proved,

of the

skilful

already given

has

whether

it

is

we know

and

not

effects,

Vaccinator, even Dr. Jenner himself,

'

The man destined

suffering

communicated,

is

it

when spurious a disease that

mortality a new malady, which,

genuine,

shall be called the

it

Society),

appearance and

cannot be certain when

when

its

suffered himself to be called,

to expel contagion,'!

and when not

Jennerian

the nature of which

disease so varying, and so ambiguous in

most

wisdom

see not therefore what

demand

inoculate from a disease,

who has proudly

so

benefit

drop Small Pox Inoculation altogether (for

to

that is the clamorous

that even the

does not contribute to swell the catalogue of

it

human woes by new

there

and

Cow

Evil,

from the animal, or the

Jennerian Evil from the inventor, posterity will determine.

" But

why do

of contagion,'

if

generations.

If

reason

is,

say the inventor

I

state, that the

has not

beg pardon of

Cow Pox

expeller

brought forward before,

the

that the Physicians of former days, less confident,

and

character,

their

'

has been known for

it

been

empirick than some of the present, thought

less

this

and what they owed Society,

unbecoming

it

to

obtrude any

experiment, which they were not fully satisfied was a salutary

'

"

When

Dr. Jenner' s Bust was exposed at the Exhibition last year,

was subscribed, if I mistake

Tyrannus of Sophocles.

The

not, with the following lines of the

it

CEdipus

Man
By

great Apollo's high

command

ordain'd

T'expel the foul contagion from this land

Nursed there too long, but

to

be nursed no more.

Dr. J. was,

T understand, wonderfully pleased with the application

which
was very ingenious, and only wanted truth to be really admirable.
If a second Bust were to appear, I apprehend a more appropriate,
though less splendid motto would be
;

certainly

Davus sum, non CEdipus.

AND

LIFE
They

one.

therefore tried

LETTERS.

dropped

it.

failed ultimately,

it

instance no other

shall

they found, notwithstand-

in silence;

it

ing an apparent success at Hrst, that

name than

and they
of Sir

that

George Baker, who had Dr. Jenner's invention mentioned

forty years ago;

was

it

tried,

failed,

it

and no more was said of

Mr. John Hunter did not give the Experiment much

event justifies their

conduct

honour

much

to the cause,

surely

for

less

does

factory in

place

its

and

it,

accord with the positive

it

to leave

down

a Theory,

the Public nothing satis-

does us nationally no great honour

it

to

have

Cow Pox make so much noise all over the world, and then
Cow Pox neither does it argue much in favour

the

be declared no

the

wisdom of the Faculty,

the

first

Leaders seem

experience,

produced
"It

in the

Cow

House

is

to

cannot understand

Laws

of Nature

Small Pox

to

that

allowed by

is

from the

except,

of
all

to

to

of

adopt so blindly a practice, which

know nothing about

it

it.

The
much

credit.

does not do

it

assurances given Parliament, for Dr. Jenner to lay

to be obliged to recant

him

to

contradicts

fully

Commons

after seven years

the

evidence

they

in its favour.

the writers

among

the Vaccinists, that

be got a genuine and a spurious matter.

this doctrine;

seems contrary

it

to the general

she has given us a genuine but no spurious

a genuine but no spurious Measles.

in her operations, than Vaccinators

More

merciful

she gives us a specific

evil,

we may know how to administer specific remedies and when

we may be securely freed from the dread of its recurrence.
that

"

But since a genuine and a spurious

how do they

Vaccinists,

mine have determined

conjecture

account for

this

point,

" It is allowed

to be the

the matter

on

all

hands, that

will

'Till

admitted by

suggest the following

Cow Pox
Now if

is

generated by some

that disorder should

it,

may

may

inoculate Small

Pox, and the

be for ever secure from that disease,

he will have received Small Pox Inoculation.

the disorder generated on the Cow's teats, have for

as

is

wiser heads than

Small Pox, then the Pustule so occasioned, and

coming from

patient thus inoculated,

for in fact

Cow Pox
?

disorder imparted by the milker.

happen

it

its

apprehend has sometimes happened, then the patient

inoculated with a disorder,

which,

though

it

But

if

base. Itch,
will

may suspend

be
the

EDWARD

214

capacity

Pox

Small

for

for

JENNER.
season in

the constitution, will

ultimately prove no security.

"Notwithstanding Mr. Moore's pleasant way of treating the

subject,

he cannot laugh away this simple argument.

" If there is

Pox,

if

whom

no such disease belonging

Animal as

to the

be subject to infections from the

she must

spares her milk, and sacrifices her

she

we knoiv

to,

nothing but a mild disease

nothing but Small Pox.

declaring, that

would have been a death blow

saw

of both parties

and parted, they were almost

one was the genuine, the other

Small

Pox.

whole system.

The

for exterminating the

Society

spurious,

the

this

to the

an accommodation was

contending heroes on the stage, they said,

wrong;

are both in the

to

"

we

the Confluent Small Pox, will produce

the Societies quarrelled,

upon the point of

repeat,

the matter inoculated from a patient

When

us so

mother's face,

Pox, and other infectious disorders,

know of nothing spurious

who may die afterwards of
"

let

be

what

not

Sma

" In the

in the

to

us

let

calf,

acquainted with the nature of these infections, and do not

inhumanly submit our babes, while smiling

Cow

hand of him

^^

effected

This
friends
like the

Brother, Brother, we

they shook hands, and agreed at

all

events

support the Experiment.

"

which attacks the Physicians

beside

pamphlet

shall not take notice of that part of our Author's

my

mentaries on the
contain a

not

only

immediate subject, but because

full

Cow

answer

because
I

Pox,' lately published

to all that

consider

conceive
'

it

The Com-

by Dr. Moseley,

to

Mr. Moore has asserted on this

head.
"

Those pages which are employed

in describing the nature of

Small Pox, and other infectious diseases, are well worth attending
to;

though they are written with such affectation of

hastily perused, they

" However,
pages, that he

may be

admire Mr. Moore's candour, as

is

wit,

that if

mistaken.

of opinion the Small

Pox cannot

collect

from these

be twice received

and observe, that he admits some cases

the Small

to have occurred, where

Pox has appeared on persons who had apparently passed

through the

Cow

true Philosopher

Pox,

in

a regular way.

knows there

is

no

He

then concludes,

real exception to the

Laws

'

A
of

AND

LIFE
Nature

LETTERS.

215

apparent deviations are common, but the

And

are immutable.'

own

ready to

again he observes, 'If

Laws of Nature
Medical men were as

they would not so often

their errors as Chemists,

accuse Nature of being so capricious as thc}^ do.

"

'

To admit

that a few individuals organised like others,

susceptible of having certain diseases twice, while

mankind can only have them once,

Laws

uniformity of the
"

discovers sometimes a

little

flippancy of wit he had better have

well on him,

been employed earlier

had

wish he

sit

in

although Mr. Moore

liberality, that

much

spared, and although he sometimes deals too

assertion which does not

and conceived

just in themselves,

candour and

spirit of

almost a contradiction in the

of Cause and Effect.'

These are sentiments so

such a

is

are

the flood of

the

in

in authoritative

nevertheless sincerely

controversy

the

question then probably would have been more easily decided.

"
to

lament, however, that he will not suffer his

produce with himself that conviction

" If a

true

Laws

philosopher

knows

own

principles

apprehend they ought.

there are

no

exceptions

real

of Nature, then a patient cannot have the Small

Pox

twice.

But Mr. Moore admits that patients have had the

real

Small

Pox

to the

Vaccination

after

the disease therefore which the

Vaccine matter excited, could not have been Small Pox

consequentl}',

those patients (except

page 45) remain

to

liable

it,

the

in

the suspending

as soon as

and

cases suggested in

power

of the Vaccine disease shall have ceased.

"

This argument

mind so

just, that

is

so simple a one, and the conclusion

confident

feel

its

force

must be

felt

in

my

by every

impartial person.
"

What

Pox,

in

Mr. Moore says of the primary and secondary Small

which

all

sound Practitioners

him, proves everything

Whoever has read the Report

Commons, would conclude from

adduced,

that

perfectly settled

the

readily concur with

could wish in favour of

"

of

will

practice

of

In the first

House

the multitude of evidence there

was

at

that

But Mr. Moore informs

'All the peculiarities of this curious complaint

at once.

argument.

of the Committee of the

Vaccination

and understood.

my

two or three years

it

were not

was not

time
us,

detected

to be expected

that the Art of Vaccination should be brought to perfection.

It

EDWARD

2i6

not

therefore

is

JENNER.

be wondered

to

Surgeons, Apothecaries,

a few mistakes have happened.'

" That no experiment is perfected
principles are just,

readily allow

among

if

at,

Clergymen^ and

the multitude of

who

Ladies,

even where the

once,

at

practised,

no more than what must

it is

What

be expected from the imperfection of human wisdom.

complain of, is, that while Vaccination was nothing more than an
experiment it should have been, not merely recommended to the
public notice, but authoritatively imposed on the pubhc practice.

should be argued that Inoculation was urged with nearly

If

it

as

much earnestness

Inoculation

different.

mere experiment

it

shall reply that the cases are altogether

when brought
was a

England was no longer

into

by the experience

practice confirmed

of generations in foreign countries

and as the laws of Nature

could not be supposed to be different here, and in Turkey, the

made

opposition

to Inoculation

might be

have been

fairly said to

the result of ignorance, and prejudice.

"

must be permitted however

to observe,

in

answer

Mr.

to

Moore's statement, that among the multitude of Surgeons, hardly

any of the Court of Assistants of the College are

That Parliament should have omitted
Surgeons, seems to

me an

to

to

be found.

consult the College of

oversight hardly to be accounted

for.

As Parliament could not be supposed to act from any knowledge

of their own the merits of the case not depending on the science
;

of politics, or legislation, but on that of surgery and medicine,

common prudence

should have dictated the propriety of consulting

the Colleges of these two professions,

competent

to give

Had

answer.

the

the

only

surgeons

Report

of

applied

to,

College of Surgeons

would have discovered a

.The

be supposed

them the information they wanted.

Physicians were

College of

who might

the

of

truth,

that

When

the

they gave a negative

been consulted,

they

which has not yet been revealed.

court,

Jennerian

whose

Society,

names

are

Mr.

appear

Ford

in

and

Mr. Home.

"But

the apothecaries are

men

of experience;

multitudes to join so readily in the experiment ?

into the

new

plan of the

practice,

how came their

Why, they came

because they early discovered

men-midwives

to seclude

it

was the

them, by this manoeuvre

AND

LIFE
from the nurseries

LETTERS.

2i-j

and finding they could not

fight

on their own ground, they resolved, by forming an

share,

"

from that solicitude

however

speak of those of the

(I

speak of them with that reverence due

and so respectable a body), may be accounted

to so learned,

which

Clergy

of the

co-operation

Established Church, and

men,

fairly

alliance, to

possible, the conquest.

if

The

them

forms

that they

for,

to benefit the bodies, as well as the souls of

of the

part

character.

ministerial

would have done wiser,

to

think

have waited

till

the

experiment was so firmly established that they could not have

stood committed by any subsequent failure

for in proportion to

the sacredness of any character, ought to be the scrupulous desire

of avoiding what might expose

"

As

by

while the tender sex,

instructed,

who from

to

their

bosom of maternal tenderness

innate benevolence are ever ready

doing good, were

'

to

under the specious appearance of

stealing,

Charity, and Philanthropy, into the

in

out of the church,

in or

was an easy way of securing acceptance

it

peculiar tenets,

to assist

to censure.

whether

for Sectarian preachers,

saw

they

it

were soothed, and were

flattered,

Dr. Jenner

insinuate the plot into the boxes.'

took so much pains to teach some ladies

with a light

to vaccinate

hand, that one of them declared she only brought blood from two
in

the village

and

that cnly

one family among her patients had

shewn any symptom of the Cow Pox

" Mr.

Moore

tells

about Chelsea, and

us that
in

London

disorders.

the misfortunes have happened

all

and that there has hardly been a

suspicion of any failures in opulent families.

"

There

tions

is

they

something very insidious and unjust

almost

afford

the only

reasoning to be found in Mr.

failures to

instance

have occurred round Chelsea,

disingenuous

of

By

Moore's book.
1

in these asser-

of the opposers of Vaccination, whose practice lying

part of the country,

other

quarters,

if it

individual

infer

that

those

in that

skill

in a preju-

hardly

any

among the opulent, he would insinuate

that

and

suspicion of failure

the

one

adduced were the

want of candour, or want of

result either of the

diced

much

at

could be shewn that no cases came from

would

he

stating

presume he aims

by asserting that there

those cases instanced from

among

is

the poor are not to be credited

EDWARD JENNER.

2i8

means of

the poor not having the

what may be

contradicting,

asserted of them.
"

To

the

of these insinuations

first

by saying, that

reply,

kingdom from which

there are few parts of the

will not pledge

in Vaccination, as notorious

myself to bring instances of failure

as any mentioned in the vicinity of Chelsea, and London.

"To
There

the second

which exacts from

when speaking

us,

To

degree of delicacy.

an individual

befallen

by asserting that

reply,

of them,

proclaim that an

who perhaps may

families in

Moore therefore highly

he must be aware

infringing the rule

ought.

it

wish

sentiment

perhaps be answered as

same of

proclaim the

evil.

however,

observe when

to

say,

first

think Mr.

which
never

of delicacy could
trust,

be

can

blame, in using an argument

to

from

malady has

be connected with some of the

would be a serious

the kingdom,

an increased

afflictive

lower orders of society,

the

in

productive of no great inconvenience; to

persons

unfounded.

is

it

a degree of respect due to the superior orders of society

is

am

that

if

not
Dr.

Jenner were again to apply to Parliament for support, he would

find

many members

from

Houses

that

which would prove a

his pretensions,

to

of both

marked opposition
answer

full

this

to

assertion of our Author.

"

Mr Moore acknowledges one

opposition
the

made

Practice

Vaccination,

to

and he says, a

prejudices of the inferior

" If the

it

namely,

society

will not

improvement of

the

more time

little

Practitioners,

lower orders of

against Vaccination,

have arisen from the

benefit to

will

dispel

the

and the vulgar.

have

conceived

prejudices

be easy to root them out

only do they know from sad experience that

it

for not

does not answer

but they have been so ungenerously deceived and imposed on by

the

Inoculators

where

the

at

Cow Pox was

Small Pox Hospital, and other places,

inserted

when they were

will

This

never occur

against

it.

possible
artifice

Was

is

again
it

such an instance of bad faith,

;

they were

do not know where

to be inoculated with Small Pox, that they

put their trust.

told

every principle

of

as,

to

hope,

humanity revolts

not sufficient to have had recourse to every

means of perverting

the

judgment of the poor by every

ingenuity could suggest, but,

when

still

unconvinced of the

AND

LIFE

demanded

they

of Vaccination,

efficacy

LETTERS.

219

be

to

inoculated

with

Small Pox, must they be systematically deceived? and implicitly

relying on the honour of the Operator, must they be clandestinely

contaminated with the very disease they were anxious

"

Speak

'

To

in

it

Lives there a

whispers

man

so

it

ev'n from him,

The banded Legions

Wachsel

have understood

"

It

blame

to

'

not to be blamed for this

is

but a servant of the charity,

is

has been asserted, that more children have died

the last twelve

months of Small Pox, than

and from

circumstance, an

this

Inoculation

discredit

but

last year,

fatality

my mind

in

of

Inoculation,

Vaccination had subsided,

Disease

fell

attack,

Pox

for

Small Pox

us

put

owing

open to

subjects

the suspending

to the

power of

unsuspecting victims to the Natural

Practitioners

and having thus

Faculty, and not

it,

who had been

things

upon

who

lost all

substituted

left

its

the

old

fatal

Cow

confidence in the

knowing whom

suffered the natural disease to take

" Let

is

because their parents justly objected to the

unfair proceedings of those

integrity of the

exactly

greater during the

more

left

whom

and many others perished by

its

to

it.

having

For many with

infection.

open to

conclusion

Pox has been

of Small

former year

an}^

than for several years preceding, this

suspension
its

in

within

argument has been raised

opposite ought to be drawn from

" If the

'

Let us

Where do these orders originate

know where to fix the stigma.

and must follow orders.

is

he

whose Sov'reign sway

Greece obey

of all

imposition on their good faith

Who

a Greek should hear

fame, who dares

to

think such meanness, or the thought declares

And comes
" Mr.

lest

dead

to avoid ?

to trust,

they

course.

footing

us

let

drop

Vaccination altogether for seven years, and practise only Small

'

"Small Pox Hospitals, if properly conducted, appear

useful charities in a great Metropolis, that

tained even at the public expence

to

me

such

could wish to see them main-

since from such Institutions, ever}-

Parish might be supplied, at stated periods, with proper Medical men, who

should inoculate the poor gratis.

By

this

means, and by compelling the

parents to abstain from public exposure, the evils of Natural Small Pox

would

in

a short time be

easily subdued.

EDWARD

220

Pox

Inoculation, and

to its old standard,

the mortality in Small

if

Pox do not return

be content to give up

will

JENNER.

become as devout a worshipper of the Cow,

Hindostan,

within the realms of

my

opinion, and

as

any

idolater

or the precincts of Salisbury

Court.
there always has been a mortality attendant on Small

"That

when

Pox, even
deny.

great

as

Moore

Mr.

more

to the

make

to

or as the friends

own system by

the

argument

mortality ever

this

asserts,

eager to establish their

have wished

was adopted, no

alone

Inoculation

deny however, that

it

will

of Vaccination,

the other,

discrediting

But what makes

Public to believe.
that

is,

one can

has been as

be easy to point out the

which the mortality may be referred

flagrant error to

namely,

the public exposure of patients during the eruptive state of the

A common

disorder.

raise

error,

against

prejudice

which has been made use of

Inoculation,

but

to

which, so far from

forming a necessary part of the treatment, has been expressly

forbidden by that able and successful Practitioner, Baron Dimsdale.

cannot

help

therefore

humbly

suggesting,

that

the

Legislature would do well thus far to interfere, and by prohibiting

under penalty such improper exposure, remedy an

which

evil,

otherwise society must continue to suffer from the ignorance, or

perversity of unskilful Practitioners.
"

The

objection

last

shall notice

is

one on which

have been the aim of Vaccinators to lay great

to

that

what

is

Inoculation

of that
page,

'

seems

it

stress,

called the King's Evil, generally takes its rise

this is particularly depicted in

production

disgraceful

The View

viz.

from

some of the engravings

have mentioned

in

former

of the Comparative Effects of Inoculation, and

Vaccination.'
"

answer

shall

discussion

on

satisfactorily
tlie

the

this

nature

assertion,

minds

always

my

should be obliged to swell

size calculated for general circulation

matters of fact

by entering

not

of Scrophula in general;

a
the

mode

into
to

do

any
this

pamphlet beyond

but by simply adducing

of arguing to plain and unsophisticated

most

agreeable,

and

certainly

the

most

conclusive.

"

must therefore remind Mr. Moore, and the partisans of

AND

LIFE

LETTERS.

was

Vaccination, that Scrophula

more prevalent

far

before, than

after tlie introduction of Inoculation.

Who now

"

of crowds of

hears

ever

most distant counties

the

Royal Touch

of the

which

in the reign

Who now

of King

people

be cured by the

to

those pieces

sees

James the

First,

from

flocking

supposed

and long

virtue

of gold,

were

after,

suspended so generally as amulets, endued with sovereign power

to cure the

"But

this

grant

Evil ?

it

be told

shall

more

up

symptoms of

as ever exhibiting

noticed

any shape relevant

in
I

now

have

am

to

complaint

this glandular

has

grown

maturity without suffering from Scrophula, or so

to full

"

could adduce several

Inoculated by able practitioners, have

regularly

all

been acknowledged to be hereditary, who, having

for generations

been

that

is,

where

large families of children,

argument.

only a presumptive

is

one

positive,

that Mr.

all

Moore has brought forward

question

the

to

much

this disorder.

and the result

that

is,

more than ever convinced of the propriety of adhering

still

those opinions,

from the

first

entertained, of the inefficacy

of Vaccination.
"

am

cause

Author the compliment, that

willing to pay this

have been

could

been so defended

defended

satisfactorily,

it

if

the

would have

him,

b}^

"

'

Pergama dextra

Si

Defendi possent, etiani hac defensa fuissent,'

but,

my

conviction

solid foundation

is,

that

and impartially sum up

perience of

the system

that

all

now above seven

the

years
let

us

Committee of the

mended Dr. Jenner

to the

not

For

let

us candidly

let

us compare the result, with

come

fairly to

House

of

our conclusion.

Commons recom-

munificence of Parliament,

to excite

no new humours, or disorders

and which was

Small

Pox,

but

to

be,

for

which

the constitution

not only a perfect security against the

would,

recurrence for ever.

in

was

it

a discovery in practice which was never to prove fatal

was

on any

rest

that has been established, after the ex-

the promised advantages, and

"When

does

never can stand.

it

if

universally

adopted,

prevent

its

EDWARD
Here then are three

*'

stands pledged

not only will he

wise,

experiment

pubHc the

Dr. Jenner

fullest satisfaction

other-

part of the contract, but the

his

in

fail

itself will

points on which

distinct

the

to give

JENNER.

of having any claim to public notice

fail

or support.
" Let us see

what Dr. Jenner has done

Cow

of his several positions in favour of

"And

first

to establish the justness

Pox.

he was called upon, as might naturally be expected,

an account of the origin of the disease

to give

itself.

" This could not be considered as a difficult task

propose to

would not

Jenner

Dr.

world,

He

therefore assured

that

from the grease of

originated

it

communicated by the hands of the milker

hf^el,

for surely

from a disorder

without knowing what that disorder was.

the

inoculate

the
to

horse's

the

teats

of the cow.
"

This theory, which

itself

in

experiments was proved

was

by subsequent

suspicious,

be erroneous

to

however from

that

hour to the present, Dr. Jenner has been able to advance nothing

and he has

satisfactory,

us

left

moment

very

this

at

in

the

dark as to the real nature and origin of the Vaccine Disease.

" But

though Dr. Jenner could not

tell

was, he soon came forward to inform

the one genuine,

sorts,

us what the

us

that

Cow Pox

was of two

it

and harmless, the other spurious, and

hurtful.

" This

was

two

so call
"

It

be

it,

the

but the eftect

more alarming as

in

at

the

was given, by which the

Here then

distinguished.

on the part of Dr. Jenner

was a

his agreement,

if

direct
I

may

with the Houses of Parliament.

But yet

fatal

criterion

could

sorts

failure,

much

a discovery so

same time no

In cases

further.

consequences,

gave

it

where Vaccination did not produce

rise

to

new, and painful disorders.

was followed sometimes by itchy eruptions

sometimes by

singular ulcerations, and sometimes by glandular swellings of a

nature

wholly

distinct

glandular disease.
point stipulated
"

It

and

was ascertained

from what was

from

Here,

called

Scrophula,

again,

was

or

any

failure

other
in

known

the second

finally,

that even

when Vaccination was performed,

the genuine

matter,

it

would not always

AND

LIFE

LETTERS.

223

prove a preservative against the Small Pox

who
to

as several patients,

had been pronounced by the most experienced Vaccinators

have passed regularly through

Cow

the

theless attacked with the genuine Small

Pox,

were never-

Pox.

points being established, and they are established by

"These

the most uncontested facts, facts which the public are not called

upon

to believe

tion,

but

on the assertions of those who oppose Vaccina-

on the

who

confession of those

have

be said to

Dr. Jenner

Parliament to execute

and not

support

Were an

rooms wind and water

perfect security

if

tight

several

to

and

fallen

in,

could

should

own

am

then

when
for,

Certainly not.

was

such an edifice as

Has

edifice

deserve the opprobrium

if

my

advised

friends

where they could never be

Every body would

am

ill-built,

free

say, that in

acting the part of a real friend

Why

acting disingenuously, or perversely,

Cow Pox

have described above, so rotten

so ruinous,

is

in

its

Vaccination.

the conduct of the friends of Vaccination in supporting

a favourable opinion of the system ?

been marked with so

deceit

would make

much

art,

has been resorted

me

and
to,

trick,

No

to

impress

me

with

Their conduct has

and contrivance, nay, so

that this

circumstance alone

suspect the goodness of the cause altogether, and

the motives that influence

"Or

who

those

killed

of rooms, the wind or

and recommending their system been such as

much

than seven

less

remonstrate against the general practice of the

foundation, so
"

be told

to

its

houses, where they had lived securely for

generations, to occupy apartments

from danger?

all

be blamed for declaring

of acting perversely, and disingenuously,

giving this advice

had broken his contract, and that the

be no longer tenanted

not to quit their

if in

and

in

number

a great

in

was perpetually beating

ought

which he

foundations

its

and such as might be inhabited with

apartments had

occupied them, while

that the architect

in

before the edifice were well finished the foun-

dations were discovered to be rotten

rain

support.

architect to undertake to build an edifice

engaged should be firm, and unshaken

years,

its

to

how

agreement,

his

fulfilling

can his system claim reasonably any longer

"

how can

it,

what he stood pledged

fulfilled

its

partisans.

again, have the writers in favour of Vaccination been able


EDWARD

224

to

produce any thing that has operated conviction

They have disproved no

not.

their opponents

sneers at

well attested fact

most part

fined themselves for the

it

JENNER.

to raillery

and contemptuous

and the Jennerian Society

Certainly

they have con-

itself,

when

publishes a report, advances such unfounded assertions, and

uses such equivocal language as

think never could have been

employed had the system been a good one.

"

Why

what grounds, am

or on

then,

opinions of the Jennerian Society

me

conduct that can prepossess

" But arguments

may be

any one disprove the three following

" That

human system

their

in

any thing

in

let

us come to

Can

facts.

too often fatal

new

disorders

into

the

" That Vaccination

facts

"

Vaccination

not a perfect security against the Small Pox.

is

maintain can never be disproved.

"These
That

introduced

has

Vaccination

the

into

fallacious

"That Vaccination has been

any thing

their favour ?

in

recommend them

their practice to

come

to

Is there

vaguely by assigning to
as the only probable

sometimes

is
it

may be shewn,

fatal

not

the subsequent death of the patient,

cause,

but

from destructive inflammation

which, in some instances, has arisen immediately from the punc-

Cow Pox

ture of

Inoculation

a case that never

did

occur

in

Small Pox Inoculation.

" That]Vaccination introduces

new disorders, is proved from a

new genus of disease, unknown to any former practitioner unknown till after the introduction of the Cow Pox and never to be
found but in those subjects who have had that disorder.
"That Vaccination is not a perfect security against the Small
;

Pox

ive

have the confession of the Jennerian Conimittee

" Let these

facts

be considered, and then

let

itself.

the concluding

sentence of the report of the Jennerian Committee be read.

"

How

be said

'

after all that

that

has been established, and admitted, can

mankind have already derived great and

benefits from the discovery of Vaccination ?

tained there

is full

will ultimately

"

And

yet

cause for believing, that

succeed
this

in

'

how can

Cow Pox

extinguishing the Small Pox

conclusion

is

subscribed

by a

it

incalculable
it

be main-

Inoculation
?

list

of

many

AND

LIFE
respectable names.

LETTERS.

225

tempted

really could almost be

to believe

some of those signatures have been applied further than was

that

intended

and that there are those among the subscribers, who,

made

only wishing to encourage the experiment, have been

to

appear to support the system.

"

this

may

be,

reality

only

the

However

convey

Now,

in

one thing
opinion

men

the opinion of the wisest

tion to facts,

certain

is

those names

many

so

of

practitioners.

that ever lived,

opposi-

if in

must be erroneous, and consequently of no authority.

Besides which on the very score of opinion, something ought to be

taken into consideration.
"

There are persons

and knowledge
others

in the list

revere

knowledge

abilities,

do not revere

whose

character,

and some

Baillie,

among them, whose

but there are those

character, and

whose

might instance Dr.

whose

abilities,

whose opinions con-

sequently, have no weight with me, and ought not,

think,

to

have any with the public.

"These then

are the grounds on which

adhering to the opinion

House

the

of

Commons

to the

myself

feel

and these are the reasons

not hesitate to pronounce, that

been given

Cow Pox

for

that

which

for

do

think the high sanction that has

Experiment, as well from the Royal

Name, as from the protection of Parliament, ought

drawn

justified in

declared before the Committee of

first

sanction

is

to

deservedly of such

be with-

weight,

that

remote practitioners do not even give the subject a consideraconclude

but

tion,

system

that

recommended

so

must

be

unexceptionable.
"

trust

it

will not

am presuming

to

be supposed, from what

have

said, that

cause of Vaccination.

which they

for

the support they

What

have afforded the

they did arose from that parental

and never can cease

feel,

to feel,

for the

welfare of individuals, and the happiness of the community

though
before
ciple,

may

I
it

censure either that August Personage, or the

Houses of Parliament,
solicitude

think

the

experiment was not sufficiently

was recommended,

still

and
tried

they did but exercise that prin-

which has been so often exerted

for the public

good

and

which has procured us blessings, eminently greater than any

enjoyed by the other nations of the world.

VOL.

I.


EDWARD JENNER.

226

That Dr. Jenner should have been remunerated by the munion this
ficence of Parliament I conceive to be no more than just
"

who

general principle, that he

in order to

promote the public

that

we

But

likewise think wise

what

can ascertain

can neither think

has failed

in

it

many

so

promised to accomplish

because

or

is,

just,

points
it

what

own

private interests,

has some claim for public

benefit,

That the experiment

compensation.

made,

neglects his

itself

it

is

should

have been

only from experiment

is not,

beneficial to society.

nor wise, that when Vaccination

ends

of accomplishing those

should

still

it

continue to receive that

degree of sanction and support, which a completely successful,

and unobjectionable,

Lord Henry Petty again brought the

In July 1806,
subject

of vaccination before the House.

He moved
"

practice, alone, is entitled to enjoy."

the following address to his Majesty

That the Royal College of Physicians should be requested

to

inquire into the progress of vaccine inoculation, and to assign the

causes of

its

success having been retarded throughout the United

in

order that their report might be

Kingdom,

we may

of Parliament, and that

publishing

it

take the

House
most proper means of
to the

to the inhabitants at large."

Henry Petty was of opinion

Lord

made

that

if

the result

of such proposed inquiry resulted (as he was strongly

disposed to think
beneficial effects,

regard

it

the

result

afterwards

be

for

reward

in

a corroboration of the

which other nations were inclined

as

sufficient

would)

of

the

vaccine

House

inoculation,

to

it

to

would

consider whether a

had been bestowed on the

original

discoverer of vaccine inoculation.

The Royal
their

College

of Physicians

commands, applied themselves

having

received

to the inquiry,

and

LIFE

AND

LETTERS.

227

corresponded with the Colleges of Physicians

and Edinburgh, the Colleges of vSurgeons

Dublin

in

in

Edinburgh, and Dublin, and having reported

London,
in

lavour

of Dr. Jenner, the question of a further grant was put

House, and ^20,000 was agreed

to the

by a majority

to

of thirteen.

The
was

subject

the

Raron

while

Pox

Small

of

prohibition

inoculation,

tor

says,

He knew

"

which then occupied Jenner's attention

its

that vaccination

virulent

would be comparatively powerless

and contagious antagonist was permitted

to

walk

abroad uncontrolled."

Jenner had an

Mr.

Minister,

He

cessful.

interview

Perceval,

Vou

will

it

result

conducted

was

clearly that

it

was unsuca letter to

my

in

which Small Pox inoculation

in the metropolis.

was

interview with the

the intention of government to give a

occasioned in language as forcible as

him

in

with the

honour with the sole view

solicited this

check to the licentious manner

it

mission

his

be sorry to hear the result of

of inquiring whether

subject

1807.

Minister, Mr. Perceval.

at this time,

this

communicated the

Dr. Lettsom, July

"

but

on

is,

instanced the mortality

could utter, and showed

the great source from which this pest

was

disseminated through the country, as well as through the town.

But, alas
is still

to

all

said availed nothing

and the speckled monster

have the liberty that the Small Pox Hospital, the delu-

sions of Moseley, and the caprices

poor, can possibl}' give him.

and disappointment

The

State

and prejudices of the misguided

cannot express to 3'ou the chagrin

felt at this iiiterview."

having been committed

to

the policy ot

EDWARD JENNER.

228

supporting vaccination,

upon

tlie

Government was now

to found an establishment, in place

called

of the Royal

Jennerian Institution, which had almost collapsed, from

want of funds and from bad management.

Vaccination

would then be conducted under the countenance and

support of Government, and employed throughout the
empire.

ij

Jenner drew up a plan, and prepared an estimate of

The

the expenses.
return

illness

the

Berkeley, but

to

of his son necessitated his

warrant for instituting a

National

Vaccine

Establishment

absence,

and

was

nominated

and

he

appointed

his faithful advocate,

Jenner

Director.

The Board assembled

the principal officers, and Mr.

Ring was

another

At the next

and

candidate

selected.

meeting of the Board to appoint subordinate

Jenner sent

names of seven

the

in

whom

be elected, but the appointments were

and out of

six,

were

six

officers,

he wished to

first

reduced to

rejected.

him

contrived

to

directed^

The danger

all

set

persons nominated by Jenner, four

The board appointed him

of

his

Mr. Ring, as Principal Vacci-

nator and Inspector of Stations.

aside

in

Mr. Moore, as Assistant Director,

his friend,

to appoint

was obtained

the

let

lost

that

they soon

he was a "'Director

of a Director with the patronage

appointments

would soon have

from a ring

feel

Director, but

was obvious,

confidence

ot officials

in

for

the

public

Reports emanating

bound, by the circumstances of

AXJ)

LIFE

LETTERS.

12()

their appointment, to support the; credit of the Institution

and of Vaccination.
Jenner, however, considered that he had been very

badly treated, and wrote to Mr, Moore:

was

"It
that

between Mr. Rose, Sir Lucas, and myself,

stipulated

no person should take any part

ment,

who was

my

On my

re-

was appointed

before he

approbation,

minding Sir Lucas of

whole and sole

to

We

You,

Sir,

are to be the

(meaning the board) are

what do

to a station.

he replied,

this,

director.

considered as nothing

Under

the vaccinating depart-

in

not either nominated by me, or submitted to

know

zvc

these circumstances, Jenner

of vaccination ?

felt

appointed

his friends

But Jenner was not

for.

influenced by their advice, and Mr.

Moore was

the followincj letter

Moore

come

dear Friend,
to

me

It

was

T/iat the

me

to

remain

Institution

and

that this

was

as if the board were

This

is

the

had

the

left to

same

their

the benefits

do we know of Vaccination

We

as the

it,

confidence in their proceedings

own judgment

sum and substance of

my

the 7'eason ivhy

Dr. J. could not be admitted as one of the conductors of

puldic ivouid not have

in

was fanned

for the purpose of a full and satisfactory investigation of

or dangers of the vaccine practice,

intention

But while

piece of information from a

determined

as follows.

my

quite in earnest.

came a

in order,

Moore, Esq.

informed you of

was

Right Hon. Gentleman which

retirement.

J a:\iks

At the time

town, believe

was getting things

in

From Dr. Jenner to

"My

therefore

in his place.

Jenner communicated his reasons to Mr.

to

be

himself obliged

withdraw from the establishment, although

thought the step was uncalled

to
"

in doubtftd cases.

the communication

know nothing

'

What

of Vaccination.'

EDWARD JENNER.

230

"

And

my

3'et,

degraded

these very

friend,

trators in doubtful

cases

are to be the sole arbi-

ive

how

poor Vaccina,

Alas,

thou

art

me some time since,

An institution founded

"You intimated something of this sort

and now I get it from the fountain head.

to

on the principle of inquiry seven or eight years ago, would have

been worthy of the British nation

but now, after the whole world

bears testimony to the safety and efficacy of the vaccine practice,

I

do think

it

a most extraordinar}^ proceeding.

It is

one that must

necessarily degrade me, and cannot exalt the framers of

common

eyes of

which

Institution^

mount
this,

now

shall

stick

closely

have the pride and vanity

to all others, as its extent

am

sense.

is

years, single

This

the globe.

machiner}^,

all effective

best.

"I agree with you

Vaccine
in

Of

have conducted

number of

that simplicity in this, as in

own
para-

to think is

handed, and have spread Vaccination round

me

in the

uiy

and benefits are boundless.

the real and not the nominal director.

the whole concern for no inconsiderable

convinces

it

to

not being a

astonish

will

can be astonished

it

my

that

Establishment

the

member
world

harmonious and complete,

An

more than myself.

supported by the British Government,

liberally

every

member

of the British

and

its

no one

establishment

arrangements

intimately acquainted

not only with the ordinary laws and agencies of the vaccine fluid

on the human constitution, but with

agencies,

all fully satisfied

part of the world and their

of the vaccine practice,

tice to

own

all

extraordinary or anomalous

its

from the general report of the

civilized

experience of the safety and efficacy

cordially uniting in directing that prac-

one grand point, the extermination of the Small Pox

in the

British Empire:

a society so formed, was a consummation devoutl}'

to be wished.

But instead of

others,

this,

taking awa}' yourself and a few

an assembly, which from well-known facts must appear

discordant in the eyes of the public,

incongruous as
with

it;

it

is, it

and what

is

packed together.

is

would have been

above

all

still

"

in

with a sting upon

Though

my

so,

had

However,
I

mingled

other considerations, and which

would have proved a source of perpetual

gone

more

irritation,

must have

conscience.

resolved on not incorporating myself with the Society,

AND

LIFE
be assured

ready

shall be ever

LETTERS.

to afford

it

^i^

any assistance

m\'

in

l)Ower.

my

" Believe me,

dear Friend,
"

Most

truly yours,

"
"

Edward

jEiNNER.

Berkeley,
''April

1809."

d,th,

Jenner had also turned his attention to the prevention

of chstemper

Cow

dogs with
thereby

in

Having

dogs.

successtully inocuhited

Pox, he concluded that they would be

from

protected

distemper,

and

several

t"ox-

hunters availed themselves of the suggestion, and had

hounds vaccinated.

their

George

Jenner,

Majesty's

he

Together with

vaccinated

But

staghounds.

about
in

his

nephew,

twenty

of

year,

this

his

1809,

Jenner seems to have abandoned the idea, for he published a paper

on distemper

in

Transactions^ and omitted any

of vaccination.
tective

influence

was

"
old,

Yorkshire,

in

Having
I

reference to the effects

Baron, however, believed that the pro-

friend of Dr. Jenners,

man

the Mcdico-Chirurgical

established,

made some "very

selected three couples of health}^

little

relates

that

Mr. Skelton, a sporting gentle-

inoculated three of them with the

arm, a

and

above the elbow,

decisive"

trials.

pups of six weeks

Cow Pox

under the

which regularly matured.

other three w'ith those inoculated were sent out to quarters.

left

The.

At

The former

were all brought to the kennel.

hounds were soon attacked with and died of the
distemper, whilst the latter remained perfectly healthy, though
surrounded by their infected companions, becoming the strongest

a proper age they

with

other

hounds

in

the pack, and having certainly the best noses."


EDWARD JENNER.
Jenner was also much

He

of hydrophobia.

Worthington on

My Dear

"

to

Southend,

" Berkeley,

/\th

my

your neat

men

little

in the Gloucester

Your county I hope will soon follow

The Small Pox will never be subdued,

laudable example.

so long as

dispatch

essay on Vaccination and your

Their resolutions appear

and Cheltenham papers.

this

Alay, 1810.
last

Have you seen an account of some

now going forward among the medical

bold Vaccine transactions

of the county ?

treatment

have been favoured, since

observations on dipping.

men

the

in

corresponded with the Rev. Dr.

this subject

Sir,

\vith

interested

can be hired to spread the contagion by inocula-

tion.

"With regard

thoughts have not been idle upon

much beyond

you mention, be assured

to the other subject

century

half a

it,

in

my

man and boy

having lived

Pyrton

dipping country.

Passage, four miles only from this place, has been noted for this

immemorial

practice from time

and true

it

is,

never saw or

heard of a single case of hydrophobia after dipping

or as our friend Westfaling

you

shall hear.

has

it,

drowning

As

to that

can't

done kicking, when

get a
to a

third

but

tell,
I

it

is,

as

His reply was,

keep them under

they have

till

bring them up to recover their senses, and

breath, and

little

for so

once asked a long-experienced professor what

length of time he kept his patients under water ?

'

Severn,

in the

then

down with them

time, observing the

same

rule,

again,

and so on

not to take them

up

their struggle is over.'

till

"

You

see then what a shock the vital principle receives from

this process.

about,

if

the

The modus operandi

fact

let

us not trouble our heads

can be established that

of the inserted virus.

have wished

to

it

see

deadens the action

how

far

it

can be

supported by analogy, by getting some vaccinated patient dipped

^Vithin a
all
it

few days after the insertion of the vaccine lymph.

At

events an inquiry so highl}^ important should be taken up, and

cannot be in better hands than yours."

montli

later,

Dr.

Worthington appears

to

have

LIFE
encountered a

failure,

He

tion to Jenner.

AND

'LETTERS.

and communicated the informa-

received a ready-made explanation

in reply.

"

Westfaling, in a conversation on clipping, that

told

there

might be bad dippers as well as bad vaccinators, for which there

seems

present to be no allowance.

at

your

prosecuting

from

with snake

Pray do not be deterred

He

inquiry.

proposed

also

trial

as an antidote, and that failing, he advised

poison

Vaccination.
"

Yesterday

been with

Professor Davy.

dined with

His mind

us.

in

is all

of those rare productions which nature

a

in

score

of

centuries.

We

wish you

He seems

a blaze.

allows

to

had

be one

us to see once

He

on hydrophobia.

touched

started an ingenious idea, that of counteracting the effects of one

What

morbid poison with another.

Not

disease

but

broth,

its

appears from cauination.

as

it

be disposed

to

try,

the

first

should

\{ this

must domiciliate vipers as we have

should

you of a viper

think

as soon as

fang,

its

symptom
succeed,

But from

leeches.

of

we

this hint

under such an event, Vaccination

can almost always be made to act quickly on the S3'stem,

whether a person has previously

influence or not, or that

felt its

of the Small Pox.

"

An answer

to

one of your questions.

has nothing to do with hatching, as

number

a great

of their eggs

dogs quite out of the question

myself

totally

to

the

am

sure the cuckoo

the adults are

all

remain unhatched.
in the

human animal

new
I

off,

while

should put

research, and confine

mean, with respect

to

dipping."

During 1809, and

for

some years afterwards, Jenner

corresponded with Mr. Moore, supplying him with details

in

support

of

vaccination,

National Vaccine
the subject.

for

Establishment

the

and

Reports
for

of

a work

the

on

EDWARD JENNER.

234

To James Moore,
"

Depend

Dear Moore,

upon

Esq.

many such

there are

it

cases

as those which have occurred in Mr, Wingfield's family in reserve

\^accination at

for us.

many who knew

grand

its

commencement

more about

little

it

than

which was almost universal

error,

its

mere

at that

one puncture only, and consequently one

the hands of

into

fell

vesicle

was making-

and from

day as

da}^ after

would

it

afford

nevertheless,

unreasonably expected that no mischief could ensue.

taken a world of pains to correct this abuse

knowledge,
in

Mr. Knight's cases were

town.

Lady Charlotte Wrottesley.

and

pupils,

an adept

is

neighbours

in

first

This lady

but

was

have

my

to

still,

among the faculty

made known to me by
was one of my early

at vaccination, as

thousands of her poor

She saw

Staffordshire can testify.

true state of the children in question.

that these children are

might have been

at

once the

do not presume

to say,

examples of any improper practice

they

with herpetic eruptions at the time of

afitected

which are so

vaccination,

fluid

it

going on, and particular!}^

is

it

this

much

(the onl}^ source of security to the constitution) as

was taken

One

outline.

time,

apt,

without due attention, to occasion

a deviation from the perfect character of the vaccine vesicle.

think

it

must be the paper on

to see.

paper you saw

If

this subject 3'ou allude to as

have, therefore, sent

in

you should want

to the

point yourself.

much

to the

to

3'ou

wishing

and a copy of that

manuscript, on secondary variolous contagion.

an}^

more of the

By

Gosnell the printer for them.

send one

it

latter,

the way,

you may draw upon

might be right to

it

National Vaccine Establishment; determine this

Willan, in his Treatise on Vaccination, has spoken

Cow Pox

purpose respecting Small Pox after

cannot quote a better author.

His word

will

you

go further than

mine, as he must be supposed to be less interested.

think enough has yet been said of the Small

supposed

security from Small

Pox

inoculation.

Pox

Blair told me,

town, he was collecting these cases with a view

Thousands might be
can give

its

case.

collected
I

fear

for

after

do not

when

left

to publication.

every parish in the kingdom

your materials

for the

scanty than could be wished for your Report

year are more

but they are in

LIFE
good hands

make

to

improper addition

AND
most

the

LETTERS.
Addington

of.

He

your establishment.

to

235

not be an

will

has talents

and

when you

be always ready to assist you with his pen and ink

Avill

are hurried."
" Berkelfa', February
"

have made a great blunder,

my opinion

inquiry respecting

Cow

after

which

Pox.

mentioned

My

correct.2

variola

and

am

Parry,

on

interesting observations

myself

By

right,

said on

facts,

subject

Crcaser, of Bath, could also

have you his pamphlet respecting P

You should have

Mr. Gosling's vaccinated

course

it.

's

was

by a Mr. Armstrong.

in a child

This went

the usual rapid wa}-.

in

of a print for your intended work.

several about the

bad

have myself seen but one

case of this secondar}- Small Pox, and that

You spoke

some

with observations on the same subject.

solitar}'

"

this

modifications or varieties of

these

its

have no

sure he would readily furnish you with them

some good

the way,

tiirough

has made

conduct

of

appearance

to that

set

of Bath,

on an application for that purpose.

give you

ibtJi, 1810.

reply to your

papulary^ eruptions

call

what Willan has

Dr.

friend

my

in

you alluded

finding

but

hesitation in saying, that

is

of what you

really thought

seems,

it

The

town.

best,

There are

think, is from

a painting

of Northcote's, done some years since for the Medical Society at

Plymouth.

believe this

with Northcote, and

When

and

complied.

was

last in

that might suit you.

for if

my

rather scarce; but j-ou are acquainted

daresay he

town,

If

ing for himself.

is

my

you approved of

He

It will

one

has

friends urged

in

me

possession.

his

to sit to

Lawrence,

and he had no objection,

it,

talked of getting a print from the paint-

never do for

countenance represents

my

me

to

go

mind,

to the pencil

it

now

must be beyond

anything dismal.
" I cannot refer to

Cheltenham.

"

Or

Avas

it

If

your pamphlet, as

it

is

among my books

you ha\e one to spare, pray send

secondary that you called them

it

to

at

Harwood's,

cannot at this moment

refer to your letter."

-

"The

College,

this subject."

in their

Report, have expressed themselves very well on

EDWARD JENNER.

236

who

Russel Street,

the bookseller, in

me some

soon send

will

books from town.

"

Do you

Pox after supSuch cases are

not intend mentioning cases of Small

posed security from

innumerable.

Pox

Small

inoculation ?

among

think there are thirteen on record

families of the nobility.

Blair,

believe,

You know my

number of them.

the

has collected the greatest

old opinion on the matter

that

they occur, for the most part, through the interference of herpetic

One

affections at the time of inoculation.

From

by me.

find in Willan's vaccine book, given

hypothesis

decisive proof
facts

could write a long chapter

be theoretical, you would not thank

upon

We

it.

for

arms of one person

whose

person,

yet the

go

to

On

instance have been exposed to

future infection, although

must

may

degree of perfection,

in that

the morbid poison

was

to those of

it

shall

in

the

first

remain unprotected from

shall

the system has been deranged during

Where,

presence on the skin.

just touch

be generated by

constitution

it,

this

would necessarily

it

it.

communicate the Small Pox by transferring

another

its

but as

me

see that variolous matter

inoculation on the
as to

will

and conceive that the appearance of the Small Pox

twice on the same individual arises from the same cause.

subject

you

then,

is

the difference, whether

confined, or limited to a point or two, or

spread universally in the form of pustules

change re-

If the

quired to give security could not take place in this one instance,

why

should

The

peculiarity of the

because

it

is

it

come, yet
occurrence.

"What

in another,

[I

generally salutary],

am

under the same existing circumstances

action

do not
is

like

to

call

ready to conclude that

this

not a frequent

is

...
is

your Establishment about

county, which will do

tion than

great

more

fear

know

the

full

it

will

feature of the

scheme

shown

itself

Its

advantages will

out.

You
The

man

in

soon run the kingdom over.

particulars as soon as they

questionable point of view

or nothing;

little

to serve the cause of vaccina-

anything which has yet started up.

be so self-evident, that
shall

morbid,

often too strong to be over-

but you will soon hear that a spirit of activity has

in this

it

is

this,

to

come

place every

who presumes

to inoculate

for

the

Small Pox, with such a mass of evidence as will be held up to

AND

LIFE
him

fa\our of

in

formed of
plan

vaccination.

237

general association will be

the medical men, in the county, favourable to the

all

and

LETTERS.

to avoid

really think,

come

nearly the whole will

the ignomin}' of resistance,

Some

in.

of the variolo-vaccinists

have already abjured their old bad habits and joined the standard
before

do

it

You

"
I

cannot

and

half hoisted.

style

mend

it,

when
for

brain seems

full

write for the public

of the smoke.

taking greater pains with them

avoid in future; for you

In

8 10. Jenner

one of

aftected

his

know

was

that

when

My

great aim

in

an error

am

write in
is

London
be per-

to

the papers

not fond of

afflicted

shall

first

sent

my

be happy to

much work."

with domestic

He

trials.

sons from phthisis, and the occurrence

him so deeply

that he

became melancholic.

symptoms, says Baron, became so

means were necessary

His

distressing, that active

He

to obviate them.

was sent

Bath, and returned with health and spirits restored.

to

On

his

return he

of Berkeley up

was

called

to the

In the year

181

upon

to

attend the Earl

time of his death, and shortly

afterwards Jenner lost his

''

nor

write then under the impression

got credit for succeeding

e^'e,

but some of the others might be more obscure through

lost

must be remembered,

it

spicuous, and

out

my

don't like

but

of fear

my

was

sister.

Jenner was destined to experience

1,

the most unpleasant event that had befallen him in his

vaccine

practice."

There had been numerous reports

of Small Pox occurring after

for the

most

had therefore
'

Pp.

part, silenced
failed to

Brown, A71 inquiry into

14, 151, et seq.

1809.

Cow

Pox, but they were,

by the usual apologetics, and

produce a lasting impression.

tJic

ajitivariolous powet'

of J^accinafion

EDWARD yENNER.

2:58

But

was very

It

the

in

week

first

summoned

had been

Jenner

described.

with the case

different

June

in

for

Pox

Small

the

seized with a; violent

four

In

London

to

became

he

days,

an eruption appeared on the face

and

delirious,

Pox.

Small

of

attack

to be

on the 26th of May,

Hon. Robert Grosvenor was

the

now

was not expected,

he

because

but

had

been vaccinated by Jenner only ten years previously.

following day, the eruption " increased prodigiously,

The

and some of the worst symptoms of a malignant and

confluent

showed

Pox

Small

Master

themselves."

Grosvenor was attended by Sir Henry Halford and

Sir

Walter Farquhar, and was also

in

company

although,

with

from

the

the

The

latter.

severity

of

by Jenner

visited

boy

the

recovered,

attack,

tatal

termination had been regarded as inevitable.

report

of

the

appeared,

case

in

which

it

was

stated that the latter stages of the disease were passed

through more rapidly

it

was a question whether

stance,

as

extraordinary

this

ultimate

the

as

well

case than usual, and that

in this

recovery

circum-

of Master

Grosvenor, were not influenced by previous vaccination,

an
of

explanation which

Small

Pox

being

later

gave

modified,

if

the

theory

rise

to

not

prevented,

by

previous vaccination.
P)ut this

was not

all.

There were several other cases

of the same description, and

much excitement

that the

these

events created

so

National Vaccine Establish-

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AND

LIFE
ment was obliged
them

LETTERS.

to publish

The

away.

be gathered from

239

special report to explain

\x

of

state

feeling

London may

in

the following letter from

Jenner to

Moore,
"CocKSTLR Street, Charino Cross,
" June wtli, 181 1.

My Dear

"

the

b}'

Friend,

horrible place

nobleman here
by me.
concealed

This

will

will

affair,

The

and,

longer.

be

to

lot

till

The

and

to
1

lock

up

advise

sheathed

come

to

my

3'ou,

brains,

from that disease.

them as soon as

In this undertaking

The

best plan

possible.

Charminsr

an

state

idiot

about this

its

attention,

it.

do the same
It

is

my

for

intention

will

hope

to

derive

much

be to push out some

This would not be necessary on

would prove the best shield

it

us from the past, and those which are to come.

"

Ever yours,
"

There was a panic among those

children

not

is

can of Small Pox, after supposed security

account of the present case, but

to protect

and think no more pro

friend, to

are sure to get nothing but abuse for

assistance from' you.

of

and the long

a fool,

is

draw aside

to

my

forth.

hissing-hot

something else starts up

am determined

this

in a child vaccinated

case has created

is

The town

soon cure the mania.

continue in this red-hot,

in

the family

in

still,

this

vaccine lancet

blade ordered

association.

detained

has unfortunately happened

It

more unfortunately

to collect all the cases

of

Reports of our

the

noise and confusion

variolous

bono publico

we

should be obliged to you to send me,

my unhappy

some days

to be described.

a failure of vaccination has appeared

that

and

some of

coach,

probably be

will

It

first

vaccinated,

variolous inoculation.

and

many

Edward Jewer."
had had

\vh(j

resorted

at

once to

Jenner's friends applied to

for advice in the matter.

The

following

of the reply which was received

is

their

him

an example

EDWARD

240

JENA^ER.

To Miss Calcraft.
"Take

comprehensive view of vaccination, and then ask

yourself what

You

the case ?

is

will find

speck, a mere

it

microscopic speck on the page which contains the history of the

In the very

vaccine discovery.
subject,

and many times

should

an event

since,

excite

to

wrote upon

because

powers,

if

when it is well known the .Small

we have more than one thousand cases to

for

prove the contrary, and

fortunately seventeen of

families of the nobility.

We

immutable.

are

But,

vaccinating so

many

circumstances,

without

my

all

indeed,

have often said

meeting

with

single

this

solitary

and

past labours are forgotten,

and

derision

among them

to

my

instance

has

an object

short-sightedness

failure of the vaccine

Before their dim eyes, stand two cases

two children

constantly

vaccinated

exposed

the

to

inoculated for the Small

would have

infected child

infection

also

died,

in

the family

the

pustules

ordinary cases

was

saved.

occur? they
of a

It

What
similar

if

will

kind

bringing

this

that

the

all

is

other

without

in

fifty,

and

child,

The
allowed,

effect.

universally
little

secondary

going off than

in

the whole progress of the disease

was modified, mitigated, and

ten,

or

boy was

the

hundred such events should

be balanced an hundred times over by those

after

Small

impress on the public mind

in

of

but

were much sooner

and, indeed,

different.

There

who have been

ago,

There was but

but for the previous vaccination.

fever

years

ten

Pox

up

held

classes, as

that

is

am

of Lord Grosvenor, which they cannot see, or will not.

are

was

harsher term) which makes them

failure with the general

identify a single

system.

There

contempt.
will not use a

(I

it

any interruption

by many, perhaps the majority of the higher

of

the

in

many under very unfavourable

thousands,

And now

before.

occurred,

them

cannot alter the laws of nature

should have gone on for such a series of years

wonderful that

success

Cow Pox

the

would give uniform

it

the constitution,

Pox cannot

they

the

have said the occurrence of such

no surprise

must possess preternatural

security

thing

first

about

Pox.

That

is

what

want

to

but there will be great difficulty

because

the

multitude

decide

without

LIFE
No

thinking.

happened

than

less

must check myself,

the

into

subject.

appeared

Quintin.

St.

three

cases

lest

But

you by going too

tire

clamour.

my

beg

compliments

for

but,

limpid state.

its

and

print

in

if

and

her mind, the safest

over and over,

this

Mrs.

to

daresay her children are very secure

have stated m}' reasons

far

not

it

your judgment was carried down the

that even

vaccination with matter taken in

is

description have

of this

nobleman (Lord Rous).

should

has the weight of a feather on

she

best test

241

should not have said so much, had

popular

of

tide

me

to

LETTERS.

of one

the family

in

AND

out of print.
'^

Jicne ic^thy

The Grosvenor
before the

case,

and a summons

House of Lords on

to Qfive evidence

Berkeley peerage,

the

thoroughly unnerv-ed Jenner.

"

can compare

when

the poet,

execution

the

of his

Cowper's

reading

by putting me

was

office
I

believe,

view of

in

began

actually deprived

courage

by brandy and opium.

by

leading people

postponed

and

was obliged
a
to

country

it

senses,

approached^

sensibility,

The meeting was

of
;

my

Parliament,

which

and what was

was ultimately abandoned,

to

was

It

my own

For many weeks

danger.

deaden

to

dissolution
the

my

Lords.

of

saved

both of appetite and sleep, and

came

interrupted

House
that

to his fears about

to be agitated, and, as

the day

gave way

the

in

Cowper

of no one but

feelings to those

Life,

fully

before the meeting,

I

my

his intellect at last

ni}^

at

when

and gain
at

length

sent

first

the

merely

no small delight

satisfaction."

The

Special

Report of the National Vaccine Esta

blishment, and the succeeding Reports of that Institution,

which contained many striking accounts (supplied by

of the alleged

Jenner)
VOL.

I.

extirpation

of Small

Pox by
16

EDWARD

242

Caraccas and

vaccination in the

and

of

the

JENNER.

results

gradually

instrumental in

were greatly

new

shattered credit of the

generally,

countries

foreign

in

Spanish America,

in

the

restoring

inoculation.

Jenner not only continued to supply information for

the press, but while declining to enter into controversy
with the anti-vaccinists, he encouraged the use of the
for " cheering

newspapers as a channel

and persuasive

reports."

"

have always thought that the subject of vaccination should be

means of

kept before the eyes of the public by

This was never well done, and now

you stimulate the Board

have very

"

Knowing nothing

me

it

shall say

from

Italy,

a
I

Poem
hope,

'

is

Trionfo

II

a bard of

out to between 4,000 and 5,000 lines.

famous press of Bodoni

of the language in which

shape.

in a tantalising

a good thing, cannot

"

it

beautifully printed, at the

before
is

lately received

he has spun

celebrity, for

Can

all.

would be very easy

It

by Gioachino Ponta, who,

della Vaccinia,'

It is

to think of this ?

from reports.

to give extracts

"

the newspapers.

scarcely done at

it is

shall bring

we transform

it

it is
it

at

Parma.

written,

lies

it

to town.

If

it

into English ?

something on the Report

my next.

in

That part of

which points out the happy results of vaccination among our

troops must

them.

am

be the case,

ducted

at

example,

make

the country

feel,

hurt to think the Small

till

inoculation
It

all.

they have any feeling in

Pox again

conducted

rages.

in a different

That must
way,

if

does not appear in vaccinating districts

As no

in this.

is

if

foreign communications,

the periodical journals.

con;

for

particular notice has been taken of the

am thinking of sending them to one of

The Edinburgh Quarterly Journal is the

most respectable.

"You do
neivspapers.

versy

not seem to have understood

It

would certainly be infra

me

clearly respecting

dig. to

go into contro-

but not so to lay cheering and persuasive reports before


AND

LIFE

LETTERS.

243

the public through this widely flowing channel.

meant, and

hope you

me

agree with

will

This

is

in the propriety

what

of the

measure.
"

Make my

affectionate regards to Mrs.

me

Moore, and believe

"Truly yours,
"

" Mrs.
liked

Moore saw my copy of

much.

it

directions,

me

bids

if

you would

you she

me by

Italian language.

The

outline.

like to

a lady here, a complete mistress of

as you have an excellent knack at

fact,

the

work you are now engaged

whom, whose

Bards, not one of

sung one single note

may

managing

some advantage

voice has obtained celebrity, has

be considered as an exception,

about a dozen years ago,

its

as a rub to the British

in,

honour of Vaccina.

in

daughter

do not mean the whole poem, but

these things, would perhaps find admittance with

in

my

judge for yourself,

little

manner of

all

with pleasure copy for you a faithful

will

analysis presented to

the

do not think

poet's fancy has certainly flown in

and

tell

the poem, and

Jenner."

Perhaps she might think the thread spun a

The

too fine.

Edward

w^hich

who

the

Anstey, perhaps,

Ode

piped up a Latin

John Ring

indefatigable

translated neatly into English verse."

Jenner
his

to

National Vaccine

with his

Dr.

Moore

Establishment

to

influence

should

much

Moore

like to see

with

Reports, but also

In looking over

throw a strong

my

papers,

light

in this part

to

have found

It

is

Moore

is

P.

Is

there

up.
will

any

a very important part,

and justice demands the exercise of severity.

This

to

discredit

man who brought it

a great many w'hich

on the conduct of Dr.

of your history ?

the Petvvorth business.

utterly

your paper containing the History

of Vaccination, and the exploits of the

chasm

only

not

Thus he wrote

Pearson's labours.

assist

History of Vaccination, and he w^as particu-

anxious

larly

"

continued

It

must begin with

given by Lord Egremont.

Next

EDWARD

244

and forming (without mentioning the

his uniting with Woodville,

matter

me)

to

His cajoHng the Duke of York

his institution.

The Duke's

be patron.

to

JENNER.

why

ing vicchanically the reason

me

His treatment of

before

Commons, attempting

to

the

the

it

portrait of the farmer

Cow

from the

sand minor

and

Committee of the House of

Isle of

my

see,

with

is

good

in

The

discovery.

Purbeck, with the farmer's

finding

finally,

insinuations that vaccination

are assailing me,

character.

its

prove that there were papers found

claim to reward, as the discoverer at the foot of

tricks

Pox, explain-

had changed

it

Windsor, which anticipated

an old chest at

His spreading the

disgracing him.

Small Pox through the land and calling

it,

with a thou-

tricking useless,

all

his

'The Anti-Vacks

for nothing.

the force they can muster in the

all

The Morning Chronicle now admits long letters.

Can you tell me
Birch has certainly much the worst of it there.
who my friend and defender is in the Sun, who signs himself
newspapers.

Conscience ?"

It

that

from a paragraph

evident

is

of his

ardour

the

in

the

same

letter

Ring had somewhat

friend

diminished.

"

Do you

ever see anything of your neighbour John Ring'i

writes but seldom to

me now, and when

Nothing

his old pleasant strain.

I

wish you would find out

honest fellow, and

paying money
draught,

if

for

for,

is

he does write,

to

some of

is

going wrong with him

with

all

He

not in
hope.

his peculiarities, he is an

have a great regard

me

it

for him.

He

has been

the institutions, and the enclosed

you would have the goodness

to take

it

to him, w^ould

be an excuse for your calling on him."

In

some

later

correspondence

again

find

Jenner

critics

and

dwelHng

failures.

cutting

on

the

w^ith

ground

explanations

of

Moore,

we

from

his

Cow Pox

AND

LIFE
"

My Dkar

tions,

Moore,

of failures

culation

Before

LETTERS.

245

you make

comparative

you must consider the immense

numbers inoculated with the one and

on a period of forty years,

between

disparity'

the other.

If

you

vaccinated as have been variolated.

ignorance, neglect,

calculate

an}^

quarter.

have been found

abandoned the

not the

is

practice

of failures

list

John Ring, had

friend,

this

but nothing appears in a compact

less than

seventeen of such cases

The

the families of the nobility.

in

was surgeon

recollect

at

to

Mr.

late

the Queen,

in

consequence of his

the palace,

from an inoculation

of inoculation

one of which was

failures,

My

No

whom you must

Bromfield,

Why

etc., etc., etc.

progress some years ago

form from

many

take into account the failures attributable to

from Small Pox brought forth

in

the

should conceive that in the course of

the last twenty years there have been at least five times as

"Then you must

cal-

between the vaccine and variolous inocula-

with a portion of the same thread as was used on the arms of

the

Duke

of Clarence and Prince Ernest, the Queen's brother.

not this a precious anecdote for your

In

new work

1814, Jenner was received by the

Is

"

Grand Duchess

of Oldenburg, w^ho presented him to the Emperor of

Russia, on -the occasion of their visit to London.

He
of

explained to these royal

origin

the

of

pointed out to the

vaccination

which

his

Empire,^

phthisis

Emperor

was conducted
Majesty had

personages his theory

from

hydatids,

that in
in

also

whatever country

way

commanded,

and

similar
in

the

that

to

Russian

Small Pox must necessarily become extinct.

Jenner had a theory that both scirrhus and tubercle originated in a

" I long since discovered that the ordinary source of scirrhus is
In another letter
the hydatid, when passed on to its secondary stage."
he repeats the same of tubercle. "What dreadful strides pulmonary
'

hydatid.

consumption seems

to

be making over every part of our island.

trust

EDWARD

246

JENNER.

Jenner also had an interview with Count Platov,

" Sir,

remarked,
pestilential

of the

have

you

disorder that ever

Don."

After this

extinguished

the

who
most

appeared on the banks

interview, Jenner returned

Cheltenham, where he had the misfortune to lose

to

his wife,

and a short time

after this

where he continued

to Berkeley,

event he removed

to reside " in

elegant

retirement."
some advantage may, one day or another, be derived from my having
demonstrably made out that what is tubercle in the lungs has been hydatid."
At an interview with the Duchess of Oldenburg, sister of the Emperor of
Russia, he again propounded this theory, but " as we had not yet discovered the means of absorption of these bodies in which phthisis
pulmonalis originates, it therefore remains at present an incurable dis"The
ease." The story of this interview is thus related by Fosbrooke.
Duchess, who had lost a much valued friend bj^ this malady, then took
her handkerchief from her pocket and dropped a tear. She resumed her
Though 3^ou say it knows no remedy at
conversation, and remarked,
"
present, yet think what a great point is gained.'
Dr. Jenner presented the Emperor with a volume of his works, and
"he (the Emperor) observed how pleasant must be his feelings when he
to the world,
contemplated what services he had rendered to mankind
with emphasis.
sir
Dr. Jenner replied that when he reflected upon
the benefit of which Providence had made him the instrument nothing
could exceed his satisfaction. After a short pause the Emperor said,
'You have received, sir, the thanks, the applause, the gratitude of the
world.'
Dr. Jenner answered,
Your Majesty, I have received the
thanks and the applauses of the world.'
But he did not echo the third
position from a regard to truth. The Emperor then fell back a little, drew
himself up with an altered countenance, and his face became suffused.
A pause ensued and Dr. Jenner resumed the conversation by observing
that local gratitude he had experienced abundantly; but (pointing to a
diamond ring upon his finger) never in a more gratifying form than in the
token then before his Majesty's view, as being presented by his august
mother, the Empress Maria. The Grand Duchess had just joined, and
her tender feelings always permanent, said, Ah my mother
and then
'

'

'

'

'

'

dropped a
the
tion

tear.

She added,

Emperor an account
'

Dr. Jenner

made

'

wish, Dr. Jenner, that you would give

of your discovery respecting pulmonar}'

the effort, but feeling a

little

consump-

embarrassment, did

AND

LIFE

Pox

Edinburgh, and

in

There

Norwich.

at

members of
these

was

the

as

opposition

to

by many eminent

But Jenner only regarded

of

badly performed

some

that

vacci-

had

circumstances

proper influence of vaccination,

the

interrupted

increased

supported

result

explained

or

18 19, a very fatal epidemic

the profession.

cases

nation,

in

was

which

vaccination,

247

was a severe outbreak of Small

1818-19. there

In

LETTERS.

such

the existence of cutaneous disease.

as

"With

regard to the mitigated disease which sometimes follows

can positively say, and shall be borne out

vaccination,

assertion

those

the

b}'

offspring

who

of

entirely

vaccine process.

incaution

On what

in

those

my

in

are in future days to follow me, that

it

who conduct

does the inexplicable change which

guards the constitution from the fang of the Small Pox depend

On

is

the

nothing but a correct state of the pustules on the arm excited

by the insertion of the virus

and why are these pustules some-

times incorrect, losing their characteristic shape, and performing

But having gone pretty

their office partiall}^ ?

in

my

former

letter,

shall not trouble

Others, unable to believe

Pox
not do

Cow

after

it

in so perfect

He

interview.'

were

Pox,

on

inclined

to

'

regard

Upon

her usual good-natured tone,

this so clear to

replied,

this subject

my

Madam,

it

brother as you did to

is

tale."

the occurrence of Small

a manner as he could have wished.

Imperial Highness observed

you do not make

in

far

you with a twice-told

my

'

me

the

this her

Dr. Jenner,
at our late

misfortune to be of a nervous

and your Imperial Highness must not be surprised if a feeling of this sort should assail me at the present moment.' The Emperor
then exhibited the most amiable condescension and knowledge of the
constitution

human mind.

Taking Dr. Jenner by the hand with a good-natured smile,

had disappeared. Dr. Jenner
then resumed his narrative concerning h3'datids, and made it particularly

he held

it

till

the doctor's embarrassment

clear to his Majesty."


EDWARD JENNER.

248

outbreak

one

as

had

explanation

this

getting

new

Baron

by

At

appellation."

last,

have

" of

way

Pox was imported

Small

and Henry Jenner was himself

Jenner wrote to Dr. Worthington

We

was

it

of the difficulty by giving the disorder a

rid

into Berkeley,

"

only

as

But

Pox.

abandoned, and

be

to

even

acknowledged

Chicken

malignant

of

infected.

Henry

imported the disease into this place.

at last

Jenner, who, though he has seen nearly half a century fly over his
head, has not yet begun to think, perched himself in the midst of a

poor family pent up in a small cottage.

It

was

the

abode of

He

wretchedness, had the addition of pestilence been wanting.

was

infected, of course

he

told to-day that

is

and his recovery

very

very doubtful.

is

which stands midway between Small Pox and Chicken Pox.

has

spoken

been

am

of an eruption, the appearance of

full

This

some of the Dublin and Edinburgh

of by

authors."

The
the

outbreaks

and

country,

the

letter,

points in vaccination which

Even

afford protection.

an

attack

early in

led

1821, to the

would shake

were

for

ever

Pox.
14th,

On

the

1823,

that

Pox

in

vaccination

but

future,

No-

remained unchanged.

belief

secure

after

claim

Small

of

his

he considered essential to

only

opinion

original

thing

January

vaccination,

of

the most ardent supporters of

now

would

vaccination

Small

of

parts

endeavouring to arouse attention to those

profession,

Jenner's

various

in

failures

Jenner to send a circular

modified

Pox

Small

of

back

that

persons vaccinated

from
of

he wrote:

an

the

infection

envelope

of

dated

PLATE

SMALL POX AFTER PERFECT VACCINATION

/Jm-ir

-At/,

C-m

/",/,

(MONRO).

III.


AND

LIFE

"My

opinion of vaccination

promulgated the discovery.

any event

not in the least weakened, for

my

precisely as

is

It is

that has happened, for

happened, the truth of

LETTERS.

if

249

was when

it

first

not in the least strengthened by

could gain no strength

it

the failures

it

is

you speak of had not

assertions respecting those coincidences

which occasioned them would not have been made out."

On
"

January 23rd, he wrote

to his friend

have an attack from a quarter

physic

but

it

did not expect, the Edin-

These people understand

burgh Review.

will

100,000 deaths, at

Never was

put

involved

better than

literature

do incalculable mischief
least.

Gardner:

it

in

down at
so many

perplexities."

Two

days afterwards, he had an attack of apoplexy,

which

proved

26th,

following

the

fatal

morning,

1823.

Before

of

history

tinuance

make

any

Cow Pox

further

inoculation,

of the practice after

remarks

original

been

an

upon

the

the

con-

especially

Jenner's

death,

devote a few chapters to the discussion

with

January

will

of Jenner's

paper and of his published Inqtury, together

account

resorted

of the various diseases

to

for

purposes of " vaccination."

supply

of

which have

lymph

for

the

CHAPTER

VII.

JENNERS REJECTED

we have a

paper,

of

manuscript

autograph

the

In

''INQUIRY:'

record

we

and

are

enabled

to

Royal Society was

whether the

original

of the evidence upon which

he was prepared to recommend

Pox,

Jenner's

of

inoculation

judge

ourselves

for

justified

Cow

in

refusing

the communication,'

This paper" bears the modest

title,

An

Natural History of a Disease known

tJie

shire by the
It

Inquiry into

in Gloucester-

A^ame of the Cow-Pox.

opens with the following statement

The deviations of Man from the state in zvJiicli he zvas

originally placed by Nature seem to have proved a prolific source
"

From the love of Splendor, from the indidgences of

Luxury and from his fondness for amusement, he has familiariz'd
himself with a great number of animals, zvhich may not originally

of Diseases.

have been intended for his

associates."

Jenner mentions the horse as an example, and proceeds

describe a

to

disease

called

by

farriers

" the

Grease."
'

-'

Presented
Vide

vol.

in 1796, or early in 1797, v/t/c p. 138,

ii.,

p.

et seq.

and

vol.

ii.,

p. 20.

IFACSJ

;^^

IFACSIMILE OF

THE FIRST FOLIO OF THE MA.-.USCKIPT OF JESXEIfS ORIGINAL PAPER.]

REJECTED MANUSCRIPT.
" // is

an inflantmation and swelling in

issues matter possessing properties

the heel,

from which

of a very peculiar kind.

Human Body

capable of generating a disease in the

undergone the

251

It is

(after

it

has

which I shall presently speak of)

to the Small Pox, that I

modification

which bears so strong a resemblance

think

it

highly probable

Then

"

may

be the so?iree of that disease."

of a

a suggestion

follows

between

it

and

this disease

Cow

possible

relation

Pox.

In this Dairy Country, a great number of Cozes are

The

of milking

office

Men and

kept.

here performed indiscriminately by both

is

Maid-servants.

One of

the

former having perhaps

been appointed to apply dressings to the heels of a Horse affected

and

Grease,

the

ivith

bears

incatitiously

not paying due

part

his

in

attention

cleanliness,

to

milking the cows,

Should

particles of the infectious matter adhering to his fingers.

be

this

the case

it

commonly happens that a disease

niunicated to the Cows,

and from

the

zvhich pretty rapidly spreads until most

of

the

farm feel

its

Cows

of

to

the Dairymaids,

the cattle

and

domestics

for

the origin

of

Cow

the characters of which he proceeds to describe

appears on the nipples of Cozvs in the

form of distinct

or rather of a colour somcivJiat approaching

are generally surrounded by

inflammation.
are

Pox,

They are seldom white, but more commonly of a palish

pus t tiles.
blue,

com-

is

unpleasant co7isequences."

Thus Jenner accounts

" It first

some

ivith

much

more or

less

to

livid,

and

of an erysipelatous

These pustules, unless a timely remedy be applied,

disposed

to

degenerate

into

phagedenic

ulcers, zuhich

prove extremely troublesome^

The
fully
"

eruption on the

given

hands of the milkers

is

more

Several inflamed spots appear on different parts of the hands

of the domestics employed in milking, and sometimes on the zvnsts,

which quickly run on

to

suppuration, first assuming the appearance


EDWARD

252

JENNER.

Most commonly
of the small vesications produced by a burn
and
at
their
extremities ;
the
joints
fingers,
on
the
they appear
of
bnt whatever parts are affected, if the situation will admit, these
superficial suppurations

rnore

elevated

than

put on a circular form, with their edges

their

and of a

centre,

colour distantly ap-

and tumours appear

becomes
system
the pulse is much
The
axilla.
affected
in each
quickened, and shiverings zvith general lassitude and pains about
The head is painful,
the loins and limbs ivitJi vomiting, come on.
and
then
even
affected zuith delirium.
and the patient is nozv

proacJdng

to

blue.

Absorption takes place,

These symptoms, varying in their degrees of violence (for they

rarely attack so severely), generally continue

the

sensibility

frequently

of the parts, are

becoming phagedenic,

sprung, commonly heal

The

sloivly.

these arise

from

from

whence

followed

decline

that has come luider

No

of the feverish

my

symptoms

They

and soon died aivay

I cannot determine

so that

tion with the preceding

eruptions on

tlie

in

and
but

ivere

witJiout

am

and

in this

of a vivid red colour,

advancing

zvhether they

symptoms, but

skin have

any instance

inspection, one only excepted,

a very fezv appeared on the arms.

very minute,

they

eyelids,

nostrils,

lips,

their being heedlessly rubbed or scratched ivith

the patient's infectious fingers.

the

and

very troublesome,

those

like

other parts of the body, are sometimes affected with sores

tion ;

to

or four, leainng idcerated sores about the hands xvhich

three

from

one day

from

to maturq,-

had any

connec-

inclined to think they

had not."

We

should

naturally

expect to

hear

of the history of these observations, and

some
still

details

more

to

be told that the country folk believed that the disease

would prevent the Small Pox, but Jenner introduces

the alleged prophylaxis thus
"

Morbid matter of various

system,

renders

kinds,

ivJien

absorbed into

the

may produce effects in some degree similar ; but what

the Coiu Pox virus so extremely singular, is, that the

REJECTED MANUSCRIPT.
person

ivlio

has been

effluvia

tints

affected is

Small Pox

the infection of the

253

for ever after secure from

neither exposure to the variolous

nor the insertion of the matter into the skin producino-

this distemper.
" /;/

support of this assertion, I shall produce many instances.

I could produce a great number more, but the follozving, I

presume,

zuill be

fully sufficient

to establish

the fact to the satis-

faction of this very learned body."

We

may

get

these instances,

years in

be

if

better

of

the

history

we arrange them according

which the patients

inoculated

idea

with

Small

give the exact sequence

dates are not eiven.

of

presented
Pox.
all,

It

as in

to

of
the

themselves to

is

impossible to

some

cases the

EDWARD

254

until

seriously turned

that Jenner

79 1,

JENNER.
attention

his

to collecting the histories of similar cases.

During twenty years of country

Jenner had

practice,

been called upon to inoculate with Small Pox, a number

who had had Cow Pox.

of persons

For the purposes

of his paper, ten instances were selected

Small Pox inoculation produced

these

Cow Pox

cases,

which the

in

minimum

its

In

effect.

had been contracted

at times

varying from nine months to fifty-three years previously.

No

Cow Pox

cases of really successful inoculation after

were included, and no allowance was made

insusceptibility to Small

for individual

Pox.

who

In addition, Jenner adds three cases of persons

had been infected with

inoculation produced

eruptions
in

In one case only, the

minimum

its

and

followed;

the natural

" grease."

effect

in

second,

Pox

caught Small

the third

way.

THREE HORSE GREASE CASES.

Date of Inoculation
'ivith

'

Small Fox.

1.

Not Stated

2.

,,

Thomas Pearce

James Cole

Date of Infection
with Small Pox.
3.

Not stated

Abraham

This presented

Cow Pox
against

"grease"
ready
opinion,

an

decisively

6 years previously.

Some years

Riddiford

such

explanation.

,,

have
had "Grase."

Ascertained

" grease,"

no

'

Pox, yet persons

enjoyed

with

[.

difficulty.

arose from

.Small

Ascertained to have
had "Grease."

'

20 years previously.

Jenner

and

that

believed

that

protected

it

infected

directly

immunity.

These

to

Jenner

is

in

his

could

not

cases,

proved that the gre^ise

with

REJECTED MANUSCRIPT.
be

upon

relied

luitil

had

been

which

no

if

255

passed

through

the cow.

Another

difficulty

for

forthcoming, was encountered

who had Cow Pox

Smith,
in

794

in

the case of William

1791, and again

1780. in

in

was

explanation

the disease being as severe the second, and

third time, as

it

was

the

in

first.

Jenner simply states

the case without attempting to explain

it.

the Cozo Pox shields the constitution from

and
Small Pox,
the Small Pox proves a protection against
own future poison, yet it appears that the hnman body
again and again susceptible of the infectious matter of
"

Although

the
its

is

the

Coiu Pox."

we must remember, was

Jenner,

inquiring into the

nahtral history of the disease, and he was

anxious to

observe more accurately the progress of the infection.

He
with

*'

view to inoculate
of

14th

the

a healthy boy

selected

suppurated

May,
sore

on

1796,

Cow

him with

years

old,

On

Pox.

was taken from a

matter

the hand of a

by means of two

inserted

about eight

superficial

dairymaid

"

incisions in

and
the

arm, each about three-quarters ot an inch long.

"

On

the

scventJi

and on the
appetite, and had a

axilla,

day,
flight,

day, he complained
nintJi,

slight headache.

he zvas perceptibly
but on

the

he became

indisposed,

of uneasiness in
little

During
and had

chilly,

lost

the
his

the zvhole

of this

rather a

restless

day following, he zuas peifectly

zuell.

TJie

and progress of the incisions to a state of

maturation were pretty much the same as when produced in
The only difference
a similar manner by variolous matter.

appearance

EDWARD JENNER.

256

and

hue,

that

the

assumed rather a darker

the edges

which I perceived zvas that

round

spreading

efflorescence

incisons

the

more of an erysipelatous look than zve commonly

matter has been made use of in th^
perceive zvhen
took on rather

variolous

same manner."

The

next stage of this experiment was, to apply the

variolous

weeks

On

test.

Pox

a Small

"

Several

no

but

matter

from

pustule.

punctures

and

slight

tJic

applied

arm

cither

ivere

variolojis

Pox

Coiv

the

on

them,

into

when a patient has had

as

having

after

made

zverc

incisions

was well rubbed

The same appearances only

disease folloived.

observable on

boy

Pox), this

immediately

matter taken

with

arms, and the matter

his

both

Cow

of the

after the insertion

was inoculated

of July (less than seven

the ist

or

the

Small Poxr

Jenner appears to have anticipated as an objection,

that

the test had been applied less than seven weeks

after the original

boy

felt

"so

operation.

slight

Pox, that he was

day,

leads

In the

that the

on the tenth

"perfectly well"

reader to

not applied until five

recovery}

statement

an affection of the system" after

Cow

the

The

conclude that the

or six

test

was

weeks had elapsed after

accompanying

table [pp.

258,

259]

have made an analysis of the cases which Jenner

which

and

we

can

see

he had collected

for

described,

'

what
a

l^ide p. 136.

was

paper

the

for

material

the

Royal

REJECTED MANUSCRIPT.

Mc

Society.

seemed

had

put

together

to support the tradition

showed by one experiment

communicated from the
after

the

this

case

human

the

attempt

weeks

I presiiine
I

to

of

it

few

subject,

and that

afterwards

the

to

protects the

general remarks upon the

to

This

an niinecessary

my

produce furtJier testimony in support of

Small Pox.

in

sufficient.

ivonld be szvelling this paper

Cow Pox

tion that the

infection

to

he

disease could be

inoculation,

he considers to be quite
"

of the dairymaids

manner of variolous
the

which

cases

with Small Pox, had proved abortive.

inoculate

bulk, %vere

few

that the

cow

357

human

asser-

from

constitution

shall proceed then to offer a

some others

sidfect, to

ivJucJi

the

few

are con-

nected zuith it.

Though I am myself perfectly convinced, from a
great nujnber of instances ivhich have presented themselves, that

of the Coiv Pox

the source

the

newly diseased heels of

circumstances allozved
strongly on the

Jenner
heels

is

me,

minds of

assumes

intensified

the

is

morbid matter issuing from

I could have zuishcd, had

horses, yet

have impressed

to

this

fact

more

this Society by experiments."

the

that

virus

from

the

horse's

by being passed through the cow, on

the ground that the horse so rarely affects his dresser

He

from the cow.

the

disease

sound
"

milkman

with sores, while

from

could

the

the nature

the

farm

horse or cow

and

VOL.

I.

infection

it

could

affect

of their employments, are

if

the

probably did not.

servants in this neighbourJiood,

injuries ivhich occasion abrasions

thorns

escapes

not positively determine,

skin, but thought that

The hands of

rarely

co?istatitly

of the

exposed

cuticle, to

to

from
those

punctures from

such like accidents

17

Analysis

the Cases

of

I- Ten Cases
Date of Cow Pox.

Occvpatio7i.

Farm -servant and

Joseph Merret

I.

'

Date of Inoaclalion with Small Pq

1770 (Several sores on his hands).

April 1795

1765

1792.

At 9 years of age

At the age of

milker

Sarah Port lock

Farm

John

Tradesman

II.

III.

Phillips

servant

In both

arms

62, with matter ju

before the commencement of ih
eruptive Fever, and instantly
11

serted.

Mary Barge

IV.

V. Mrs.

Farm

1760

servant

Respectable gentle-

'

woman.

VI, Sarah

Wynne

Dairymaid

1791

When very young contracted by

contact with some of the servants
of the Family who were infected by
Cows. Her hands were extremely
sore and her Nose was inflamed
and very mucli swoln."

May

"With

1778.

matter."

March

1796

"

28th, 1797.

By

carofull

rubbing variolous matter into

slight incisions

made upon

the

tu
I.l

''

VII,

William Rodivay Servant

at a Dairy

Summer

arm.
Feb. 13th, 1797.

"Variolous matte
was inserted into both his arms,
the right by means of a sligli

of 1796

ii

incision

and

into

the

left

1)

punctures."

Wynne Dairymaid

VIII. Elizabeth

IX.

William Smith

Farm

" By makin;
1759 ("'In a very slight degree, one very- March^ 28th, 1797.
two superficial incisions on tlii
small sore only, breaking out upon
left arm in which the matter w.i
the little finger of her hand, and
cautiously rubbed."
scarcely any indisposition following"^
1780 ( One of his hands had several In the spring of the year 179;
Twice.
ulcerated sores upon it, and he became very ill" with such symptoms
as have been before described.
In
the year 1791
he became affected
with it the second time, and in the
year 1794 he was so unfortunate as
to catch it again ").
1782. Laterat another farm his hands Some years afterwards.
were "affected in the common way,
and he was much indisposed."
'^

servant

'

'

X. Simon Nichols

Farm

servant

II. Three Cases o

I.

Tliomas Pearce

.'

Farrier

No

Farmer

No

on his fingers which

suppurated and which occasioned a
date. (Sores

years afterwards variolous nintte;

inserted into his arm repeatedly.

Si-\

pretty severe indisposition).

II.

.\fr.

James

-Cole

Some years afterwards was inoculate(

date

with variolous matter.

III.

.1/;-.

Abraham

Riddiford

Farmer

No
of

date. (Very painful sores in both

his hands, tumours in each

axilla,

and severe and general

[Not

stated.

in-

disposition).

III.^One Case
1.

Boy

(al)out 8 years okl)

ol

Inoculated by Jenncr on the 14th May, 1796, with matter taken from
suppurated sore on the hand of a dairymaid
by means of two snpei
ficial incisions each about J-in. long,

Original Paper.

,\ir's

Cow

Hial

Pox.
Exposure

Result.
efflorescence only taking on
..)ok fibout the centre, appearing
ihe pvnctured parts."
1

in

pieccding case

an erysipelatous
on tlie skin near

.......

to Injection

of Small Pox.

Result.

During the whole time that his

family had the Small Pox, one of
whom had it very full."
" Xursed one of her own children
who had accidentally caught the

'

'

Received no injury from

exposure to the contagion."

No indisposition

'

ensued."

disease."

the part an efflorescence appeared

on the 4th day was rather extensive, and some
ileg^ei of pain and stiffness were felt about the
shoulfi ;r, but on the 5th day these symptoms began
10 dis. ppear, and in a day or two after went entirely
oft' wit lout producing any effect on the system."
All efti jrescence of a paUsh-red colour soon appeared
ibout the parts where the matter was inserted, and
stjread itself rather extensively, but died away in a few
ilays without producing any variolous symptoms."
he sai le appearance followed as in the preceding
c^ses
an efllorescence on the arnr without any
stin, .-like feel in

[Not

stated.]

;\!iich

ffect

" Repeatedly employed as a nurse

to

inflammation appeared in the usual manner

where the matter was inserted, but
.>o
as the 5th day it vanished entirely without
produi^ng any effect on the system."
Iloth w -re perceptibly inflamed on the 5rd day. After
this thi intiammation about the punctures soon died
.iway, JUt a small appearance of erysipelas was
inanife t about the edges of the incision till the 8th
day, wl en a little uneasiness was felt for the space of
half ar hour in the axilla.
The inflammation then
hastily disappeared without producing tlie most dist:uu in, rk of affection of the system."
\ little efflorescence soon appeared, and a tingling
sen.sati on was felt about the parts until the 3rd day,

No indisposition followed."

infection with Cow Pox,

was exposed to the
contagion of the Small Pox, where
it was scarcely possible for her to
have escaped it, as she regularly
attended a relative who had the
disease in so violent a degree that
it proved fatal to him."

[Not stated.]

consequence."

ill

Soon after
"Mrs. H

n the constitution.

'.A litil

Without experiencing any

Small Pox patients."

.iround tlie parts

eari

when

>

oth began to subside,

and so

[Not

stated.]

[Not

stated.]

early as the 5th

day it w as evident that no indisposition would follow."

No affection of the system could be produced."

'

.Since associated with those

had the Small Pox

in

its

who

Without
from it."

'

most

feeling

any

effect

contagious state."

'

U'ith

i.ot

the least effect on the constitution."

With

several otlier patients inoculated at the same time " he continued during the whole time of
their confinement."

With not

on

tin;

the least effect

constitution."

casual Horse Grease.

'

being aljle to produce anything more than

iflammation, which appeared very soon after
tlie matter was applied."
\ Httle pain in the axilla and feet
a slight indisposition for three or four hours. A few eruptions showed
themseives on the forehead, but they very soon dis;il)peared w ithout advancing towards maturation."
W'itliout

>light

"And

afterwards exposed him to

the contagion of the .Small Pox."

[Not

"

stated.]

afterwards,

Inoculated

Cow

as

little effect."

....

Was assured that he never need to

fear the infection of tlie Small Pox.
I'ut this assertion proved fallacious for on being exposed to the
infection upwards of twenty years
;

With

'

"He

caught

the

disease,

whicli
took its regular
course, in a very mild way.
.

There was no room left

forsuspicionas tothereality
of the disease as I inoculated
some of his family from the
pustules who liad the Small
Pox in conse(iuence."

Pox.

of July this boy was inoculated with matter immediately taken from a small-pox pustule, several punctures
and incisions were made on both his arms, and the matter was well rubb'd into them, but no disease followed. The
same appearances only were observable on the arms as when a Patient has had variolous matter applied after having
either the Cow Pox or the Small Pox."'

On the

tst

EDWARD JENNER.

26o

Having assumed

Cow Pox was

it

ukimatdy culminates

infectious fevers

all

of the

theory

the

in

of

origin

he continues the argument

correct,

ex animalibns, of

of the

theory

his

that

until

origin,

and many other

communicable diseases of man.

''It

air ions

is

properties by passing

that of the cow ;

observe

to

from

not only

fever,
it

effect in it that

nezv

activity hej'eby increased,

but

induce in

the

symptoms similar

constitution

and

its

acquires

another medium,

horse through

the
is

matter

this

become invariable

those specific properties

human

that

ivJiich

of the

those

to

variolous

peculiar change zvhich for ever renders

unsusceptible of the variolous contagion.

"

May

tve

Small Pox

then

not

is the

reasonably

infer that the source of the

matter generated in the diseased foot of a horse,

may have again and again

changes
upon
it, until it has acquired
new
arisen, still ivorking
malignant form under ivhicJi zve noiv
the contagious and
commonly see it making its devastations among us? And from
and

that accidental circumstances

a consideration of the change which the infectious matter from

the horse has ^mdergone after it lias produced a disease on the
cozv,

may

prevalent
simple,

zve

not conceive

among

but a

us,

may

compound origin ?

scarlet fever,

in their

their nezv combinations ?

and

and

The same question

the

it

hard

a
to

same

source,

to

the nature of

zvill

apply respect-

and indeed many

Jenner adds that he believes

is

notv
to

the ulcerous sore-

from

forms according

the Syphilis,

^-'diseases

appearance not

For example,

spotted skin have sprung

assuming some variety

ing the Yazvs

contagious

ozve their present

imagine that the measles, the

throat zvith a

many

that

in varieties

other diseases."

of Small Pox,

and mentions that seven years previously an outbreak,

common

which the nurses and the

Swine
villages

or
in

Pig

Pox,

appeared

Gloucestershire

in

fatal

people

called

many towns
case

the

and

was scarcely

REJECTED MANUSCRIPT.
heard

and the people had only as mild and

of,

a disease, as

matter

261

if

they had been inoculated with variolous

way.

in the usual

proceeds

Jenner then

give a " cautionary

to

with regard to " management of the variolous

previously to

matter

not

been taken several days

produced

it

parts, swelling of the

been

informed

by

unfrequently,

from

Small

"

to

matter

the

patients,

after

it

of

the

incised

and, as he had
" But,"

eruptions.

disease

had

When

pustules.

axillary glands,

Certainly not

Pox."

The same 2infortunate

supposed

the

inflammation

says Jenner, " what was this

the

"

gives the instance of a fellow-practitioner

who employed

inoculated

hint

being used for the purpose of inocu-

its

He

lation."

light

be the

circuDistancc

Small Pox,

-cvith

of giving a disease,

inefficacious matter,

having

come under the direction of some other practitioner, and probably

from

same incautious

the

matter,

as of great importance

conceive

hint

shall take the liberty

this subject
"

method of securing

the

variolous

avail myself of this opportunity of me?itioning zvhat

;

and

as a further cautionary

of adding another observation on

of inoculation.

Whether

it

be yet ascertained by experiment that the quantity

of variolous matter inserted into the skin makes any difference

1^'itJi respect to the subsequent mildness or violence of the disease, I

know

not ; but

eit/ier the
it,

I have

punctures or

and wound

the strongest reason

incisiotis be

made

for supposing that if

so deep as to

go through

the adipose covering beneath, that the risk

ing on a violent disease

is

greatly increased.

of bring-

I have knoivn an

was to go deep enough, to use his own

The
expression, to see a bit of fat and then to lodge tJie matter.
great number of bad cases, and the fatality which attended this
inoculator whose practice

EDWARD JENNER.

c62

practice, tvas
is

only

from a

that

ticles

different

the

Small Pox
would

almost inconceivable, for

difference

it

be recollected that

mode of receiving
it

and

the

natural

very improbable that any one

is

inoculate in this luay by design, yet this observation

guard over

tend to place a double

it

the infections par-

inoculation

betivcen

Though

arises.

let

the Lancet,

under the care of the inoculator, as the skin

may

when infants fall

is

comparatively so

very thin.

any

words,

other

In

variolous test after

Cow

one

to

Pox had

resulted.

As
the

to

if

be hastily concluded that genuine

how

Cow Pox

lonof

were acquainted with

of

unknown

apply

it,

it

Small

had been known amoncr

among them

the oldest

and had heard

but a connection with

it,

the

an eruption followed,

farmers, Jenner says that

speak

to

Pox, was cautioned to employ

the Suttonian method, and

was not

disposed

their forefathers

Pox was

Small

to them,'-,'and his belief that the disease arose

from the heels, of horses, was new to most of themJ

"

But

it

has at length produced conviction, and probably from

which they noiv seem disposed

the precautions,

farmer
of the

is

not the most flexible of Jniman

Cozv

Pox

here

may

either

be

to

adopt (for a

beings), the appearance

extinguished or

become

extremely rare."

In conclusion, Jenner proposes to substitute

inoculation

Small Pox inoculation, and

for"

answer which he

is

Cow Pox

this

is

the

prepared to give, should any one

ask whether this " discovery," or rather investigation,

'

Compare Jenner's MS.

notes, p. 376.

REJECTED MANCSCRIPT.
were

of mere

matter

curiosity

26

tended

or

any

to

beneficial purpose.
"

/ slunild anszvcr, that notivitJistanding the happy

with all the iviprovements

Inoculation,

received since

observe

it to

its

introduction

into

this

alarmed for

have never been knozvn

its

from

tvc feel at

Ihit as fatal

the Coiu Pox, even

ivhen expressed in the most unfavourable manner, that

it

of

has

coimtry, zve sometimes

consequences.

to arise

effects

the practice

prove fatal, and from this circumstance

all times someiuhat

effects

ivhicJi

is,

zvhen

has accidentally produced extensive inflammations and suppura-

tions en

leaves

hands

the

the

and

constitution

as

of Small Pox, may

infection

it

clearly appears that this disease

a state of perfect security from the

in

ivc

mode of Inocu-

not infer that a

lation migJit be introduced preferable to that at present adopted,

among those families vohicli, from previous circjimstances,

may Judge to be predisposed to have the disease unfavourably?

especially
lue

It is

an

in the

does

excess in the

number of pus tides

Small Pox ; but

it

in the Cozv

zuhich

Pox no

we

than contact

any time

so

to

produce the

any other means, as I have before observed,

that a single individual in a family might at

receive it ivithout the risk

spreading a disease that

fills

further research, I should

inoculate Adults,

dread

pustules appear, nor

seem possible for the contagious matter

disease by effluvia or by

chiefly

a country

tJiereforc

and Children

of infecting the
zvith

not in

terror.

rest,

or of

Without

the least hesitate to

not very young, with the matter

Cow Pox in preference to common variolous matter. Hozv far it

may be admissible on tender skins of infants firther experiments

of

must determine. I have no other scruples than such as arise

from the darkish appearance of the edges of the incisions on the
arm of the Boy zvJiom I inoculated zvith this matter, the only
But in
experiment I had an opportunity of making in that way.
this case the incisions, though perfectly superficial, zvere made to a

much greater

extent than zvas necessary for communicating the

infection to the system.

the

arm

Hozvever

it

proved of no consequence, as

never became painful nor required any application.

shall endeavour still farther to prosecute this Inquiry,

an Inquiry

EDWARD JENNER.

264

trust not merely speculative, but

hope

pleasing

the

of

of

becoming

its

moment

sufficient

essentially

to inspire

beneficial

to

Mankindr

Such was the evidence on which Jenner had

proposed

was

vaccination

introduce

to

rejected,

very

not

in

which

a proposal

by the

terms,

flattering

first

Council of the Royal Society.

was struck by the

word

writing, of the
friendly

made

correction

this

discovery, and,

from Small Pox

was the

for,

discovery

discovered

not

that

others.

if so,

what was

of the

Cow Pox
'

to

Pox,

and

for

this

as for

test

be the

case,

He

had

be intentionally

could
for

He

had

immunity

dairymaids.

man,

had

this

been

was not the

first

of variolous inoculation after

Cow

practised by Jesty and others.

employ the

to

Jenner

He

it?

produced an

assuming such

communicated from cow

to

Had

among

Cow Pox

not discovered that

it

Some

investigation for discovery.

had evidently read the manuscript and

critic

made a

substitution, in a different hand-

had been performed upon Mrs. Jesty

the test of exposure to infection,

been

carried out

critic

was therefore

The

repeatedly.

fully justified.

this

correction

had

of his

Jenner had made

no discovery, but he had carried out an investigation

from

which

between

he

was

inoculated

led

to

Cow Pox

Pox, and to express a belief

observe

and

similarity

inoculated

in the origin

of

Small

Cow Pox

and Small Pox, and many other diseases, from horse

REJECTED MANUSCRIPT.

Apart from these speculations, a Dorsetshire

grease.
sLirQ^eon

had

265

had done ahnost as much as Tenner.

proposed

to

Cow Pox

introduce

Pox

a substitute for Small

Both

inoculation

inoculation, for

as

which the

surgeon was threatened with the loss of his practice,

and Jenner with the

loss

of such

he had hitherto possessed.

'

Vide

p.

116.

scientific

credit

as

CHAPTER

VIII.

JENNER' S PUBLISHED

''

INQUIRY:'

Jenner was by no means discouraged by the

verdict ot

the Royal Society, and he had no intention of abandon-

He

ing his project.

paper

proceeded to amphty his original

by inserting the cases of William Stinchcomb and

XL,

of the paupers of Totworth, between Cases X. and

and he also added the case of Sarah

whom
Her

Nelmes, from

he had taken matter to inoculate the boy Phipps.

case

was inserted between Cases XIII. and XIV,

Jenner also re-inoculated Phipps with Small Pox, but

"

no sensible

effect

Jenner was

not to

risk

Pox
his

to

see

his

pamphlet

to a friend

have shown a copy of

to

in

and

it,

to

a pamphlet instead of sending

Jenner

wished

to

intended

who

paper on

Vide

vol.

the

to

it

add

ii.,

Cow

has been pleased to express

recommend my pubUshing

pp.

it

as

the Royal Society."

some

more

material to the paper, and he therefore kept

'

Society.

my

our friend Worthington,

approbation of

But

by the Royal

a second rejection

Thus he wrote
I

most anxious

constitution."

but he appears to have resolved, in June 1797,

print,

"

was produced upon the

1-33.

it

original
in

hand


PUBLISHED "INnUIRY."
in

the

o\

the

hope that he miq-ht meet with some more cases

Casual

Cow Pox

might have time to

experiment,

its

its

his

dairies,

and that he

of proving, by

intention
"

from

On

grease."

2nd

the

The simple experiment

heel of the horse, in

the

in

fuhil

origin

of August, he wrote
"

26;

appl3ing

of

proper

the

from

matter

state, to the nipples

t'-.e

of the cows,

when they are in a proper state to be infected by it, is not so

easil}- made as at first sight may be imagined
after waiting with
;

impatience for months in

my own

neighbourhood, without

effect,

sent a messenger to Bristol, in vain, to procure the true virus.

I

even procured a young horse, kept him constantly

and fed him with beans

no purpose.
1

hope

to

But no

By

in

make

order to

in the stable,

his heels swell, but to

the time the Pamphlet goes to a second edition,

be able to give some decisive experiments."

Cow Pox

appeared

in

the

and

dairies,

researches w^ere thus interrupted until the spring of

when an outbreak occurred which

his

798,

him the

afforded

much-wished-for opportunities for further observations.

mare, the

bouring parish,
latter

property

began

to

part of February

have

1798.

dressed by the farm servants,

Wherret, and William

dairyman

of a

"sore-heels"

The

Thomas

Haynes who,

arms and

in

stitutional

symptoms, shiverings succeeded

and pains

in the limbs.

the

consequence,

glands

lassitude,

in

Virgoe, William

lymphatic

the

neigh-

horse's heels were

contracted sores on their hands, followed

in

in

by inflamed

axillce

and conby

heat,

Haynes and Virgoe

had both previously been successfully inoculated with

Small Pox, but Wherret had not had Small Pox.


EDWARD

268

"

Haynes was

employed as one of the milkers

daily

and the disease began

ten days after he

JENNER.

shew

to

at the farm,

cows about

the

washing the mare's

assisted in

first

among

itself

Their

heels.

nipples became sore in the usual way, with bluish pustules; but as

remedies were early applied they did not ulcerate to any extent."

The Cow Pox was

Jenner confined

Whether

his

attention

dairies,

but

one outbreak.

this

which there happened

in

"greasy"

to be a horse with

several

to

was the only one

it

Jenner's

raging in

heels,

we

are not told,

mind was occupied with the opportunity of

making a double experiment

inoculation of one child

with humanised horse-grease, and of another child with

matter from the cow's teats.

With regard
says

the horse-grease inoculation,

to

Jenner

" This experiment

subsequent

The

eifects

was made

ascertain

to

when

of the disease

had

already

is

thus clearly stated.

condemned horse-grease,

had committed himself

to

been decisively proved that grease could not

upon as a protective against Small Pox}
of studying

the progress and

a double one.
of Small Pox

First,

would

to

effects

cow, that

it

appeared
'

Vol.

was
in

ii.,

relied

The

object

may have been

firmly

it

after

be

For Jenner was

follow.

Pox

was

had

attack

grease was

it

it

ascertain whether an

of opinion that the

;

he

for

statement that

the

and

progress

thus propagated."

object of this experiment

Jenner

the

the

source

transmitted

through

the modified form

pp. i8

and

i6o.

of Small

known

the
as

PUBLISHED "IXQUIRY:'

Cow

This

Pox.

opportunity

an

one

inoculate

with

child

by

may have wished

cultivation

in

Pox

the

in

paper

his

matter

Cow

human

the

other,

ascertain,

to

in

the

could
grease,

Pox, and study

could

one

the

experi-

case,

Secondly,

subject,

child

years

five

March
the

experimental

his

purposes,

protective properties

matter from

1798, he took

i6th,

He became

ill

on

pustule on

was

Cow Pox

matter.

On

the eighth

to

he

da}',

from indisposition.

free

"There was some

variation in the appearance of the pustule

Although

arm.

the

heels.

on the sixth day, with symptoms similar

those excited by the

on

selected

hand of Thomas Virgoe, one of the servants who

had been infected from the mare's

''

Jenner

virus.

Baker by name, and

John

old,

he

whether by successi\'e

would be gradually assumed by the horse-grease

For

and

what an interesting

would prove.

it

He

of

he

if

him

afforded

theories.

And

side.

Cow Pox

addition to

his

the

Small

mentally generate
carry on

therefore,

the matter of

side

results

testing

for

and another with

the

outbreak,

269

pustule, yet its similitude

it

somewhat resembled a Small Pox

was not

so conspicuous as

when

excited

by matter from the nipple of the cow, or when the matter has
passed from thence through the medium of the

The

result

Small Pox

Cow

Pox,

variolous

previous

had

but

it

in

common

with

to

subject."

inoculated

so far corresponded with inoculated

Jenner was encouraged to

that
test

little

human

ascertain

conclusions,

insusceptible of Small

the

Pox,

whether,

system

had

in

apj^ly

spite

the

of his

been rendered

EDWARD JENNER.

270

"

We

have seen that the virus from the horse, when

human

the

to

infectious

subject,

upon as

not to be rehed

is

proves

it

rendering the system secure from variolous infection, but that the
matter produced by

Whether

from the horse through

passing

its

on the nipple of the cow

it

of

Jenner,
variolous

tenth

On

the

case

inoculated

on

day,
St

than seven

Small

was

he

of July

weeks

after

Pox.

We

"

days afterwards,

This would now have been

The

inoculated

that

workhouse soon

question

felt

after this

naturally

might not have been the

well.
less

in

was inoculated

on the

ist

that,

i6th

of

indisposition

was Jenner's

intention

of May.
boy was rendered

the effects of a contagious

experiment was made,"

arises,

whether

result

with horse grease.

What was

tagious fever," and

why

this

on

conclude

effected, but the

from having

May;

to say,

from

free
it

of

perfectly

is

him on or about the

unfit for inoculation

fever in a

be

to

therefore

be

to

of

test

results.

14th

inoculation, he

may

the

James Phipps, the

the

said

Baker had been

to inoculate

of

following, that

March, and was said

eight

apply

to

watch the

to

historical

the

in

John

and

inoculation,

the

as

intended

course,

Cow Pox was

with

coneffect,

be decided."

to

Now,

human

the

produce a similar

stitution, as in the present instance, will

remains

perfectly so.

is

of

the

the

the

fever

inoculation

meaning of

"

con-

vagueness of expression

Jenner was well acquainted with measles, scarlet fever,

ulcerous

swine

sore-throat

pox,

chicken

with
pox,

spotted

and other

skin,

fevers.

erysipelas,

W^e are

PUBLISHED "INQIVRY:'
therefore

suppose

to

left

form

recognised

" fever,"

of

ultimately recovered

but as

had been prevented

have

might

published
It

is

been

until

the

at

was not worth

fever

given,

the

Cow Pox

"

the

further details

was

Impiiry

the

of the

history

not

Jenner's Fin'thcr Observations

In a

upon the "similarity

of the general constitutional symptoms

a footnote

in

The boy unfortunately

I

boy

again drawn to this niatter.

is

which followed," and

before

the

which

although

reference^ to this case, Jenner insists

to the

un-

variolous inoculation

time,

for

some

21st.

we read

that our attention

was

it

from

tracing,

June

not until

that

271

we

read

died of a fever at a parish workliouse,

had an opportunity of observing what

effects

would have

been produced by the matter of Small Pox."

The
the

in

"

death

boy's

the

and

account,

first

boy being

the

of

then,

fact,

this

the

is

full

was

omitted

meaning of

rendered unfit for inoculation."

But why should the

fact

of the

Did the boy

boy's

death

from the

have

been omitted

inoculation

Let us revert to the history of the case.

What was
the boy's
all

that

he was

"somewhat

No

learn

those excited
day,

eftects

of

the state of the progress of the vesicle on

arm

we

die

by
tl*ee

is

description

is

given

in

the Inquiry

that the syinptoins were similar to

Cow Pox
from

resembled
'

matter, and on the eighth

indisposition,

a
Vol.

Small
ii.,

p. 169.

Pox

and the

juistule

pustule."

On

EDWARD JENNER.
to

the

that

the

referring

credible

coloured

was

lad

illustration,

from

free

the eighth day [Plate IV.].

taken

vesicle

Another

severely.

"vaccination"

Cow Pox

in

this

from the grease, partly " from the progress

the boy

man

Phipps,

it

Now,

by a horse."

infected

same

the

matter taken from

with

inoculated

way

if

Cow Pox

the

as

on the arm of

the pustule

and general appearance of

in

reference^

casual

Jenner says he was led to assume the origin of

case.

of a

depicted with

is

throws additional light on

Observations,

Ftu'ther

on

indisposition

the appearances which indicate that the

had

hardly-

is

it

it

the

hand

progressed

on

inoculation

have been a vesicle surrounded by

must

an efflorescence, with " rather more of an erysipelatous

than

look

commonly

we

made use of

matter has been

leaving on the

inoculated

eschars."

The

compared

to

conclude that

it

of

ran

in the

same manner

inoculated

on

Cow

ulceration,

to

the

by an

by

published
in

Baron,

which he alludes to

appearance of the pustule, and

into

an

ulcer,

in

the

its

we may

Pox,

This supposition

manuscript notes,

scabs and subsequent

parts

Jenner's early inoculations.

abstract,

variolous

of the vesicle having been

progress

that

when

perceive

bane
is

from

of

verified

Jenner's

" the peculiar

disposition

to

run

arm of the boy who was inocu-

lated with matter taken from the

hand of a man, who

received the infection from dressing a slight spontaneous

Vide

vol.

ii.,

p.

i(

plait; IV,

''^

INOCULATED HORSE POX

Case of John Bakek.

JE N N E R).


P UBLISHED
on a horse's

sore

all

of

details

the ulceration,

on

It

"

felt

'

evident that

is

progress

the

the

in

Jenner had sup-

boy's case.

of

the

vesicle,

was rendered

fatal

and he inserted instead that

case,

eighth day he was

the

])ut

'

and the erysipelas, as well as the

termination of the
"

INQ UIR Y.

'

heel."

published account of this

pressed

'

unfit

free

from

indisposition,"

from having

inoculation

for

the effects of a contagious fever."

would seem most probable that

It

this boy, five

in

years old (selected by Jenner as a suitable subject for

testing his speculations as to the

progress and

effects

of horse grease), a large vesicle was produced which ran

on to ulceration, that
erysipelas,

angry blush developed into

the

and the boy

But his death was

died.^

buted to a contao^ious fever cmiQ-ht

considered

Jenner

satisfactorily

Pox

Small

subjects

and

operation

the

these

we

effects

it.

subsequent

results

that

is,

Two
l)y

reported as follows

"On

the

other
his

inoculation

of

test

He,

of

I.

the

mentioned.

system did not

children,

the

however,

date

not

are

all

Barge

feel

and

Henry Jenner.

the second day, the incisions were inflamed, and there

Compare Crcighton.

VOL.

so

to

nephew,

a pale inflammatory stain around them.

'

had

cases

experiments.

local

Pead, were inoculated

who

former

Summers, but the

are told

of

the workhouse.

unnecessary

later

the

his

the

was

it

William

inoculated

All that

withstood
that

of

that

in

attri-

On

was

the third day, these

Cow Pox and Vaccinal

SyJ)/iilis, p. }^2.

l^

EDWARD

274

appearances were

On

derably.

still

the

increasing, and

day,

fourth

subsiding, and on the sixth,

Summers

William

yENJVER.

was

it

had

arms itched consi-

their

inflammation was evidently

the

scarcely perceptible."

been

from the

inoculated

cow, the same day as Baker.

"He
usual

became indisposed on the sixth day, vomited once, felt the

symptoms till the eighth day, when he appeared

slii^ht

perfectly well."

From William Summers

to

William Pead, after

were inoculated

adults

serted

Jenner,

Hannah

into

three suffered from

Excell,

the arms

of

From

matter was

John

to

of

taken

Marklove,

inoculate

extensive

one

Mary Pead, and Mary James.

Pead lymph was taken

arm

to

Pead, several children and

inflammation.

erysipelatous
patients,

manner of arm

the

From William

variolation.

was transferred

the disease

these

and

Robert

in-

From Mary

Barge.

J.

PEDIGREE OF JENNERS FIRST STOCK OF LYMPH

(EQUINE INDIRECT).
Horse
I

Cow
..

'

William Summers
I

William Pead
I
1

Hannah

Excell

Several other children

and adults

1--

John
Marklove

Robert F. Jenner

Mary

[Failed to take]

Pead

Mr. Cline's

Mary
James

A
Barge
[Stock lost].
J.

patient.

(--

Child

[Failed to take]

A Child
[Failed to take]

FLATE

ml

.iF

it,

:0"'

INOCULATED HORSE POX

Case of William Pead.

(JENNER).

V.

Fclh'win;i rUte. V.

PLATE

^
Pt fr

.^^

INOCULATED HORSE POX (JENNKR).

Case of Hannah Excell.

VI.


PUBLISHED ^'INQUIRYr
Besides adding

was

theory,

grease

more

speak

to

possible

With

revised.

carefully

regard

Jenner now

felt

positively,

for

transference

of

whole

the

cases,

fresh

275

to

himself

in

manuscript

position

referring

in

matter

infectious

horse

the

to

the

froni

the

horse's heel to the cow's teat, he substituted the

when

this is the case for

should this be the

Several expressions are modified

Cow

Pox.

tules

were

words

case.

in his description

of

In his paper, he had written that the pus"

seldom white, but more commonly blue, and

generally surrounded by

more or

less

of an erysipelatous

inflammation," but the published Inquiry reads:

"At
blue,

or rather of a colour

in

the

erysipelatous

somewhat approaching

to

and

livid,

by an erysipelatous inflammation."

are surrounded

And

commonl}^ of a palish

appearance, they are

their first

third

edition

of

Inquiry the

the

word

omitted.

is

Another instance of modifvins^ oris^inal statements occurs

the description of the case of Sarah

in

account

in

the original paper

may

Wynne.

The

be compared side by

side with the revised version in the published Inquijy.

Original
"

She caught the complaint

from the cows, and was affected

with

it

[Cow Pox]

a degree that she

in so violent

was incapable

of doing any work for the space

of ten days."

Published " Inquiry."

Paper.
"

She caught the complaint

from the cows, and was affected

with the symptoms described on
the

8th

page,

so

violent

was confined

to

in

degree, that she

her bed, and rendered incapable

for several

days of pursuing her

ordinary vocations on the farm."

EDWARD

2-6

Now

we

if

turn

these

that

stated

symptoms described on the

the

to

page we are referred

2>th

JENNER.

to a foot-note, in

symptoms

which

from the

arise

it

is

irritation

of the sores, and not from the primary action of the

vaccine

upon

virus

of this correction

was

this period,

Pox

inoculation,

the original

in

Pox

are

now

the

now

is

The meaning

constitution.

apparent.

to provide a

Jenner's

mild substitute

idea,

at

Small

for

and these severe symptoms described

paper as an essential part of the

Cow

attributed to accidental causes.

This system of modifying his original observations

is

adhered to throughout

" pustules

The

paper.

the

which are most disposed

sentence

degenerate

to

into

phagedenic ulcers," now reads "pustules which, frequently

degenerate into phagedenic ulcers."

But

one of the most important alterations

suggestion of a spurious

Cow Pox.
Published

Original Paper.
"
to

But

first

it is

of importance

remark that there are other

causes besides contagious matter

which

produce

pustules

and

It

spontaneously

appear

nipples of cows,

and

in-

rarely,

the

servants

of

the

have

cows,

hands of the servants, employed

milking, being affected with

occurred,

being

the

of

affected

of their feeling an indisposition

absorption.

are very rare.

This complaint

the

though

hands

with

in

very

of

the

milking
sores

in

consequence, and even of their

feeling

But instances

on

and instances

employed

sores in consequence, and even

from absorption.

observe

that pustulous sores frequently

occurred of

nipples

stances

on

" Inquiry."

necessary to

is

have

ulcerations

in

"

the

sometimes

the

is

of a

those

an

indisposition

from

These pustules are

much milder nature than

which

arise

from

that

'

P UBLISHED
appears at various seasons of
year,

the

but

the spring,

in

are

first

'

277

contagion which constitutes the

true

Cow

when

free

from the bluish or

the

cows

taken from their winter

very apt to appear also

It

is

when

they are suckling their 3'oung.

disease

this

J.\\) UIK Y.

most commonly

food and fed with grass.

But

'

not

is

to

be

Pox.

Phe}' are always

so conspicuous

No

in that disease.

livid tint

the pustules

in

erysipelas

show
any phagedenic disposition as

attends them, nor do they

in

the other case,

but quickly

considered as having any kind

terminate

of connection with that of which

creating an}' apparent disorder

am

treating, as

of producing

on the

human

distinction

incapable

is

it

an}'^

specific effects

constitution.

This

between the two

dis-

eases becomes the more imporas

tant

occasion

the

an

want of

it

of

idea

might

security

from the infection of the Small

appears

at

without

scab,

This

cow.

the

in

in

complaint

various seasons of

commonly

the year, but most

the spring,

when

the

taken

from

their

first

winter

food and fed with grass.

apt to appear also

in

cows are

It is

when they
But

are suckling their young.

Pox which would prove delu-

this disease is not to

sive."

sidered as similar in any respect

to that of

as

it

any

which

am

be

con-

treating,

incapable of producing

is

specific effects

on the human

Mowever,

constitution.

is

it

of the greatest consequence to

point

it

out here, lest the want

of discrimination
sion

should occa-

an idea of security from

the infection of the Small

Pox

which might prove delusive."

Jenner was obviously referring

to

the

disease.

Blister

But

lished Inquiry,

the

first

Pock,
in

the

in

the original paper

though he does not name the

paragraph inserted

he used the term

ti'iie

in

the

Cow Pox

pubior

time, which leads the reader to suppose that


EDWARD

278

" of a

disease

the

And

Pox.

JENAER.
nature

milder

of the paper, Jenner has,

at the conclusion

no longer, any hesitation on

terms

Cow Pox

ti'ue

a reference

the

to

and

Cow

was a false

"

this

Cow

spnrio2is

uses the

but

point,

Pox,

which has been

foot-note

with

quoted

above.

wish

to

insist

upon

existence of a spurious

the

They

farmers

Cow

spurious

this

distinguished, from other eruptions such as

blistered teats, a

disease

on the cow's

ulcerations

The

Cow Pox.

and cow doctors knew nothing of

Pox.

assumption of

gradual

the

which produced troublesome

teats,

and ulcerations on the

hands, enlarged glands, and constitutional symptoms

and

milkers,

this

disease

they called

Cow

the

in

Pox.

Jenner was alone responsible for assuming the existence

of two kinds of

Cow

assumption was extended

this

include not

Cow

And

Pox, a true and a spurious.

in

Further Observations to

one but several kinds of so-called spurious

Pox.

In a subsequent publication, entitled

the

Vaccine Inoculation, Jenner has

and

full

meaning of

this

innovation

The Origin of

given the history

:

" In the course of the investigation of this subject, which,

all

of a complex

others

difficulties,

felt

its

led

me

to

inquire

nature,

nevertheless, on

influence just

had been communicated

country around me,

intricate

to

the

inoculation

same as

them by the cow.

among
who all

the

medical

if

to

with

no

Hke

many

presented

some of those who seemed

found that

undergone the Cow Pox,

Small Pox,

and

have
the

disease

This occurrence

practitioners

in

the

agreed in this sentiment, that the

PUBLISHED ''INQUIRVr
Cow Pox was

279

not to be relied upon as a certain preventive of

the Small Pox.

"This
ardour

as

cow

the

that

proceeded,

was

subject

upon her

eruptions

damped,

while

for
for,

teats

communicating sores

to

but

did

not

had

the

satisfaction

some

to

capable of

(5/r)

all

hands of the

and

milkers,

whatever sore was derived from the animal, was called

Cow

dairy the
"

Thus

led

surmounted a great obstacle, and,

have denominated the

that,

the

in

Pox.
in

consequence, was

form a distinction between these diseases

to

only

learn

to

spontaneous

of

varieties

they were

that

the

my

extinguish,

one of which

the others the spurious.

true,

Cow

Pox, as they possess no specific power over the constitution."

some concluding remarks,^

In

Jenner relates the cases of

Sarsenet,

who

in the

Hannah

Cow

contracted

published Inquiry,

Pick and Elizabeth

Pox, with

the other

all

servants, at a farm in the parish of Berkeley.

Jenner

puzzled

It

for these

so the

and

yet

more

Hannah

cases, for

tion,

still

Cow Pox was

when

Elizabeth

to find

an explanation

resisted variolous inocula" true

pronounced to be
Sarsenet

was

"
;

exposed to

variolous infection, she caught the disease.

"This impediment
another,

before

started up.

when

the

dairy,

of

to

far

my

greater

magnitude

true

person

like

was

Cow Pox

hopes

out

broke

who had milked an

liable

the former

aspiring

in

receive

to

obstacle,

but

Vide

vol.

ii.,

prove,
cattle

that
at

animal, and had

common

to

my

with
This,

fond and

operations

of

nature

was not probable

the

human

that
it

the

Pox afterwards.

gave a painful check

and that
'

infected

to

the disease in

the Small

reflecting

are generally uniform,

among

appearances,

its

There were not wanting instances

thereby apparently gone through

others,

was not long removed,

progress

the

p. 2)2-

EDWARD JENNER.

28o

many

from

be perfectly shielded

instances

remain unprotected,

others

Cow Pox)

undergone the

(having

constitution

the

and

Pox,

my

resumed

should in some

Small

in

labours with

redoubled ardour.
for I now discovered that the
was fortunate
virus of Cow Pox was liable to undergo progressive changes,
from the same causes precisely as that of Small Pox, and that
when it was applied to the human skin in its degenerated

The

state,

result

would

it

produce

when

the

ulcerative

effects

as

in

great

was not decomposed, and sometimes far

but having lost its specific properties, it was incapable
greater
of producing that change upon the human frame which is
degree

as

it

requisite to render

it

unsusceptible of the variolous contagion

became evident a person might milk a cow one day, and

so that it

having caught

the

disease

be

ever

for

secure

while

another

person milking the same cow the next day, might feel the influence

way

of the virus in such a

consequence

of this might

siderable extent

being

yet,

as to produce a sore or sores,

an indisposition

experience

as has been

observed,

a con-

to

the specific

quality

the constitution would receive no peculiar impression."

lost,

He

Jenner adds a few additional notes.

his

and in

conviction

reiterates

Cow Pox alone arises from the

that true Cow Pox was occasionally

that

grease,

and

absent,

because the farmer's horses had not, from

states

the

dryness of the season, been affected with grease.

In

another paragraph,

Cow Pox
of

is

Elizabeth

not

he

repeats

self-protective,

his

and gives

Wynne, who had Cow

was inoculated with Small Pox without

and caught

Cow Px

again

in

belief

Pox
effect

the
in
in

that

case
1759,
1797,

798.

Jenner adds to his remarks on the precautions to be

observed
the

in

applying the variolous

test,

more moderate method of Sutton.

and advocates

FUEL! SHED

The horse

''

INQUIRY r

281'

grease theory was supported by another

case.
"

An

and terminated
dressed

Cow

in

the

formation

of

milked

parts

erysipelatous

the
thigh

the

of a

abscesses.

sucking

colt,

Those

who

They

cows.

the

all

had

colt,

and

That the disease produced upon the cows by the

conveyed

thencp

room

for

suspicion

satisfactory

tained

on

had

Cow Pox

the

yet

the

it

graph

of

there can

them,

was

the

be scarcely any

was a

there

my making
with

concludes

matter

variolous

but

wife,

her situation which prevented

The Inquiry

milked

would have been more completely

effects

farmer's

who

those

to

and not the spurious

true

kind

Pox, and the milkers were infected also."

from

"

of

upper part of

inflamed

the

Jenner adds
"

inflammation

extensive

appeared on the

been ascer-

peculiarity

in

the experiment."

the

following

para-

Thus

far

have

proceeded

in

an inquiry

must appear, on the basis of experiment

in

founded,

as

it

which, however,

conjectures have been occasionally admitted, in order to present

to

persons,

well

situated

for

more minute investigation.

continue to prosecute
its

tliis

becoming essentially

We

such
In

the

discussions, objects

meantime,

inquiry, encouraged

shall

for

myself

by the hope of

beneficial to mankind."'

may now sum up

the cases

to the original paper.

CASUAL COW

which were added

EDWARD

JENKER.

CASUAL HORSE GREASE.

.......
.......!

Name.

Thomas Virgoe

Date of Horse Grease.

William Wherret
William Haynes

February 1798.

INOCULATED HORSE GREASE (EQUINE DIRECT).

........

John Baker

March

i6th, 1798

(Died).

INOCULATED HORSE GREASE (EQUINE INDIRECT).

William Summers

March

i6th, 1798.

William Pead

March

28th,

.....

Hannah

Excell (and
several other children and adults)
-"

April 5th.

-r

-r

,,

Robert F.
John
Marklove
Tenner

Mary

Mary

Pead

Tames

April 12th.

Barge

J.

In the previous chapter,

of

Jenner's

original

have analysed the contents

and concluded

paper,

the

that

Council of the Royal Society was perfectly justified

rejecting

Jenner

It

it.

could

true

is

lay

claim

that
to

the

in

priority

original

in the

cow and

in

could

lay

experimental

claim to

We

additions

to

have
the

Cow Pox

being the

transmission of

subject.

Cow Pox

now

paper,

first

Cow Pox

to

when

consider

from grease.
to

publish the

to the

was undoubtedly the

that

case.

Horse Pox,

He
like

human

whether

published,

the

contained

anything which could be claimed as a discovery.

discovery

of

man, but he could not lay claim

to the theory of the origin of

He

paper,

of publication

an account of the symptoms of the casual

in

This

could lay claim to the

Small

Pox, could be

PUBLISHED ''INQUIRVr
on from arm to arm,

carried

283

throup^h

number of

we know, "was new

individuals, a fact wliich, so far as

to

the traditions and experience of the country people.

That this
his

in

work,

published

is

verified

his

just

account

inoculation, he laid

Pox

or

of

but only that

the
"

human

fict

of

origin

the'

the

to

protection

by inoculation

human

and others
that

might be practicable

it

discovery of Cow^

Cow

after the

manner of

to

Small

Pox,
in

Pox,

human being

was struck

propagate the disease

the Small Pox,

first

from the

to another."

he had been anticipated by Jesty

subject,
;

so that the two main points of the inquiry

he was

arm

the

first

to

and

equinations,

carry

he

advocate in print the adoption of

We

vaccine

propagation, by inoculation, from the cow to

In the

to

of the

could be experimentally inc^ulated

it

cow, and finally from one

arm

oriizinal

when Jenner

that

against

During the investigation of the casual

were,

was

subject.

with the idea that

the

by the

no claim

alleged

its

of what

estimate

is

are

now

in

on a series of

was

this

the

new

first

to

inoculation.

a position to estimate what Jenner's

researches amounted to, up to the time of the inquiry.

Jenner himself gives

mencement of
Sodbury

his

incident.

1776 as

inquiry,

In

this

and

the

says

year,

Jenner's

attention

was

drawn

com-

nothing of the

inoculation

Suttonian method became very general

shire.

of the

date

in

to

by the

Gloucestera

case

ot

insusceptibility which, in accordance with the provincial

EDWARD

284

JENNER.

Cow

rumour, was attributed to a previous attack of

But he does not appear

the subject until
tradition

on

when he repeated

hand

the

have paid much attention

to

to

the provincial

and showed a drawing of the

London,

in

eruption

1780,

Pox.

of

But

milker.

about

(about seven years before the publication of the

79 1

Inquiry),

he had again turned

Pox,

and between

four

more cases of

attention

his

insusceptibility

to

Cow

had collected

and 1795, he

1791

to

inoculated

the

Small Pox.
In 1790,

Cow Pox

broke out

in

and Jenner took the opportunity

Then

his inquiries

grease

were stopped

broke out

The

until

when horse

1798,

died.

was

the virus

carried

the cow,

on from arm

missing

dates are omitted

to the project are suppressed

for failures are

ingeniously incorporated.

important

facts un-

and excuses
All that the

Inquiry contained was known to dairymaids and

the

exception

of the

doctrine

experimentally,

practised,

to

farriers,

Cow

of spurious

Pox, and certain speculative comments.

added

to

several patients.

details are often

with

John

Summers,

William

cases are carelessly jumbled together

favourable

Phipps.

inoculate

horse grease passed through

inoculated with

arm through

to

neighbouring farm, and

at a

Baker was inoculated and

survived, and

a dairy near Berkeley,

All that

was

what had been previously

was the inoculation of Horse Pox from arm

to arm, in imitation of

arm

to

arm

variolation.

Up

to

PUBLISHED ''INQUIRY:'
the year

few

Jenner had simply

796.

of

cases

Cow

Horse Pox or

either

this date

the

same

on

the

collected

others,

Pox, and had resisted

made one exi-kklment

and

subject,

hurriedly

These are the dry

sums up as follows
we

of inoculation

wrote a paper

facts

quent stages

Two

own

mind

at Sodbur}',

his meditations

in the

country

account.

of the case, which

at

and trace
Berkeley

it

its first

through

his hopes

length, the triumphant conclusion of

and

in

by which

And

it

some

Among

tradition

as

it

was

his first patient, Phipps

been

that persons

called,

Simon.

any

scientific

commensurate with the great

this

officially

extraordinary

were by
History

it

who had

out-

endorsed.^

the dairy-folks of Gloucestershire there

.

at

reflection

has been followed.

burst of rhetoric has

"

degree

and

and,

more than thirty years'

more recent times

in

subse-

his suggestions to his

shall find a train of preparation never exceeded in

and

dawning

its

fears, as his inquiries

and study, by the successful vaccination of

enterprise;

Baron

his conferences with his professional

experiments encouraged or depressed his anticipations

results

years

great master, John Hunter

brethren

his

look at the origin of this discovery from

in his 3^outhful

we

In

he carried on a series of arm to arm inoculations,

and then published the Inquiry on

" If

in-

us that

tells

which was rejected by the Royal Society.

later,

of

he was not burdened with work.

year, he

human

notes

who had had

Small Pox, and Posbrooke

oculation with

up to

and

milkers

285

was a curious

suffered from this

Cow

Pox,

rendered insusceptible of Small Pox.

and Practice vf

Vaccination.

1857.

EDWARD
Words

to this effect

-JEA'^NER.

were once spoken

in the

Jenner, then a village doctor's apprentice

Bristol.

hearing of

in the

They were never afterwards absent from

Edward

neighbourhood of
his mind.

years elapsed before their fruit was borne to the public

Thirty

but inces-

santly he thought and watched and experimented on the subject

the

work on which

of his

labour

at

may

and

length he recorded the incomparable results

well

have

commanded

the

confidence

of

reflecting persons.

"Little would ever be heard of objections to vaccination

who

undertake the responsibility of

feel

disposed to resist

its

its

if all

who

and imitate the patience and

with which Jenner laid the foundation of

every statement he advanced.

-iw

all

adoption would but thoroughly study

that masterpiece of medical induction,

caution and modesty

performance, and

CHAPTER

IX.

human small pox as a

source of
lymph:'

was

SY^ENIIA^r

Adams

varieties of Small Pox.

,of

what the nurses

believed

to

be

the

Sydenham, which
which

prevailed

The

lenner.

Pox,

Small

iis

experienced (outbreaks

white

which

sort,

he

mentioned by

a variety

no marks.

outbreak

similar

Gloucestershire was referred

and the lower

it

The

usual.

as

different

by

to

attack was as mild as in the inoculated

afraid of

little

left

in

the

called

same

distinguish

to

first

th(j

vaccine

"

classes

of people were so

that social intercourse

nurses and

common

was maintained

people called

it

the

Swine or Pig Pox.

According

Adams, the

to

pustules of this variety are

never very large, but round and unitorm

the

as

disease

is

marked.

well

As

projjortion

in

they

increase,

the ui)per
dry.

the

surface extends over

scab

the

'

common

Adams.

base,

becomes nearly globular.

of a pale amber
in

the

colour,

and

distinct

Popular

Vie'w

dries

disease.

and as they

The

scab

is

much harder than

From

the

of Vaccine Inoctclation.

figure,

1807.

HUMAN

and other properties preserved throughout the

colour,

Adams

whole progress,

called this variety the pearl sort.

on Small Pox inoculation,

the chapters

In

SAiALL FOX.

drawn attention not only

but

inoculation,

also

employment

the

followed

the

to

methods of

various

the

to

which

results

different

of

have

of

virus

different

strengths.

had

Inoculators

not

advisable

by experience

learnt

take

to

from

matter

tliat

it

was

confluent

the

Small Pox, as a severe attack would probably follow

and, therefore, in the directions given,

recommended

still

milder,

because

with

variolous

inoculate

to

was

said

practice,

have been

to

it

is

of Small Pox should

sort

In the hands of the Suttons, inoculation

alone be used.

became

mild

that

were always careful

they

lyinph

more

and

successful

arm

to

results,
"

By

for

Pox, and
a

time,

Adams

arm.

which

matter

with

Small

variety was,

his

early

probable that the success largely depended

Inoculations

very mild

Sutton

as
in

upon the accidental circumstance of having

his

constantly

is

It

will

from an

started

first

outbreak

of a

the mild

character of this

successfully

propagated from

obtained

relate

In

continuing with great caution

still

his
to

more

striking-

own words.

inoculate at the hospital

from pearl Small Pox, and afterwards by selecting those arms

which had the most appearance of

in

Cow

Pox,

we

at last

succeeded

procuring a succession of arms so nearly resembling the vaccine,

that an

universal

suspicion
'

prevailed

Adams, he.

among

cit., p. 27.

the

parents, that

PLATE VU.

(0

rtK
day
YW^

^^^Trt*^

X^ iy

XVIfi^d?

w
COW

POX.

XX^ciay.

SMALL

POX.

(Ballhorn and Stkomevkr).

Zjirjxf-.ir^&AuriS-nJ

'

'

VA CCINE L YMPH. "

289

they were deceived by the substitution of one for the other.

will

be readily understood by the following register

" Register

"August

I.

William Croft was inoculated, with several

14th, 1805,

who had

from a subject

others,

This

casual Small Pox.

was

diarrhoea three days after he

Croft had

inoculated, a circumstance

in

children often favourable for the future disease.

"

On

the 3rd day, the insertion appeared elevated.

" 6th, a vesicle.

" 8th, the vesicle spread.

"

appearance with

0th, has a vaccine

fe/er.

" 13th, one hundred and fifty pustules appeared which passed

through

regularly

happens
"

shortened,

Rogers was inoculated 26th August, from

Only one took

The

eftect,

which

had been

child

ascertain whether

was produced by
"

somewhat

stages,

their

as

often

in inoculation.

Mary Ann

Croft, in

two

places.

w^as perfectly vaccine in all its stages.

previously

so

ill,

that

it

was

difficult to

any or what degree of constitutional disorder

the inoculation.

Dobins, having

been previously inoculated from

Croft w^ithout effect, was,

"September 2nd, inoculated from Rogers.

vaccine in
"
"

"

and
"

On

all

its

stages.

same day, were inoculated from Rogers

the

His arm was vaccine

Richard Jude.

I.

On the
fifty
II.

13th day, as the arm

was

dried

in ever}- stage.

drying, appeared one hundred

variolous pustules.

Arm

Eleanor Watts.

vaccine.

" Pustules appeared on the iith

"On

The arm proved

the

13th, five

da}-,

hundred were counted;

all

maturated, hut

earl}-.

" III.

Elizabeth Gray.

Iler

arm

regularl}' vaccine to the 8th

day.

"On

the

inoculation

loth, appeared

stationar}-,

was repeated from Edward

in

consequence of which

Christian's arm,

who had

been inoculated twelve days.

"

2th day, the arm

VOL.

I.

first

inoculated retains

its

vaccine appearance,

19

HUMAN SMALL

290

POX.

though somewhat jagged with elevations round the

had fever the day before, and pustules

" 13th, the

arm

all

The

yellow.

is

night.

inoculation dry; the second contains a 3'ellow

first

lymph with

crystalline

She

vesicle.

appeared on the body.

retains its circumscription, but

fever considerable

"14th, the

first

areola.

Has upwards

of

sixty

small

circumscribed pustules.
" 15th,

arms drying, pustules suppurating.

" 19th, pustules drying.

" 22nd, scabbed.

" IV.

Thomas Dyson.

His arm was perfectly vaccine

in all its

stages.

" lOth day, a few pustules appeared

had been

sick on the 9th

evening.
"
"

From Dobins, seven were

" Five

and
"

arm drying.

2th day, the

had no eruption

of these
all

the stages,

a perfectly vaccine appearance on the arm, areola,

scab, with

on the
cation

inoculated

the arms were vaccine in

appearance of the scab.

in the

One had

brown

and

one hundred variolous pustules, which appeared

2th day, and began to dry on the i6th

was not completed

till

the 29th,

when

but the desic-

the appearance

was

horny.
"

The

other had a vaccine arm somewhat irregular, with fever,

but no pustules.
"

From

"Of

the

these,

last,

were inoculated

four.

two had vaccine arms, perfect

in all their stages,

and

without pustules.
"

One had

the vaccine vesicle regular, excepting that the edges

sloped in such a manner,

apex.

The

that the base

top was, however,

flat,

was broader than

the

and the whole appearance such

as occasionally occurs in the genuine vaccine.

"The

other had small pustules, which dried, as well as the place

of insertion, by the 15 th.

" Elizabeth Gray, we have observed, had pustules.

Two were

inoculated from her arm, and two from her pustules.

"

The two from

the

arm had the legitimate vaccine appearance.

" One, from the pustules, had fever with general efflorescence.

VACCINE LYMPH

"

"The
areola

had

other

symptoms of vaccination, with the

the vesicle became yellow before it

the

all

but the contents of

291

dried.
" It

unnecessary, in this place, to pursue this register any

is

Suffice

further.

suspicious

with

so great

her

lest

Cow Pox

the

say that the enemies to vaccination, about

to

it

excited

time,

this

and

clamour that every mother was

should

child

even

be

clandestinely

those

who saw

inoculated

matter taken

from secondary pustules, and applied to the arm, were scarcely

unless

satisfied

Small

of

own

their

Pox.

children

Reflecting,

had unequivocal symptoms

therefore,

an event of

that

this

kind must either occur again, or be unsatisfactory from being

unsupported, w^e contented ourselves with the record preserved in

register, waiting

the

till

it

should be explained

b}^

subsequent

occurrences.
" This

is

we have been

not the only time that

interrupted in

our attempt to perpetuate a favourable Small Pox.

it

was urged

Pox, the

to the

that before the

parents,

of

inoculation

Pox was

Small

the

For though

sometimes only

followed by a pustule at the arm, with the attendant fever

the suspicions of
less

equal to their prejudices

secondary pustules

than

expressed

even

many were
their

doubts,

would
the

if

Cow

discovery of

satisfy

eruption

yet

nothing

them,

and some

was

scanty or

disappeared early."

was not

It

found

also,

ters of

years afterwards, that Guillon^

vesicle,

with

the

physical

charac-

cultivation.

Thiele,

following

of

manner.

was

allowed

slips

of

'

that

many

the vaccine vesicle, could be raised from Small

Pox by
Dr.

until

glass

to

Kasan.

in

Lymph
remain,

fastened

1839,

from
for

together

succeeded

human
ten

with

The Lo7id(m Medical Repository and Review,

in

Small

days

Po.x

between

wax.
p. 426.

the

'I'he

1827.

HUMAN SMALL

292

virus

ordinary

like

and

marked,

symptoms from

febrile

The

confined

not

Large

and a secondary onset

day,

days.

fourteenth

the

and

milk,

lymph.

much more pronounced, between

of fever,

and

fourth

the

to

third

cow's

vaccine

There were

vesicles resulted.

the

warm

was then diluted with

inoculated

FOX.

to

the eleventh

was

areola

strongly

inoculated

the

place

which was occasionally surrounded by minute secondary

The

vesicles.

was larger and deeper than

scar

usual,

and the edges occasionally sharply defined.

If

watched through ten removes, the vesicles were

found gradually to assume

of the

vaccine

the

all

classical

characters

the

secondary

As soon

vesicle.

as

arm

fever ceased to occur, inoculation from

practised without diluting the

That a

" vaccine

produced direct from human

is

intervention

to say, the

were

Adams and by
had been

and milk

of the

same

"

as

overlooked.

but

designated
could

"

be

was regarded

cow.

But the

obtained

those
far as

The

results

am

by

aware,

production

of a

from a mixture of variolous lymph

was not vaccination

of that term,

vesicle

fact.

Guillon, which, so

entirely

" vaccine vesicle

mild

the

precisely

later,

milk.

Small Pox, without, that

and novel

as an extraordinary

arm was

lymph with cow's

This variety of vaccine lymph was,

lacto-variohne

to

in

the

simply variolation

in

strict

an

meaning
extremely

form.

Precisely

similar

results

were ol3tained by Gassner


"

1801,

in

Pox

VACCINE LYMPHr

who succeeded

=93

reducing the effects of Small

in

virus to the production of "vaccine

vesicles" on

one out of eleven cows which had been inoculated.

The
served

and

phenomena of

ordinary
four

in

similar

children

were

from

inoculated

followed

results

vaccination

cow,

this

seventeen

in

ob-

children

inoculated from them.

In

McMichael

Dr.

1828,

reported

to

the

Royal

in

Egypt,

College of Physicians that several physicians

had succeeded
tion of

raising

in

''

vaccine lymph

"

by inocula-

cows with Small Pox, and that children were

successfully " vaccinated."

In

have

Dr.

1830,

Sonderland,

produced

vaccine

was published

the

in

following introduction

"The
almost

author of

laboured

discover, a

to

Medical Repository, with

will

paper
if

we

which

shall

here

translate

experiment be correct, has

his

was

vaccination
modifications

simply

Cow Pox

first

in

introduced,

Pox

in

by showing
that

the author,

they

that

Cow Pox

in

we don't pretend
if we judge from

to

the

judge

all

are

the cows

man, and may be produced

animal at will by the variolous contagion.

of his facts

Pox, and, as

the pathology of these diseases since

of one another, and

Small

and simple explanation of

against Small

venture to say, the most important discovery

which has been made

is

the

satisfactory

power of

protective

him,

from

infection

succeeded in establishing what physicians have long

announced, we

is

by

to

account of these experiments

without abridgement,

at length

the

the

cows

in

An

human Small Pox.

Barmen, claimed

of

in

that

Of the authenticity
we can say is that

language of Boufleu towards

a respectable practitioner, and a public medical officer."


HUMAN SMALL

294

"'The

mode

simplest and surest

Cow Pox and

Cow Pox

of producing
the

indisputably

proving

the cow, and thus

POX.
in

identity betvv^een

human Small Pox, is

Take a woollen
follow the procedure here laid down.
to
bedcover which has lain on the bed of a Small Pox patient
who has died during the suppurating stage, or is suffering from
contagion of

the

degree, and

considerable

the disease in

imperfectly-ventilated apartment

by the contagion,
fourteenth

it

disease

it

may

and on the fourth or

covered with hard

fifth

skin,

da}^,

lymph.

with

any manner

which

about to be
to the

during

directly

or

otherwise he

impregnated

rolled

Pox,

if

and other parts

an eruption of

Cow

of

which

lymph,

Cow

In

used

pustules

and

Pox,

exactly

for

re-

inoculating

it

is

necessary to observe

inoculated

should

is

that

be exposed in

not

contagious effluvia of the cow-house, either

clothes,

cover,

in

induce the vaccine or protective pock.

will

precaution

person

the

quey

their stalls that

in

udders,

appearance

This

sembles the lymph of genuine

subject,

the

present

will

become

The only

and

cloth,

of a

and be seized with fever

sick

fall

well-known

human

back

the

such manner

in

which assume the

the

a linen

in

it

upwards and be inhaled by them.

rise

a few days the animal will

filled

wrap

the

or

hours on the backs of each of three other

for twenty-four

exhalation

death

cannot be thrown off by the animal, then

quays, and afterwards hang

its

well penetrated

is

it

immediately after

twenty-four hours on

such manner that

lying in a small

is

when

and,

up

it

of the

da}^

then spread for

place

roll

that of

of

intervention

the

may have

with

up and wrapped

linen,

experimentalist's

Pox.

contagion,

variolous

the

in

the

Small

natural

and afterwards

in

if

bedfirmly

paper, and

then properly packed in a bucket, will retain the contagion for

at least

two years, so as

vided

can be kept in a cool

it

does not
"
'

My

fall

under thirty-two, or above

present occupations prevent

from giving a

full

and

this

shortly in the aphoristic form

*

I.

This discovery

me

fifty-two, degrees.
at this particular period

scientific exposition of the

which must follow from

"

cow with Cow Pox, proshady place, where the temperature

to infect the

is

new;

discovery,

but

consequences

may

state

them

for,

although

many have

suspected

"

VACCINE LYAIPHr

"

the identit}- of Small

Pox

in

in

both,

yet no one has

previously ascertained

contagion to the

transmitting the

as to decide the question

'

The

2.

Cow Pox
than

in

t!ie

cow, and

cow

the

possibility

of

the gaseous form so

in

doubt.

all

and governments

discover

to

cows, in order to revive the vaccine lymph

fulfilled

beyond

desire of physicians

in

Cow Pox
"

man and Cow Pox

consequence performed inoculation with the matter of

have

"

295

is

more

by the discovery of a simple method of engendering

cow

into the

at will.

Jenner's discovery of the protective power of vaccination

3.

imperfect,

hitherto

now

is

unknown nature and

because

perfected,

origin of

Cow Pox

the

previously

are laid open.

"'4. All previous uncertainty regarding the quality of vaccine

matter,
the

its

degeneration, the loss of

must now

like,

insight into the nature of

its

because

cease,

Cow

protective property, and

we have

obtained a clear

Pox, and can lay

down

a sub-

stantial theory of its operation.

"

This discovery must tend

5.

'

to

widen the boundaries of

physiology, pathology, and therapeutics, since

subtle contagion of Small

of

man

may

Pox was

shows how the

it

nervous system

hostile to the

be conveyed in the aeriform state from him to the

cow, and excite

in that

animal a similar disease

but in doing so,

be changed by the special constitution of this class of animal into

a permanent contagion of a different kind.

An

" '6.

how

instructive lesson ma}^ be

drawn from

the poison of diseases in the gaseous form

this discovery,

may

be

commu-

nicated to the lower animals, and according to the difference in

their constitution,

engender diversified products which may then

be used as protective means against the diseases from which they

Such, for example,

originated.
scarlet fever,

"'

It

7.

is

men

be subsequently proved of

measles, yellow fever, and plague.

now

clear

seldom or never seen

arises

may

why,

in

the

in

Cow Pox has been

Cow Pox of the cow

recent times.

cow

for the

merely from infection by the variolous exhalations from

recently affected with Small

the cow.

As epidemics

last thirty years,

of Small

Pox and coming

in contact

Pox have been

rare during the

cows could seldom be exposed

have therefore seldom exhibited the disease.'

to infection,

with

and

HUMAN SMALL
Although attempts
periments

failed

hands of Ceely

Macpherson and Lamb

and

Dr. Sonderland's ex-

to confirm

the

in

POX.

and

India,

in

England,

in

Alfort,

at

Weimar, Bergen, Dresden, Kasan, Utrecht, and

Berlin,

Stockholm on the Continent

were accepted

of the theory, the popular

support

in

nevertheless, his aphorisms

Cow Pox

is

Small

Pox, modified by transmission through the cow.

Had

of the present

doctrine

day,

that

Dr. Sonderland and his followers been acquainted with

Cow

the characters of the natural

appreciated

the

a vesicle with the physical

that

fact

Pox, and had they

characters of the vaccine vesicle, could be produced on

human

the

by management of variolous lymph

subject,

without the intervention of the cow, they could hardly

have come to

such a conclusion.

owing

explanation

the

to

power of

protective

led

complete

to

It

doctrine,

this

of the alleged

afforded

it

Cow Pox

a most seductive one.

But

Pox, was

against Small

was very widely accepted, and

misinterpretation

of the

successful

variolation experiments which followed.

Dr. Thiele

cows
in

with

variolous

producing

of

the

stock

made a number

vaccine

of lymph,

of attempts to inoculate
and,

virus,

with

vesicle

P'rom

vesicle.

which

the

at

the

last,

succeeded

physical

characters

at

he

this

time

of

raised

his

publica-

tion

had passed through seventy-five generations, and

had

been

thousand

used

for

individuals.

the

" vaccination "

Thiele

of over three

succeeded

in

confirm-

"

iiig

his

of

selectinty

He

results.

first

the

pink

insisted

iii)on

Cows

from

animals.

skins,

(5

necessity

four

six

to

exposed

to

alone employed, and

proper

temperature

R-)-

Dr.

Before

Mr.

were

published

of Aylesbury,

impressed

experiments

Thiele's

country,

this

in

were

animals

the

The udder was

were preferred.

shaved, and variolous lymph was

the

29;

had recently calved, and those with

years old, which

delicate

VACCINE LYMPHr

Ceely

with Dr. Sonderland 's seventh aphorism, and influenced

by

tJie

strong presumptive evidence of Baron that Small

Pox had been common

to test the validity

Attempts to
the

sheets

without

and blankets of Small

Ceely

In order to avoid

assistant,

Small

brutes, determined

cows by enveloping them with

infect

result.

the

men and

of Dr. Sonderland's experiments.

proceeded to try the

took

to

nevertheless

effect
all

Pox

Pox

patients

were

and

persevered,

of variolous inoculation.

sources of error, Ceely himself

virus

in

the

presence

of

his

Mr. Taylor, on points that could never have

been used before, as they were the teeth of a large

comb
in

new

cut

for the purpose.

one side of the vulva of a

One

also collected

This lymph was inoculated on

capillary tubes.

on the other.

Lymph was

heifer,

and

Cow Pox lymph

of the variolous punctures deve-

loped into an enormous vesicle, very unlike an ordinary

vaccine vesicle.

succeeded

in

There can be no doubt

raising

variolous

vesicle.

that

But

Ceely
it

is

HUMAN SMALL

298

commonly

very

supposed

from the lancets

origin,

POX.
have

to

had

vaccinal

having been mixed,

the

or

vaccine transferred to the opposite side by the animal's

tail.

The

was

of this vesicle

character

variolous

borne out by the result of the accidental

fully

inoculation

of his assistant.

"

My

used

Mr. Taylor,

assistant,

whom

to

opening the variolous vesicle

in

the tenth day, while

had entrusted the lancet

in the first experiment,

was engaged

in

the

on

tedious process of

own hand,

charging points thereform, punctured the skin of his

between the thumb and forefinger, with the instrument while

moist with lymph, a circumstance with which at the time

On

unacquainted.
attention

to

fourth

the

on the

a hard, deep red, papular elevation

and

stating the cause,

at the

w^as

day afterwards, he directed

same time assuring me

my
spot,

that he

had

been vaccinated in infancy, and had subsequently had modified

Small Pox.

On

the

day, there

fifth

was a papulo-vesicular eleva-

surrounded with a dark red areola, and much uneasiness

tion,

in the part.

In the evening, headache and other febrile

appeared, with
other parts.

roseola

On

and

fiery red

the sixth day, a

more

diff"used

and

suri'ounded the less abrupt elevation, which w'as

fectly vesicular

papulae,

on the

the constitutional

face, neck, trunk,

symptoms

papulse on the

symptoms

face

and

lighter areola

now more

per-

increased, and the

and limbs, exhibited ash-coloured

summits, and, through a lens, appeared to have slight central

depressions.

On

disease had reach

was diminished,

seventh day,

the

acme on the

its

the

vesicle

was manifest that the

The areola
previous day.
it

was more apparent, some of the

papulae presented straw-coloured summits, and the roseola

declining, with an

abatement of the

tion of the tenderness of the axilla.

febrile

On

symptoms, a diminu-

the eighth day,

changes were more obvious, although he was not

ache

the papulae were

was

free

all

these

from head-

more yellow and some were desiccating

VARIOLATION OF THE COW

(CEELY).

VACCINE LYMPHr

"

the

vesicles

were larger but

less

active,

29^

and

the

areola

was

comparatively pale."

Chauveau,
an

also,

Small

of

attack

of opinion

is

and no doubt

Pox,

what

of

Mr. Taylor had

that

this

But

occurred.

is

the

true

interpretation

eyes

were blinded by Sonderland's seventh aphorism.

He

looked upon this giant vesicle as the experimental

Cow Pox

confirmation of the doctrine that

and hence

Pox,

Small

Mr. Taylor's
in

Ceely's

modified

expressed of

was evidently modified vaccine

case, "this

a sanguine

he

opinion

the

is

with

habit,

and

roseola

vesicular

or

vaccine lichen."

lymph from the variolous

Points charged with

" \^accine vesicles "

were used on children.

were pro-

duced with the primary constitutional symptoms

and the secondary,

proportioned

One

character of the areola.

had vomiting

December,

from
Small

havinLT

Pox

in

led

from

suffered

1836,

to

any other

undertake

influence

After

had

with

inquiries

Vol.

ii.,

p.

in

the

view

513 ct seq.

his

lost

by passing through so many

making

of Brighton,

danQ;erous

which impressed

the view " that the old vaccine

roseola, but

case.

Badcock,^

and

suffered severely,

of Ceely, succeeded

He was

cow.

in

Mr.

1840,

quite independently

who

child

slight,

extent

and delirium and extensive

no eruption was observed

In

the

to

vesicle

its

variolating

experiment
attack

ot

mind with
protective

constitutions."
to

raising

HUMAN SMALL

3C0

the

be
the

conclusion
to

from

vaccine

of

stock

fresh

satisfactory

cow with Small Pox

inoculate

month of December 1840, he

young cow. on the

Pox

have been

recorded,

No

virus.

but

There was one well-developed

vesicle

Badcock

lymph

the

for " vaccinating

considerable interest, and

the

Badcock

was

from

able

to

in

fine

was

successful.

on the external

was

it

operation

employed

by

his son.

The

case excited

more than

thirty

members of

"

examined

profession

matter.

of the

details
result

and

way would

inoculated

the

labium,

to

and on the external labium,

teats

with .Small

came

he

cow,

the

only

the

that

POX.

the

In

boy.

repeat

four

years,

upon

experiment

this

upwards of ninety cows, and, from occasional successful

cases, to raise

to the

fresh supplies of " vaccine."

testimonials published

observed,

slight differences

by Badcock, there were

by several physicians, on

comparing the vesicles with those

current vaccine lymph.
variolated

The

37

vesicles

furnished

out

estimated that

for

of 200

400

Badcock

cows

by the

in

experimented upon.
2)Z^

practitioners.

14,000 people

with Badcock's lymph, and

that

produced

Badcock ultimately successfully

were only perfect

lymph

According

himself had

'^^^ these cases

In 1857,

it

was

had been "vaccinated"

subsequently

it

was stated

"vaccinated" upwards of

20,000 individuals.
It

is

quite a mistake to speak of this operation as

vaccination.

This method was simply a modification

LYMPH

VACCIKE

in

which,

the

in

human

for the

been

have

system

Sutton icin

of the

Pox

Small

inoculation,

remove, the cow was substituted

first

subject.

repeat,

with

inoculated

"variola-vaccine"

of

301

lymph

that

have

not.

Badcock's

or

Ceely's

the

in

who

those

all

true

sense

of the word, been vaccinated ; they have not been Coiu

Poxed,

by

verified

This

have been variolated.

but they
the

which

results

have

is

followed

amply
in

tht:

hands of others who have variolated cows, and used

products

the

for

" vaccination."

1836. Dr. ]Martin. of Attleborou^^h, Mass., inocu-

In

cow's udder

the

lated

with

the variolated cow,

inoculating children from

an epidemic of Small Pox with

In

succeeded

attempts,
the

Munich,

Reiter, of

1839,

fatal

cases.

after

fifty

vaccine

similar to

another

into

the

with

cow,

gave

successful

vesicle,

to

rise

all

variolous

when

that case,

in

those obtained by Chauveau.

culated from

unsuccessfijl

The

vesicle.

lymph which had been employed

inoculated

produced

producing a vesicle

in

of the

characters

lymph, and by

variolous

results

child ino-

contracted

Small

Pox.
In

performed
the

one

at

human
of

Small
In

variolation

1847,

the

Berlin,

subject

of the

but

the

resulted

experimental

in

cow

was

|)roducts

successfully

inoculated

reiro-variolisation.

children

died

ot

in

and

confiuent

Pox.
1864. the

Lyons Commission enc(Aintered

similar

HUMAN SMALL

302

disasters.

Chauveau,

made

the

1863

in

of

experiments,

Lyons

Commission,

seventeen

lymph

variolous

classical

the

inoculated

1865,

virulent

his

in

name

POX.

pleine

{en

animals

with

He

actiz'ild).

obtained very small papules, which became insignificant

The

the second remove.

in

inoculated

which
the

into

children

who communicated
In

similar

Pox on

the

child,

Some

of the

precisely

Pox and Cow

The Small Pox

same animal.

the

Small

inoculated

of

another

Chauveau produced

1871,

He

results.

to

mother.

the

to

it

One

Pox.

Pox

Small

transmitted

children died.

Small

of

inoculators

early

Pox,

Small

the results obtained by

course,

its

produced

always

children
in

recalled,

contents of these papules

virus

still

produced Small Pox, and the

Cow Pox

Cow

mixed and inoculated

Pox.

The two

bovines engendered

was obtained

viruses

Cow Pox

children after six

in

autonomy of Cow Pox

Voit,

recently,

other

in

Hamburg, succeeded

He

in

Pox lymph, on
other.

The

the fourth day.

tures, for the

parts of the

variolous

body

part,

words,

the

in

Cow

into

Pox.

station

at

" variola-vaccine."

Pox lymph and Cow

far distant

lymph had been

The Cow Pox

most

Pox

producing

inoculated a calf with Small

result

believes in

vaccination

the

at

in

successive transmis-

impossibility of transforming Small

More

and a similar

Chauveau therefore

sions through the cow.

the

only

virus produced

from each

collected

took feebly

on

the punc-

were abortive, but those which

VACCINE LYMPlir
took

developed,
with

lations

was

fifth

transt^onned

day,

measured

indistinct.

months

and very

old,

vaccine

of

on

the

vation on calves through

ciifference

was

in

the second
the

knee
and

the

front

and

twelfth

nodositcs dissemiites),

the

three

calf,

with the characters

successive

ordinary

vaccine

culti-

lymph

But lymph taken from

in

marked fever

a child,

on the ninth day, swollen glands

on

was

areola

and acute eczema on

day,

sixth

the;

twenty generations, the only

remove produced,
sixth

ij^reyish

day, and

sixth

After

slightly greater activity.

its

after

virus

this

On

scrotum of a

resulted.

vesicles,

the

entirely,

The

fine vesicles,

inocu-

five

round,

uiiihilicated.

millimetres.

six

inoculated

failed

lart^e,

was excised on the

It

contents

not

but

llattened,

into

Of

course.

lymph, tour

\ariolous

\esicle,
it

ordinary

the

303

sixteenth,

which indicated

in

the

the axilla,

eruptions
its

letl:

{pelites

true variolous

character.

The lymph from

lated

on

four

the third

children,

remove of

produced

in

calves, inocuthree,

complications, erysipelas, angina, and pneumonia.

serious

With

lymph of the eighth remove, accidents continued

no deaths occurred.

follow, but happily

opinion

that

vaviola-iaccine)

which

variolous virus

in

cow,

and

that

Chauveau was

eruptions

pustulous

the

resulted

on

a cow, was true

the

nodular

V'oit

Small

exanthem

was

[ptisiules

inoculation

to
ot

dc

of the

Pox of the

described

to be considered as an abortive

by

form.


HUMAN SMALL

304

From
late

mere resemblance which existed between

the

removes of "variola-vaccine" and

Voit

cine,

Pox

Small

misled

by appearances,

Ceely,

and

Small

Pox

The

in

Pox.

appearances

the

lymph, and the tendency,

Pox,

Small

abandoned

use,

its

as

reducing

in

"variola-vaccine"

removes, to pro-

in less early

why

reason

favour, as

in

was

Voit

of a vaccine vesicle.

probably the

is

in

same way

precisely the

true variolous character of the

duce

succeeded

who have succeeded

others
to

Cow

into

ordinary vac-

had

he

that

believed

transforming

has

POX.

am

by M. Layet, of the ordinary spontaneous

Voit

informed

Cow Pox

lymph, from the vaccination station at Rotterdam.

The
was

Cow Pox

doctrine that

adhered

became the

to

with

that,

tected against Small Pox, so

Small
Pox.

Even

were

misled,

acceptable
is

distinguished

and

in

that

interesting

now

meted

out

to

the
it

Chauveau's

1865, thus speaks of

With

horses,

were

in

serosity

local

fact

met

in

as

Small

Pox

it

pro-

Pox, being modified

pathologists

Pox

and

tenacity,

protect

doctrine

to look

Seaton, for example,

"

Cow

must of necessity

Pox,

modified Small

extraordinary

dogma

official

is

was

host

against

and
all

Small

scientists

the

of objections.

more
It

back and see the reception

opposite

his

conclusions.

Handbook of

Dr.

Vaccination,

M. Chauveau's experiments:

taken from one of the cows and one of the

vesicles,

followed by general

varioliform

eruption,

produced on three children, and from these children

"

VACCINE LYMPH

305

These

other variolous inoculations were performed.

results are

regarded by the experimenters as showing that the inoculation

of variola on horses and cows produces a true variolous infection,

and that the organism of these animals

to

lead

at

all

necessarily to the conclusions

to

me

thus drawn.

The

were not

any

by these inoculations

produced

effects

local

therefore incapable of

is

But they do not appear

transforming variola into vaccine.

in

respect greater than those produced by Ceely in cases which he

regarded as failures, nor than the results which followed some

inoculations

variolous

MM. Le

De

Blanc and

And

unsuccessful.

it

MM. Le

Ceely, or

horses

of

Paul,

is

performed

(two)

Blanc and

did, the\^

they had put in

stuff {sic)

De Paul

had,

in

quite inert,

if

Mr.

the cases they

M. Chauveau

might have got from them the same

which had undergone no sort of

stuff

transformation whatever, but which

as in a pouch,

by

which were regarded by them as

not in the least improbable that

describe, dealt with the tumid papules that arose as

and his colleagues

1863

in

had

lain

where

was put

it

only to local irritation,

giving rise

without inducing any sort of general affection or disease."

Chauveau was

l]ut

The

perfectly correct.

eruption

Pox,

which follows inoculation of bovines with Small

whether papular or vesicular,

or

Pox on

Small

ingrafting

lymph

and

Chauveau, Voit,

Badcock,

and

suitable

is

subjects

have known that similar results

through
I,

results

the

by

when

employed,

Adams,

in

suitable

more

And

they

ought to

had

been

obtained

on the human subject by Sutton emd

identical

succeeded

others

were

Ceely,

variolous.

the cow, and

benign vesicle resulted.

less

still

Dimsdale, and

without

transmission

cow.

therefore,

agree

with

Chauveau, with

the

ex-

ception of his statement that the persons so variolated

vol..

I.

20

HUMAN SMALL

w6

must necessarily convey

true

it

by the

this

case,

strain

to

infection.

This

not necessarily the case, as

is

out

lated

POX.

experience

with

spread

of benign

by judicious

variola

by

variolous

selection,

and

is

Badcock's

no tendency

there has been

infection,

lymph

only partly

is

amply borne
lymph.

for

the inocu-

proving

can

completely

be

In

that

cultivated

deprived

of

any infectious properties.

I

CHAPTER

X.

CATTLE PLAGUE AS A SOURCE OF ''VACCINE

LYMPH
Baron

states

between

exist

reference

in

to

Cow Pox and

the

alleged to

affinities

Pox, that

Small

in

no

former instance did historical evidence and remarkable

pathological

phenomena

and

singularly

so

beneficially

throw light on each other.

In this chapter.

propose to inquire

evidence collected

torical

whether his
in

into

by Baron, and

to

the

his-

ascertain

and

literary researches justified his opinion,

what way they affected the practice of vaccination.

Jenner always considered

that

Pox were modifications of the same distemper

Baron,
ours

Pox

an elaborate
but

to justify,

variolcs
train

in

vaccince.

of

thought

to
I

dissertation,
fully

have

as variolse vaccinae.

inoculated

Cow Pox

concluded

that

these

to

not

establish,

already

which led

Cow

Small Pox and

only endeav-

the

doctrine of

pointed

the

the inoculated

similarity

Small

the

out

Jenner to speak of

b>om

and

Cow

of the

Pox.

he

two diseases were derived from


CATJLE PLAGUE.

3o8

a source

became Small Pox,

manifested

Pox might,

form

the

in

itself

therefore,

subject,

through the cow,

of

Cow

Cow

Pox.

be regarded as

sense

this

in

human

the

transmitted

but,

"grease," by

believed that

through

transmission

successive

it

He

common.

in

Small Pox of the cow.

Baron

an

took

of this

establishment

He

doctrine.

had been known

animals,

countries.

different

writers

on

Small

many who had

at

Pox

reasoned

in

this

among

applied

the

The

name Variola.
variolas of

and

treatise,

horned
I

cattle

713 and

occurred

men and

PVascatorius

also

was

then

question

of the lower animals

who

Lancisi,

Bovilla

Peste,

was epidemic

that

made an

of this

history

the

into

quotes

7 14,

in

were

originally the same.

investigation

He
De

numerous

there

In order to elucidate this question, Baron

disease.

in

animals, especially cattle, to which they

essentially

elaborate

and

times,

were

there

so

the lower

described an eruptive, pestilential disease

existing

whether the

the

man and

man,

in

for

different

as

Just

ground

different

Eruptive diseases affecting

way.

were

entirely

asserted
disease

this

cattle
in

his

among

the Papal Territory in

in

and was similar to the outbreak which

Italy nearly

had

Ramazzini described

two centuries

given

description.

this disease,

account of an outbreak
'

in

Baron,

before, of

In

which
1690,

and gave the following

Italy

loc. cit.

in

171

"

"The

VACCINE LYMPH."

309

kind of affection which seemed to have declared exter-

war on

minating
malignant,

whole race

the

and

destructive,

commencing with

rigor,

chills,

of

you

(if

was

oxen,

will)

horripilatio,

evidently

pestilential

fever

succeeded quickly by

pungent, violent heat diffused over the whole body, with frequency
of pulse, and accompanied by great anxiety and heavy panting,

commencement of the

together with stertor, and, in the

stupor and a kind of lethargy

from the mouth and nostrils

a most foetid discharge from the

bowels, and this at times bloody

was altogether destroyed

broke out

over the whole

resembling variolce

and

all,

fifth,

and rumination

or sixth day, pustules

body of the animal, and tubercles

kind and appearance

same manner, about the

the

in

in

loss of appetite

on the

fever, with

a continual flow of stinking matter

death

common

or seventh day

fifth

to
;

very few escaped, and these rather by chance than the efficacy
of any remedies."

Baron

Dr. Layard
*'

The

from

quotes

also

in the PhilosopJiical

disease

variolous kind

among horned
it

bears

Transactions for

cattle is

780.

an eruptive fever of the

the characteristic symptoms,

all

by

account published

the

crisis

and event of the Small Pox ; and whether received by contagion,

or by inoculation, has the

mination, except
distinctive

same appearance,

more favourable by

and with

According

to

the

several

prejudices

it

a second time.

of different

countries,

various opinions have arisen of the nature of this sickness.

as are averse to inoculation, have obstinately refused to

ledge

have

it

this

and decisive property, that a beast once having had

the sickness, naturally or artificially, never has

"

and deter-

stages,

inoculation,

was

similar to the Small

ver}- idly asserted, that the

Pox

in the

human

Such

acknow-

body, and

only intention of declaring this

contagion to be a species of Small Pox, was purposely, and with

no other view than

to

promote inoculation

Others have as positively declared

fever,

owing

pastures.

to a corrupted

it

for the

Small Pox.

to be a pestilential putrid

atmosphere, and arising from infected

But unfortunately

for the supporters of this opinion,

while the contagious distemper

raged with the utmost violence

CATTLE PLAGUE.

310

on the coasts of Friesland, North and South Holland, Zealand,

and Flanders there was not the least appearance of it on the
English coast, from the North Foreland to the

H umber,

although

the coast and climate are the same."

This destructive disease, so graphically described by

appears

Layard,

Dr.

England

been imported from Holland.

argument
"
is

When

now,

in his

animals

was of

it

have

to

continue Baron's

no

therefore,

trials,

man

the latter point

fully established

demonstrate the former have

it

were made

to

could be communicated to
of the Variolae Vaccinae

and although attempts

have been more successful.

unlocked

and

to

hands of some, other

failed in the

investigators

at first

importance than

less

between the diseases of man

The discovery

the brute, or vice versa.

for,

said

in

ascertain whether the variolce of

has

may

noticed

own words.

Dr. Layard wrote,

inferior

first

was

it

to illustrate the connection

and the

been

1745, and

year

the

in

have

to

...

It

was

quite

almost an incredible thing that a disorder

immediately derived from one of our domestic animals should

exert an influence so
frame.

But

and

beasts,

to

if it

powerful and so beneficial on the

should appear that the disease incident

had one common

origin,

close and well-defined, may be traced

and progress, we
logical facts

"

shall

subsequent history

have obtained evidence to explain patho-

From what has been adduced,

common

been known from the

and that an analogy,

in their

which are of the utmost value

eruptive disease,

human
to man

to

it is

to

mankind.

clear that a fatal, pestilential,

man and

the inferior animals, has

earliest period of authentic history

the same, or at least a disease

somewhat

similar,

that

continues to

exist in various regions of the earth, often attended with great

That

mortality.

it

appears to have undergone various modifica-

tions in respect to virulence, and to be susceptible, by artificial

communication, of
" Should
illustrate

it

rest

still

greater modifications.

appear that the views which

upon a

solid foundation,

have attempted

they will tend,

to

would


'

VA CCINE L YMFH:

'

311

hope, to give a stability to the practice of vaccine

They

which was not formerly experienced.

how

as

cows or oxen

peculiar only to one variety, but

among many.

that

elsewhere
sheep,

as

countries.

"As

unquestionably has

been

or that the disease should

make

the

it

should be found
in

this

in

country and

appearance among

its

existence of the Variolae Vaccinae in the dairies

think there

for believing that the disease, as

by Dr. Jenner

Gloucestershire,

in

was the

remains of the more general or epizootic disease

local

which prevailed

of

have been of very long duration,

to

good ground

is

noticed

originally

not a poison

England would seem not

endemic or

be subject to

is

reported to do in Persia, and in goats in other

is

it

explain

will not, therefore, excite surprise, that matter

It

as

the horse,

it

inoculation
also

may be found and propagated

capable of producing the genuine pustules

may

sheep and horses or any other animals

disease as well

the

will

man}' parts of the island at the period

in

when

Dr. Layard wrote."

Baron was Chairman of the Vaccination Committee

of the

views are araln

order

make

to

Cow Pox

horse's

heel.

Baron says

had

been

established

that matter from the horse

in

appearance

fact,

the

the

doctrine as substantially true.

this
It

the

though
diseases,

to
it

the

proved

did

by

these

and there was

no

Cozu Small Pox.

as

agree,

to

some

origin of

Cow Pox

he

regarded

that

He

considered that

evidence

unquestionable

his

vesicle

but,

opinion the

not establish the

originating in the horse.

report

produced a vesicle similar

vaccine
In

its

account

this

extent, with Jenner's belief in

from

in

forward,

brousfht

hesitation In speaking of

In

and

Association,

British

fact

that

this

Identity of

of their both

CATTLE PLAGUE.
" It

seems certain that there

communicable

a disorder

are,

at

and the goat

horse, the cow, the sheep,

four animals

least,

which

the

are affected with

man, and capable of securing him

to

from a malignant form of the same disease."

The

Cow Pox

but cattle-plague, and

which

views

into

initial

nosological

shall

disastrous

shall

outbreak

of

Layard, commenced

lent

and

765.

In

fatal as to

.speech at the

had

disease

on

pass

in

England

Pox.

to

describe

to

the

it

of

was again so preva-

the analogy as very close.

the

human Small
this

view was

by Murchison,^ who

fegarded

times

to

and

recognised,

in his

January 1770.

in

cattle-plague

more recent

Dr.

did not reappear until the

769, the disease

long; been

is

by

1745, and died out at

in

in

'

has no

referred

described

opening of Parliament,

Small 'Pox;

it

India.

endorsed

that

Small Pox

be referred to by George III.

The resemblance
Pox

who

Cow

with

cattle-plague,

the end of twelve years

summer of

Jenner,

which followed the reception of the

results

variolce vaccines theory in

The

by

perfectly true, but

give a brief history of the

by Baron, and then

that

has a close affinity

whatever

connection

or

relation

is

from

Vaccines, or

cattle-plague

human Small Pox

erroneous

totally

arose

drifted,

Variolcz

as

the

committed

error

That

Cow.

of the

had

he

Cow Pox

branded

with

Baron was describing was not

disease which

only acute

He

pointed

out

contagious disease

Re;porf of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Origin

etc., of Cattle Plague, i86(), p. 74, cf scq.

and Nature,


VACCINE LYiMPIir

313

in

man

in

rinderpest also, consists of pustules and scabs, while

such

exist,

may be

the skin of

man and

as

difterences

differences

The

assumes a pustular form.

that

in

eruption

by the

explained

and are not

cattle,

greater than the differences which exist between varieties

human Small Pox.

of

" In both,

the eruption extends

mouth and

of the

Murchison continues

are preceded

nostrils

from the skin to the interior

both,

in

pustules and the scabs

tlie

accompanied by patches of roseola

or

they are occasionally interspersed with petechiae

in both,

and

both,

in

they sometimes leave behind pitted scars and discolorations on

the cutis.

The

Small

of

Pox,

also

those

tion,

and running from the

haematuria,

of

the

Pox

and

mucous

nostrils

viz.,

membranes

of

and

the

lesions

unmodified

inflammation

or

saliva-

albuminuria,

The anatomical

state.'

congestion

pain,

alvine flux,

rinderpest

in

identical,

rinderpest are

lumbar

pyrexia,

viz.,

typhoid

the

organs

internal

are

'

symptoms of

other prominent

Small
of

the

passages and digestive canal,

air

patches of ecchymosis and even gangrene of the stomachs, and

other mucous surfaces, and

dark coloured

...

blood.

In

rinderpest and Small Pox, the duration of the pyrexial stage

an average about eight days.

fensive odour

The

on

In both diseases, a peculiarly of-

exhaled from the body before and after death.

perspiration and other secretions of healthy cattle smell very

from

difterently

how

stand
in

is

both
is

the

the

those

of man, so

we can

that

same disease may generate very

two animals.

It

may

be

mentioned

readil}-

under-

dift'erent

odours

that

medical

correspondent in the country compared the smell of rinderpest

to

that of

human

variola

weeks before he was aware of the

intimate resemblance of the two maladies.

resemble
the

one

facilit}'

The two

diseases

another in their extreme contagiousness, and

with

which

the

poison

is

transmitted

Both diseases can be easily propagated by inoculation, and

both cases the inoculated disease
that

resulting

from

infection.

is

In

milder and less

both

diseases,

in

by fomites.

fatal

there

in

than
is


CATTLE PLAGUE.

314

period of incubation which

is

Vaccinated

infection.

persons

or

there

herds have appeared

entire

midst

been explained, but

supposition

and that the

which individual

This

who have enjoyed

cattle

in

was

than

no

it

that

rinder-

Cow Pox
the

human

that

Cow

and

prevalent

far less

like

simply

Baron,

malignant

of rinderpest

fact that

to

The

Pox.
^

inspector, Uxbridge,

following

dead of

and

the

case

as

in

Inspector,

Henry Hancock, veterinary

superintending the autopsy

cattle

of the History of the Case

Veterinary Surgeon

is

in-

was engaged

recently

the

was produced presenting the

the 3rd December, 1865, Mr.

Ceely, Esq.

subject,

and running the ordinary course, of

reported by Ceely

Notes

was

transmission

a vesicle

subject,

bullock,

had

and he did so principally from the

appearances,

"On

human

however,

Ceely,

cattle-plague

accidental

oculated

the

to

it

was a few years previously, when there

it

rinderpest.

maintained

on the

Pock."

theory

human Small Pox was

fact,

in 1866,

'

for

was simply bovine Small Pox might be objected

communicated Small Pox

that,

the

in

has never

on the ground that there was no proof that

to,

of

lives

fact

immunity from

the

Cow

Murchison admitted, that the

in

last

cattle

was the equivalent of Small Pox,

had previously suffered from ordinary

pest

charmed

lead

to

to

to rinder-

would be readily accounted

it

rinderpest

that

exposed

constantly

in

surrounding pestilence.

of

been received by

and with regard

numerous instances

are

the poison has been

has

it

are

Small Pox poison with impunity

pest,

when

shorter

by inoculation than when

introduced

His

plague.

of Mr.

Henry

Uxbridge, drawn

\_Reporf of the Commissioners, loc

cit, p.

79.]

up

assistant,

Ha)icock,

by Robert

VACCINE LYMPH
who was performing
the skin from

the operation, while occupied

was disregarded

slight,

days

was

felt

afterwards,

small,

when

At

that

time

On

the

ne.Kt

the

5th

were

there

from

upon

the

slightly

The

On

the

as
8th,

hard pimple

elevated,

This gradually

of

the

puncture,

the

slight

from

4th

from the receipt of the puncture,

loth

and the

2nd

from

vesiculation,

he

Mr. Rayner, of Uxbridge, who, on seeing

had been handling the udder

the patient

if

vesicle

symptoms.

constitutional

Cow Pock

of a cow, for that he could recognise a

9th day.

but was washed

of the puncture.

but

papulation,

his friend

the hand, inquired

The puncture

knife.

time,

enlargement became distinctly vesicular.

the

day,

site

day

9th

the

till

papulation,

called

and seen on the

advanced

the back of

and thought of no more.

soon as practicable,
five

the

at

removing

in

the scrotum, accidentally punctured

Mr. Hancock's hand with the point of the

being

315

vesicle of the

was then distended with limpid lymph,

its

margin elevated and rather brown, centre depressed and rather

was surrounded with

brown, and

large

red

bright

areola.

There was then considerable tumefaction extending from

knuckles above

was

much

headache,

etc.

all

of

and

back

the

in

At the end of

had extended as

areola

8th December,

accelerated

severe

limbs,

days

fifteen

far

after

as

the

there

distracting

which symptoms continued

during the two following days.

diffused

was

the pulse, naturally slow,

pain

the

were con-

vessels

They, and the axillary glands, were tender

siderably inflamed.

and painful

The absorbent

the wrist.

to

increase

that

time the

On

elbow.

the

the puncture, and ten da3's

was seen

London by

Drs.

Klein

and Murchison, and Professors Spooner and Simmonds.

The

after papulation, the patient

local

inflammation and the constitutional symptoms had partially

The

subsided.
fluid,

contained

vesicle

and there were present

vaccine

vesicle.

by Mr. Hancock
Uxbridge
different

The above
and

on the 20th
phases of the

Mr.

on

the

Variola;

all

rather

particulars

Rayner on

vaccine
III.,

Vaccina:,

turbid

brownish

the indications of a declining

December, and

milker (depicted in Plates

tions

in

vesicle

were detailed

my
on
on

visit

my
the

to

them

to

exhibiting

hand

me
at

the

of the

IV., and V., in Further Observa-

Transactions

of

the

Provincial

CATTLE PLAGUE.

;i6

Medical and Surgical Association,

recognised

mediately

correspondence

exact

On

those which occurred on his hand.

observed

manifest

many

but

The

it.

was depressed

days poulticed,

margin,

its

near

redness

declining

back

the

of the

elbow, with some patches here and there

hand, as far as the

of

20th,

13th of papulation,

on

oedema

declining

with

December

this day,

being the l8th of the puncturation and the

I

Hancock im-

Mr.

x.)/

vol.

the

there

on a

raised

still

certainly exhibited the appearances

which had been

vesicle,
in the

puckered at

centre,

palpably

firm

basis.

It

have often seen at a corre-

sponding stage of the loose vascular skin on the back of the

hand

milkers

of

vesicle

referred

The

to.

of

was

2)^

fig.

fortified

The

of

decline,

its

corresponding

all

appearance of

appearance

the tardy and gradual papulation

puncture,

period

the

with vaccinia.

and vesiculation,

to

excluding

all

doubt as

Murchison.
the

in

describing this

same account, with a few

different

from

wound,

but

vaccination.

the

'

time with a

case,

cow
that

view

to

gives practically

entire

of

an

ordinary

those

upon
case,

his

arm.

Murchison

Vide Plates XIII., XIV.

poisoned

observed

after

Hancock

and had one good

infancy,

in

The

were very

history,

Murchison observed that Mr.

mark

the

regret

additional details.

with

coincided

upon the

further

the

results

been vaccinated

vaccination

b}'

to its actual character."

appearances, as well as

had

the proper

at

and

phenomena

those

could not, however, but

lymph was not abstracted

the

after

progre^^s, extent

resulting from the casual inoculation of the milker

affected

similar

work above

the

a consideration of the

b}'

late

the period of the advent of the areola,

Pox.

in

drawn from

development.

its

Cow

casual

V.,

conclusion

the vesicle at this time

history

with

aftected

have depicted (Plate

In

commenting

pointed

Plate XIV.,

out

fig. i.

that


VACCINE LYMPIir

"

iherc

was no evidence of

Pox,

being transmitted

attributed

ease from
that

species

(jne

human beings have

human beings

in

he

l)ut

transferring

surprising, on

a form

is

man.

to

Small

the

dis-

another, and he considered

to

to

expect

with the virus

of"

the

of Small

not suffered from

unreasonable

not

is

it

hy infection

not

rinderpest

that

Cow

cattle-plague, or

difficulty

was, therefore,

it

tion

to

this

317

it

Pox,

that

but he adds,

that

supposi-

inocuhition

of

rinderpest, unprotected

by vaccination, or by a previous attack of Small Pox,

may, now and then, produce results

India by Messrs. Macpherson.

obtained

in

Furnell,

and those

the

in

man

is

case

of

remarks

Hancock,

j\Ir.

just

adduced not

analoofv
It

but

equivalents,

to

was not unnatural

to

" Successful vaccination

the

these

that

that

they were patho-

very

the

close

Murchison should have

that

as

seemed

prophylactic

that

have

vaccination

this

been

has

run

immunity,

successfully
its

course,

measure.

to confer

cattle plague, for in certain

has proved that

Cattle

out

establish

and they alone, escaped the disease.

ever,

in

prove the identity of

supplementary report we read

from the

Pox

between the two diseases.

recommended vaccination
In a

country

Small

as

those

Brown, and
this

in

pointing

rinderpest and variola, or even

logical

to

great difficulty back to cows.

by

concluded

were

observed

recently

transmitted with

Murchison

similar

temporary immunity

herds the vaccinated

Further experience,
if

real,

is

vaccinated,

when

cattle,

how-

very transient.

and

brought

in
in

which
contact

CATTLE PLAGUE.

3i8

with animals suffering from cattle plague, or

when

inoculated with

the virus of cattle plague, have contracted the disease and died
of

The obvious

it.

inference

analogy between the

former disease,

by

fluenced

that notwithstanding the close

is,

human Small Pox, the

Small Pox of sheep, is unin-

plague and

cattle

the so-called

like

ordinar}' vaccinia, and,

like

therefore,

it

probability a distinct species of disease from

now^ pass on to describe the consequences

will

in

is

all

human Small Pox."

in

of Jenner and Baron's teaching that tne terms

India,

Cow Pox
The

Cow

and

vSmall

Pox

are interchangeable.

Bengal were long subject to a malig-

cattle in

nant disease, which the natives designated by the same

term as human variola

When

medical

the

men

source of vaccine lymph

an

on

eruption

not

is

it

stock

the

of lymph

udder,

they

called

that

at,

resorted

to

had pustules on the udder, and was

Pox by the

superintendent
" Small
city

'

made

with

and soon

many

1883.

the

will

which
at

most

during the

Pox,

order to raise

in

a disease
called

which

Cow

Small

give

his account

he furnished as

Moorshedabad.
destructive

virulence

months of May, June,

after receiving the

in

July,

Board's instruc-

attempts to introduce the disease in cows

Transactions of the

p. i6q.

report

of vaccination

vicinity

last

Bengal.

the

Pox raged
and

and August
I

in

'

from

cxtenso,

tions,

Cow Small

natives of India.

Mr. Macpherson

the

the

that

1832, a series of inoculations was performed by

In

i7t

heard

India

in

or Gotee.

was a disease of cows with

be wondered

to

Mhata

viz., Biissnnt,

Medical and Physical. Society of Calcutta,

VACCINE LYMPH.''
by exposing them

variolous

to

but

no purpose, although,

to

all

covering

with

tiieni

under the disease, and by

labouring

the blankets of patients

inoculation

contagion,

319

these instances,

in

the animals had very marked feverish symptoms, and

one

in

symptoms were followed by a few small ulcers on the

abdomen, from which two cows were inoculated on the udder
those

and teats

no

but

or constitutional

local

followed

effects

the

operation or experiment.
" Finding

not

could

thus

introduce

young cows inoculated with vaccine

of a
slight

and

fever,

formed on

vesicle

were inoculated, and

lowed by

and

local

the

from which

day,

fifth

both

in

five

made

natives,

On

carry this experiment farther.

to
I

appearance about the

its

or early in September, to which the same

variola in the

human

on the 24th August,

subject

viz.,

was informed

their course

attempt was

among

inquiry

the

on again attempting

that several

one shed

viously, dull

cough, and

regenerate

to

to eighteen or twent}^

and stupid

end of August

cows belonging

the vaccine virus

first affected,

had been,

collected in the

animals had apparently at this time no

for a

from

the

amounting

day or two pre-

mouth and

fifth

fauces.

The

inclination for food, or, at

events, they were unable to satisfy their hunger.

ings seemed to be greatest on the

fever,

Their suffer-

and sixth days, when there

and pustules made their appearance

over the body, especially on the abdomen, which terminated

ulceration, the

course.

hair falling off wherever a pustule

The mouth and

of the disease, being in

which

in all probability

to

they were always seized with distressing

much phlegm

was considerable

as to

consequently determined

The animals which were

original source.

latter

names are given

Bussunt, Mhata or Gotee, and

a native of Moidapore were affected.

all

fol-

learned that the cows in Bengal are subject to a disease

which usually makes

in

was

slight constitutional effects; but the pustules

evidently spurious, consequently no

da3's,

one

In

two children

instances the operation

were elevated and opaque, they had no areola, and ran

in

arm

the

Both cows had

inflammation on the third day.

local

two

had

from

virus taken

on the eighth day.

healthy child

fine

variola

had run

all

in
its

fauces appeared to be the principal seat

some instances one mass of

ulceration,

extended to the stomach and alimentary

CATILE PLAGUE.

320

mouth was very much

In those cases where the

canal.

affected

the animals died apparently from inanition; whereas those cases

in

which the power of mastication, or even of swallowing, was

much more

retained, recovered

rapidly

might have been

than

expected from the previous severe sufferings and reduced state of

The mortality may be calculated at from 15 to 20

From the above description of the disease, the Board
per cent.
will immediately observe that it assumes a much more serious
complexion in this country than we have been taught to believe it
the animals.

does at home.

say taught, because

presume

the lot of few to witness the disease in England

inferred from

it

has fallen to

and

it

must be

and other medical writings on the

Dr. Jenner's

subject that the animal not only continued to secrete milk, but

was used while in this countr}^ the little that is

never made use of, and perhaps owing to this very cir-

that the milk

secreted

is

cumstance the Guallahs or milkers

Cow

Pox, as

is

with

case

the

in India are not affected with

this

of persons in

description

Gloucestershire and other counties in England where the disease

is

most prevalent.

an extraordinary

is

It

fact,

and worthy of

remark, that while the cows were thus affected no case of variola

amongst the natives

in

the village presented

itself,

and although

the people were ordinarily averse from handling or going

amongst the

much

cattle at the time of disease, still they all scouted the

idea of infection, stating they never heard of any one contracting

disease from the cow, consequently they were under no alarm

on

that score.

all

my

In consequence of the extreme jealousy with

inquiries on this

coupled with

my own

subject

which

were watched by the Hindoos,

anxiety to conceal the object in view,

should have found very great difficulty

in

prosecuting

my

investi-

gations had not the disease assumed the character of an epidemic,

all

the cattle in the neighbourhood becoming affected, and amongst

others two belonging to one of

my own

vaccinators.

had them

covered with blankets, leaving merely the udder and teats exposed
to the air.

On

the seventh day two small pustules

made

their

appearance on the teats of one, which dried up on the tenth, and

the crusts were removed on the twelfth day

eleven native children were

were produced or six of

this

from those crusts

No effects whatsoever
number. Two had very slight

inoculated.

VACCINE lymph:'

"

321

inflammation on the arms on the third and

days

fifth

two had

considerable local inflammation and slight heat of surface on the

and seventh days, but no

fifth,

sixth,

there

was marked induration round

child's

arm was

vesicle

was apparent

the ninth day,

slightly inflamed

when

the next day,

was much

which continued

much from

to increase

gratified to find that

was about

subject of this experiment,

The remaining

on the fourth morning, and a

The poor

the characteristics of true vaccine.

all

formed, although

vesicle

the puncture.

five

months

fever for four days, by which he

little

old,

was

till

assumed

it

child, the

and suffered

greatly reduced,

but very soon recovered.

"

Two

most

children were vaccinated

complete success,

severe than

from

have ever observed

patient

this

it

in

was equally

Five

successful,

after

which

no

of satisfN'ing myself that true

was

difficulty

With the
Cow Pox was

view,

how-

introduced,

had two children who had been vaccinated with the fresh

virus inoculated
to

the

with Small Pox, and both were happily found

Another instance of the preservative powers of

be secure.

new lymph deserves

Bazaar

at

Five children in the Gorah

mention.

Berampore were vaccinated, and shortly afterwards were

accidentall}^

exposed

one of those vaccinated was

Many

variola.

and others

in the

surgeon,

and

My

several

had been vaccinated with the

vicinity,

its

Bryce's

to

the slightest degree affected by

in

of residents, both civil and military,

families

and

regenerated virus.
recourse

friend

test

Dr.

Mr.

other

French,
Skipton,

that

since

the

introduction

symptomatic fever has been more

much

greater

proof of which
sented

VOL.

for
I.

confidence
1

in

the

who

invariabl}'

the

superintendent

men,

medical

themselves completely satisfied with the

fying fact

in the

dreadfully, but not

children belonging to His Majesty's 49th Regiment

station

this

by residing

to the variolous contagion

same huts where the disease was raging very

at

the

former instances.

experienced in disseminating the disease.

ever,

with

symptomatic fever was more

the

were vaccinated from those just mentioned, and the

children
result

but

have

result.

of the

It

has

expressed
is

a grati-

new lymph

the

marked, and the natives have

efficacy

of the

operation

in

need merely mention that the number pre-

vaccination within the last three months

has

21

much


CATTLE PLAGUE.

322

exceeded that of any similar period for the previous two years.
Variola has been more or less prevalent in this neighbourhood
the

for

seven

last

and

months,

ravages in several parts of the

now committing dreadful

Many instances are daily
attacking those who have

is

city.

presenting themselves of the disease

been previously

am

credibly informed
to

that

city

Tikadars

scourge.

fallen
reflect

to

such

as

the

annually to regenerate

country, are permitted

this

have

latter

melancholy

is

It

and mercenary beings,

of ignorant

in

of the

several

that

this dreadful

victims

by inoculation, and

either naturally or

affected,

and thereby keep up a continual source of contaAccompanying

gion, by which thousands of lives are sacrificed.
pleasure to send some vaccine crusts, and ivory
I have the
the disease,

since,

from which,

readily

introduced

armed with virus taken two days

points

entertain no doubt,

disease

the

be

will

and should more be required

Calcutta,

be immediately

shall

it

in

supplied."

According to Dr. Duncan Stewart

throughout

distributed

Furnell,^ in

Assam,

virus,

that which

1834.

to

got

fever,

He

followed

by Mr.

wrote as follows

obtain a constant supply of vaccine

Decca

from

been followed by eruptions

much

was

example

in

"Being very anxious

lymph was

this

India.

Macpherson's

Mr.

was much

all

various

at

having

times

over the body, and often with

interested

by the

account

in

the

Transactions of the Medical Society detailing Mr. Macpherson's

success in procuring vaccine
the cow.

I,

therefore, in

lymph from the

September

last

original

endeavoured

source,

to procure

cows

in the

neighbourhood of Silhet were affected with the disease

called

in the

it

same way, and having heard

that several

one that was recovering,

Mhata

or Gotee,

but

had a number of dried scabs over

'

it

Duncan

Stewart.

succeeded

Re;p()i-t

in getting

its

body

on Small Pox in Calcutta,

7'ransactions of the Medical

and Pliysteal

Society

from those
p. 146.

of Calcutta,

p. 453.

VACCINE LYMPH."
scabs

vaccinated

children

four

being ver}' bad at the time

change of

for

and

air,

my

kindly undertook

without

Ere

nated several children, the

bring a cow

Brown

afterwards continued vaccinating from these children

the

In

sion.

vaccine

the

four,

first

them,

from

On my

eighth day.

of

when

my

well

return,

found

in

was again obliged

my

During

health.

all

go

to

Brown

as

state

thought that

On my

On

evening of that

the

eighth

the

day,

and got

of

On

the evening

On

slight.

of the fever, an eruption

and

appeared,

with

covered

four

in

an

oil

few

She was

pocky

eruption

made

scabs

same

source,

to

from

days

that

scaling

the

were brought

On

the

1st

to
I

bowels

the

fever

commencement

was

Pox

Small

completely

Pox

at

its

as natural

i8th

December, with

the

above-mentioned

Before

oft'.

same course

on the

quite well

she

in

dose of calomel

preceding Small

that,

resembling

a most favourable appearance,

one of them.

had

she

affected her

the

at

and on the

better,

native

children

that

vaccinated on the same day as Mrs. Orchard's child,

the

as

teething

slight

the 3rd day, from the

appearance three

its

next morning

confluent point, which ran through the

Small Pox,

appearance,

vaccination,

second,

similar

eruption

return on
so forward

in

progress,

its

which

oil,

of the

was repeated, and followed by

continued but

the

benefit

evening a grain of calomel, and

in the

morning following, some castor

slightly.

in

its

was vaccinated she had

December, it looked much

the ist

slight fever,

from

but

had only been retarded

it

the time the babe

rash.

have been,

should

it

vaccinated Major

found that the vesicle did not appear

the
as

train,

middle of Novem-

Orchard's child on the 23rd of that month.

the 30th,

fair

to Chirra for the

absence, Mr.

most

vaccinated

marked on

until the

and

succes-

in

who were

appeared

also

and continued vaccinating

thought,
ber,

disease

the

vacci-

appeared

vesicle

favourable on the eighth day, and in those

same

at the

trial,

from the cow,

four, direct

first

Chirra

Brown, who

returned to Silhet, Mr.

to try

who would

time offering a reward to any person

having the disease.

health

requesting Mr,

follow up the

duty, to

My

effect.

was recommended

Silhet,

left

323

were

and from

me, and the vesicles having

vaccinated

my own

December, being much

baby from
alarmed on

CATTLE PLAGUE.

324

seeing the eruption on Mrs. Orchard's

boy from

whom

had very

little

brought to
daily

but he had

fever,

on his entire body.

me on

my

the day

few scabs, about twenty

little

none of them had fever

sent for the

and found that he had,

had the three children, who were

also

girl,

little

she was vaccinated,

me

one was vaccinated, with

than one day

for m.ore

two

in

of them a slight eruption, and on the third child there

was not

an eruption of an}^ kind, and the vaccine vesicle in

of them

went through

regular

its

Notwitstanding

course.

all

this

took

every precaution, and on the eighth day of vaccination, slight

my

come on,

fever having

one had a

little

on the following morning some

oil

yet

increased,

fever

the

and

calomel

little

and the dose was repeated on the following evening and the
On the third day of
oil next morning with the desired effect.
the

seventh

from

day,

mouth and

Pox

to support

say,

to

do

any other food

warn

to

after

Mhata

in

The above

my

taking

cow

the

serious

disease

Europe.

And

think
in

it

her

eruption

the

this

but

vaccine

the

it

is

it

to take
to

try

hardly necessary

feel that

from the cow

virus

is

it

right to

the

in

is,

is

diseases

human

will refrain

in

in

climate.

this

much more

decidedly a
the

animal

in

from the above statement that

be seen

will

is

report,

of this country

most dreadful disease, but

taken

the

brethren of the danger that sometimes

the

than
it

the inoculation from

On

was very necessary

it

given with great pain

occurs

but

of

and

face,

her by a nourishing injection, notwithstanding which

and

it,

the

worst form.

its

commencement

the

she sank on the 20th.

is

in

became so sore that she was unable

throat

breast or

the

appeared on

eruption

very thick

fever,

followed the course of Small

subject, followed

by a

from further remarks

necessary to state that such precautions were

trial

that

was almost impossible

it

that

any

admixture of the variolous disease could have been made, as

all

the children mentioned were vaccinated direct from the cow.^

Two

native

houses

'

"

The

vaccinators

of the

first

natives,

four from the

pagated from the

first

were

deputed

and the

third,

cow

in the

vaccinate

to
in

whom

at

the

had great

remainder the lymph was pro-

four children by Mr.

Brown

or myself."

VACCINE LYMPHr
was employed about

confidence,

or

three

healthy

four

known
the

inquiry,

eruption

no

to

left

from

learn

from

by any serious
case,

on

as^

any of the native

that

not one

illness,

those

we have

Neither should

having got

not the slightest pitting followed in either, as the

on

pits

22nd of

since the

ill

cannot

suffered

vaccinated,

any medicine

so

Brown.

vaccinated

not been for the above melancholy

it

strictest

children

be

to

the vaccination had been followed

that

had

result

the station, and brought weekly

subjects

vaccinated by myself or Mr.

325

or

leave Silhet,

Major Orchard's

month

last

that

should have given

child.
I

have been

have been obliged

this

report

earlier.

have within a few days learned that Captain Fisher's suffered

also from a severe eruptive fever after vaccination

from

virus

sent from Silhet.

" In

answer

to

your question

mentioned yesterday that

had

heard from Silhet that young Mr. Tereneau was suffering under

an affection of the kind.

"

give you the words of

yesterday

which
it

my

took for one of the patches of roseola.

'

my

In

To-day, however,

He was

India,

and afterwards

Scotland, and

in

twice vaccinated,
all

right.

suppose that he caught the infection from Mrs. Fisher's

heard of several cases of Small Pox
little

one was vaccinated.

third in the report,

The

was taken

was,

it

was a

appeared.

According
use

of the

to Dr.

scabs

of the diseased
with

water,

inoculated

my

about the 24th of December.

He

when

however,

if

it

did not keep his bed after

a child."

Duncan Stewart, Mr. Brown made

taken

cattle.

and

can only
child.

native vaccinator, designated the

ill

ver}' slight eruption.

He was

first

Silhet about the time

in

His case was mentioned as a case of Small Pox

it

letter

had an eruption

has singularly enough been assuming the identical appearance

which came out on your baby.'

in

correspondent.

mentioned that young Tereneau

from

the

back or

These were reduced

employed

children mentioned above.

for

inoculating

abdomen
to a pulp

the

four

CATTLE PLAGUE.

326

"
'

In

every respect resembling in their

when mature genuine

went

and

ance,

vesicles in

four,

all

progress and

same

the

vaccinia,

regular

made

their appear-

the

constitutional

course,

disturbance on the eighth day only being more severe

have usually seen

"

From

these

than

many

other native children were inoculated, and

no doubts of the genuineness of the lymph were excited

until

two English children were punctured from one of them, and

was then

found

that

was more than suspected

and

many

of the native children,

days

Pox supervened

Small

cases,

this

in the latter.^'"

it

after the operation,

who had

to

it

in both of these

have happened

in

generally dispersed a few

and were not afterwards heard

One

of.

of the English children unhappily died."-

According to Baron,
lations

in

1837, another series of inocu-

was performed by Mr. Macpherson

in

Bengal

with virus from diseased cows, " on which occasion an

complaint

eruptive

produced

"

of the

variolous

true

was

nature

and similar phenomena were observed

Gowalpara by Mr.

Wood

in

" In several of his cases the

1838.

symptoms were so severe

excite apprehension that the disease

was so strongly impressed with

be better to take
for inoculation,

would terminate

this fact, that

human Small Pox

when

at

he thought

rather than

the latter assumes

its

as to

fatally.

Cow

it

He

would

Small Pox

dangerous and

fatal

form."

From
accept

all

them

these
as

independent

correct,

there

observations,

would seem

doubt that cattle-plague virus inoculated

in

if

we

to

be no

the

human

subject will produce a vesicle with the physical characters

Quarterly Journal, Calcutta Medical Society, April 1837

Report on Small Fox in Calcutta, p. 148, by Duncan Stewart, M.D.

1844.


''VACCINE lymph:'

327

of the vaccine vesicle, and succeeded occasionally by an

eruption

which appears

eruption

of cattle-plague.

infectious

to

man

That

cattle-plague

ordinary

the

in

may

proof that the disease

human

have the characters of the

to

sense

no

affords

be cultivated

not

not

is

the

in

subject by inoculation.

But these occurrences had to be explained away,

such

circumstances were

Pox theory of Cow

again

Dr.

to

incompatible with

We

Pox.

Seaton's

all,

and that a stock of

were forthcoming.

"

vaccinations

" vaccine "

Pox

in the

that the

these facts

is

it

were genuine,

and

But he adds

not to be doubted that a case of

cow had been met with

Gotee

"

was established

was afterwards regularly continued.

From

to

with regard to Dr. Macpherson's cases,

Seaton admitted that the

"

turn

to

Handbook of Vaccination

find that ingenious explanations

First of

Small

the

have only

for

but what

the mahgnant disease above

is to

Cow

be doubted

referred to

is

was the

source of this infection."

was

It

evidently

impossible

that a vaccine vesicle could

ment

"

of

somehow

of the difficulty was to

ordinary

way a

case

amidst the epidemic

fact

in

that

these

be produced by

to
"

admit

manage-

But having admitted that a

cattle-plague.

vaccine vesicle had

Seaton

for

of

resulted, the only

suppose

that

in

Cow Pox had

of catde-plague.

way

some

out

extra-

cropped up

Nor does

the

experiments were repeated by Furnell

another part of India, appear

in

the least to have

CATTLE PLAGUE.

328

But while Seaton throws doubt

shaken his opinion.

upon

Gotee

the

as

source

the

"a

admits that the cows had

some kind
eruption

in

the

generalised

lymph,

he

eruption of

and he explains the pustular

or another,"

inoculated

the

of

children

as

the

result

of

an accidental admixture of either inoculated or casual

human
view,

Small

we

Pox.

must,

in

away the independent

Gowalpara,
accounts

of

and

we

some

are

accept

to

similar

experience

reject

inoculated

Mr. Hancock.

If

fashion,

cattle-plague

and
on

explain

Wood,

Mr.

of

Ceely's

Seaton's

of

Murchison's
the

hand

of

CHAPTER

XI.

SHEEP SMALL POX AS A SOURCE OF

VACCINE

"

LYMPH
Sheep Pox,
in

some

is

called

variola

or

Europe.

of

parts

and

claveUe,

la

ovina,

France,

In

in

common

is

has been

Small

Pox,

malignant

there
the

stamped

effectually

are

varieties

discrete

disease

the

It

has

this country,

As

out.

the

vaccuolo.

Italy,

been introduced on several occasions into

but

disease

human

in

benign and

and the confluent.

It

the

is

an

acute febrile disease accompanied by a general vesiculopustular

highly

eruption,

infectious,

and

capable

of

being propagated by inoculation or clavelisation.

It

very closely analogous to

is

and

another result

as

Cow Pox
nation

but

employed

" vaccine

protect

Cow

being

human

ments were

the

"

misleading

Sinall Pox, not

protect

to

lymph

of

human Small Pox,

Sheep Pox,

sheep from

was raised from Sheep Pox

performed

in

Italy,

of

only was vacci-

These

beings from Small Pox.

first

theory

and

to

experi-

have

been

described in detail by Sacco.^

" In

1802,
'

Dr.

Sacco.

Marchelli

communicated

Trattato di Vaccinazione.

p.

to

144.

the

Socicta

1809.

di

SHEEP SMALL POX.

330

Emulazione of Genoa,
the

fact,

Pox

which

to

Pox of sheep might be substituted

that Small

made only

but as he had then

with a view of ascertaining

transmitted

and then

if it

were

harmful when

efficacious or

However, as he has recently

publish the results.

to

Cow

for

a very few experiments,

he undertook to continue his researches,

man,

to

have also the honour to belong,

informed me, he has not been able to do so in consequence of

a long and severe illness from which he has been suffering

which has retarded the publication

this

is

observations which

would have

would have thrown

light

Since

''

my

published

on

this

led

important results,

to

which they are

practical observations,

seventy

subject.

many

years

inoculation

past,

they have been

journeys which
the kingdom,

meeting with

in

through

it

sheep

town,

have not been

to

able,

this

During the many

extending vaccination in

efforts in vain

only succeeded

the State of Naples, at Capua.

in

it

in 1804,

seven

my

redoubled

have suggested

them from the malady

really protected.

made with a view

whether by means of

ascertain

to

and

opportunity of seeing the

Small Pox of these animals in our midst,

for

it

had indeed vaccinated more than

but never having had the

valuable

these

branch of science.

the vaccination of sheep in order to protect

to

of

Passing

saw a peasant who was driving a flock of

as I was obliged to stop in this

to the butcher's

endeavoured

to profit

by the opportunity and

to

gain

information on the subject.

"

Having noticed the miserable and dejected appearance of

these sheep
the

stopped

peasant, and

putting various questions to

after

the

nature

and

character

malady was the true Small Pox of sheep.

told

me

that

fifty-four

that

the

malady was common

sheep

had

they would continue this

in others,

was

and

symptoms which accompanied

eruption and of the

that the

examining

because

the

of the

felt

sure

The peasant
neighbourhood,

been slaughtered, and that

already

method

in

it,

if

treatment, besides

the

malady should develop

being costly and

difficult,

often useless, and exposed the rest of the flock to the con-

tagion of the illness.

I,

with great

care,

collected matter from

the finest vesicles, in small tubes, with the intention of testing

at

the

first

opportunity.

it

'

On

"

same

own

returning to m}^

year,

33

had reached La

was then the

last

place on the frontier of the

in search of

Dr.

Legni.

my

informed

Day

province on Christmas

went as soon as

"

VA CCINE L YAIPH.

'

of the

Cattolica, wliich

kingdom of

my

him of

Italy,

and

design,

make experiments with the matter obtained from the

he kindly seconded my project.
sheep, at Capua
He procured
me six children, who were all inoculated with the matter, which
was still fluid
also inoculated two other infants with true
desire to

vaccine,

order to institute

in

comparison.

then

the

left

neighbourhood,

entrusting

children

above-named physician, who was to inform me

A month later he sent me an exact account of

the

to

of the results.

of

the

inoculated

he had observed, the substance of which was, that the

all

advanced

oculations

the

at

any appreciable

see

to

same matter

with

the

same

success.^

"

Cow

He

Milan than

at

the remains of the matter which

once inoculated four infants with

it,

to find that

virus

it

produced no

from the sheep

continued

several years, and

had no sooner arrived

vaccinate

to

always with the

put to

the test

had brought with me.

but was

upon them

effect

in-

way which

the

Pox, and that he had failed

difterence.
for

stages in

different

usual with the vesicles of

is

examination

the

was then obliged

at

greatly surprised

want of

for

fresh

suspend further

to

experiments.
''In

month of October,

the

1806,

visited

Apennines

the

Extract from the letter of Dr. Mauro Legni, of June 29th, 1808
" Having pointed out its characters, I will now endeavour to sum up
'

all

that

stantially

vesicles

have already written on the Small Pox of sheep;

a course

in every

produced by the

have had but

little

used this matter

for

first

way analogous

to

Cow Pox

it

has sub-

although the

insertions of the original matter appear to

vigour; they were otherwise well formed.

two years, and

have

have inoculated more than three

hundred infants with it, of whom one hundred were at Pesaro, where
Small Pox has since reigned for three consecutive years and where, in
spite of such a prolonged and fatal epidemic, all those inoculated with
;

the sheep virus have been preserved from this fatal distemper, although

they were

in

very close communication with those

by Small Pox."

who were attacked

SHEEP SMALL POX.

with the object of helping the different
of vaccination

practice

my

verifying

general,

and

many

places

In

theory.

by rendering the

districts

means of

found

then

had the opportunity of

and of following

observing this epidemic disease of sheep

it

in all its stages.

"

my

recommenced

researches

neighbourhood

the

in

of

Montemiscoso, by inoculating the same malady in other sheep,

and

and

more

way

as

ascertained that

sheep,

subsequent

object

But,

as

this

ac-

still

contagion

determined to vaccinate

upon them the

of trying

The

Pox.

same

the

spreading the

also

Sheep

of

milder

little

in

man.

in

of

the flock,

in

it

with the

effects

precisely

Pox does

inconvenience

and further diffusing

several

acted

it

producing a milder disease, was

inoculation, although

companied by the

that

Small

inoculated

was only

course

its

and

rapid,

vaccination

ran

its

proper course, and the experiment was successful, for the Sheep

Pox no longer appeared, although the sheep

others

by

which were

this

infected.

had,

associated

with

assured myself

therefore,

had rendered these sheep

experiment, that vaccination

insusceptible of a similar malady.

"

As

the

disease with
I

ovine

was induced

a lamb

in

with vaccine.
all

that

some years

be very

to

one arm with the ovine

I

had on

Dr.

this

gave

sheep,

in

ill

virus,

rise

fully

two others were

and

in the other

occasion the satisfaction of seeing

Legni had written to me, from La Cattolica

before, of

the results of

inoculation

the

Of

confirmed.

the

first

three

children

with the sheep virus, two had one vesicle each

children,

which

place,

inoculated

of the second

one had only one vesicle on each arm, and the other

had two, but only of the

Cow

The

Pox.

developed were so similar, that

if

which had

vesicles

had not made a mark

remind myself on which arms

had inoculated the

and on which the Sheep Pox,

could

one from the other.

with

vims taken from

had made with Sheep Pox, whilst passing through that

was

to

and benign,

regular, constant,

infants with

to inoculate three

which did not appear

inoculated

that

inoculated

virus,

symptoms which were

human Small

not have

few days after desiccation

Pox, the two children in

whom

Cow

to

Pox,

distinguished
I

inoculated

the virus of the

'

VA CCINE L YMPH.
had

sheep

been completely successful,

'

7,11

no

but

effects,

either

general or local, resulted.

my

"Continuing

journey by Fosdinovo and AuUa,

had the

opportunity of seeing the same sheep disease in various places,

my

and of continuing
"

observations.

inoculated several persons at Fosdinovo, amongst others

the sons of Cancelliere Uccelli

near

matter.

and

made in Barbarasco
inoculated a cow with the same
observed the course of those made at Fosdinovo,
the ordinary vesicle was similar to that of Cow Pox.
where

Aulla,

in

all,

others were

also

Barbarasco cases to be observed by Dr. Magnani,

an accomplished surgeon at Aulla, who sent me, eventually, an
I

left

the

exact account of them.^

" Proceeding

Lucca,

to

used

the

same virus

inoculate

to

various people, and continued to vaccinate also in other places,

always renewing the matter which had been originally taken from

'

Account sent by Doctor Antonio

Sacco,

latter

conveyed

"

I.

On

in

memorandum

and nth

8th

your

in

list

of

of the month,

whom you had

four children

designated

Magnani

Director-General of Vaccination,

Luigi

December
I

went

to

of Aulla, to

Professor

the request of the

at

1806

9th,

Barbarasco

to

see the

inoculated with virus from the sheep, and

as Nos.

13,

14,

15,

and

16,

saw only two

of

them, who had contracted the malady, namel}^ the brothers Gioacchino

and Domenico Biondi

the former had two very beautiful vesicles on
each arm, and the latter had only a single one on the right arm. After
;

a very careful examination,

like those of true

Cow

found that the vesicles on both boys were

Pox, surrounded

b)^

a red circle

further observed

was different to that of true Cow Pox,

that is to say that on the eighth day it was of a yellowish colour and
on this same day I noticed, moreover, that the vesicles already began
to form a crust, and this was of a colour which tended to yellow.
that the matter in both cases

"

2.

On my

first visit to

these boys

took the virus from their vesicles,

and found it to be serous, of a yellowish colour, and not at all limpid.

in both cases two
With this matter I inoculated two other persons
vesicles on each arm appeared on the seventh day, filled with limpid
matter, and I afterwards obser\'ed that these vesicles ran their course
in the same manner as those of vaccinated persons.
;

"3. However, the matter from these vesicles having been taken on the
seventh day,
of

Tendola

I
I

wished

to inoculate three

more persons

in the

commune

found on visiting them on the eighth day, that they

all

SHEEP SMALL POX.

334

course being always very regular, and

Sheep Pox,

its

constant, as

if it

In

more recent
out

carried

of

had been derived from a genuine

Simmonds,

Marson and

to take

test

Sheep

against

vaccination

Cow Pox

to

the

protective

on sheep, and when an

in

its

human

get

effect

was

when developed

was very unlike the same disease

fullest extent,

the

to

to

difficult

produced, the resulting affection, even

to

pov^er

According

Pox.

was very

it

effect

its

Pox."

experiments were

times, extensive

England

in

Cow

In

subject.

the

sheep,

seldom

it

produced anything more than a small papule, which

resulted

occasionally
vesicle,

or

sometimes,
slight

more

commonly,
very

although

areola.

soon

fell

rarely,

from the

The

leaving no trace behind.

which

surrounded
neither

but a small

minute

of a

pustule,

however,

Generally,

nor pustulation followed

duced, which

formation

the

in

site

was
by

vesication

was pro-

scab

of the puncture,

disease passed

quickly,

and I remarked besides that the

had two vesicles on each arm
humour which they contained was limpid and crystalline.
" 4. On inspection of the cow which you inoculated at several points
with the same matter, I found on the udder a single vesicle, from which
I took matter, which was
yellowish in colour and not limpid, and
used it to inoculate two other boys the first had two vesicles on each
arm, and on the second I found only one, on the left arm
in other
respects the virus contained in the two vesicles was exactly similar to
;

Cow

Pox.

have

vaccinated with

matter

other

and from these again I inoculated others, whom I

soon alter, hoping that they would succeed equally well
the
was, and still is, most successful.

visited

that of true

this

persons,

"AuLLA, January

zqth, 1807."

result

VACCINE LYMPH.''
and irregularly through

several

its

335

and termi-

stages,

nated by the eighth or ninth day, and not unfrequently

Lymph was

even betore that time.

and then only

able,

on

the

The

or

fifth

the smallest quantity, and this

in

day succeeding the vaccination.

sixth

were only

effects

but rarely obtain-

and the animal's health

local,

was not impaired.

Sheep were found

Cow Pox

on subsequent repetition of the inocu-

virus

they were

as

lation

on

on

is

utterly worthless as

Cow Pox

however.

Sheep

and

sheep,

cows

and hence

instance,

first

Pox.

Depaul,

to

characteristically

It

the

against Sheep

According

inoculated

in

Cow Pox was

the conclusion that

a protective

be just as susceptible of the

to

produces

Pox

takes

lymph

" vaccine."

perfect

impossible to say whether these conflicting results

depended upon the

of different

employment

breeds of sheep,

or

experiments

the

in

different

stocks

of

vaccine lymph.

But

experiments

the

Marson

of

which have just been referred

made

ones

on

raising

physical

When

1847,

we

subject,

the

this

Sacco's

of

subject,

in

vesicle

with

vesicle,

and thus

the

" vaccinations."

Small Pox appeared

tried to

vaccine

the

were not the only

Marson succeeded

country.

Jiuman

characters

confirmed

"

in

to,

Simmonds,

and

communicate

and thought we had

in
it,

this

country

in the

by inoculation,

sheep

to the

succeeded in doing

so,

in

human
and the

SHEEP SMALL POX.

336

virus

was

carried on from one to another for several

succession.
only, as

we

The pock produced was very

a bluer tinge, and

thought,

Cow

like

weeks

in

Pox, having

was protective against

Small Pox, as we ascertained by inoculating the patient afterwards

human

with the lymph of

variola

but

we had

unfortunately

used for the original ovination the same lancet instead of having
a

new

one, as

we ought

used for vaccinating

to

have had, that

and although

it

was, as

we had previously
we believe, perfectly

clean and free from vaccine lymph, nevertheless, as the disease

could not be produced again in the

Mr. Ceely of Aylesbury,

who made

lymph of Sheep Pox, or by

human

subject,

repeated

trials

ourselves, the experiment

either

by

with

the

was never

brought before the profession."

The

failures

in

date the successful

failures

to

cows, in no

subsequent attempts do not

experiment, just as

raise a " vaccine vesicle

way disprove

experimenters.

"

by

the

the results of

numerous

variolation of

more fortunate

In both cases, the effects depend

the nature and "

management

"

invali-

of the lymph.

upon

CHAPTER

XII.

GOAT POX AS A SOURCE OF

Goats

are

subject

an

to

eruptive

Pox

alleged to be similar to Small

Valentine and

Dr.

human

subject

an

meeting with
goats

known

doubt,

by

derived

from

and

Cow

Sinall

'}

to

letter

am

Madrid,

at

influenced, no

lymph

proposed
afford

was

employ

to

human beings
Dunning

friend of Mr.

brietiv

these

referring to

"

"

retro-vaccinate the

vaccine

Pox,

source

this

the following

experiments

was pos-

it

Heydeck,

that

protection from Small Pox.

received

that

outbreak of an eruptive disease of

doctrine

the

is

man.

Goat Small Pox, and

as

lymph from

the

in

to

Professor

which

disease,

others proved

the goat and

to vaccinate

sible

VACCINE LYMPHr

"

Madrid, March

gth,

804.

not able to send you, at present, our observation on the

Goat Pock subsequent

yet

finished

for

to the 8th of

the king ordered

the children in the Foundling-house,

June
in

last,

because

September

is

it

last

and those who are

not

that all
in

the

Desam parados should be inoculated with the Goat Pock, which did
its

effects

everything

we
is

are

now employed

finished, shall

'

VOL.

J.

in the contra-proofs,

and

send the whole process to you

Baron,

Inc. cit.

22

after

for the

GOAT SMALL POX.

338

inspection of your medical friends and Dr. Jenner

and as

am

at present on another discovery, not less useful than the Goat Pock,
I

shall give also

an account of

its results in

my

next

letter."

His friend replied:

"

wrote to the Professor about three weeks ago, told him that

had excited very much the attention of the medical

his discovery

England, and more immediately Dr. Jenner's, and urged

world

in

him

forward his further observations with

to

his power,

and that

would transmit them

the expedition in

all

to you."

Mr. Dunning published an account of these experi-

"

Mr. Dunning, he wrote

to

letter

discountenanced

Jenner

but

ments,

the

in the

since your Spanish

Medical and Philosophical Journal.

plain with you, and use the familiarity of a friend,

The paper

not

is

now

before

me

but

we have had no correspondence

believe

paper appeared

In

idea.

if I

do not

recollect right,

To

be

like

it.

it

went

only to prove that goats are subject to spontaneous pustules upon

their nipples

the

that the matter of these pustules

arms of human subjects

there any quadruped that

is

and that

was inserted

produced

it

into

local effects.

Is

Even

not subject to diseased nipples?

the human animal, we know from sad experience, is not exempted.

The cow, like other animals, is subject to a spontaneous pock upon
its teats, the fluid of which, when brought in contact with the

denuded

living fibre, is capable of exciting disease

tively assert, this is not

again from Madrid, do not

about

it.

And

in

"

Do

not

fail

to tell

me what

want

posi-

you hear

a postscript he added
to write soon.

but

the Spaniards say

have already anticipated."

fail

When

one grand preventive.

to

know your

further senti-

ments of the Goat Pox."

have

not

been

able

to

ascertain

whether any

VACCINE LYMPH."
further

experiments were made at the time, or what

became of the stock of goat lymph

effects."

339

Nor have

"

more recent

times.

ditl

its

been able to obtain the history

of similar experiments with any diseases

in

which

of the goat,

CHAPTER
POX AS A SOURCE OF

CO TV

The
the

the disease in the

on the

by

an

teats,

The

cow

to

the Inquiry, was

in

He

Pox.

described

consisting of irregular pus-

as

and

inflammation,

degenerate

were

animals

"

of a palish blue colour, surrounded

erysipelatous

by a tendency

VACCINE LYMPH.

Cow

published account of

first

"

by Jenner

description given

tules

XIII.

phagedenic ulcers.

into

and

indisposed,

characterised

the

secretion

of

milk lessened.

This description

months

few

surgeon
"

in

Gloucester, and published by Mr. Cooke.

which, in process of time, ulcerate, and

extend

over the whole

excruciating pain

and

some

time,

highly

it

that

of

because,
Cooke.

if

this

of

the

disease

teats,
is

if

if

corrosive

matter

but

that

commencing and
not

attended

Contributions

hy 1 liomas Beddoes,

cow's

the

not stopped,

giving

the

cow

suffered to continue

degenerates into ulcers, exuding a malignant

cause he cannot explain

process

surface

this

generally

arises

the incipient stage of the disease, or from

neglect in

'

by Clayton,^ a veterinary

afterwards,

The Cow Pox begins with white specks upon

teats,

for

complete as that given,

not so

is

p.

392.

to,

this disease

terminating
it

would end

to Pliysical aiuf

1799.

some other

has not a

without
in

from

regular

remedy,

mortification

Medical Knowledge collected

,

VACCINE LYMPH.''
the

of

but the

teats,

Cow

probably

are

teats

and

disease,

disease,

that

unless

udder,

at

all

times

by

his

usual

remedies

local

by

to the

in

upon

whole herd,

cow having

the

Cow Pox

is

remedies

local

this

local

that

he

degree to

in the slightest

had ensued, and that he can

Cow Pox

the

swell

but are gradually

all,

strip

itself

mortification

cure

this

Cow Pox

generally

that the

cured

invariably

is

that

this disease first breaks out

would go no farther:

and

or excoriating the

communicated by the milkers

is

never knew this disease extend

the

they

teats,

one person was confined to

it

animal

the

Pox, the teats seldom swell at

one cow,
if

of

irritating

chapped without the

often

chaps of the

In

destroyed by ulceration

but

death

any cause

arise from

succeeding.
the

and

teats,

may

disease

341

he

nine

or

eight

in

that

days,

conversant with the

is

diseases of the horse, and extensively employed, particularly in

curing the Grease

horses with

that

same

the

cure

at

ver}'

certain he

he cannot recollect ever to have had

and

time,

same

the

at

the Grease

as

a name,

because

remedies

infectious disease
in

that

may

it

times

under

Pox,

he

that

Cow

is

Pox,

that he considers

the diseases of

in

cured merely by topical

be

only to

is

it

by

completed

be

he does not consider the Grease an

amongst horses, since greasy horses and horses

perfect health frequently stand in stables together indiscrimi-

nately, without infecting each other

if

having great latitude

sometimes

remedies, and at other

internal

farm

has frequently had cows with the

where no horses whatever have been kept

horses,

Cow

Grease and cows with the

the

the discharge of Grease

state to the heels of a

them, yet

was

to

sound horse,

and although

be applied
it

Pox

to occur,

Mr.

and therefore cannot think

least influence in

John Sims,^

in

probable,

most acrid

that Grease

prevalent in winter, at which time he has never

Grease can have the

it is

its

would inflame and excoriate

would not produce the Grease

it

in

letter

it

known

is

most

the

Cow

at all probable that the

producing the

dated

Cow

Pox."

February 13th,

1799, corroborated the account given by Clayton.

'

^\m?,,

Medical and Physical Journal.

1799.


COW POX.

342

"There

a gentleman of eminence in the law,

is

who has had

Bristol,

the

Cow Pox

inoculated for the Small Pox, had

life for

He

some time was despaired of

living at

and being afterwards

thrice,

abundance that

in so great

it

now

describes the

as the most loathsome of diseases, and adds that his right

was

in a state of eruption

both the

first

his

Cow Pox
arm

and the second time from

one extremity to the other; the pain was excessive, and his fingers
so

stiff

he could scarcely move them.

was the son

to

of

being then a

he,

them

lad,

one time

infected with this disorder at

it

that

this

alluded

he caught

all
it,

created in the family that they

no use of the milk as long as

believe,

The gentleman

kept seventy cows, of which

milked eighteen himself; they were

such was the abhorrence

he

who

farmer

it

He

lasted.

of

and

made

never heard, nor does

complaint originates, as supposed by Dr.

Jenner, from any communication with that acrid

humour

called

grease in horses."

the

Dr. Bradley, one of the editors of the Medical and

Physical Journal, commenting on this case, says

"

What

disease,

this

gentleman remarks of the loathsomeness of the

although a

circumstance

overlooked

in

Dr.

Jenner's

account, appears to be in itself a formidable objection, should

be lound

to

answer the purpose

for

which

it

it

has been recom-

mended."

Dr. Bradley, in the same paper, briefly referred to

the outbreak of

February
disease

Cow

1799,

Cow Pox
and

which occurred

gave

on the arm and

coloured

fingers

for

no

loss

London

plate

of a milker.

Pox, he adds, in this instance,

been very mild,

in

"

in

of the

The

appears to have

was experienced by the

farmers from the deficiency of milk as usually happens."

This

early

description

was

supplemented

by an

"

account of

LYMPH

VACCIATE

Cow Pox

'

by Mr. Lawrence, author of

and Practical

Philosophical

Treatise on Horses

Moral Duties of Man towards

the

This

on

article

dence of

Cow Pox

shows that

it

of

had

it

known

who had

those

to

was published,

been made the subject

also

and

observation

practical

and on

Brnte Creation.

the

the care of cattle, before Jenner's paper

but

not only affords further evi-

disease being

this

343

by

study,

veterinary

surgeons.

Lawrence was of opinion

connection

ence

with

that

and

grease,

the

thus

relates

" Concerning the real aetiology of the disease,

any uncertainty

and thickening of the

repletion

is

Pox upon the

accompanied

teats,

my

in

have, for

many

Too sudden

opinion.

after the fatigue of long

fluids,

driving and inanition

an auxiliary and accelerating cause of

by low

fever,

considerable

and a diminution both of the quantity and quality of the

debility,

This hypothesis,

as irrational,
altogether

when

it

is

think, will at least not be

considered that the disease

unknown, except

in the dairy counties,

towns where the animals which are

such great numbers and stowed so
"

experi-

his

years, been without

milk.

had no

disease

That

it is

tive effect

its

is

nearly or

and

in large

victims are congregated in

close.

often taken in so slight a

of the Small Pox,

condemned

way

as to have no preven-

apprehend pretty numerous proofs

might be obtained.
"

The Pox among cows I always supposed to arise from

own atmosphere a cause fully adequate to

contagion of their
effect

produced

the influence of

and

this effect ceases

with the cause or from

some casual and unknown

cause, and

is

repro-

duced indefinitely with the recurrence of the original cause.

Med. and Phys.

Jottrn., vol.

ii.,

the

the

p. 113.

April 1799.

CO

344

Whatever may be the

"

W POX.
Cow Pox

fate of

inoculation

has and will

it

give further occasion to a pretty large and open discussion, which

always

promote improvement, and when the public ardour

topic shall have

is

having a tendency to produce discovery and

beneficial, as

become a

turned by enlightened

little cool

men towards

and

satisfied, I

for the present

hope

it

will be

another, perhaps of nearly as

great consequence, namely, the prevention of the original malady

Those who had witnessed

animals themselves.

in the

reflected

upon the excessive

filth

it

and only

and nastiness which must unavoid-

ably mix with the milk in an infected dairy of cows, and the corrupt

and unsalubrious state of their produce in consequence, will surely

join

me

in that sentiment."

Lawrence was almost a century before

Pox was not again brought forward

when

1887-88,

his time.

in this

Hght

Cow
until

reported the "filth and nastiness" at a

Wiltshire Farm, and advocated the advisability of placing

this disease

under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act.

Characters of the Disease

The numerous

Cow

of

wanting

details,

in

in the early

From

his clas-

in the

Transactions of the Provincial Medical

we have

a complete picture of the features of

papers

Journal,

accounts

Pox, have been supplied by the painstaking and

laborious researches of Robert Ceely,^

sical

the Cow.

the natural disease in the cow.

In

Ceely's

experience in

the

Vale of Aylesbury,

outbreaks

occurred at irregular intervals, most commonly appearing about

the

beginning or end of the spring

of summer.

There were outbreaks

to

May and

in

autumn and the middle of

rarely during the height

at all periods,

from August

the beginning of June; cases also being met with even

'

Vide

vol.

winter, after a dry

ii.,

p. 363, ct scq.

summer.

The

"

disease

was

several

farms

VACCINE LYMPH

occasionally
at

commonly sporadic or nearly

Many

farm

or

solitary.

changed

in

although

and other circumstances,

years.

It

and

at

might

broken out twice

Twice

introduced by milch heifers.

was

peculiar to the milch

was

in

that condition,

It

cow

and

it

into

was considered

it

same

the

in

for

dairy

by

came primarily while

Sturks,

be so

to

that the disease

the animal
to others

dry heifers, dry cows,

and milch cows milked by other hands, grazing

feeding

exist

was casually propagated

by the hands of the milkers.

pastures,

to

had been known

it

in

respects similar in local

all

had not been known

it

have been

two contiguous farms,

was sometimes introduced

recently purchased cows.

be seen some-

to

occurred at a given

it

Cow Pox had

\'icinity,

while at a third adjoining dairy, in

forty

in

other times, at one or two

animals

the

all

the meantime.

years in a particular

five

was

It

at

years might elapse before

vicinity,

times

at

no great distance from each other, but more

times at several contiguous farms

farms.

occurring

or

epizootic,

345

sheds, and

at

the

same

contiguous

stalls,

in

remained exempt from the disease.

For

many

years

Cow Pox had

all

however,

past,

the

spontaneous origin of

not been doubted in the Vale of Aylesbury.

In

the cases that Ceely had noticed he never could discover the

probability of

Condition
difficulty in

any other source.

of Animals

primarily

affected.

determining with precision

There

at all times,

was

disease arose primarily in one or more individuals in the

dairy.

Most commonly, however,

The milkers

believed

it

appeared

to

be

In August

this point.

The

this

same

solitary.

they were able to point out the in-

In two instances, there could be very

fecting individual.

doubt on

that

much

whether

little

838 three cows were affected

was attacked two months after calving

and seven weeks after weaning. This animal was considered to
be in good health, but it looked out of condition.
She had heat
and tenderness of teats and udder as the first noticed signs. The
with the disease.

first

other two were affected in about ten days.

a large dairy, a milch

cow

slipped her

calf,

In

December 1838,

in

had heat and induration

of the udder and teats, with vaccine eruption, and subsequently

leucorrhoea

and

greatly

impaired

health

the

whole

dairy,

CO TV POX.

346

some of the

consisting of forty cows, and

and

a heifer soon after weaning,

in

same

in another dairy, at the

sequently affected.

appeared

became sub-

milkers,

time,

it

first

about ten or

in

twelve days, extended to five other heifers and one cow, milked
in the

same shed, and

dairy, at the

same

also one of the milkers.

and

cows were severely

It

and

noticed were that the udder

were tumid, tender, and

teats

affected,

appeared to arise in a cow two months

The only symptoms

after calving.

In another

also affected the milkers.

it

time, thirty

hot, just

before the disease

In

some animals the

appeared.
Condition of

was

attack

Animals casually

less severe

than

affected.

in others,

depending on the state and

condition of the skin of the parts affected, and the constitution and
habits of the animal.

the secretion of milk,

the

amount obtained

It

and

was sometimes observed

in

most cases

artificially

temporary trouble and accidents

little

was observed

else

the

with
to

very

much

in

individuals,

different

this

to

diminish

commonly

did affect

exception, and the

the milk and

animal

graze apparently as well as before.

it

the milkers,

continued

The
the

topical

effects

mildness

being greatly influenced by temperament and

feed

to

or

and

varied

severity

condition

of the

animal, and especially by the state of the teats and udder, and

and vascularity of the skin of the parts

the texture

Where

affected.

the udder was short, compact, and hairy, and the skin

of the teats thick, smooth, tense, and entire, or scarcely at

chapped,

cracked, or fissured,

mild affection, sometimes with only a single vesicle.

the udder
teats

was voluminous,

long and

rough, and

loose,

unequal,

copious eruption.

flabby, pendulous,

then the

But where

and naked, and the

and the skin corrugated,

Hence,

all

the animal often escaped with a

thin,

fissured,

animal scarcely ever escaped a

in general, heifers

suffered least and

cows most from the milkers' inoculations and manipulations.

Progress of the Disease.

Cow Pox, once arising or

and the necessary precautions not being adopted

in ten or

twelve days, on

many more,

twenty-five cows perhaps by the

be affected

but five

or six

introduced,

in time,

appeared

in succession, so that

among

week nearly

would

third

all

weeks or more were required

see the teats perfectly free from the disease.

to

VACCINE LYMPH
Hand

Propagation by the

way

confirm the

of

the Milker.

347

Ceely

which the disease was said

in

was

able

spread.

to

to

In

December 1838, on a large dairy farm, where there were three

milking-sheds, Cow Pox broke out in the home or lower shed.

The cows

shed being troublesome, the milker from the

this

in

own

upper shed, after milking his

some of
that,

his

cows, came to assist

morning and evening, when,

for several days,

own cows began

in

in

this

about a week

to exhibit the disease.

appears

It

having chapped hands, he neglected washing them

for three

or four days at a time, and thus seemed to convey the disease

from one shed

through

to

one of the affected cows, which had been

shed,

this

attacked by the other cows,

the animals were

all

During the progress of the disease

another.

was removed

to the

middle shed, where

This

cow, being in an

perfectly well.

advanced stage of the disease, and of course

and dangerous

to

the milk pail,

was milked

difficult

first

to

milk

by a juvenile

milker for three or four days only, when, becoming unmanageable

by him, her former milker was called

symptoms of
it

week

than a

In less

her.

all

in to attend exclusively to

the animals of this shed

much milder degree than

the disease, though in a

had appeared

showed

fewer manipulations having

in the other sheds,

been performed by an infected hand.

Topical Syiuptoins of the Natural Disease.

was

almost always, in

early

the

For

these, Ceely

compelled to

stage,

three

days,

four

depend

They

on the observations and statements of the milkers.

stated

without any apparent indisposi-

that

for

tion,

they noticed heat and tenderness of the teats and udder,

or

by irregularity and pimply hardness of these

followed

and adjoining the

especially about the bases of the teats,

udder

of the

were

(jf

these

that

a red colour, and

and quite hard,

pea,

these

increased

generally very painful

to

size

vicinity

very

dark

as a vetch or a

four

days many of

horse-bean.

Milking was

in

three

of

the animal

not

skins

generally as large

though

the

to

on

pimples

parts,

or

the tumours rapidly

in-

size, and some appeared to run into vesication on

Milking now
and were soon broken by the hands.
process.
dangerous
a
becomes a troublesome and occasionally

creased in
the

teats,

Ceely adds

"

It

is

very seldom

that

any person

competent

COW POX.

348

judge of the nature of the ailment has access

to

animal

to the

before the appearance of the disease on others of the herd,

the

cow

affected, presents

first

globular vesications,

two or three

some

interfluent

on the teats acuminated,

and

once

at

more or

those broken have evidently a central

They appear

character.

same kind of

of various

punc-

those entire, being

amber-coloured

less viscid

the

indicate

ovoid, or

entire, others broken, not infrequently

depression with marginal induration

tured, diffuse a

when

fluid, collapse,

and

central

sizes,

marginal

from that of a pin's

head, evidently of later date, either acuminated or depressed, to

almond or a

that of an

or even larger.

filbert,

Dark brown or

black solid unifonn crusts, especially on the udder near the base
of the teats, are visible at the same time, some,

observed on the teats

and

exhibiting a raw surface with

others elevated

stages, or at least,

teats

slight

some

to

oblong, or irregular

The

produce uneasiness

to the

animal only while subit

would appear are

Referring again to the cha-

racter of the vesicles, Ceely says that those " fortunate

have an opportunity of watching the disease

characters

In

some

swollen, raw, and encrusted

often nearly as effectual as usual."

when

the

of the disease in different

jected to the tractions of the milkers, which

observe that

On

slough.

the formation of a few vesicles at different

seems very evident.

seem

others quite removed,

central

and more translucent, being

thin

The appearance

obviously secondar}^

periods,

crusts are circular, oval,

the

teats,
flatter,

larger, are

these, however, are less regular in form

Some are nearly detached,

less perfect.

much

closely

in its

enough

to

progress ma}'

examined they present the following

animals of dark skin, at this period, the finger

detects the intumescent indurations often better than the eye, but

when

closely examined, the

tumours present,

at their

margins and

towards their centres, a glistening metallic lustre or leaden hue

but this

not always the case, for occasionally they exhibit a

is

yellowish or yellowish-white appearance."

In describing

more

solid crusts, often

in different

fully the crust,

Ceely said that "large black

more than an inch or two

in length, are to be seen

parts of these organs, some firmly adherent to a

raw

elevated base, others partially detached from a raw, red, and bleed-

ing surface

many

denuded,

florid, red,

ulcerated surfaces, with small

Faring pagt'o^R

PLATE

^^:

O
M
o
o
o

IX.

VACCINE

LYMPH

349

and exuding blood, the

central sloughs secreting pus

teats exceedingly

and swollen. ... In some animals, under some

tender, hot,

cumstances,

continues

state

this

little

altered

till

cir-

the third or

fourth week, rendering the process of milking painful to the animal,

and

difficult

" In

and dangerous

many, however,

gradually

heal

little

the crusts,

renewed and renewed,

few deep irregular

to the milker."

'

The

uneasiness seems to exist.

although

often

parts

partially or entirely

ultimatel}^ separate, leaving apparently but

cicatrices,

buli lactiferi, the greater part

some communicating with

the tu-

being regular, smoothly-depressed,

circular, or oval."

With regard

to

papulae,

Nor

period of papulation.
truth,

very

is

this to

seldom notice the

be wondered

It

at.

an experienced observer, at

for

difficult

" the milkers

all

first

is,

in

times, to

escape error in this latter particular, and oversights will occur to

the most vigilant from various causes, especially from peculiarity
of colour, vascularity

and texture of

skin, as well as

temperament

of the individual."

With regard
" in

to central depression of the vesicles,

three or four days from their

continuing gradually to increase.

they arrive at their

Ceely found that

appearance the papulae acquire

and have more or

their vesicular character,

sion,

first

less of central depres-

In three or four days more,

degree of development, and sometimes are

fullest

surrounded with an areola, and always embedded

in

a circumscribed

induration of the adjacent skin and subjacent cellular tissue."

If

we

we

carefully analyse this

find that

disease, as

it

we have

description of

Cow

Pox,

a most faithful account of the

actually occurred under Ceely 's eyes.

here and there,

we

But,

see an attempt to harmonise these

observations with the classical description of the inoculated

disease.

the stages

In

ordinary

vaccination,

we

of the papule, the vesicle with

depression, the scab, and the scar.

'

Compare

Plate X.

And

recognise
its

Ceely,

central
it

will

COW FOX.

350

each

of these

when

But

headings.

Cow Pox

natural

the

describes

be observed,

he practically admits that the

vesicles,

of umbilication

had evidently

papules, have

depression

days

four

more or

There can be

describing

the

classical character

absent, for he says that those broken

central

or

three

vesicles,

is

under

after

again,

that

appearance of

the

of a central depression.

less

doubt that

little

and

in

the use of these

ambiguous expressions, Ceely was probably misled by

constantly having

And

cination.

in his

of ordinary vac-

effects

the appearances depicted in the elaborate

Cow Pox

pictures of

mind the

on the cow's

teats,

which

illustrate

The

memoir, can therefore be explained.

his classical

second plate

is

a faithful picture of the disease on the

ordinarily

met

with.

The

[Plate IX.]

teats as

it is

plate

apparently a composite picture, representing the

is

eruption as ordinarily observed in the cow, and a

of depressed vesicles as they appear after

The

lation.

outline of this

distinctly after S^iCco

It is,

drawing

is,

number

artificial

am

first

inocu-

of opinion,

however, an improvement on

the latter, which can only be described as an imaginary

diagram,

representing the

udder and

of a cow,

teats

covered with an eruption purporting to be that of the

natural
in

Cow

natural

Pox.

Cow

Jenner had described the vesicles

Pox, as

possessing a bluish

tint,

and

Sacco deliberately represents the natural disease by a

drawing of

clusters of vesicles of inoculated

Cow

coloured bright blue, and with a silvery lustre.

Pox,

Ceely

Facing page 350

PLATE

X.

o
O
o

>-'

o
(1

O
p
O
M

VACCINE
has

outlined

represented
really

the

LYMPH

drawing from

his

crusts

and

351

he has

but

Sacco's,

scabs on the

as he

teats

saw them, though he has unfortunately added

vesicular stage, as he always wished to see

unfortunately, for while Sacco's plate was

it.

say

accepted as

a genuine representation of the natural disease in

cow

the

for

half of this century,

first

has been

accepted

the

half.

latter

in

It

like,

has,

school

veterinary

would be

(particularly

if it

my

to
to

and

crusts.

be

plate

noticed

More

of

that

in

The

1883.

or

oval

recently,

out the same character in the

Cerons

for

Cow Pox

what

represent

number of

are

teats

vesicles

country)

were ever again discovered

will

it

plate

the
it

natural

is

totally

from either Sacco's or Ceely's drawing.

different

the

and

Pox,

the

knowledge, been used

Hering has given a coloured

Cow

Ceely's

this

in

the

circular

bullous

Layet has pointed

Cow Pox

characters

On

discovered at

of the

inoculated

disease were wanting, particularly the central depression

In Wiltshire

of the vesicle.

on

cow's

the

thick prominent

had very

little

teats,

crusts
in

globular

could only distinguish

and

and ulcers

common

broken

vesicles,

appearances which

with the characters of the

inoculated disease.

Casual Cow Pox on the Hands of Milkers.

The
of the

early

accounts

disease

will

of

the

"loathsome"

character

appear by no means exaggerated


CO IV POX.

352

to

those,

who have had an

its

effects

on the hands of milkers, or indeed to those

who have made themselves

tions eiven

bv lenner and

will briefly refer to

of studying

opportunity

familiar

others.

with the descrip-

To

some of Jenner's

illustrate this,

cases

"Joseph Merret had several sores on his hands: swelUng and

stiffness in each axilla, and much indisposition for several days.
" Mrs. H. had sores upon her hands,

which were communicated

her nose, which became inflamed and very

Sarah Wynne had Cow Pox

"

was confined
"

in

and unable

to her bed,

William Rodway was so

to

swollen.

such a violent degree that she

to

affected

was confined to his bed.

William Smith had several

much

do any work

for ten days.

by the severity of the disease

that he

"

usual constitutional

the

severely, a second

"

symptoms, and was

equally

affected,

and a third time.

William Stinchcomb had

several corroding ulcers,

"

ulcerated sores on his hands, and

Sarah Nelmes had

his

hand very severely

and a considerable tumour

affected with

in the axilla.

a large pustulous sore on the hand and the

usual symptoms.

"A

girl had an ulceration on the

finger to her

ing upon
"

mouth

lip

from frequently holding her

to cool the raging of a

Cow Pox

sore

by blow-

it.

YOUNG WOMAN had Cow Pox

to a great extent, several sores

which maturated having appeared on the hands and wrists.

"A

YOUNG WOMAN had

several large suppurations from

Cow Pox

on the hands."

Pearson met with similar experiences

gations,
"

in his

investi-

and was informed of others.

Thomas Edinburgh was

so lame from the eruption of

Pox on the palm of the hand, as

time in hospital.

to necessitate his

Cow

being for some

For three days he had suffered from pain

in the

'

'

VA CCINE L YMPH.

were swollen and sore

armpits, which

uncommonly

the disease as

"A

"

SERVANT

at a

painful,

353

He

to the touch.

described

and of long continuance.

farm informed Pearson that in Wiltshire and

Gloucestershire, the milkers were sometimes so

as to

ill

lie

in bed

for several days.

"

Mr. Fran'cis said

Cow Pox was

very apt

produce

to

hands of milkers.

painful sores on the

"

that

SERVANT of Mr. Francis said that

Cow Pox

affected

the

hands and arms of the milkers, with painful sores as large as a

sixpence.

"

Mr. Dolling described the disease as a swelling under the

arm, chilly

not different from the breeding of the Small

fits, etc.,

After the usual time of sickening, namely, two or three days,

Pox.
there

a large ulcer not unlike a carbuncle, which discharges

is

matter.
" Dr.

Pulteney described the disease as causing

ness and

swelling of the axillary

the Small Pox, then chilliness

for

the Small

Pox.'

Two

glands as under

and rigors and

or three days

'

sore-

inoculation

fevers,

as in

afterwards, abscesses,

not

unlike carbuncles, appear generally on the hands and arms, which

ulcerate

and discharge much matter.

"Mr. Bird wrote a

short account of

Cow

Pox,

'It

appears with

become roundish, and

the armpit, the pulse grows quick,

red spots on the hands, which enlarge,

suppurate, tumours take place in

the head aches, pains are

felt in

the back and limbs, with sometimes

vomiting and delirium.'

"Annie Francis had pustules on her hands from milking cows.

These pustules soon became scabs, which, falling off, discovered
ulcerating

Some
the

and very painful

sores,

which were long

milk from one of the diseased cows, having spurted on

cheek of her sister and on

the

breast

produced, on

these parts of both persons,

similar to her

own on

Pearson

Those

VOL.

I.

in

of

her mistress,

and sores

pustules

her hands.''

classified the cases

information into
I.

healing.

in

of which he had received

which the patients are

inflicted

with so

23

CO

354

much

painful

beds

for

W POX.

inflammation as

their

and have painful phagedenic

days,

several

be confined to

to

sores for several months.

Those cases which are so

2.

are not confined at

now proceed

will

all,

but get well

1836,

Paris,

in

week

have been confirmed.

Cow Pox was

discovered

Passy,

at

and was investigated by Bousquet.-^

Cow Pox

weeks

six

or ten days.

more recent

to point out that, in

times, these descriptions

In

slight that the patients

cow had

Bousquet had no

calving.

after

near

opportunity of seeing the eruption in the early stage, but

at the time of his examination,

crusts

on the

scars.

which

teats,

later

The milk-woman,

he found reddish-brown

gave place

to

puckered

who had had Small

Fleury,

Pox, nevertheless contracted the disease from the cow.

She had
on

her

several vesico-pustules on the right

lips.

opened with a
Ceely,^

disease in milkers

"As

existence.

absorbing lymph,

The

parts

thin
if

when

abscess.

described

fully

in

man,

the

casual

it

and

does

not

appear always

be visibly fissured or abraded

although very often

to insure infection,
in

so

skin should

the

hand,

cow

the

in

necessary that

an

lancet, discharged like

1840-42, very

in

on her

vesico-pustule

hand and

we

vascular

find those conditions

skin

seems capable

of

copiously applied and long enough retained.

commonly observed are

between the thumb and fore-

upon which the disease

the back of the hands, particularly

'

Vide

vol.

ii.,

Ceely, loc.

is

p. 312.

cit.

VACCINE LYMPH."
finger,

about the

flexures of

dorsal,

and

aspects of the fingers.

brows,

nose,

lateral

and on the

the joints

The

palmar,

forehead,

eye-

and beard, arc often implicated from

ears,

lips,

355

incautious rubbing with the hands, during or soon after milking.

women,

In

coming

and lower parts of the naked forearm

wrists

with

the teats

arc

apt

hands be very thin

of the

skin

the

the

contact

in

be affected.

to

and

If

especially

florid,

if

chaps and fissures abound, the individual often suffers severely,

having,

soon

the

after

of

decline

the

disease,

sinuses of the subcutaneous cellular tissue

swelling

and

glands.

The

inflammation

inflamed

the

of

spots

or

more circumscribed,

disease are

and often considerable

and

absorbents

papulae which

better

and

abscesses

defined,

the

axillary

announce the
harder,

deeper,

and more acuminate, than the papulae produced by some of the

other

from

and texture of the parts

vascularity

papulae be small, there

is

colour

in

damask or purple hue, according

a deep rose to a dark

the

to

They vary

cow.

contagious eruptions of the

affected.

the early period of their change to the vesicular state

in

the

If

often no perceptible central depression

they exhibit an ash-coloured or bluish,

which gradually becomes

but

rather acuminated apex,

is

base enlarges

the

relatively flatter as

and elevates, when the central depression

more obvious and

exhibits a yellowish tinge.

"

Larger

sides of

the

early

and

the}^

present a

This bluish colour,

some of the
is

greater or

less

is

or

livid

observed on the cow

bluish

or slate-coloured

stripped

on the same hand.

influenced

off

by

the

vessels

It

vascularity

translucency of the epidermis,

from

such

vesicles,

the

membrane appears diaphanous, and has

derived,

doubtless,

in

ecchymosed

irregularly

lymph, the depth and extent of the vesicle.

is

hand and

the

when

hue,

fully

which

is

vesicles

upon and

back of

more conspicuous towards their decline.

though very common, is often absent, even

increases in depth, and

in

often

appearance similar to what

developed,

the

have a well-marked central depression

fingers,

stage,

on

especially

vesicles,

the

from

the

highly

here and there, are often

evidently depends

of the
the

When
zone-like

a bluish

congested

part,

quantity

the

of

the epidermis

adventitious

or livid hue,
state

of

its

seen spots of actual ecchy-

COW POX.

356

Where

mosis.

the epidermis

colour

this

Where

the skin

are jagged,

the vesicles

the vesicles are generally

the parts will admit, and have

loose,

is

they vary from

sometimes

larger,

of the skin

There

thin,

is

and

is often,

dark, or dusky,

margins,

their

at

much resemble

a vetch

a scald.

a fourpenny-piece,

to

when depending on

especially

The

extensive fissure.
the epidermis

that of

dusky

white or a

thin,

and puffed

irregular

and, saving the central depression, very

In size

but more frequently

opaque

by an

superseded

is

if

tint in the centre,

only a slight slate-coloured

yellowish hue.

thick,

is

well defined, circular, or oval,

wound or
when

vesicles are frequently broken, or,

spontaneously burst, causing deep sloughing^

and

cellular tissue

which slowly

ulcerations,

much

consequently,

heal.

attendant local irritation and

considerable symptomatic fever.

"Papular, vesicular, and bullous eruptions are occasionally seen

attendant on casual

Cow

Pox, especially in young

sanguine temperament and

after

decline of the

the

florid

disease.

same character as those known

but

now and

we

then

persons of

complexion, at the height

They

or

generally of the

are

to attend the inoculated

disease

by the patients \hat these eruptions,

are told

either solitary or in clusters, resemble the vaccine vesicles.

"Although the casual Cow Pox

who have

those

vaccine,

is

it

not

no

b}'

man

in

previously gone

means

who have passed through

rare to

mostly found in

is

through variola or the

meet with

the latter and a few

it

on persons

who have had

the former disease."

To
I

illustrate this

account of casual

Cow Pox

man,

in

give the particulars of cases observed by Ceely,

will

October, 1840.

in
"

1.

Mr. Pollard,
on

vesicles

the

constitutional
vesicles,

after

the

aet.

hand

fifty-six.

and finger

symptoms were

as usual,

were

in

discovery of the

When
had

declining,

disease

on

which,

observed,

the

secondary

the

and the centres of the

a sloughing state.
the

observed two itching small pimples on the

ulcers,

first

burst,

About
cows,

site

ten

the

days

patient

of the present

according to his account, ran the normal course

VACCINE LYMPHr
of

vaccine

the

having

vesicle

soon

as

of the axillary glands, with

never severe enough

to

broken

quite

commenced,

areolae

and tenderness

four or five days,

for

to confine

him

but were

When

to the house.

seen

inflammation was rapidly departing, the vesicles

later the topical

were

the

before, pain

the usual constitutional symptoms,

and gradually increased

arose,

as

any indisposition

scarcely

felt

357

their centres,

and a blackish-brown

up,

adhered

slough

base being surrounded with an elevated

their

induration of a hard red colour.

"

Brooks,

Joseph

II.

lymphatics of his neck

set.

seventeen,

on the temporo-frontal region, which he could not

He

ing.

size of a

on

pimple

his

resist scratch-

of

finger,

the

and one very small one on the thumb.

head,

pin's

neither

In

wound

observed a red

also

and

glands

the

felt

and tender; and noticed a pimple

stiff

was there

situation

to

knowledge any

his

visible

or abrasion of the cuticle.

"On

the 2

he had headache, general uneasiness, and pains

1st,

of the back and limbs, with tenderness and pain in the course
of

corresponding

the

particularly of the

which increased

axilla,

nausea and vomiting took

he became better
house,

the

to

in

disabled

the

till

but

glands,

23rd,

after

when
became

eyelids
this

never having been

respects,

all

although

absorbent

His right

place.

and were closed on that day

swollen,

and

lymphatic vessels

period

confined

The engravings

from work.

XL, XII.] represent the vesicles as they appeared on the

when the constitutional and local symptoms were subsiding.

[Plates
23rd,

The

vesicle

on the temporal region had a well marked central

depression, with a slight crust, a general glistening appearance,

and was of a bright

areola

and there was

or

rose

flesh

colour,

an inflamed,

tumid,

with a

and

receding

completely

closed state of the corresponding eyelids.

"

On

the

beautiful

coloured

was

also

centre,

the

vesicle

hue,

and was

elevated

base.

pearly

slightly
flat

and

broad,

but

where there appeared

corresponding,

was

doubtless,

minute

seated

On
visibly

and

small

containing a

depressed centre,

slightly

finger,

the

flat,

crust.

on a

thumb,

depressed

with
It

had
rose-

bright
the

vesicle

towards the

transverse linear-shaped crust,

with a fissure

in

the

fold

of

the

COW

358

The

cuticle.

was of

vesicle

FOX.
hue, and visibly

a dirty yellowish

Lymph was

raised on an inflamed circumscribed base.

obtained

from the vesicle on the temple, in small quantity, by carefully

removing

In

as

this,

and

crust,

central

the

exudation.

waiting

patiently

most other

in

respects,

slow

its

strikingly

it

resembled the vesicle on the cow, and appeared as solid and

The lymph was perfectly limpid, and very adhesive.

taken from the vesicles on the finger and thumb,
lymph
was
No
with a view to avoid any interruption of their natural course.
compact.

"On

and 27th, when the redness and elevation of

the 26th

base of the vesicles

the

had materially diminished, the vesicles

On

themselves had become greatly enlarged.

finger,

were loosely spread out

the}^

On

and deep central slough.

having a dark

thumb and

the

circumference, each

at the

margin of the vesicle (as on the cow) was firm and

diameter being nearly ten

its

a dark brown firmly

with

days,
the

deep

puckered,

the

of

healed,

and

uneven,

The

"Joseph White,
engaged

in

leaving

aet.

variola,

on

seen

and

the

deep,

25 th

first

they abated

felt

of

as large on the

eighteen

fair

Had

complexion, thin skin.

He

had not been long

milking at Dorton before he received the infection

axillary swelling

increased

with

separated,

like

was nearly

had variola or vaccine.

hand on the 25th of May.

he

fleshy,

filled

vesicle represented in the engraving".

noticed the pimples on

lation,^

centre

sloughs

cicatrices

were

which

its

In about seven or eight

the

poultices,

scar on the temple

December as the

never before

first

adherent slough.

ulcers

November.
5th of

aid

and

lines,

the

temple,

the

the

On

the mild

thumb and dorsum

the 30th, the sixth

of the

he
left

day of papu-

symptoms and the

The next day these symptoms

constitutional

and tenderness.

but on the following day, the eighth of papulation,

;

yet as his hand

was more

painful,

and he found

himself incapable of work, he called on Mr. Knight for advice.

Lymph was
areolae

were

then abstracted and used by that

just

commencing.

On

gentleman

the 2nd of June, the

the

ninth

From our inability to determine the precise period of infection, we are

obliged to reckon from the earliest period of recognised papulation.

Faci'ig fage 358.

PLATE

CASUAL cow POX

XI.

(CEELY).

Case of Joseph Brooks, Mile:er.

7?JKaiU/mb.i),^iS>nJui

FolloTjuing Plate

PLATE

CASUAL cow POX

(CEELY).

Case of Joseph White, Mu-kee.

TMantBmh^oJ/tSonJM

XII.

XI

LYMPH

VACCINE
da}'

came

of papulation, he

between the root of the

a

nail

the side of the

thumb

and above the

last articulation,

hue, with

dirty white

vesicle of a

flat

359

Aylesbury, when the following ap-

to

On

pearances were observed.

colouration rather than depression,

[Plate XIII.].

slight

was

central

dis-

and a pale red areola extended

around the vesicle and beyond the

last joint of the

On

thumb.

the back of the hand there was a smaller vesicle, of a different

colour and

character

was

it

and depressed

outer margin,

The

scribed but obvious base.

its

central crust dark brown,

areola,

visibly

the

in

vesicle

was

and a moderate

by the patient now

though early

light rose-coloured

was seen on the

respects;

tenth

both

vesicles

inflamed, could be traced

rapidly subsiding

worse

in

all

and the areolae

vesicles enlarging

symptoms
;

contains a light

amber

crust.

^th, twelfth

The

day of papulation.

tumefaction of the hand,

etc.;

vesicle

in

Better

and some red

in all respects; less

and

and tumid base

it

That on the
had

still

a dull

the centre of the

was of a dirty yellowish-brown colour.

On the hand the vesicle was of a dull pearly hue, though rather
mure glistening than before it was much puckered at the centre

Vesicle, scarcely

depressed,

and the margin

a small dirty

was deeply depressed, and contained

The areola was dull, and
3^ellowish-brown crust.
tlie

brighter than that

centre

on the thumb.

the

on the face now

vesicles expanding.

dull dirty white horn-colour,

red areola around the raised

less

the areolae then quite

puffiness of integuments remaining

on the arm.

vessels,

into the axilla.

The

constitutional

visible

thumb was of a

To-day

by the eye

still

'func

generally better,

and the absorbent

morning, but in the evening augmented

absorbents

and

symptoms.

considerably enlarged,

^\June \th, eleventh day of papulation.

much

There was considerable tumefaction of the

thumb and the back of the hand

gone, but

left

The

time.

first

felt

the

all

day of papulation.

2)ni,

increased.

areolae

the

for

morning the patient

the

in

evening there was increase of

^^Jiiiie

Mghly

at the

circum-

absorbent vessels were very tender

glands and

axillary

much

less

and some tumefaction surrounded and raised the whole.

noticed

in the

on a

of a light flesh colour

small red imperfectly vesiculated pimple

cheek

overlapping

raised,

centre,


COW POX.

36o

''June

thumb

day of papulation.

fifteentJi

8t/i,

XIV.] was

[Plate

still

The

a vesicated margin.

The

characteristic,

though

vesicle

it

on

the

had acquired

hand [Plate XIV.] was

vesicle on the

also characteristic, though puffed exceedingly at

The

vesicle

its

circumference.

on the face was now capped with a hard

light

brown

crust [Plate XIV.].

''June

was

i2tJi,

nineteenth day oj papulation.

XIV.], and the extent of topical dis-

fully developed [Plate

organisation

was now

The stage of ulceration

sufficiently manifest.

" In about a fortnight, the ulcers were perfectly healed, leaving

scars like those succeeding variolae or any other disease attended

with entire destruction of the corium."

In a letter to Mr.

Ceely, referring to a

Badcock, dated April 3rd, 1845,

new

a milker's hand, wrote

" In the enclosed

lymph

stock of lymph raised from

see nothing unusually severe, except

now rough

on very thin skins, although the milker's hand exhibits

ulcers,

one on the hand deep enough

After

Ceely 's cases

Cow Pox

in

to encase a bean."

1840-41, no

on the hands of milkers,

of casual

cases

in this country,

recognised as such and recorded for nearly

In

December

Cricklade

in

1887,

Cow Pox

Wiltshire, and

cated to nearly

John Rawlins,

all

He

out.

on farms near

the disease

was communi-

milker, informed

me
He

that he

was

states that

to the scar

the

it

first

came

to

as a

which formed "matter" and then a "big scab."

had been inoculated about seven weeks ago.

sented the

years.

the milkers.

catch the eruption from the cows.

hard, painful spot,

broke

fifty

were

which remained on his right hand.

characters

of an

siderable loss of substance.

irregular

He

cicatrix,

states

that

He

pointed

This scar preindicating

con-

he had also two

places on his back, where he supposes he had inoculated himself

PLATE

CASUAL COW POX

XIII,

(CEELY).

Case of Joseph White, Milkek.

Ttacf/aJmbAfyiSaiJ^.

Fdtowntg Plau- XIII

PLATE XIV.

MS-y.

CASUAL COW POX

(CEELY).

Case of Joseph White, Mixkek.

VACCINE LYAIPHr
He had

by scratching.

361

continued milking ever since,

had

but

" fresh places."

had no

William Hibbert,

He

milker.

two milkers of the herd

The

appearance.

He

hand.

appeared

eruption

pointed

one

in

two irregular

to

They were the

iirst made its

R.

J.

Cow Pox

which the

in

was inoculated

states that he

from the cows about the same time as

scars

on

place

each

the remains

as

of

the eruption.

Lanfear,

JosKPH

which formed a

He

armpit.

On

states

his

lost

work

he

that

also

hand,

his right

and produced

felt

very poorly,

two or three days, and stay

that about a fortnight or

nail,

and was
at

nor did lumps appear

William King works on

in

the

home.

left

hand, resulting

became inflamed, and another

place broke out at the tip of one of his fingers, but he

poorly,

in

weeks afterwards,

three

while milking a very bad case, a sore on his

from a wound with a rusty

the

bend of his elbow and

at the

appetite,

for

caught

" a spot appeared

then discharged matter,

blister,

obliged to leave off

He

states

Lumps formed

a bad sore."
his

milker,

from the cows.

disease

was not

his left armpit.

farms,

was put on

but

as

milker to take the place of one of the others with bad hands.
After his

or sixth milking, that

fifth

is

milking the cows, pimples

after first

say about three days

to

appeared on his hands,

which became " blistered and then ran on

pointed to three irregular scars on the

palm of the

right

hand.

JAMES

Febry,

bad sores."

He

and third fingers and

first

Lumps appeared

in

his

elbow and

did not feel very poorl}^ in consequence.

his armpit, but he

in

to

milker,

states

that

about a month ago

he

noticed spots which appeared on both hands.

His fingers swelled

He

pimple and

and were

painful.

says

Then it " weeped out "

were red marks creeping up
hard.

it

came

first

like a

water, in four or five days.

to

his

arm.

felt

There

There was a

sort

of throbbing pain, and he could not sleep at night.

When
the

left

covered

saw him,

hand,

there

found on the right hand a scar, but on

was an

with a thick

black

ulcer about the size of a shilling

crust.

The

detached and exposed a granulating ulcer.

crust
It

was

partially

was, in this stage,

the exact counterpart of the ulcers on the cow's teats.

"

W POX.

CO

362

William Hibbert,

milker,

jun.,

hands bad about a month ago.

states

he

that

First the index

had

both

finger of the

left

hand, and then the knuckle on the right hand and between

the

first

He

and second

says that

fingers.

came up

it

became swollen and

like a

hard pimple,

After a few days

red.

water and then matter came away.

but his

arm was

left

Both his arms were swollen,

he noticed kernels in his armpits,

after,

which were painful and kept him awake

became worse, he could not

On

He

" weeped out

the worst.

About a fortnight

milking.

and the finger

it

at

His arms

night.

and he had

raise them,

examination,

He

enlarged and tender.

John Harding, the

lid

also

had

been

of his right eye and on his

The

inoculated.

His hands were swollen,

very poorly and went to bed.

Little

He

milked the cows.

left

eruption
red,

and

hand.

and

cat,

The

the scratches were inoculated from the cow's teats.

fortnight ago.

the

that

both cases, he had been previously scratched by a

hand

still

[Plate XVII., Fig. 4.]

son, also

bailiff's

had a sore on the upper

the statement

volunteered

places were just like the sore teats.

In

lip.

found that the axillary glands were

up

to give

had had a "bad place" on the lower

also

broke

right

out

He

hot.

felt

spots like white blisters

His mother remarked

appeared on the back of his right hand.

that they " rose

up exactly as

scabs formed.

He was ver}' ill for two or three days, but did

He had painful lumps at the bend of his
armpit.
He gave up milking and had not taken

Thick dark brown

in vaccination."

not send for a doctor.

arm and
to

it

in the

since.

On examining
identical

with

[Plate XV.].

and

left

him, the thick crusts on

the

The

stage

scabs

obliged

to

give

in

his right
in

hand were

ordinary

vaccinia.

about three weeks to a month

scars.

milker.

who had

of the other milkers

been

fell oft'

permanent depressed

William Plowman,

scabbing

of

He had

taken the place of one

and had

vesicles on his fingers

up milking.

After

the

seventh

time of

milking, he noticed a small pimple on his right cheek (Nov. 27th).

The pimple became

like a blister."

larger and,

as

he expressed

it,

" rose

up

ni,

Facing page 362.

PLATE XV.

CASUAL COW POX

Ca.se
aj nitx.hiu.'

of John HAEDiNa, Milkek.

VACCINE LYAIPHr
On December

my

2nd, the date of

there

visit,

vesicle with a small central, yellowish crust

the whole being surrounded

363

was

a depressed

and a tumid margin,

by a well-marked areola and con[Plate XVI., Fig.

siderable surrounding induration.

i.]

After puncturing the tumid margin and collecting clear lymph

number of

in

capillary tubes,

raised this central incrustation

and observed a crater-like excavation, from which l^-mph welled

up and

On

down

trickled

following

the

the boy's cheek.

the

day,

studded with coagulated lymph.

had

crust

The

was

and

re-formed

become more

areola had

marked, and on pricking the margin of the vesicle the contents

were

turbid.

slightl}^

From
mously,

surrounding

the

this

day,

the

whole cheek was

(Edematous

was almost

eye

the

that

infiltration

closed.

neighbouring lymphatic

largement of the

increased

enor-

and the eyelids

inflamed,

so

There was en-

The

glands.

crust,

which had re-formed, thickened day by day, and on Dec. 9th,

was

there

of

a thick reddish-brown crust,

depression,

central

situated

on

[Plate XVI., Fig.

indurated base.

still

bearing the character

reddened,

raised,

and

2.]

From this date, the surrounding induration gradually diminished.

The crust changed in colour from dark-brown to black, and finally
fell

off

on Dec.

15th, leaving

when seen

scar,

an irregular depressed

This

scar.

months afterwards was found

several

to

be a

permanent disfigurement.

formed on the thumb of the

vesicle also

days

the

after

appeared on

pimple

that he noticed a pimple

on his thumb, and

on

Dec.

2nd,

presented

size of a sixpence.

On

the following day,

was much more marked, and a little

menced to form. [Plate XVII., Fig. i.]
towards
it

evening,

the

filled

number

of

at

sa3'S

on m}-

visit

vesicle,

about the

vesicular character

central

On

lad

crust

had com-

Dec. 4th, especially

margins became very tumid, giving

the

marked appearance of

punctured the vesicle

its

the

this,

greyish flattened

Two

hand.

left

cheek,

his

central depression.

its

On

Dec. 5th,

margin with a clean needle, and

capillary

tubes from the beads of lymph

which exuded.

On

Dec.

7th,

suppuration

had

commenced;

the

vesicle


cow POX.

364

contained a turbid

XVII., Fig.

and the areola was well marked.

fluid,

On

2.]

slate-coloured hue, and, on pressing

and

was

there

lymphatic

Though

glands in

there

The

areola had increased,

inflammatory

considerable

armpit

the

pus welled up through a

it,

[Plate XVII., Fig. 3.]

central fissure.

[Plate

Dec. 9th the crust had assumed a peculiar

were

The

thickening.

and

enlarged

painful.

was deep ulceration, which left a permanent scar,

assume quite so severe a character as in

the ulceration did not

some of the other

to

some extent by

may

Possibly this

milkers.

be accounted for

was covered with a

the fact that the pock

simple dressing, instead of being subjected to the irritation and

working on the farm.

injury incidental to

There were
to fifty-five,

all

age from seventeen

in infancy,

but not since

to say,

is

from three

completely protected.

had not
result

one had

They were
casual Cow Pox

revaccinated on entering the navy at fifteen.

vaccinated after complete recovery from the

(that
all

in

contracted the disease from milking the cows.

Seven had been vaccinated

been

varying

in all eight milkers,

who

in

had

casual

the

to four

months afterwards), and were

On the other hand, two milkers who

Cow Pox were vaccinated, with the

one of typical

revaccination,

in

the

of very

other

considerable local irritation.

Effects of Inoculation of Virulent

Cow Pox

Lymph.
Severe symptoms are not limited to milkers casually
infected from the cov^.
tion of fresh virus

Occasionally, intentional inocula-

from the cow reproduces the disease

Thus

without any mitigation.

The

"James Phipps.
rather

a darker

efflorescence around

They terminated

incisions

hue than

in

in

in

Jenner's cases

assumed,

variolous

at

their

inoculation,

edges,

and the

them took on more of an erysipelatous

scabs and subsequent eschars.

Vide

vo\.

ii.,

p. 172.

look.

Facing page d&f

PLATE XVI.

XVI
PLATE XVII

Following Plate

I
o

<

r-T

?!

T7jtcaitBmlct3a^iSc-ulM.

VACCINE LYMPH."
"

Susan Phipps was inoculated from

the

matter into a superficial scratch, on Dec.

" 6th.

Appearances

365

by inserting

cow,

2nd.

stationar}-.

" 7th.

The inflammation began

"8th.

advance.

to

vesication perceptible on the edges, forming

appearance not unlike a grain of wheat with the

an

or inden-

cleft

tion in the centre.

" 9th.

Pain

" lOth.

the axilla.

in

no;

headache; pulse

little

tongue not discoloured;

countenance in health.

"nth 1 2th. No
" 13th.

The

perceptible illness; pulse about

was now surrounded by an

pustule

100.

efflorescence

interspersed with very minute pustules, to the extent of about

Some

an inch.

The

of the pustules advanced in size and maturated.

arm now showed a

child's

an ulcerous

state,

when

and then commenced a

it

began

The ulcer

continued spreading nearly a week, during which time

shilling.

up and
"

when

ill.

it

increased to

size

began now to discharge pus

It

to run

febrile indisposition,

accompanied with an increase of axillary tumour.

continued

disposition to scab, and remained

nearly stationary for two or three days,

into

the child

nearly as large as a

sprung

granulations

healed.

it

Mary Hearn,

"6th day.

inoculated from the

pustule beginning to

arm of Susan Phipps.

appear, slight pain

in

the

axilla.

" /th.

distinct

vesicle formed.

The vesicle increasing edges very red.

" 9th. No indisposition
pustule advancing.
" lOth. The patient felt this evening a slight febrile
"nth. Free from indisposition.
" 2th and 13th. The same.
" 8th.

attack.

" 14th.

An

efflorescence of a faint red colour extending several

inches round the arm.

The

pustule, beginning to

show a

dis-

was dressed with an ointment composed of

The efflorescence itself was
hydrarg. nit. nib. and iiiig. ccmc.
In six hours it was
covered with a plaster of iing. hydr, fort.

position to

spread,

examined, when
disappeared.'

it

The

was

found that the efflorescence had

application

of

the

totally

ointment of hydr.

nit.

COW FOX.

366

was made use of

rub.

pustule
hydr.

remaining stationary,

This appeared

nit.

former,

three days,

for

and

two or

in

it

when

the

was exchanged

have a more active

to

days,

three

the

of the

state

the

for

seemed

virus

iiiig.

than the

effect

be

to

subdued, when a simple dressing was made use of; but the sore
again showing

was again

to inflame,

a disposition

the

iing.

and soon answered the

applied,

hydrarg.

nit.

intended purpose

effectually."

lymph was employed

Jenner's

by

Mr.

Cline

with

similar results.

"The
was

on the seventh day, and the fever which

child sickened

moderate subsided on

the

eleventh.

The

ulcer

was

not large enough to contain a pea."

But the lymph raised

"

from the

mild

"

by Pearson and Woodville

outbreak

Cow Pox

of

produced a correspondingly mild

result, for

Woodville
"

Mary

example,

in

the very

London

This was the

effect.

first

in

case inoculated by

from the cow,

The

Payne, 3rd day.

part elevated

inoculated

and

slightly inflamed.

" 6th

The

day.

local

tumour extended

to

about one-third

of an inch in diameter, and was nearly of a circular form, with

its

edges more elevated than

inflammation

Small Pox.

now very
" 8th

centre,

its

not greater than

The

vesicle

is

and with the surrounding

usual in

cases of

inoculated

upon the middle of the tumour was

large and distended with a limpid fluid.

day.

The

redness

surrounding

returning, and the thirst and other febrile

the

tumour

symptoms

seems

much

are

abated.

" 9th

day.

inoculated part

She
is

is

perfectly

free

from

complaint

the

scabbing, but surrounded with a hard tume-

faction of a bright red colour."

'

Vide\o\.

ii.,

p. 100.


VACCINE LYAIPHr

367

Consequently Woodville, after describing two hun-

Cow

dred cases of inoculated

"

We

have been

Pox, wrote

Cow Pox tumour

told that the

produced erysipelatous inflammation, and

my

which have been under

tion
it

to occasion

care,

has frequently

phagedenic ulceration,

has not ulcerated

but the inoculated part

nor have

any inconvenience except

any of the cases

in

observed inflamma-

in

one instance, when

was soon subdued by the application of aqua

lithargyri acetati."

Similar experiences have been encountered since, in

the early removes

Bousquet,^

made

of fresh

1836, in the

in

this practice,

first trials

the

to

abandon

because the intensity of the inflammation

was sometimes so great that

and into

lymph.

new lymph,

with his

had soon

but he

punctures,

three

stocks of virulent

one

In

axilla.

over the arm

spread

it

the

case,

vesicles

were

enormous, and the inflammation so violent that baths,

poultices, fomentations,
sufficed to reduce

and antiphlogistic

The

it.

crusts

diet

when they

scarcely

fell off, left

ulcerations which were very slow to undergo cicatrization.

In

some

cases,

the vesicles which resulted hollowed

out the skin so deeply that they

It

was

fears

{les

then

Bousquet

that

frayeurs

left

appreciated

and

Jemter)

de

7^egtiiar Jioles?

Jenner's

understood

his

anxiety to suppress the vesicle by every means in his

power, including cauterisation.

The

following

year,

^
*

Estlin,'

Vide

vol.

Compare
Vtde

vol.

ii.,

in

p. 311.

p. 426.
ii.,

p. ^23.

England,

started a

COW

368

POX.

Stock of fresh vaccine virus

from the cow, and soon

found that the new lymph was extremely active.

"Jane, inoculated from the hand of a milker, had three large
fine

prominent

Each

Sarah Owens was

poorly.'

vesicle

was

perfect, rising

abruptly from

upper part almost overhanging the base

flattened,

and

it

yielded freely limpid

On

the areola appeared.

fluid,

the arm,

surface

its

when punctured

rash in patches

much

from the skin, and she was constitutionally indisposed.

and the

day, the
areola,

The depth

extends

under

my

rubbed
cavities,

in

care,

On

the

becoming brown,

with

the

current

membrane to which the vesicle

new lymph. In some cases

feature in the

the third

have been

would

that

elevated

when during

there

off,

new lymph

this

the cellular

marked

is

before

and general indisposition had disappeared."

rash,

lymph, Estlin said

"

of the vesicle was

surface

contrasting

In

its

was much

the thirteenth day, the child's body and

were covered with a

extremities

fifteenth

inocu-

lymph from Jane.

lated with
"

and subsequently Estlin learnt

circular vesicles,

became 'very

that the child

have

deep,

week

though

contained

the

the scab has been

not

wide,

circular

whole of a pea-nut

of tne smallest size."

Estlin's

by

lymph was employed on

Messrs.

Michell

Somersetshire, and
Estlin were
In

and

sixty-eight children

Prankard,

of

Langport

in

the results which they reported to

52 the disease was regular.

1

Severe erysipelas.

4 Erythematous eruptions of a violent character.

2 Highly inflamed ulcerated arms.
I

No

effect after twice vaccinating.

8 Result

68

unknown

supposed to have been favourable.

"

VACCINE LYMPH."

369

one of the patients, two months

In

er)'thema

old,

appeared on the back, and gradually extended to the

The

feet.

and

on

died

wrote
"

child

had much dyspnoea, with croupy cough,

the

correspondent

Estlin's

do not attribute

Mr.

21st,

mother wholly, as she

its

death

lost

to

nor does

vaccination,

the

an infant previously with a similar

but her neighbours set

affection of the air passages,

down

it

to

vaccination entirely."

The

case

of

The

erythema were serious.

the

first

and

erysipelas,

on

cases

of

during

occurred

attacks

two of them

week,

more

two

day following

the

vaccination.

The alarm caused by

these

so great that Messrs. MIchell

the use of the

and Prankard suspended

new lymph.

supplied

Estlin

symptoms was

violent

some of

his

lymph

National

to the

Vaccine Establishment.

Trials were made, but details

were

publication,

from

suppressed

may perhaps conclude

that

those experienced

results

to

tioners

were met

some

which

we

instances similar

by the Langport

practi-

The lymph was condemned,

with.

practice of going back

the

in

from

to

the

cow was discoun-

tenanced, and the Report insinuated (without mentioning

his

name)

Cow
"

that

Mr. Estlin was disseminating "spurious"

Pox.

We

are sorry

to hear

rence should often be

first

supplied

VOL.

I.

the

an

made

to

anxiety expressed that a recurthe

disease of the

genuine protective matter

for

cow which
the

in

24

first

COW POX.

370

place

it is

not in the nature of any other communicable virus to

degenerate and lose

influence

its

and though we ourselves

have taken a good opportunity more than once or twice

stores with

recruiting our

yet

we

think

imprudent

right to discourage an indiscriminate,

it

resort to this experiment

because the animal

of

genuine matter from the cow,

fresh

is

subject to

more

than one eruptive disease, and a slight mistake might possibly be

made

proper pustule by an inexperienced

in the selection of the

hand."

This Report received a severe castigation from the

The lymph

pen of Mr. EstHn.^

ployed by practitioners

all

continued to be em-

over this country, and having

been mitigated by successive transmission through the

human

subject,

public and

v^elcomed as

vv^as

profession."

was

It

"a

great boon to the

also

America

sent to

and other parts of the world.

Effects of Inoculation of Mitigated

Cow Pox Lymph.

When lymph
by

careful

the

human arm,

duces

second

third

By

day,
the

vesicle,

fifth

of a

which are

belly

as

after

slight

or

successive

the

or

day

attenuated

and

selection

effects

of the

been

has

follow

day,

bluish-white

is

it

has

colour,

calf,

About
or

elevation

and central cup-like depression.

by the eighth day, and

cultivation

the

insertion,

papular

sixth

of

mitigated

or

it

end

on

the

noticeable.

become a
with

The

raised

vesicle

pro-

the

early
is

on

is

distinct

margin
perfect

then circular, pearl-coloured,

distended with clear lymph, with the central depression

'

V{de

vol.

ii.,

p. 345.

'

'
'

On

marked.

well

VA CCINE L YMPH.

'

37^

same day, or a

the

the areola begins to appear,

earlier,

little

and gradually extends

to a

diameter of from one to three inches, accompanied with

induration and tumefaction of the subjacent connective

After the tenth day, the areola begins to fade,

tissue.

and the vesicle

centre

the

at the

to dry in the

lymph becomes opaque and gradually con-

and by the fourteenth or

cretes,

mahogany-coloured
dries,

same time begins

blackens,

scab

and

between

a hard

day,

which

formed,

is

falls^ off

and twenty-fifth day.

fifteenth

contracts,

twentieth

the

depressed, foveated,

circular,

and sometimes radiated, scar remains behind.

Bv

human

the
at

selecting

characteristic

subject,

and

an early stage on the

this

artificial

propagated

this

by

on the

fifth,

sixth,

as

comparatively

will

be, just as

the

full

if

vaccinia,

mild

lymph

can

be

But

form.

lymph be taken too

in variolation,

or

or seventh day,

under certain conditions, such as a peculiarity

subject inoculated, or

calf

the

collecting

described

disease,

in

vesicles

in

late,

the

there

a tendency to revert to

intensity of the natural virus.

CHAPTER
"

XIV.

GREASE'' AS A SOURCE OF

Jenner

included

teats in the

were

of

True Cow Pox,

" vaccine

Cow

from

is

domestication
Grease.

accompanied

preventive."

the

among

his

disease to which the Horse from

frequently subject.

The

its

commencement

state of

his

Farriers have termed

an inflammation and swelling

is

thus

Inquiry}

It

farmers,

This disease was

grease.

is

at

from

fissures,

of them

he designated the source of

briefly described in Jenner's

i/ic

the

lymph," was the eruption on the cow's teat

originated

it

None

"grand

which, according to a prevalent belief

" There

on

eruptions

Pox."

the

yielding
as

VACCINE LYMPHr

spontaneous

all

term "spurious

capable

"

with

small

in

the heel,

cracks

and

which issues matter possessing properties of a

very peculiar kind."

If

called

the

men who

upon

the malady
In

to

dressed

the

were

heels

horses'

milk cows, they communicated to them

known

as the

Cow

Pox.

support of these statements

were

cases

several

given.
Case

I.

sore-heels,

Several

horses

belonging to a farm

which a man named Merret attended

^

Vide

vol.

ii.,

p. 7.

began
to.

He

to

have

milked

VACCINE LYMPHr
They soon became

cows.

:the

Case

One

2.

these

means

cows

William Smith

the infection

was

were several ulcerated

was

he

symptoms

as have been before described.

Case

Simon Nicholls was employed

3.

cows,

On

time milked

with such

affected

applying dressings

in

and

at the

The cows became

cows.

his master's

and from

one of his hands

to the sore-heels of one of his master's horses,

I

it

By

the animal.

the

to

to Smith.

and

sores,

attend to

to

carried

was communicated

it

and

Pox,

the horses on a farm had soir-heels, and

of

to the lot of

the

Cow

with

affected

appeared on his hands.

several sores

fell

373

same

affected in

consequence, though not until several weeks after he had begun

to dress the horse.

Case
I

have

men
lowed

farm,

Thomas
They

Haynes.

Virgoe,

by

lassitude

heat,

William

and

Wherret,

"sores on their hands,

contracted

by inflamed lymphatic glands

in

arms

the

and

fol-

axillae,

and general pains

in the

limbs;" and the disease was also communicated to the cows.

From
;it

to

which were occasionally washed by the servant

ishiverings succeeded
1

dairy farmer, began

property of a

mare, the

the

of

'William
I

4.

sore-heels,

another case

Jenner thought

in his experience,

highly probable that not only the heels of the horse,

but other

parts

of

body of

the

that

capable of yielding the virus which produces

"'

An

at

Cow

Pox.

extensive inflammation of the erysipelatous kind appeared

any cause upon

without
sucking

were

animal,

colt.

The

length terminated in

abscesses.'

the

formation

all

of them had

Woodville discovered

a stock of "vaccine lymph,"

taneous

"

upper

of

part

of

Cow

the

three

Dressings were applied to the

milked the cows, and

When

the

thigh

of a

inflammation continued several weeks, and

it

Cow

Cow

colt

or

four

small

by those who

Pox."

Pox, and

raised

was the ordinary "spon-

Pox, arising quite independendy of any


grease:'

374

Jenner nevertheless pro-

disease of the horse's heels.

nounced the vaccine to be genuine, and abandoned

An

In

a while, the horse-grease theory.

Origin of the Vaccine Inoculation} and

for

Account of

the

evidence

in his

House of Commons, he

before the Committee of the

omitted any reference whatever to this malady.

Thus when Jenner had published

famous Inquiry,

his

he found that grease, transmitted direct

not protective against Small

Pox was produced by

after

infection,

man, wasi

to

In one case, Small

Pox.

inoculation,

and

another,

in

To

an attack of grease.

explain

by,

this,

Jenner assumed that the virus from the horse's heel

must

be

by

modified

passage

through

the

cow

in

order to acquire the peculiar properties which converted

a

into

it

protective

abandoned
"

horse

spontaneous

to grease,

preserving

grease

Cow

"

Pox,

but

was not limited

The

he

advocated

he reverted

the

"true

life-

this

"grease"

vaccinogenic

The

to the heels of the horse.

disease

fullest

was

the

skin of the horse

vesicular

showing

as

it

Later

and

later

which he wrote of the

description

"

still

and formally adopted

fluid."

Pox.

altogether

Jenner recognised tha

following

Small

against

character,

itself

subject to an eruptive disease of

vesicle

most commonly

become cedematous

Vide

in

the

contains
heels.

limpid

The

and then fissures are observed.

contiguous to these fissures,

'

is

which

vol.

ii.,

when

p. 271.

legs

The

accurately examined,
^

p. 393.

is

fluid,
first

skin

seen

VACCINE lymph:

"

studded with small vesicles surrounded

the

contain

vesicles

specific

fluid.

It

375

by an
the

is

These

areola.

management

ill

of the horse in the stable that occasions the malady to appear

more frequently
it

the heel than in other parts

in

have detected

connected with a sore on the neck of the horse, and on the

thigh of a colt."

According to Baron, Jenner had observed a case of

transmission of grease to sheep
" Dr.

Jenner, in like manner, had

ascertained

the

grease.

was drawn
greasy

sheep

by a servant
of a

heels

had

that

incommoded by

being

perished,

w^ho,

same

the

at

similar

to

them.

From

infected a servant of the house received the

Jenner summed up

where the
it

his reasons

to grease as follov^s

" First.

could

it

the

to

cows thus

the

Cow

Pox."

attributing

for

Cow

conceived this was

Cow Pox had

be traced

servant)
in the

of

same person

the sheep immediately afterwards milked two cows,

and communicated the disease

Pox

the

milk,

dressed the

those

to
:

of

two

which

of

time,

Vaccine, appeared on the teats of the sheep

who milked

infection

superabundance of

the

Pustules,

horse.

lambs,

three

cow

the

that

was not the only animal capable of receiving the

its

source, from observing that

appeared among the dairies here (unless

the

introduction of an

had been preceded

at the

cow or

infected

farm by a horse diseased

described, which horse had been attended

manner already

by some of the milkers.

"

From

Secondly.
great

this

those

dairy

who here

"Thirdly.

its

countr}-,

being a popular

and from

its

throughout

opinion

being insisted

on by

attend sick cattle.

From

the total absence of the

disease

in

those

where the men servants are not employed in the dairies.

From having observed that morbid matter
Fourthly.

countries,
"

generated by the

horse frequently

way, a disease to the

human

communicates,

subject so like the

in

Cow

casual

Pox, that

"GREASE:'

376

many

in

cases

would be

it

to

difficult

make

the

distinction

between one and the other.

From being induced to suppose, from experiments,

some of those who had been thus affected from the horse

" Fifthly.

that

resisted the Small Pox.

From

"Sixthly.

pustule on the

the progress and

similarity

the

whom

arm of the boy

man

taken from the hand of a

infected

Cow Pox

the

to

symptoms which

general appearance of the

of

the

inoculated with matter

by a horse
general

and from

constitutional

followed."

Baron has published Jenner's reasons from MS.

which contain several important additional
"

been

From

1st.

its

for a great

" 2ndly.

number of

From

details.

being the fixed opinion of those

cows

in the habit of attending to

notes,

who have

infected with this disease

years.

being a popular opinion

this

great

dairy-country, and from the cautions the farmer observes

when

its

he has a horse with a sore

" 3rdly.

From

observing,

appearance of the

heel.

in

Cow Pox

disease of a horse at the

in

almost every instance, that the

farm was preceded by some

at a

same farm, which produced the

dis-

charge of some fluid from the skin.

"4thly.

Pox

to

From having attempted, in vain,

who had had

the son of a farrier

to give

sores

the Small

and a

fever,

from dressing a diseased horse.

"And
and

its

5thly.

From

the peculiar appearance of

disposition to run into an ulcer in the

who was
man who

inoculated

with

received the

matter taken

from

the

pustule,

arm of

the boy

the

from dressing a

infection

hand of a
slight

spon-

taneous sore on a horse's heel."

in testimony of

its

being a popular opinion, Jenner

published a letter on this subject

Moore, of Chalford Hill }

^

Vide

vol.

ii.,

p.

169.

from the Rev. Mr.


VACCINE LYMPH."
month of November,
which was certainly what

" In

the

heels,

a neighbouring farmer

proved

this

termed the grease

be

to

my

Cow

the

he

be infected

the

at

with

and

he had eruptions on his hands,

for

at

what

the complaints

which

Pox,

servant would

be the case

and

also afifected with

many parts of the body, the pustules appearing

much unlike the Small Pox, for which he had

and

face,

to

is

horse had diseased

(who was conversant with

pronounced

of cattle)

same time observed

my

1797,

my cow was

a short subsequent period

7,17

and not

large,

been inoculated a year and a

The

heavy burthen.
with

contact

forehead,

hands,

his

half before, and had then a very

on the

pustules

he had

as

where the sores were the

"The

boy

with

associated

no

felt

No

as usual.

was a

the disease

virulent

in

was

grease,

much

not

other person attended the horse

am

firmly

horse,

which

or milked the cow, but the lad above mentioned.

of opinion that

the

him from following

indisposed, as the disease did not prevent

his occupations

during

had had the Small

He was

whatever.

effects

ill

whom

thickest.

sons

farmer's

continuance of the disease, neither of

Pox, but they

and

from

rubbing his

of

habit

largest

the

might arise

face

the

the

of the

heels

of

origin

the

and

servant's

the cow's malad}'."

Jenner remarks
"

From

the

Cow Pox

neighbourhood,

when

infected

a strange perversion of terms,

Let us

suppose then

and the

such

with this

Pox were
that

be

to

others

recorded

among

break out

some of
at

same time

the

infection

the farm, and

from

among

and

the

had the

Cow

let

us

cows.

Pox.

But

it

is

suppose

way, and
It

would

the servants themselves,

wherever they might afterwards be dispersed,

all

Pox.

Cow

the

that

the servants were infected in this

received

Cow

appear among some

to

the cattle

in

through

disease,

frequently called the

malad}^

of the servants at a farm, and at the

too that

from

received

disease

by a horse, the common people

morbid matter generated

this

both constitutional and

of symptoms,

similarity

between the

local,

clear that

an

they

had

individual

thus

that

''GREASE."

378

from the horse would neither be for a certainty secure

infected

nor would

himself,

danger

of taking

impart

he

by virus

inoculated

Small

the

my

public,

were they

others,

to

He

would

still

Yet were

Pox.

Cow Pox

before the nature of the

by the

security

generated.

thus

this

be

in

happen

to

be more maturely considered

evidence on the subject might be depreciated

unjustly."

Jenner

received

also

Mr.

Fewster, of

well

acquainted

following

the

"a gentleman

Thornbury,
with

from

account^

perfectly

Cow

appearances of the

the

Pox on the human subject:"

"

William Morris, aged

Almonsbury,

He

1798.

was with

both

in

pain

tion

found him

there

was

his

in

and with frequent

his

the 2nd of April,

which were so

hands,

he continued his work

difficulty

seized with

me

to

me, that four days before he found a

told

and swelling

Cox of

servant to Mr.

thirty-two,

county, applied

this

in

small

head,

chilly fits

these symptoms,

Many

a great prostration of strength.

and that

parts of his

hands on the inside were chapped, and on the middle

the

thumb of the

ulcer,

right

about the size

On

fluid.

the

another ulcer

of

of a

middle

like

excessive

arising

which

same

the

These

sores

burn.

up

extended

joint of

phagedenic

hand

there

were of a

was

circular

appearance as being some-

first

from

small

discharging an ichorous

pea,

of

a similar kind.

blisters

pain,

large

their

was

there

finger

form, and he described

what

hand

limbs,

On examina-

succeeded by fever.

affected with

still

back, and

of the

it

he had been

that

stiffness

painful,

his

He
arm

complained
into

the

of

axilla.

These symptoms and appearances of the sores were so exactly

like the

Cow

Pox, that

He

from milking cows.

for

more than

half

pronounced he had taken the distemper

assured

nothing the matter with them.

had a greasy horse

me

he had not milked a cow

and that

year,

his

which he answered

?
^

Vide

vol.

ii.,

master's

then asked him

p. 170.

in

the

if

cows had
his master

affirmative


VACCINE lymph:
and
a

further

day

hands was much

of his

the

of April,

5th

complaining of pain

symptoms
size of

not

both

in

him

ordered

to

bathe

applied escharotics to

nor were

the

his

heels.

first

ulcer,
joint

painful with that

a soft cataplasm.

in

something more than a fortnight got

well.

He

had

fore-

on the

and wrapped his

ulcers,

The next day he was much

in

the

the

warm bran and

in

to

which

of

still

febrile

had now spread

and another

hands

his

the

ulcers

on

appeared

finger of the left hand, equally

I

hands,

his

coin,

twice

that the

of the horse's

that

like

The

a seven-shilling gold
before,

him

dressed

saw him, and found him

again

relieved.

at all

noticed

constantly

weeks or more, and remarked

for the last three

smell

On

he had

that

said,

379

right.

water,

hands up
and

relieved,
lost his

nails

from the thumb and fingers that were ulcerated."

Mr. Tanner was the

transmitting

ally

some of the

The

result

grease

liquid

the

and had two pustules on

and made me unwell

both

from

human

succeed

cow

the

to

in

experiment-

by

inoculating

matter from the heel of a horse.

" vaccinal vesicle,"

From handling

cow and

to

was the production of a

and he wrote
"

first

cow's

my

teats,

became

myself,

infected

hand, which brought on inflammation

for several

my own hand

The matter from

days.

proved

efficacious

in

the

infecting

subjects and cattle."

jenner received some of Tanner's equine virus while

he was

in

London,

in

April 1800, and

some of

it,

he

passed on to Mr. Wachsel of the Small Pox Hospital.

In

the

some observations tending

same month

confirm Jenner's

opinion

a surgeon of

Thame,

municated

Jenner by

to

were made by Mr. Lupton,

Oxfordshire,

published in the Medical

to

Sir

which were com-

Christopher Pegge, and

and Physical Journal.


GREASE."

"

38o

In the year 1801, Dr.

in

a work entitled

Cow Pox}
negative

and

Woodville,

when

cows,

Loy met with very

differ-

ent experience.

Mr. Loy, surgeon

following cases

"LA

at

Pickering, had

having met

from

with

the

farrier applied

composed of

Simmons had
on

Dr. John

experiments

the Origin of

experimented

they

with grease, but

undertaken

experiments

his

Some Observations on

Coleman,

results

Loy published

distinct

to

him with an eruption on

his hands,

and sur-

pustules, containing a thin fluid,

rounded by an inflamed

The

ring.

similar to that arising from a burn.

vesicle

had an appearance

They were

all

regularly cir-

cumscribed, and a small dark speck could be discovered in the

The

middle of each.
with the grease.
"II.

patient had been dressing a horse affected

He had

young man,

had Small Pox.

a butcher, at Middleton, near Pickering,

was

affected with painful sores on both his hands, particularly about

the roots of the nails.

and a

These sores

in a

Soon

formed upon each.

vesicle

the vesicles, a

number of red

few days became inflamed,

appearance

after the

of

painful lines, which appeared to be

inflamed lymphatics extended from the pustules to the arm-pit,

where a tumor formed

he had also a pustule,

same

of the

appearance as those on his hands, upon one eyebrow, which, he

had been affected with an itching, inducing him frequently

said,

to scratch

that

it

and the pustule had no doubt been communicated

manner from

fever,

He had

which continued obstinate

pustules

tumor

his fingers.

in

had been

till

the

absorption

was prevented by destroying them with

the axilla also dispersed.
for

some time employed

in

he begun

ii.,

the

when

the

like the former,

was continuing

He

the Small Pox."

Vide vol.

from

applying remedies to the heels

to be indisposed.

caustic,

This patient,

of a horse afilected with the grease, and

at the time

in

a considerable degree of

p. 2-9.

to

do so

had never undergone


"

Mr. Loy,
could

ease

quantity

VACCINE LYMPHr

beincr curious to ascertain

be communicated
from

of matter

and inserted

following results

the

this dis-

inoculation,

took

his brother,

patient

with the

few days, some degree of inflammation appeared, and on

my patient had now some slight

" In a

the eighth day, a vesicle formed

symptoms, which continued a day or two.

feverish
"

whether

pustules of this

arm of

into the

it

by

381

This disease had exactly the appearances of the genuine

Pox, and

Cow

intended to have tried the effect of the Small Pox virus,

had not the fears of the boy's parents prevented me."

At the same
experiment, Dr.

time

Loy performed

Mr.

that

this

John Loy inoculated the udder of a

cow with matter from the pustule of the same

When

the animal

was a

vesicle with a " rose-coloured rim."

taken

and

patient.

was inspected on the ninth day, there

inserted

inflammation, vesication, and

corresponded with

Cow

arm of a

the

into

Matter was

The

child.

scabbing which followed

On

Pox.

the

sixth

day of

the disease, the child was inoculated with Small

The wound

"

seemed

be

to

third day, but in a few days

Dr.

Loy then

taken direct

were

The

from

similar to

quent

inoculated

Mr.

the

inoculation

of

rather

more

another

Loy's

effects

Small

it

inflamed

on

the

healed."
child,

patient.

Cow

Pox.

with matter

The

results

Pox, and

subse-

Pox produced no

effect.

of

next experiment was with another case of grease.

cow was

formed

inoculated, and

containing

large

in

a few days, a

quantity

of watery

vesicle
fluid,

''GREASE:'

382

and

of a

purple

tinge.

quantity

water was inserted into the arm of a

of

the

limpid

vesicle

child.

formed on the ninth day, and the same day, the child

was inoculated with Small Pox without

Ur. John

Loy

effect.

then inoculated a child direct from a

horse suffering from grease.

"

On

the third day, a small degree of inflammation surrounded

the wound.

and a

On

was much

the fourth, the inoculated place

vesicle, of a

purple colour,

was formed on

the

elevated,

fifth

day

on

the sixth and seventh, the vesicle increased, and the inflammation

extended, and became of a deeper colour

on the same day, a

chilli-

ness came on, attended with nausea and some vomiting.

These

were soon succeeded by increased heat, pain

and a

frequency of breathing

the pulse

was very

tongue was covered with a white crust.

was much disposed

exposure to cool

to sweat.

air,

By

the feverish

in the head,

frequent,

When

the use of

some medicines, and

symptoms soon

appeared entirely on the ninth day.

On

and the

in bed, the child

abated, and dis-

the sixth day. Small

Pox

matter was inserted into the same arm in which the matter of

Grease had been placed, but

On

at a considerable distance

the fourth and fifth days of the Small

redness appeared
vesicle.

Pox

from

inoculation,

it.

some

about the wound, and on the sixth a small

The inflammation now decreased, and on

was converted into a scab."

the ninth day,

the vesicle

On

the sixth day of the inoculation, four other

dren were inoculated with matter from this

the

the

On

tenth day, an extensive erysipelatous efflorescence

surrounded the vesicles.

all

child.

chil-

On

the

same day, they were

inoculated for the Small Pox, in the arms free from

former

very small

inoculation.

degree

Nothing appeared

of inflammation.

It

whether the lymph stock was carried on.

is

except
not

stated


VAC CIA' E lymph:'

383

PEDIGREE OF THE FIRST STOCK OF DIRECT

EQUINE LYMPH.
HORSK

Child

Five Children

Loy had made

number of experiments with

but only in certain cases did he succeed

tive results, for
"

This

human

the

me

suspect,

to

from each other

or brute animal

which renders

getting posi-

which he gave the following reason

induces

fact

exist, differing

in

grease,

in the

two kinds of Grease

that

power of giving disease

and there

this supposition

another circumstance

is

The horses

probable.

to

that

com-

municated the infection to their dressers were affected with a

general, as well as a topical disease.

mencement of

from which they were

whom

the infectious matter

in

a feverish state,

which was attended, as

The

skin.

was procured

had a considerable indisposition, previous

heels,

animals, at the com-

relieved as soon as the complaint appeared

and an eruption upon the

at their heels,

from

The

were evidently

their disease,

in the others,

to the disease at

may

all,

had a

From

local affection only.

communicate
this,

perhaps,

be explained, the want of success attending the experiments

of the gentlemen

Loy

have mentioned."

observed that the grease appeared to act

also

with greater mildness after having been

the

his

with an eruption over

the greatest part of his body; but those that did not

the disease at

horse, too,

for inoculation,

cow,

or

inoculation

the

from

human
the

subject.

horse,

Thus

purple

served, but this did not appear with

cultivated
after

tinge

on

direct

was ob-

lymph which had

been passed either through the medium of the cow or

the

human

subject.


"

384

With
all

GREASEr

regard to the appHcation of the variolous

test,

Loy's experiments were deprived of any value.

No

conclusions could be drawn

performed

when

the inoculation

was

or near the height of the disease, which

at

had been produced by insertion of the virus of grease.

Loy ought

to

have been

aware that under such

fully

circumstances, inoculation would prove abortive.

Jenner was the

Loy was

and

the

perform arm-to-arm

to

first

to

first

indirect,

perform arm-to-arm direct

equination.

Jenner sent a copy of Loy's work to the

Clarence with a

remarks
" In

me

at

in

letter,

obedience to the wish your Royal Highness expressed to

Lord Grantley's,

decisively proves

discovery

have done myself the honour of sending

is

my

early assertions

the more curious and

upon

derived from the

new

field

tivated that

camel.

that

that the

human

nature

subject.
it

This

places in a
to us

Small Pox was originally

sincerely hope

may

Pox, which

handed down

The whole opens

of inquiry, and

Cow

interesting as

point of view the traditionary account

by the Arabian physicians

a

of

which he made the following

you Dr. Loy's pamphlet on the Origin of the

new

Duke

reap from

it

to the physiologist
it

may

be so cul-

the most essential

benefit."

Loy

Dr.

also

corresponded

with

on

Jenner

this

subject.

Dr. Loy to Dr. Jenner.

"Sir,

have not yet had an opportunity of making any

further experiments respecting the origin

of the

account of the disease of grease having been of

Cow

late

Pox, on

remarkably

VACCINE
rare

From

this country.

in

my

upon

my

worthy preceptor, Dr.

to this curious subject,

my

be assured that you shall be informed of

Sir,

"

have had

consider myself in some degree called

pay more attention

to

and from some observations which

experiments by

Duncan, of Edinburgh,

385

the evidence, however,

of the truth of your opinion,

have been made on

LYMPH

have the satisfaction

to

and you may,

success.

mention that the subject inoculated

with the grease matter on Experiment VI. has withstood the action
of repeated exposure to the natural

who were

Several of those also

disease.
virus,

way

Pox, by

of the Small

inoculated with vaccine

generated by inoculation with the equine, have been exposed

more than once

to

without the least

effect.

persons on

whom

the natural infection of the Small Pox,

Dr.

Pox

were subjected

made use

Most of the persons who

experiments had never been within several

to the

miles of the Small

matter

but any foundation for such a

perfectly groundless.

is

but

to conjecture that the

were performed might have

the experiments

previously had the small

supposition

Duncan seems

Pox
of

till

And

inoculated.

was good

is

that the small

Pox

by the same virus

proved

giving readily the disease to others.

"

There

successful

is
;

gentlemen

my

not the least doubt but the experiments will remain

and that they were

in

this

fairly

neighbourhood can

performed
testify.

saw me inoculate one of his cows from the greased

of his horse, with a lancet which he himself supplied me at

request

heels

This

the time of experiment.

" Give me, Sir, the
"

trial

honour

Your

was

successful.

Whitby, December

faithful friend

the

have been the

and servant,

John Glover Loy.

ztfh, 1802."

Experiments with grease were

time, on

to subscribe myself,

"

"

many respectable
One gentleman at

Continent.
first

to

Dr.

also

De

communicate

made, about

Carro appears
to

I.

to

Jenner the result

of some experiments conducted by Sacco.

VOL.

this

25

grease:'

"

386

"If you have

discovery

much

so

felt

known and

is

intelligence of

Cow

true

the

pleasure

hearing

in

practised in India,

your

that

hope that

my

lat^

Pox, produced at Milan with the

on Dr. Sacco's own horse and that of one of his neigh-

giardorii

bours, has not been less agreeable to you."

And

in

reply

his

to

Jenner makes

letter

some

observations on this subject.

De Carro.

Dr. Jenner to Dr.

"
" Since the

commencement

satisfaction has
recollect

me

when

March

been in the perusal of your

3^ou

have favoured

pleasure equal to the

2^th, 1803.

of our correspondence, great as

me

The

last.

letters,

my

do not

with one that has afforded

regret

have experienced,

at

finding that every endeavour to send the vaccine virus to India in

perfection, again

and again

failed, is

scarcely to be described to

you; judge, then, what pleasure you convey

my

wishes are accomplished.

opponents, in this country, to

my

am

in assuring

me

that

confident that had not the

ideas of the origin of the disease

been so absurdly clamorous (particularly the par nobile fratrunt)

the Asiatics would long since have enjoyed the blessings of vaccination,

The

and many a victim been rescued from an untimely grave.

decisive experiments of Dr.

Loy on

this subject

have silenced

the tongue of these gentlemen for ever.

"

am happy

and hope
"

It

which

is
I

(although

it

to see this interesting

will travel the

very extraordinary, but certainly a

gave
its

in

my

origin

first

was

considered as the vaccine.

the pustules which arise

reference to
allude

to,

work translated by you,

world over.

my

publication

detailed)

of

fact,

the

that the plate

equine

There are probably some

among

pustule

was by almost every reader

horses.

You

varieties in

will observe,

was so very

active that

it

infected

by a

now
every person who

publication, that the virus in the instance

dressed the horse.

I am happy to find an opinion taken up by me, and mentioned
my first publication, has so able a supporter as yourself I

"
in

'

VA CCINE L YMFH.

'
'

thought

'

387

highly probable that the Small Pox might be a malig-

it

Cow

nant variety of the

But

Pox.

my

."
.

De

In a subsequent letter,

was scouted by

this idea

W.

countrymen, particularly P. and

Carro gave an account of

some important experiments by Dr. La Font.

De Carro

to Dr. Jenner.

"Vienna,

My

"

dear

My

Sir,

that the accounts

have sent

Dr.

friend
to

you to-day

to write to

is

me

to

lately

you of Dr. Sacco's experiments

The motive which induces

have afforded you great satisfaction.

me

2isf June, 1803.

Marcet wrote

another confirmation of your theory

which has taken place

in a

country where you scarcely expect

more so

that

it

the

from,

it

me

observations which appear to

" Monsieur
in

La Font,

accompanied

is

with veterinary

and curious.

v^ery nice

a French physician established at Salonica

Macedonia, has been one of the most active vaccinators

on the

continent

translation of Dr.

many

as

He

Some

time

afterwards,

him

sent

know
a

Loy's experiments, and desired him to make

and experiments as he could.

veterinary observations

has some reason to suppose that the

Cow Pox

reigns in that

country, according to the report of several Albanese peasants.

As
at

to the grease

Salonica

(which he

know

calls javart),

very well.

it

Dr.

he says that the farriers

La Font began

his experi-

ments with the kind of grease which the Macedonian

call

with

the variolous.
feverish

appeared.
ulcers,

He

symptoms, that ceased as soon as the eruption

The

fore legs

one upon the

were much swelled; the

heel, a

left

had four

second some inches higher, a third

on the articulation, a fourth near the breast.

The

eruption on

Pox, but none was

the legs was, he says, very like the Small

to

farriers

found a horse which had been attacked

be seen on the other parts of the body.

He

took matter

from the upper ulcer, which was of twelve days' standing.

matter was limpid, but a
first,

little

cow was submitted

The

yellowish and fi/amentous (thready);

to this inoculation, but without success

secondly, a girl twelve years old,

without

effect

but this girl

388

^'

GREASE

had been vaccinated some months before without success, and

was suspected to have had the Small Pox thirdly, two boys,
;

one

equine matter

and

a pustule appeared, which followed

in both,

The

the regular course of a vaccine pustule.

a pretty strong fever,

went the disease

which some cooling medicines were

in

usual mild way.

its

particulars,

hope,

all

who

of making

nobody before you had the

yet

those

still

These observations enhance

The means

of your discovery.

everywhere

silence

will

doubt of the truth of your doctrine.

merit

less

Those inoculated with matter from them under-

administered.

'These

for

was

colour

Those two children had

white, and more purple than usual.

the

same

the other five, years old, were inoculated with the

six,

least idea

Cow

singular connection between the grease, the

were

it

of that

Pox, and the

Small Pox."

On March

25th,

communicated

Sacco

1803,

to

Jenner the details of his experiments.

"
in

have for a long time been making experiments with grease

order to confirm your opinion of the origin of vaccine.

the

beginning of

year,

this

Studying Mr. Loy's

little

have

more common than

was, in consequence

it

mud which

water which there was and the

thus nearly

all

was attacked by
dressing

one of

informed

me

of

the
it

horses

grease

at

when

me

suffering

of the quantity of

continue

to

different

his

my

grease,

from

five

servant

vesicles from

He

grease.

only

the vesicles were beginning to dry up.

my

experiments.

inoculated

cows with the virus which came

but always without

stages,

to the hospital to be

which he had on

from

suffered

horses

children and several

coachman came

it

results.

make another

resulted on the roads

on both forearms, having

my
it

This encouraged

from

to

In the winter of this year grease could not have been

attempt.

several

had only negative

book encouraged me

Until

hands

it

effect.

examined with an eruption

was

at

once recognised that

was vaccine taken while treating horses, which in fact he had

He was taken to the foundling hospital, where some

dressed.

inoculations were made.

He came

to

me

the

same day, and

VACCINE LYiMPHr
made nine

cow

of a

teat

the

Cow

made

and

Pox.

have already reached the fourth remove, which reproduces

effect as vaccine.

several of these individuals with Small

It is

effect.

Cow

of

name may

which you think

virus

the

my

procure from

hope that

Jenner replied to
his
"
I

original

of

in a

protection

for

children,

construing

conclusion

the

to

that

against

cow.

remove the doubts which

will

Cow

Pox.

work on

publish the

will

vaccination, to which

my

Sacco,

expressing his

confidence

theory.

acknowledgments

your very kind

attention.

me your

best

for

pamphlet on Vaccine Inoculation, your obliging

the virus from the plains of

all

more

am

extremely gratified by your goodness in sending

Accept

am

points

iiitcrnicdiinn of the

origin

at last obtained,

with six

of vaccine.

new proof

the cause

is

add a coloured plate of grease."

will

in

without any

but

have also

grease a virus

experiments

results of these
I

this

existed about the

still

those

like

Small Pox without the

"

better.

Everything

observations.
shall

Pox,

once be changed to equine or

at

grease inoculated

of

fwo vesicles exactly

we

have already inoculated

therefore very certain that the grease

Pox, and the

into an}; thing

with

inoculated

other inoculations with matter taken from these children,

with the same

itself

and

children,

Three of these children had an

Nothing happened in the cow.

as well.

eruption exactly like

I

many

inoculations on as

389

Lombardy

letter,

am

and above

confident that

wherever the horse and the cow are domesticated together, and
the

same human being

malady of the
called the

foot,

that attends

the one, under a peculiar

milks the cow also, that there the disease

Cow Pox may

arise."

In Paris, according to Baron, equination was practised

181

in

2.

coachman who had not had Small Pox, and who dressed
a horse affected with the grease, had a crop of pustules on
Two children were
his hands, which resembled the vaccine.
"

GREASE."

390

from

inoculated

excited in both

were

effected,

series of

these

from

and the genuine vaccine was

pustules,
this

many

stock

inoculations

proper character.

possessing the

all

successive

inoculations took place from

another infant

similar

who was

infected from one of the scabs taken from the pustules on the

hand of the coachman."

In

of these

spite

credited

London, and

in

July 23rd,

181

giving

3,

theory

the

results

was

Jenner wrote

Moore,

to

of a fresh

information

dis-

still

stock

of equine virus which he had been using for months.

" In

one of your

made
ments,
to

my

For

out.

of

However,

Continent.

my own

think

that

clearly

Loy's

experi-

observations, were

sufficient

and others' on the

have now fresh evidence, partly foreign

The

and partly domestic.

surgeon of repute

should

satisfied

was

of the vaccine

origin

say nothing of Sacco's

to

it,

the

part,

independently

establish

you seemed not perfectly

letters

that the fact respecting

comes from a Mr. Melon, a

latter

at Lichfield.

He

has

sent

me some

of his

equine virus, which I have been using from arm to arm for these

two months

past,

without observing the smallest deviation in the

progress and appearance of the pustules from those produced by

the vaccine.

formerly alluded
in

have
to,

at

length found

the French

document

which, with Melon's, shall be sent to you

the course of the ensuing week."

Jenner wrote, again, on the same subject,

1813.

ist,

To James Moore,
"

August

Dear Moore,

deliver to

My

friend

Esq.

and neighbour, Mr. Hicks,

you the promised papers respecting equine

virus.

will

have been constantly equinating for some months, and perceive

not the smallest difference between the pustules

and the vaccine.

same

source."

Both are

alike,

thus produced

because they come from the

VACCINE lymph:'

And
"

am

have

you

sorr}'

have

you before

told

391

October 27th, 181 3:

again, in a letter, dated

succeeded

not

infecting a cow.

in

do

nothing.

contained

fissures

in

the

heel

vesicles

on

the

edges and the surrounding skin.

is

It

Did

youth up have the care of the

These

my

course of

be vaccinated

sores on

their

many

inquiry,

of them

found
as

if

work

the cicatrix
it

me

and

as

as

ill

to

be

disabled

of

perfect

and as

characteristically

my own

their

"

7,

Rise and

fol-

have

marked

if

not entirely,

On

the

ist

of

he made the following memorandum:

From

a horse to Allen; from Allen to two

milch cows

of his

equine matter from the farm of

of the

progress

Allen, at Wansell.

or three

vaccination."

equination.

for

affectevi

from

hands,

several

abandoned vaccination
181

resisted has been

on

had arisen from

the

in

hills to

have recollected having

Jenner now appears to have almost,

April,

from the

hands and fingers from dressing horses

with sore heels, and being so

their

to

number which

but the average

On

lowing

come

practice here have

half.

one

horses used

Great numbers of them

ploughing our corn lands.

for

in

ever

inform you of the curious result of vaccinating carters ?

people from their

the matter which flows from the

that

will

young man who milked

at

from the cows

the farm

to

James

from James Cole

Cole, a
to

John

Powell, by inoculation from a vesicle on the hand of Cole; and

Anne Powell, an infant; from Powell to Samuel Rudder;

from
from Rudder to Sophia Orpin, and to Henry Martin
to

H. Martin

to

regularity for
other

Elizabeth Martin.
eight

months,

matter, so that

was obtained

when

it

this

went on with perfect

became intermixed with

no journal was kept afterwards.

Prool

of the patients being duly protected."

And among
was, on the

All

other entries to

7th of

similar effect, there

May, the following


"GREASE."

392

"

Took

from

matter

Vaccine

National

King

Jane

(equine

The

Establishment.

the

for

direct),

pustules

beautifully

correct."

This

lymph was widely

of equine

stock

diffused.

Baron and many medical friends received supplies of

it,

and

was

it

also introduced into Scotland.

Baron adopted equination, and made notes of cases

of

o^rease.

" It

happened

autumn of

who had

hood,

than

the

fifty

to

see

1817.

one case of

young man

dressed a horse with

of

The

casual way.

the

Vaccinae

Variolae

this

kind

this

in

the grease,

pustules on his hand and wrists.

character

true

me

to

year

the

in

neighbour-

had not

less

They exhibited
when taken in

the
the

pustules were too far advanced to permit of

any experiments being made with virus taken from them.

cannot
ease,

refrain

from remarking

whether caught from

in

the

cow or

more severe than when communicated by

wise differs

from

truly

an eruptive disease.

fied,

called

know

of

been

caught from

more

extensively

the

last

in

in

the

over

diffused

horse,

much

is

inoculation, so

it

like-

may

sometimes what

being

be

Besides the case just speci-

instances where

cows

the

the dis-

that as

place,

this

the

dairy,

the

disease,

has

when

produced

body than

in

it

has

pustules
the

case

above mentioned."

In the following year, Baron sent

virus

to

a boy

The

Jenner.

It

fresh equine

was obtained from the hands of

who had been

disease

some

infected directly from a

horse.

assumed a pustular form, and extended

over both arms.

Jenner acknowledged
in

the following letter

the

receipt

of

Baron's

virus


"

VACCINE LYMPHr

393

''April

"Yesterday

Shrapnell brought nic

the

18

25///,

equine

8.

and
your drawing, which conveys so good an idea of the disease
that no one who has seen it can doubt that the vesicles con\\.

the true and genuine life-preserving fluid.

tain

some of

it

arm

a child's

into

and some of your young men

same with

the

In

the

fluid

fresh trom the

Loy and

experiments made by
the

have inserted

vexed

be

hand."

month

of

May

Sacco.

1818, one of

my

friends

remarked

two horses which he had just bought were not

that

state of health

were

legs

stiff,

became

that the}^ quickly

to

me

in their usual

fatigued, that their hind

and that they even went lame, and

thought they were suffering from javart

"

you

if

Infirmary have not done

the

at

shall

Kahlert/ on the Continent, confirmed the

18 18,

"In

but

virus

in

fact

he

{jnaiike).

These two horses were of the ordinary breed of the country

(Bohemia), black, six years

but according to the

for,

and appetite.

spirit

well nourished, and well cared

old,

groom they had

...

at

for

some time

was swollen, that moisture exuded from

foot

posterior part of the pastern

was

and hotter than the neighbouring

the animal

showed signs of pain

it,

slightly red

still

parts.

the hair

At the

and that the

and swollen,

slightest touch,

was stuck

together, and

a clear yellowish fluid with a peculiar odour escaped.

not slow in recognising the fntc equine preservative.
the fluid on a lancet to inoculate

lost their

once noticed that the joint of the

cows and

The experiments on cows succeeded

...
I

was

collected

children."

children were inoculated

from the vesicles which resulted, and a lymph stock was started

which was widely used.

In

an appendix to

Biography, published

remark
"

'

second

in 1837,

volume of Jenner's

Baron made the

follov^ing

take this opportunity of expressing

L'Almanach de Carlsbad.

'^^ii'

the

my

regret that

Du javatit prcservatif troicTC en

(Quoted by Auzias-Turenne.)

have

Bo/ieme.

GREASEr

394

employed
horse.

word grease

the

Variolcc

Eqiiiiice

alluding

in

the

to

disease

the proper designation.

is

It

has no

necessary connexion with the grease, though the disorders

quently co-exist.

This circumstance

and

much misapprehension and

it

has caused

In

Ceely remarked

1840,

at first

and others who had good reason

Cow Pox

origin of

confusion."

were farmers

beheving

for

from the equine

fre-

misled Dr. Jenner,

there

that

the

in

in

the

which he

vesicle,

regarded as eczema inipetiginodes.

Cow Pox

Jenner's theory of the origin of

has been

discouraged, and completely replaced by the theory of

Cow

Small Pox, advocated so strongly by Baron, and

by an

supported

and

erroneous

Badcock's variolation experiments

"Cow Pox"
no longer of

of Ceely's

interpretation
;

and thus the

and the "grease" of the farmers were

interest, while the hypothetical

Cow Small

Pox, which could never be discovered, has been credited

with having become extinct, since the days of Jenner.

At

lymph
not

from

"

entirely,

certainly

from

unknown

by

the

various

in

it

to

researches

France.

the

horse

medical

grease

"

in

of
is,

" vaccine

almost,

practitioners,
this

country

is

if

and
not

veterinarians of the present

diseases

which

it

simulates.

has been lost sight of under a

of appellations.

of veterinarians
of the

"

derivation

of

to

practical

Like actinomycosis,
variety

the

disease

vaccinogenic

differentiated

day,

day

present

the

this,

carried

would draw the attention

by giving a detailed account

out by veterinary

surgeons

"

VA CCINE L YMPH.

'

'

395

First Outbreak at Toulousk.

i860,

In

horses

the

at

Rieumes,

near

were attacked by an epizootic malady.

three weeks, there were

According

to the

Toulouse,

In less than

more than one hundred

cases.

M. Savrans,

veterinary surgeon,

the

animals suffered from slight fever, rapidly followed by

symptoms, the most marked of which were

local

ing

of the hocks, and

on

the

the

same time

surface

of the

an eruption
swollen

and

hot'

of small

pustules

which were

parts,

After

painful.

swell-

three

to

at

five

days there was a discharge from the pastern, which

continued

eight

for

inflammation
dried

up,

to

ten

gradually

and

patches of hair

in

which

during

days,

The

diminished.

about a fortnight the

fell

off,

more

leaving

pustules

with

crusts

or

less

the

marked

scars.

The
parts

eruption appeared at the same time on different

of

the

body,

buttocks, and vulva.

especially

on

the

tying

in

the

cords which

Corail,

M.

of the
to

the

Lafosse.

ficant

Rieumes had

had been

up other affected animals and

thereby infected with the virus of

One

mares was

taken

veterinary school,

About

lips,

Savrans believed that the mares

taken to the breeding establishment at

been infected from

nostrils,

eight

symptoms appeared

had become

this disease.

owner,

M.

be examined

by

by the
to

days after
loss

used

this

visit,

signi-

of appetite, lameness,

GREASEr

''

396.

swelling of the

The
the

which

ammoniacal odour, but

in

painful

hot,

exuded

liquid

less

than

foetid

having

an

secretion

the

eaux aux janibcs.

M. Lafosse regarded
and

him

this led

made on
had

On

the

on

umbilicated

Cow

inoculated

from

large,

They had

vesicles.

transmitted

rise

both cases to a very

also

"vaccine

inoculation

the

subject,

and slower
detected

the

of the body,

he recognised
attack

The

child

and

fine

current

to

their

that

the

horse,

this

found to be

horse

gave

had

comparative

larger,

When M.

around the

lips

and

finer,

Lafosse

on various

eruption

disease

vesicles,

"vaccinal" eruption.

development.

especially

with

lymph on the same

vaccine

disseminated

at

round,

inoculated

On making

were

cow,

characters of

the

from the vesicle of

vesicles
in

to

vesicles."

with

all

remove, manifested typical

this first

child inoculated

completely

firm,

flat,

Another cow

Pox.

which,
in

was

inoculated

the

were

the eruption

after

mare,

of

grease,

This experiment,

week

the

teats

there

puncture,

liquid

as a case of acute

to inoculate a cow.

appeared

first

every

it

the 25th of April, a

successful.

and there were vesicles on

staring,

from

and

joints,

pastern joint.

left

was

hair

skin,

pastern

both

of

Stiffness

parts

nostrils,

was not an ordinary

of grease.

occurrences

communicated

to

the

at

Rieumes and

Academy

Toulouse were

of Medicine, in

1862,

VACCINE LYMPHr
by M. Bousquet

and M. Renault observed that the

error

in

amination, by

M.

original

397

made

diagnosis,

Lafosse. added greatly to

of the inoculation experiment, because

the difference

said

it

men and

interest

might

exjjlain

up

obtained

results

the;

the

to

pre-

time

by medical

veterinary

surgeons

since

Jenner had inoculated the grease.

Renault

sent

who

the

in

a cursory ex-

after

may be

" It

who

menters

few

the

that

experi-

that

they

have

seen

Cow Pox

hands

and

eyes,

from

accidental

assert

under their

result,

possible

or experimental inoculation of the matter of the grease,

were

reality

in

dealing

Toulouse, while the

no

obtained

with

much

larger

malady of

vesicular

the

number of them who

from their inoculations must have

effect

employed the discharge from the

which

grease,

true

was formerly so common."

added

Renault
of

which

lead

principally

affection,

heels,

will

in

veterinary

teach

will

" The

importance

great

subject,

which

appears

occurrence

drawing
to

attention

that

on

manifested

up

to

this

time

there

is

the
to

distinguished

easily

will

teach

by

attentive

them how important

same

time

effect

pf inoculation."

the

characters

of

it

this

is

study

disease,

an

be readily
it

examination.
to

It

horse's

mistaken for the grease, from which, however,

be

is

this

to

discussion.

further

surgeons

Toulouse

at

at

and

can
It

the
the

^'GREASEr

398

Outbreak at Alfort.
In

great attention

France.

in

Pox again received

of Horse

the subject

1863,

named Amyot

student

dressed a horse on which an operation had been per-

The

formed.

leg which

had been operated on (right

hind leg) became the seat of a very confluent eruption

of Horse Pox, which was followed by such an abun-

dant flow of serosity that at

was mistaken, and

affection

wound on

of
his

aiix

was thought

it

The

care.

on

sore

of an

accidental

flowed

in

with

inoculation

such

and

the

next

ful.

On

the

abundance

great

day
5th,

weakness,

it

was

Amyot

on

the

from

the

3rd

and

and

7th,

his forehead,

on a

vesicles

were

consisted

developed

On

On
in

which
horse's

rather

8th,

vesicles

hand,

left

those

of

these

9th,

the

fingers

on a bluish-

opening them, a perfectly limpid

such

pain-

malaise and

the

of very large epidermic bullae

base.

escaped

fully

seat

level with the root of his nose,

and between the two eyebrows.

red

spite

of August,

from

suffered
6th,

virus

the

swollen

the

the

appeared successively on the fingers of his

on

in

was

finger

his

The wound was made on

great

he continued to dress the horse entrusted to

this,

leg.

had

interphalangeal

first

of his right hand

finger

little

be a

to

Amyot

jambes.

the dorsal aspect of the

of the

joint

eaux

of

complication

nature of the

the

flrst

abundance

that

small

fluid

test-tubes

VACCINE LYMPH.

"

have been

mio^ht

with

filled

it.

399

The

on the

vesicle

forehead was surrounded by a bluish-red areola, within

which the epidermis of a leaden-grey hue was raised

had

and

central

slight

which flowed from

continued

was

ooze,

to

when

it

The

depression.
it

also

liquid

was opened, and which

very abundant

and

of

a deep citrine colour.

The

which

vesicles

had developed

on

the

dorsal

The

of Amyot's fingers were extremely painful.

side

incessant shooting pains, of which they were the seat,

prevented him

On

from getting any

the loth, inflammation of the lymphatics followed

both

arms were

lines

indicating

The

swollen and

glands of the

swollen

and

on

the

end

completely

Bouley
the grave

fingers,

of

the

lymphatic

red

vessels.

behind

local

were also

the jaws

were

sufferings

caused by the

pain

and by the inflammation of

i8th of August.

month

the

that

was only

It

were

vesicles

cicatrized.
felt

very great anxiety

in

of manifestation

much

and

symptoms resemble
their

more

intensity

alarmino^

presence

the

symptoms which accompanied

so closely did these

inoculation

with

and glands, and they continued

the

to

of the

Amyot's chief

vessels

up

in this state

very painful,

were also enlarged.

glands

painful.

the lymphatic

the

axilliE

by the intense

occasioned
vesicles

course

the

The lymphatic

at

three days.

for

rest

the

than

the
in

eruption,

their

effects

those

of

mode
of an

of

the

grease:'

"

400

The

of grease.

virus

on the forehead was,

eruption

because glanders

especially, a cause of great uneasiness,

But when, on the

manifests itself in a similar way.

Amyot

morning

of

the

9th,

pustules

on

his

fingers

the

developed,

and

was

latter

recognised without

the

characters of " vaccine

was

by

supported

and

Depaul,

Bayer,

Amyot on

Drs.

on

had lasted
been

that

they had

This diagnosis

Marchant,

Auzias-Turenne,

who

successively

Amyot

as

Jenner and

They were of

opinion,

had been much more severe and

longer time, than

for a

he

had

in

others

who had

an

accidental

of

been,

or Loy's disease.

complete the history of Amyot, and to demon-

strate that the

malady which he had contracted, while

attending to the horse, was really Horse Pox,

on the

2th

of August,

from the vesicles on

of

which,

saw

evidently had

the grease which

inoculation with Jennerian grease,

To

for

vesicles."

described.

illness

victims,

fully

hesitation,

Blot,

himself with

Amyot's

the

same day, and had only one opinion

the

Loy had seen and

that

forehead

his

reassured,

as to the nature of his malady.

inoculated

Bouley

completely

any

he

showed

steer,

when

and

inoculated

his fingers,

produced

in

the

liquid

taken

the scrotal region

"magnificent

inoculated on a child,

Bouley,

Cow

Pox,"

was followed by a

very fine vaccinal eruption.

This case of Amyot, so well circumstantiated and

studied in

all

its

details,

was

fresh evidence

in

favour

'

'

VA CCINE L YMPH. "

of Loy's opinion that the equine

40

virus

is

with

n^ifted

greater energy than that of the cow, and produces a

much more marked

The outbreak

Cow

that

Pox,

enabled

Alfort

at

ments to be made,
blished

on the human subject.

effect

by which

Horse Pox

one of

it

to get

my

study this malady.

terest that

had

not

esta-

l)ut,

like

was,

if

informa-

practical

country,

in this

during

objects

principal

It

any

Pox'

France to inquire into and,

to

definitely

transmitted solely by contact.

is

on the subject of Horse

made

was

it

never infectious,

is

Not having been able

tion

exhaustive experi-

visit

practically

possible,

with

therefore,

great

in-

heard that Professor Peuch, of Toulouse,

only

investigated

outbreaks

of this disease,

but also was in the possession of drawings illustrating

its

different

manifestations.

to

me

experience,

his

observations,

]\I.

Peuch's

full

details

and allowed me
I

admirable
in

his

me

giving

valuable drawings.

his

Professor Peuch described

to

details

ot

his

have copies made of

cannot,

researches

own

the

do

justice

full

unless

give

to

the

words.

was first employed by

both equine and
and
Sacco, in a letter to Jenner,
1803 (p. 389);
Horse Pox were, independently, proposed by Mr. Brown of Musselburgh.
Vide An inquiry into the afiti-variolous fower of 'Vaccination^ p. 63.
'

The term equine, as a

substitute for vaccine,

in

180Q.

VOL.

I.

26

"

402

GREASE."

Second Outbreak at Toulouse.

M. C.

of the

Director

Baillet,

National

Veterinary

School of Toulouse, having been informed that a contagious malady had developed in the mares which had

been served by the

ment

Rieumes belonging

at

M. Peuch

breeding establish-

stallions at the

M. Mazeres, delegated

to

to inspect these animals in order to ascertain

the nature of the illness with which they were affected,

its

mode
With

of propagation, and the means of arresting

loth and

M. Peuch

object in view,

this

iith of May,

Labastide-Clermont,

mares

several

served by the stallions of M.

on the

visited,

1880, at Berat,

it.

Rieumes, and

which

had

been

Mazeres, and also the

stallions themselves.

M. Peuch reported
in

Reviie

the

the

of his

result

de

Vet^7'inaire

Toiiloitse,

investigations

following

the

July.
" At

Berat,

examined,

speak of as Nos.
" No.

I.

25th, 27th,

i,

mare

2,

and

with

colleague,

these

will

3.

(Isabel) eight 3^ears old,

edges

had been served on

This animal showed on the

and 30th of April.

form,

attacked, and

alread}^

of the vulva a sort of cicatricial

elongated

my

presence of

the

in

M. Averadere, three mares

mark of a whitish

scalloped

and

lips

colour, of an

slightly

in

relief,

covered here and there by a few brownish crusts, and showing

elsewhere,

and

of the vulval

principally

orifice,

in

the

neighbourhood of the

small reddish superficial ulcers.

folds

Towards

the upper commissure of the vulva there were several round or

oval scars, the size of a large lentil
in

the

centre,

some

obvious]}^ depressed

which was covered by a small

crust

others

'

" T'A

were circular
pustule,

like

leprous marks.

little

lips,

did not observe any

b}^

the

the

if

Several ulcerated, reddish, circular sores

zone,

their

on

existed

free

the

The

edge.

twenty-centime

of a

size

any eruption

did not appear as

it

any way.

in

cicatricial

towards

notably

of the lips

There

black mare, eight years old, had been served on the

26th and 28th of April.

surrounded

body.

This mare, who was very

vigour, and

full

weakened her

eruption had
2.

or in the mouth.

her

spirited, retained

attained

403

lesion on the nose, in the nostrils, on the internal

surface of the

vulva,

'

or a trace of one on other parts of the

was not any

"No.

CCINE L YMPH.

lips

of the

majority

had

There was not

piece.

the nostrils, the mouth, or the internal surface

in

no modification of the general condition

no

difficulty

locomotion.

in

"

No.

3.

25th,

23rd,

bay mare, eight years

and 30th of April.

27th,

and adherent

crust,

was

raised.

on the under surface of the

considerable numbers.

On

preserved them.

liquid

tail,

also established the existence

most satisfactory

a diameter

which

there

To what

known

in

flank a discoid

it,

a centimetre.

sero-sanguinolent

There was nothing

The general

state

to

was

was no lameness.

Such were the symptoms which

they to be considered

left

of about

covered

the exposed surface.

as the preceding,

where they were disseminated

the lower part of the

crust

oozed from

loth of May.

showed

scraped off these crusts with the nail and

was discovered with

the

same characters

remark on other parts of the body.

'

pustules,

under which the skin had a bright red colour

the central crust

raising

slightly

which was appreciably depressed, a blackish dry

of dried pustules, showing the

On

lenticular,

These marks, w^hich were only dried

at their centre,

vesicle

At the circumference of

or confluent marks, extending over the peri-

elevated, isolated,

when

had been served the

were very numerous white,

the vulva there

naeum.

old,

observed at Berat on the

disease were the}' attributable?

as

Were

indications of the malady sometimes

as syphilis, or the venereal disease of the horse {inaladie

a very important question

venc'riennc dii cheval) ?

This

interests of the breeder

and the owner of

is

stallions,

in the

which cannot

be too carefulh' investigated, for when an eruptive disease appears

"GREASEr

404

in

coition,

after

therefore remains

it

true nature

of the

breeding

mares,

an

to

eruptive

and even cicatrisation

have

affection

No.

in

so

who

practitioner

has not had the opportunity of observing similar cases.

appears very

it

in

which are so important,

offer serious difficulties, especially to the

not hesitate to remark that

and

explain the

to

But the symptoms which

obviously

that the diagnosis, the consequences of

must

with

a syphilitic malady,

veterinary surgeon

illness.

stage of desiccation,

the

must be

it

for the

belonged

described

just

abounding

locality

the alarmed breeder thinks

do

not to say

difficult,

impossible, to recognise with certainty the nature of the eruption

when

in question,

seen in a subject for the

is

it

first

time, in

the stage of desquamation.

"

But such was not the case

"

Having several times

in this

had

outbreak.

the

opportunity

of

mares with a vesicular eruption around the vulva,

(an

which

eruption

had

been

able

to

examining

after coition

from

follow

first

its

appearance to complete cicatrisation, and which was shown by

of the

inoculation
a

favourable

cow

position

to

symptoms which

to

it

appreciate,

had discovered

Recalling to mind what

asserted that

be Horse

was

Pox),

found myself

their

at

in the

true

in

the

value,

above-mentioned mares.

had observed on several occasions,

a case of the disease which M. Bouley, in

1863, called Horse Pox, and which Auzias-Turenne proposed to

by the name

distinguish

malady
but, like

pustular grease {grease

essentially different from la maladie

it,

propagated during

dn

proceeded to Rieumes, to the

same establishment where, twenty years

previously, a

enzooty had appeared, which has been described

records of Vaccination, and which gave

which was considered

rate the greatest

the vaccinogenic

extinct, since the

in

exception

was able

to

horse,

disease of the

days of Jenner, or

confusion existed as regards diagnosis.

of the breeding stallion

of

M. Lafosse the oppor-

Totiche-a-tonf,

other times was readily excited, served mares in

I

sort

the historical

inspected eleven stallions, six horses, and five asses.

the

or dotirine,

coition.

"After this inspection at Berat

tunity of rediscovering

piisiuleiix),

co'it,

All,

there

with

which

my presence,

examine the penis of each before the

any

at

at

so that

act of coition.

Facing page 404

PLATK .Will

a
o
a,

o
Oh

CO

O
33

-<

Pi

H
/5

Following Plate

XVI 11.

n.ATK XIX.

NATURAL HORSE POX

P E

C H

).

"

"

On

VACCINE LYAIPFir

one ass (Aramis)

405

observed on the right side of the penis

several vesicles, scattered about troni the base of the free part to
the

head of

and

circular, varied in

These

organ.

this

of a twenty-centime piece

was

which were flattened

vesicles,

diameter from the size of a

t^ that

lentil

they had at their periphery, which

a greyish colour
at their centre, where the

slightly in relief,

epidermis had been destroyed, they presented a bright rose colour

and a finely granular appearance. All these vesicles were distinct

from each other, and there was no

penis.

infiltration or swelling of the

above the circular swelling which constitutes

little

the base of the free part of the penis, a

found with a central

Mexico,

brownish

crust.

little

On

saw, on one aspect of the penis, a

on the

circular but not in relief,

skin,

this

animal had on the external wing of the

this

pustule, which, nevertheless,

vesicles of

Cow

Pox, or of

'

some dried

vesicles

be readily imagined

grease.'

detect

any

to

might have been,

nostril, a

left

small

it is

meet with any

did not

escaped

it

my

to overlook

trace

not impossible

is

notice; for

them

it

can

in asses, with

the other three breeding asses

could not

vesicle or trace of vesicle either on the penis, the nose,

around or within the

any part of the

in

may have

how easy

On

so long a coat.

me

to

showed well the characters of the

of eruption on other parts of the body, but

that

whitish spot,

little

which appeared

Whatever

be the scar of a grease vesicle.

was

dried vesicle

another ass, called

lips, in

the hollow of the heel, or, indeed

body, which

examined as well as

was

able to considering the extreme liveliness of these animals, which

fidgeted without intermission.

which

stallions,

able to find

same of the

can say the

six

examined with the greatest care without being

any trace of the eruptive disease, observed on the

three mares and the two asses.

"

But

can assert that

all

these stallions had coition with great

ardour and without any sign of weakness, that their

gait,

their

proud and confident bearing, their repeated and sonorous neighings,

all,

in fact,

what
(in

exuberant

to

their

health.

extreme energy and

What

contrast

to their

to

the

somemaladie

Moreover, amongst the mares which had already been

and were presented to
stallions,
by the Rieumes

coil!

served

including their impatience, which rendered examination

testified

difficult,

grease:'

"

4o6

them
and

again,

remarked two which

and over which

5,

think

will designate as

pause

useful to

it

Nos. 4
few

for a

moments.
" No.

Very

4.

here and

there

This animal showed traces

bay mare.

old

of an eruption of Horse

Pox on

and flattened vesicles were

dried

little

the circumference of the vulva

seen passing on to cicatrisation.

be

to

should mention that as the

mare had not been alarmed by

proprietor of this

the eruption, no

treatment had been employed, and the cicatrisation

took place

naturally and in the ordinary way.

"No.
the

5.

white mare, eighteen years

22nd and 26th of

some

On

April.

on the inside of the lower

was found, on
flattened

ellipsoidal

umbilicated,

or

was

and of the

form,

of a

size

By

noticed, smaller,

an

passing, that

the side of this vesicle or bulla

inexperienced

may

if

remarkable observations contributed by H. Bouley

we

recall the

to the article

on Horse Pox in the NotivcaiL Dictionnaire de medecine

the

was

in the

cow submitted

de

taken for aphthous

place

first

but the inoculation of which produced

stomatitis,

et

concerning a case of an eruptive malady

ve'te'rinaires,

horse which

of the

say, in

observer might have considered

these vesicles to indicate aphthous stomatitis; but

chinirgie

not

and not exceeding a hemp seed

volume, and with the summit slightly eroded.

in

pea,

but well rounded, projecting, smooth,

and of a pearly appearance.

a second

In addition

to desiccation.

near to the attached border, there

the right side, a very fine vesicle of a pale yellow

of an

colour,

lip,

the lips of the vulva there were

on

vesicles of grease passing

was served on

old,

to the

experiment

or

Cow

Pox,

in

the opportunities of

if

the dinique had even cnce brought to your notice the supposed

aphthous stomatitis with

an

on the

eruption

circumference of

the nostrils, in the hollow of the heel, or on other parts of the

body,

it

nature,

would no longer be possible

and

to

be

to

misled

as

to

its

mistake Horse Pox or equine variola.

" In addition to these animals,

inspected in the

commune

of

Labastide Clermont, a mare which had been especially brought to

my

notice as suffering in a very

of the malady.
" No.

6.

will

marked degree from the

speak of her as No.

bay mare, nine years

old,

effects

6.

served the

19th and

Facing fagt

406.

PLATK XX.

o
Id

H
-"

O
72

H
-J

'A

a?

o
a

7tiiaKtSnebAff*Si>JM.

Following Plate XX.

J'l.A'JK

VXl

'

VA CCINE L YMPH.

'

'

2ist of April.

was informed

by her master, who was a

to

was

my

visit,

the

nth

around the vulva

of May, 1880,
;

traces which

than those on subject No.

were

will

but there

was

commissure of the

right

left

nostril.

in

attending

Berat,

with

at first

now add

will

vesicle on the

that

thumb

This casual inoculation

his mare.

to

eyes the existence of

5,

Horse Pox,

return to Toulouse, that

is to

at

had made the evening

my own

in the

asses Araniis

to

my
my

directed

inoculate the crusts which

This

3.

the presence of the pupils, in

in

an.-i

Moreover, the day after

Berat two days before, from mare No.

was made

mind,

already demonstrated to

say on the 12th of May,

M. Cadeac, a fourth-year student,

had collected

although no doubt existed in

inasmuch as the symptoms observed

inoculation

and

hot,

hand, excoriated and blackened, but recognisable,

Mexico, and in mares Nos. 4 and

mare had a vaccinal

confirmed entirely the diagnosis which

at

was engorged,

a greyish vaccinal vesicle, partly desiccated, near

the proprietor of this

before

need net

remark that lymphangitis

did not see the eruption in the hollow of the heel,

difficulty.

contracted

more extensive

similar, but

already described, so

attended

the occasion of

whole extent, and the animal walked

painful in its

of the

On

called in.

existed in the right posterior limb, which

the lower

at iirst

and afterwards M. Averadere,

observed traces of an eruption

However,

again describe them.

.,07

mare was

that this

farrier;

veterinary surgeon at Berat,

'

cow

twelve years old belonging to M. Givelet, and she was placed in

M. Cadeac made several punctures

the hospital of the school.

with a lancet on the circumference of the vulva of this animal,

which he introduced a droplet of a mixture obtained by

On the 20th of May, a
crushing the crusts in a little water.
into

flattened
points,
in

the centre which

was markedly

The

was occupied by

circular,

at

one of the inoculated

was obscured by

they were quite black

the epidermis, which

was depressed

it

a thin crust

the periphery

forming a sort of crown slightly

colour of this vesicle

vulva

had formed

vaccinal vesicle

having a diameter of about a centimetre

was

in

thin,

in

reliel.

that of the lips of the

our experimental cow

moreover,

and raised by the accumulated

periphery of the vesicle, presented a greyish glisHaving taken off the crust and the epidermic
tening appearance.

lymph

at the

grease:'

"

4os

covered

which

pellicle

some very

seconds

the

we observed

vesicle,

after

amber-coloured

transparent

fine

few

droplets

of vaccinal lymph, welling up on the surface of the skin.

On

"

May, 1880, a heifer

the 20th of

belonging

old, in excellent condition,

made around

May

discoid

Salamon

vaccinal

artists

of

presence

ol'

these

vaccinated

some

of May,

26th

had

very

the

fine

of

Dr.

vesicles.

by one of the

of Toulouse, M. Loubat, one representing

one

way, unimpeachable

had been made

which

inoculations,

my

the other that of

forming, in

children,

most of

one word,

With

students,

the

eruption of the heifer, and

vaccinated

evidence

in

the

colleagues and pupils.

doubt can, therefore, be raised of the exactness of the

diagnosis which
after

some

who

in

successfully

On

vesicles.

children

vaccinated

the vaccinal

No

vesicles

revaccinated

yellow-grey

Pox.

two water-colour drawings were made

most eminent

"

and

Cow

of

vesicles

the

flattened

into

of

centre,

formed.

so that on

transformed

the

in

these

in

children,

whom showed

of the

of the

characters

several

Lastly,

puncture was

students

vesicles

perfectly,

an inflammatory areola, presenting,

contained

liquid

took

heifer

umbilicated

vesicle,

the

the

each

with

colour
all

on

inoculation

Several

teats.

two of them

themselves, and on

revaccinated

26th of

between the thighs, and on the

and on the

the udder,

M. Givelet, was inocu-

number of punctures were

great

the vulva, and

of

side

right

The

with this vaccine.

lated

and a half months

six

to

made

loth of May, at Berat,

as early as the

seeing the mares which had been served by the stallions

belonging to M. Mazeres
diagnosis of Horse Pox,

and,

when

have been recently served,

it

on

if I insist

this

malady

because

is

is

this question of the

seen on mares which

appears

it

to

me

that

it

has not been studied in such a manner as to furnish practitioners

with really useful means of recognition.
"

may

Some

on

writers

be accompanied

papular, vesicular
theritic

ulcerations.

sometimes

in

pathology

say

that

the

imiladic

dn

co'it

by an eruption which some describe as

others,

Some

as

formed of white spots or diph-

assert

the form of herpes

that

or

of

ecthyma, with or without the nialadie du

this

eruption

appears

eczema, sometimes of
co'it.

M. Lafosse has


'

even thought that

VA CCINE L YMPH. "

409

'would not be perhaps impossible that one

it

of the breeding animals, male or female, through sexual connection

with difterent individuals, might generate these varieties.

Fresh

observations ought to be collected to establish the possibility of

these results being varied by the diverse copulations of the
animal.

While waiting

prudent

to

admit

in

it

bhndl}' endanger the

order to

in

for these

observations,

of the

to

reproductive animals, and also

ourselves from the heavy responsibility which

free

would encumber us under certain circumstances

if

the mutability

morbid properties of the genital secretions were

of the

same

appears to us

from the present time, not

practice,

life

it

to

be

demonstrated.'

"It

what perplexities such a doc-

not difficult to conceive

is

would give

trine

to

rise

what consequences

it

mind of the

the

in

might have, as

leads one to consider

it

and

practitioner,
all

the

eruptive affections of the genital organs as originating from the

same source

co'tt,

if

not as manifestations of this

But observation pure and simple, and freed from

disease.
fantastic

pronounces against

ideas,

of morbid properties ;

mittability
is

as the maladie du

one thing and Horse Pox

inoculating the

in

is

other words, the maladie du

another.

cow with an eruptive

illness

And

had observed

the inoculation gave rise, in the cow, to a perfectly genuine

Pox, which developed

in

the child to

whom

it

co'i't

proved this by

which

all

theory of the

this singular

Cow

was transmitted

an eruption of irreproachable purity, a fact which

allows us to

regenerate the vaccine, and to procure for ourselves at any time,

and

in

any

place, a vaccine as pure

Jenner himself employed.

co'it

and Horse Pox cannot

ject.

there
it.

own

is

not,

to

having

my

to

Nevertheless,

and as active as that which

do not assert that the maladie du

exist simultaneously

no

information

on the same sub-

on

this

subject,

knowledge, any observation which

and

proves

consider that such a fact would not be in

opposition to the principles of the pathology of the contagious

maladies, and

demonstrated.

am

We

not unwilling

should

then

to

admit

it

as having been

know how the practitioner

how he can correctly

should act should such a thing occur, and

foresee

all

the consequences of the disease which he has under

observation.

GREASE."

"

410

"

have no intention here of discussing the complete patho-

of the

history

logical

du

uialadie

co'it.

myself

confine

will

remarking that cutaneous plaques have been mentioned as a

to

very important symptom

the course of this

in

affection

they

form projections of three to four millimetres, of a diameter varying from a centimetre to five centimetres
neck, shoulder,

plaques, are the seat

they appear on the

and some other

forearm,

flank,

oozing, which

of an

These

parts.

lasts for eight,

ten,

and twelve days, then they gradually become effaced without

leaving any trace behind.

would be puerile

It

to point out to

the reader the great differences between this eruption of cutaneous

They can be

plaques and that which characterises Horse Pox.

readily appreciated
vesicles

which

du

when we

and compare them

recall the characters of the vaccine

those

to

way constitute the

Nor will it be difficult
a

in

co'it.

the

vesicular,

the

subjects

cow formed

and

papular,
of

co'it

if

Horse Pox from

which

eruptions

such varied descriptions,

But

same

in the

subject,

ought

not other points which enable the

are

having

that

development of the maladie du

possibility of the

and of Horse Pox

the

in

of the illness

clear

is

it

have been

inoculation

if

for the practitioner the true criterion

the

there

eruption of the maladie

to distinguish

other

which he has under observation.

admitted

of the cutaneous plaques,

specific

to ascertain

practitioner

to

form a well-grounded opinion about the illness under observation.

The

time has come to apply the data acquired by science respect-

ing the etiology of douriue or

better than

"

how

cannot do

clinical lecture of

This learned and

have been invoked

propositions

co'it.

Cyr of the School of Lyons.

teacher,

of douriue,

du

reproduce here a passage from a

Professor St.
respected

tnaladie

having reviewed

after

to afford

formulates

all

the

causes which

an explanation of the development

among

other conclusions

the

following

That the true cause of the maladie du

to look for

it,

will

co'it,

when we know

be found in the importation of a foreign

stallion.''

"'That dourinc has only one known

all

the

tribute

others
it,

are

to

which

it

has

cause, contagion;

been thought possible

more than problematical, and

that in

to

that
at-

practice,

VACCINE LYMPIir
as

well

as

there

theory,

in

411

no ground

is

believing

for

in

them.'
"

And M.
from

born

Cyr adds

St.

'

not an autochthonous malady

doiiriiic is

influences, but

local

on

is,

be always possible to trace

will

it

the practitioner exercises in his

if

and the perspicacity which

etiological investigation the attention

requires.'

it

" This

announcement throws

differential

diagnosis

declaring

in

pastern joints,

lumbar region

us

to

which

distinguish
is

same

the

at

time

phenomena known

are

all

to

so

and an exaggerated

Horse
simple

Pox,

and

opportunity of seeing the real maladie du

"To sum

up,

observer, which
to the
"

less

good results which

now approach
interesting

to
it

me

useful

so

of

These

mild.

who have had

the

after

coition,

diagnostic sign to the

upon, owing

insist

to

gives.

me

a question which appears to

than

course

the

malady appear

eruptive

appears

it

that of the diagnosis.

Horse Pox from the

of the contagion of
to

an

if

of

co'it.

cow furnishes a valuable

inoculation of the

then

cutaneous plaques,

practitioners

all

would not be long

it

being symptoms which enable

from

doiirine

this

if

a sharp flexion of the posterior

appearance of

the

me, on the

to

add that even

at its initial period,

partial paralysis, etc.,

at first,

seems

it

Shall

by wasting, weakness,

itself

sensibility of the

light,

of doiirinc.

malady were mistaken

wish

facts

to be not

which

to

speak

was able

observe at Rieumes.

"The

information

proprietor of this

furnished

me by M.

to

"That mare No.

examined.

It

establishes

was served 'three times by

25th, 27th, 30th of April

last.'

Mare No.

the same ass, Mexico, 26th, 28th of April.'

four times by the

30th of April.'

Mazeres,

breeding establishment, concerns

the six mares which

'

contrary, an exotic

the

which has been imported, and the origin of which

illness

same

No

2,

'

five

different asses,

served twice by

Mare No.

ass, Mistigry, the 23rd,

the

out of

'served

25th, 27th,

information about mare No. 4.

and

Mare No.

5,

served twice by the same horse. Sultan, 22nd and 26th of April.'

Mare No.

6,

'

26th of April.'

served twice by the same ass, Porthoiis, 22nd and

GREASEr

"

412

" If the reader will

now

recall

what

have already mentioned

about the state of health of the stallions of the serving

Rieumes, he
I

will see

that,

in

examined these animals,

attention with which

spite of the

Pox.

served by the ass Misiigry, on

eruption of Horse

which

from which

inoculation

collected crusts,

seen, an excellent source of vaccine

by

served

6,

was not able

ass

with

finally

on

circumference

the

described, and which

Nos.
their

and

confluent

although

smallest vesicle on the penis of

of the

appearance of

whose

stallions

had

which

As

but what

on

showed no

vesicle ?

we

are

mares

the

have

mares

to

Aramis and

asses

Horse Pox

penis

obvious

left

and on the buccal

of the vulva

the vesicles were found

contamination was explained

no

which he had

5,

consider to be Horse Pox.

showed

Sultan

horse

the

covered by the ?-ame

2,

we have

very

served, had been infected with an eruption which

traces

where

tail,

as

lymphangitis,

vaccine vesicles and nevertheless the mare No.

mucous membrane, where

eruption

second place. Mare

had

Portlwns,

consecutive

to discover the

elsewhere

or

Porihoits

the

eruption

perivulvar

proved,

in the

any

observe

not

did

Pox, exhibited a splendid vaccinal

which had even developed on the under surface of the

No.

the

found on only two of them

Aramis and Mexico the characteristic eruption of Horse

However, in the first place, Mare No. 3, which had been

asses

at

stall

Mexico,

think

to

by

served

pnori

it

may

perhaps be admitted that the development of Horse Pox preceded

coition,

and that

eruption,

this

being

at

discrete,

first

passed

unnoticed

by the groom as well as by the breeder, or indeed,

that there

was a simple coincidence between

this

eruption

and

the

coitus,

the

any

without

occurrence of

connecting

link.

These suppositions doubtless are not improbable, nevertheless

neither one nor the

otlier

appears

me

to

to

be

well founded

considering the special seat of the eruption on the circumference

of the sexual

parts

and

out of six mares which

to find out

how

the

the stallion

was

free

" Must

we

in

this

its
I

development

examined.

contagion

from

all

was

We

after

coition,

on

five

must then endeavour

carried

when

the penis of

lesions.

connection, admit

with

M.

Lafosse,

the mfectious agent does not exist before the coitus,

that

that
it

is

"

VA CCINE L 1 'MPH.

"

during

formed

accomplishment of

the

413

the

act

of copulation,

doubtless at the expense of the male or female secretions, perhaps

of both, and under the influence of the nervous influx or force

which

accumulated

is

the

in

genital organs

by the

of

friction

copulation ?
" But

ground

do not

what principle or on what

on

see

and therefore

theory rests,

this

pause longer over

it.

" Let us see if

it

M.

think, with

being

useless to

be not possible to give a more simple and

the facts which

rational interpretation from

I

quite

is

it

scientific

Cyr, that

St.

it

may

have established.

be possible that

without

'

themselves, the stallions were the mediatory agents of

ill

contagion, by carrying to health}' mares virus which they

taken from

diseased ones

part of corps contumaccs

in

as

this

they

way

say

they

in

would

had

play

Sanitary Police^

the

and

nothing more.'
"

Do we

know

not

that

Horse Pox can be communicated by

the sponge ?
"

the

M. Arloing has explained the

circumference of the

which

presence of this eruption on

vulva of four mares, from

groom had of washing every morning

the

organs of these animals with the same sponge.

sponge

is

not the only

transporting the

virulent

blunt hook which

is

object

which

The

matter.

employed

in

can act

the habit

sexual

the

Moreover, the
the agent in

as

hobbles, the

the operation for

the

litter,

javart,

and

even the finger of the operator, have communicated Horse Pox,

Nocard have observed

as Trasbot and

would be

to

difficult

in

several cases

and

understand wh}' the penis of the stallion

means of transporting virulent matter, in

same way as an inert body or, accidentally, the finger of

should not be

This

it

being explained,

the
the

this

paper with

son.e practical considerations on the prophylaxis of

Horse Pox.

surgeon.

In the

first

coition

inspires

is

place,

not

will

regard this

finish

remark that Horse Pox transmitted by

except

of importance,

in breeders,

will

and which

eruptive affection

as

from

the

syphilitic.

And

consequently, brings discredit upon the breeding

whence

the

illness

has

spread.

fear

immediately induces

It

is

the

which

them

this

it

to

alarm,

establishment

business

of

the

GREASE

"

414

veterinary surgeon to reassure the breeders, by acquainting them

the exact consequences of this

with

which they
strongly,

it

able

are

and,

fellow-citizens,

his

question, than

The nature

not in

random

at

interests in

who

to the practitioner

to think,

of

thus

to theoretical dis-

have recourse

necessary to

have every reason

the

reconcile

to

cope with the difficulties of his

and those of various

tions

more

too

it

confidence

art.

malady being perfectly recognised,

the

of

cases

all

cautions ?

to

put

to

not afraid to assert, that in

are necessarily useless

always endeav^ouring
"

am

not

esteem and

the

by giving himself up

cussions, which
is

him

done

have

he will

acting

And,

establish.

to

gain

also

will

of the diagnosis

affection,

sanitary

to

my own

from

is

it

pre-

observa-

who

practitioners, especially, Lautour,

saw on the penis of a stallion 'a score of little pustulous

tumours, the size and shape of variolous pustules,' that Horse

Pox

is

than

when

no more importance when

of

appears

it

after

coition

appears under any other circumstance, for example,

it

during an attack

And

of strangles.

we

do

then

know

not

that vaccination of the horse has been considered as a

measure

by

Gohier

of strangles

preventive
in

mares and that none of them

had

eighty-three breeding

'

been attacked

ever

with

Last year Professor Tasbert, of the school of Alfort,

strangles.'

he

proposed

the

same means

preventing

for

when

time

Doubtless at the

of the

variola

call

to

Horse

and

strangles

of

identity

the

asserted

quoted

Sacco,

had vaccinated

that he

1813, reports

Doctor

horse,

which

Pox,

and recommended

complications of strangles.

the

the mares

are put to the stallions

they have generally passed the age at which strangles appears,

but

it

will

be

readily admitted

Pox, like revaccination, would

tection of

that

a fresh attack

best serve to

the organism against a fresh

attack

In this case, a

such a guarantee exists.

of strangles,

to

is

if

mare which may have

an eruption of Horse Pox around the vulva and on

which

Horse

of

guarantee the pro-

the teats,

not unusual will herself transmit, the preservative virus

was

going

to

say

which she suckles, and

young animal would

effects of strangles.

to

this

vaccinate

would

be

the
all

colt

or

the

for the best,

be, for the future, protected

mule

as

the

from the serious

VACCINE LYMPHr
However

be,

end of the nose,

at the

heel,

may

this

Horse

always

is

and

confluent

water

water

accelerate

to

If

vulva,

the mouth, and in the hollow of the

in

Pox

therefore,

simple

whitened

when

which

eruption

the

cleanliness

by

cicatrisation,

by the third week.

is

subdue

will easily

or

goulard

generally completed

lymphangitis supervene, simple emollient

Even

it.

is

sufficient

is

few drops of

gentle w-alking exercise, nitrate drinks, and green

lotions,

it

Horse Pox developed around the

pruriginous,

of fresh

lotions

415

food

the comphcations are very slight

if

ma}' be useful to anticipate them to a certain extent.

"

With

this object

several

for

days

it

when

the penis, and, in the

be advisable to

will

there

is

let

confluent

same way, mares

the stallion rest

eruption seen on

affected with the vaccino-

genic eruption must be temporally put out of use.

groom

recommended

is

on the

oil

this

lips

to

Finally, the

pass a paint brush imbued with oUve

of the vulva of the mare, before she

is

served, as

diminishes the chances of absorption.

what

''After

have written

the preceding pages

in

it

be

will

understood that these precautions are only of secondary importance, and

the practitioner ought, above

that

everything,

be

to

able to determine the true nature of the contagious malady which

he has under observation.

present

work should prove

shall consider

Horse Pox
About
with

eighteen

was published
"

my

in

if

the

in Algeria.

months afterwards M. Peuch met

of Horse Pox

case

myself happy

useful in this respect."

in

the Rei>ue

An

Algeria.

account

Vdterinaire, July 1882.

The 24th

of last October, being at Boufarik,

old pupils,

M. Renaud, veterinary surgeon of

observed a splendid example of

I,

and one of

that

the vaccinogenic

commune,

illness

in

horse, a thoroughbred Arab, four and a half years old, belonging

to

one of the principal colonists of Mitidja, M. Debonno.

following are the sj-mptoms which

question

Around

the

nostrils

discoid, umbilicated vesicles

The

observed on the subject

there were

numerous

the size of a lentil

in

flattened

some were

in

GREASEr

"

4i6

process of

desiccation, others

secretion

in full

from which, on

the slightest pressure, a limpid fluid exuded of an

Towards

the inferior commissure of the

amber

we

nostril

left

colour.

noticed

a superficial ulceration, the size of a silver five-franc piece, with

part by crystalline crusts, which were

scalloped edges, covered in

yellowish and transparent

elsewhere the skin exhibited a bright

red colour, and a delicately areolar aspect.

discharge escaped from the

left

yellowish serous

The

nostril.

pituitary

mem-

brane was strongly injected, notably on the side corresponding

to

where on the nasal septum vesico-pustules could

the discharge,

be seen of the size of a small

a whitish and yellowish

of a rounded form, and of

lentil,

In the mouth, and particularly

colour.

inside the lips and on the lateral s urfaces of the tongue, there

were

a multitude of small bullae or vesicles of pearly appearance and of

the size of a pea

some were

number confluent and

escaped

saliva

if

were engorged,

in pit:hes

isolated

and prominent, the greater

eroded

at

abundance, while

in

The sublingual

amined.
side,

as

on the

lateral aspect

On

secreting.

moreover,

nodules were

of

vesicles

Horse Pox

The animal appeared

slight

sidering these symptoms, and

in

was

felt,

staring, giving the

which were nothing

some

them

of

above

eruptive

proposed

and pox
oozed

call

the

Being

Con-

off

the appearance of the

all

did not hesitate to assert,

horse

which

was

it

M.

a case

Bouley

has

Horse Pox,^ from two English words, horse

(variola).

from

of glass.

where

to

of the

illness

there was,

fallen

the presence of Dr. Chafnuis, of Boufarik, that

of the

else

dry, others

dejected, depressed

M. Renaud and

perinasal eruption,

left

coat

passing the hand over these

and the appetite had

fever,

The

of the neck, on the shoulders,

appearance of small paint brushes.

the

on the

those

and painful on pressure.

the flanks, and in the hollow of the heel,

than

a viscous

mouth was being ex-

glands, especially

hot,

parts, small lenticular

centre

their

the

It

was decided
and

vesicles,

obliged

to

to

to

the

leave,

my

was expected,

charged

and

am happy

to collect the virus,

'

collect the

preserve

Vide p. 401.

it

liquid

between

same day.
old

pupil,

to be able to

M.

for

which
pieces

Oran

Renaud,

say that he

'itlJf'l.CCu.

-'Of/M- i.^u//-

^^^

VACCINE LYMPH!'
himself in

acquitted

the

417

We

most satisfactory manner.

had

also decided that inoculations should he

a

In

months

Cow

me

we had

same

in

heifers,

fifteen

M. Renaud informed

letter

ten

to

had obtained

question, he

me

that three

which had eaten from the same manger as the one which
inspected on the 24th of October last, were attacked,

mode

"On

November

following, with very well characterised

me

appears to

It

Having

useful to mention this fact, as

Pox which

of transmitting Horse
said this

return to our

Horse

indicates

it

generally ignored.

is

observation.

first

December last I begged M. Renaud to send

Horse Pox, and the vaccine which he had
a most obliging way, for which I cannot thank

the 2 1st of

me some

of the

cultivated.

him

with the Horse Pox

In the

the 4th of

Pox.

the

having inoculated four

that,

old,

Pox.

horses,

dated

letter

informed

made on cows.
4th of November last, M. Renaud

In

my young

much,

too

January following, two

colleague

which we had

virus obtained from the subject

and two

had inoculated.

received

loth of

Pox

visited together,

packet

this

on Sunday,

the

15th

and the same day, with the concurrence of

last,

Bidaud,

Professor

colleague,

the

vaccine collected from the heifers which he

slips with

of January

me on

sent

of glass charged with Horse

slips

inoculated,

my

the experimental

at

farm attached to the Veterinary School of Toulouse, belonging

to

M. Givelet

nine

Montredon

at

years, in an

ist,

an Ayrshire cow aged about

advanced stage of gestation, with the dried

Horse Pox previously moistened in a drop of

made twenty punctures around the vulva and

tepid water

the

perinaeum.

2nd, another cow, seven years old, also in a state of advanced

gestation,

with

Horse

the

previous
the

Pox.

inoculation,

tw^o

proceeded

The

subject.

punctures

Cow Pox which

the

19th

observed

exhibited

no

in

were no longer
remain

sterile.

on Tuesday

excursion with

VOL.

I.

own

on

that

inflammatory

visible, so that

last,

the

that

been

the

these

fifth

process,

thought that

as

on

day

the
after

two animals,
one

except

slightly papular, all

I

from

derived

same way

January,

of

amongst them, which were

had

my

the

or

the others

culture

would

was agreeably surprised on seeing

24th of January,

the pupils to the

when

was on

weekly

farm, that the greater part of

27

"GREASE:'

4i8

the punctures

made

ten days before, which were invisible on the

now transformed

19th of January, were

into fine vaccinal vesicles

And

surrounded by an areola of a rose-colour.

January

last,

vaccinated two fine Dutch heifers vigorous and in good

one aged fourteen months, the other seven months.

health,

da3's later there

Five

were as many vesicles as there had been punc-

and Drs. Armieux, Jougla, Caubet, and Parant, invited by

tures,

Director

the

of

M. Cadeac, teacher of the

of Toulouse where, in conjunction with

Clinique,

the 25th

these two cows were taken to the Veterinary School

heifers,

Veterinary School to

of the

visit

the vaccinated

proved the perfect genuineness of the vaccinal eruptions,

which had been produced on the perinaeum and on the

" This eruption

vaccine on

heifers

teats.

been the starting point of cultures

has

and calves up

the end of last

to

of

May, and

the vg.ccine thus kept up, has been used for vaccination of about

hundred persons."

fifteen

In this country,

it

is

more than probable

of Jenner's stocks

of equine lymph

but

not

equination

is

commonly supposed

that

Cow

Pox.

In

France,

extensively employed.

on

horse,

most

for

been

the

other

derived

hand,

M. Layet informed me

satisfaction

use
it

lymph employed

has

at

some

in

still

practised,

the

Animal Vaccine Station

which gave

to

all

purposes of vaccination

the

the

wittingly

are

that

is

for

from
it

is

that at

Bordeaux, the lymph

was derived

from

the

and that he had been able on two occasions

renew

his stock

from equine sources.

CHAPTER

XV.

INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION IN FOREIGN

COUNTRIES.
In a former chapter, an account has been given of Small

Pox

inoculation

foreign

in

employed and the

results of this practice are, historically

and pathologically, of the greatest

of

its

The methods

countries.

having been adopted

interest

did

and

it

evolve

treatment,

but

an

entirely

he proposed

for the

refer

a different
practice.

of his

reception

to the

of

medical

of

form
I

the

Jenner

latter.

new system

already existing, but dangerous,

briefly

of vacci-

was the widespread adoption

which paved the way

not

introduction of

Variolation was the forerunner

vaccination.

former,

but the fact

over the civilised world,

all

stands in an important relation to the

nation,

of an

will

proposal

on

now
the

Continent.

The Inquiry was made known

on the Continent,
thcque

Carro,

who

to

world

through the medium of the Biblio-

Britannique.

was despatched

to the scientific

Early

in

1800,

vaccine

Hanover and Vienna, and

particularly

distinguished

lymph
Dr. de

himself by

his

INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION.

420

zeal in

employing the new inoculation, greatly assisted

diffusing a

From

knowledge of vaccination throughout Europe.

Vienna, lymph was conveyed by Dr. Peschier

Geneva

to

but

afterwards

cinated,

all

were explained as the

cination,"

vac-

some

Pox,

Small

contracted

received

who were

persons

the

by

These untoward

and others by inoculation.

infection,

Dr.

for

new method

the

there

temporary check,

results

in

"spurious vac-

result of

and the practice was not therefore abandoned.

Odier was another powerful advocate of the new

inoculation.

He drew

up a paper

on

the

subject,

which was handed by clergymen to parents when they

brought their children to be baptized.
In

and

Hanover, vaccination was introduced by Ballhorn

Stromeyer, and Jenner's work was

German.

the former into

particularly active

in

In Prussia, the clergy were

assisting the profession to spread

the " benign preventive," and in Russia,

employed

Vaccine

lymph

Empress from a physician

was

at

was vaccinated by the surgeon

child

life.

had become
professional

the

nounced

In
"

Breslau,
to

by

and an

the Emperor.

the

infant

The

settled

on

Sweden, though variolous inoculation

one of the most lucrative branches of

practice,"

College
in

was widely

obtained

was named Vaccinoff, and a provision

her for

by

it

patronage of the Dowager

after receiving the

Empress.

by

translated

of

the

subject

Health

favour of the

"

this

was re-investigated
learned

body

pro-

Jennerian discovery," and

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
was established

vaccination

France, the

In

throughout the kino-dom.

Director of

the

School

some vaccine

received

Paris,

at

children were inoculated

421

of Medicine

lymph,

and

thirty-

but the stock was soon

Woodville took a fresh stock

to

lost.

Boulogne, and pro-

ceeded from thence to Paris, and a bulletin announced

"of France having now got Dr. Woodville,

the event

man,

learned

animated

and

meriting gratitude

with

generous

and

zeal,

Already he had vacci-

praise.

nated six thousand children with invariable success, for

the prevention of the Small
In

Pox

is

a kind of prodigy."

by Sacco, who

vaccination was introduced

Italy,

investigated the origin of vaccine lymph, and succeeded

in raising

stocks trom a disease of cows in Lombardy,

from the ulcerated heels of horses,

was

Sacco

Pox.

and from Sheep

persuading

the

Milanese Government to adopt strong measures,

and

we

are also told

every pulpit

instrumental

"proclamations were read from

that

vaccination was practised in every church,

and the clergy gave such

and

his

in

associates,

in

effectual aid, that the professor

three years, vaccinated seventy

thousand persons, and extinguished the Small Pox

Lombardy."

In 1800, Joseph Marshall and John

medical

diplomas

Leyden, and
'

in

from

being

low

the
in

indulgent

fame

Moore.

The History a7id Practice of

Moore,

loc. cit.

p. 263.

Walker "procured

and

Vacciiiati'm.

of

university

pocket,

p. 254.

made
18 j

7.


INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION.

42 2

application
for a
for

and obtained

Jenner,

a frigate, and they proceeded to Gibraltar,

in

Minorca,

Marshall wrote a

teaching

finished

description

account

following

the

Naples,

Having

vaccination.

contained

and

Palermo,

Malta,

practising

sanction

his

Jenner obtained a passage

very useful project."^

them

tour,

Dr.

to

vaccine

his

Jenner,

to

of the

and

which

introduction

of vaccination into Palermo:

" It

was not unusual

inoculation
children,

cross,

at

the

come

to

be

mornings of the pubhc

women, and

procession of men,

the

by a

streets

By

inoculated.

carrying

priest

means

popular

these

it

and the common people expressed

opposition,

themselves certain that

the

in

see,

through

conducted

met not with

to

hospital,

it

was a

blessing

from Heaven,

sent

though discovered by one heretic and practised by another,"

Vaccination rapidly found

Barcelona, and

further

still

permission

Balmis,

extended
to

way

to

Cadiz, Seville,

the principal cities of Spain

all

Xavier

Francisco

its

the
the

diffuse

physician
practice,

new

to

his

Majesty,

for

he

obtained

inoculation

"

he obtained the

rare

and

he

Canary

trading
Islands,

Charcas,

at

every

Porto

Havannah,

port

Rico,

Yucatan,

defray

and profitable per-

mission of freighting a ship with

of

the

in

To

Spanish American and Asiatic dominions.

expenses,

and Dr.

variety of goods,

touched."

The

Lima,

Chili,

Caraccas,

Guatemala,

Acapulco,

the Philippine Islands, Macao, Canton, and St. Helena

Moore.

The History and Practice of Vaccination,

p. 264.

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

423

were also visited by either Balmis or

who

asserted the

preventing the

in

Cow

of

efficacy

Natural

was

from

taken

From

to

the

Small Pox, but

National

by

Persia

human

Vaccine

the

and thence

to

method was opposed by the

who was

well

composed a short poem

the

new

but their objec-

natives,

versed

that

in

Sanscrit

in

assist the

eftect

Pox,

the

promise

by means of a harmless
so-called

the,

to,

vaccination

Cow Pox

another

the

subject

of

antiquity

its

might

to their sacred

cow."

universal appreciation of the danger of inocula-

Small

referred

EUis, of
actually

late

intended to be produced on the minds of the

Brahmins, while tracing the preventive

The

Mr.

literature,

language on

have been found, that the impression of

of

Constan-

This poem was inscribed on old paper, and said

vaccination.

of

'

ambassador.

In India,

order to overcome their prejudices, the

Madras,

ting

frame."

were overcome by an ingenious device.

" In

to

curing

Establishment

British

Bombay.

merely

in

Vienna, Dr. de Carro sent lymph to

tinople,

tions

assistants,

" not

Pox,

simultaneously other affections of the

Lymph

his

explain

pious,
at

of everlasting

substitute,

frauds

security

and the exercise

which

have

been

once the rapid acceptance

of

by ignorant peasants; but the acceptance

inoculation

by the

explanation which

scientific

however

is

world requires
not difficult to

find.

'

Letter from Doctor Edward Jenner to William Dillwyn, Philadelphia

p. 16.

1818.

INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION.

424

The
Pox

inoculation

in

was,

widespread

practice

was

there

this

in

difficulty,

initial

Cow Pox

out.

endeavoured
variolcB

or

vaccines,

unlikely

at all

meet

to

foresaw

of

without doubt,

Cow Pox

on the

acceptable

were

effect

vaccination

embodied the same

protection from

thus

it

another
or Small

Thus,

was

not,

kind

of

On

'

donne

renferme,

'

au

ce

Moseltiy.

Aubert.

Pox of

le

noni de

pis des

bouton

not

is

vaccincr had,

rendering the

in

The

Continent.

led

to

principle

believe

that

of obtaining

si

'Treafise

totally distinct disease,

Pox

Small

variolcE

viz.,

the cow.

Vaccine,

vaches.

France,

in

new

duction to his report on the

particLiliere

and

difficulty,

other words, obtaining

in

example, Aubert,^

for

radically

Small Pox by inducing a mild attack

immunity from Small Pox by a

vaccines

are

as variolcB

abroad

by

was

it

Small Pox of the cow,

physicians

but

that

by the invention of the term

very great

inoculation

of that disease

this

the case of

but whether there was motive or not,

the designation

new

it

Pox

and Small

That Jenner

dissimilar.^

in

As was soon

a disease totally distinct from Small Pox.

pointed

Small

of

belief that

Now,

a second attack.

or modify,

Cow Pox

the

the

a mild attack would, as a rule, ward

diseases,

certain
off,

embodied

principle

Par

reproduit

in

inoculation, wrote

a
le

siir

une espece de
contact

Thomme,

du
et

on the Lues Bovilla or Cow Fox.

An. IX.

RaJ)J)urt sitr la vaccine.

the intro-

boutoii,

pus
lui

qu'il

ote

1804.

la


FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
susceptibilite de prendre la petite verole.

premier Medecin

le

qui,

425

Le Docteur Jenner,

jugeant cette tradition des gens de

pagne digne d'examen, etudia

la

la

fut

cam-

nature et les effets de cette eruption

pustuleuse, appelee en Angleterre Petite Verole des Vaches."

by

Columbian

the

headed

The

"

March

Sentinel,

article

12th,

1799,

something curious in the medical line."

disease was

term

like the

described

better, the

" Coiv

as

Pox,

Cow Small Pox,

or,

you

if

or to express

technical language, the variolce vaccines^

in

it

was introduced

inoculation

Benjamin Waterhouse, who wrote an

Dr.

in

Cow Pox

America,

In

The

virtues

described

" But

of the

discovery

Jennerian

were thus

what makes

this

newly discovered disease so very curious

and so extremely important

is,

that

every person thus affected

EVER AFTER SECURED FROM THE ORDINARY SMALL POX,

ever so

much exposed

to

the effluvium

of

it,

or

let

Ict

llllll

much

ever so

is

be

ripe

matter be inserted iuto the skin by inoculation."

Waterhouse

Pox
"

preferred

to express this

From

the

of the

use

"wonderful antidote."

Kine, the plural of

cow

thus

in

the Scriptures

took two Milch Kine, and shut up their calves at

equally expressive, and in the opinion of

Dr.
years

Waterhouse
old,

with

I^tne

terni

inoculated

home

some more

his

son,

'

and they

;
'

word

delicate."

Daniel,

five

some of Jenner's lymph.'

Prosfeet of Extermiimtiiig the Small Pox, being a

History of the Vai-iolcB Vaccince or Kine Pox, p. 19. 1800.
'

Waterhouse.


INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION.

426

"

The

was surrounded by an

inoculated part in this boy

cence which extended from his shoulder

to his

elbow, which

necessary to apply some remedies to lessen

it

toms,' as they are

called, scarcely

efflores-

it

but the

drew him from

'

made
symp-

his play

more

than an hour or two, and he went through the disease in so slight

a manner as hardly ever
piece of true skin

was

part appearing as

if

taken out of the arm by the virus, the

eaten out by a caustic, a never-failing sign of

thorough infection of the system in the inoculated Small

Waterhouse

became

and

not

disease

To

convinced
be

Cow Pox

against

this

inoculations,

Kine Pox

w^as

alleged

protective

Waterhouse

Pox,

test

resolved

and enlisted

applied,

of

pov^er

for

purpose the services of Dr. Aspinwall, physician

Pox

Small

the

to

PoxP

with.

Small

have the variolous

to

Aspinwall

acceded

Daniel

the

*'

the

further

the

that

trifled

demonstrate

some

on

carried

to

express any marks of peevishness.

to

fairly

in

near

Hospital
the

to

proposal,

presence of his

Boston.

and

who had

it

pretty

full

upon him.

thread, and

inserted an infected

where was one patient with

it

in a

He

moment from

at the

same time

then put him into the hospital

in the natural

day the doctor pronounced the arm

every hour sorer, but

inoculated

father

by two punctures, and with matter taken that

patient

Dr.

On

way.

to be infected.

day or two

it

dried

off,

the fourth
It

became

and grew well

without producing the slightest trace of a disease, so that the boy

was dismissed from

day

after the

the hospital,

experiment.

and returned home the twelfth

One fact

in

such cases

is

worth a

thousand arguments."

The

pamphlet

statement

concluded

with

the

following


FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
" Dr.

42;

Waterhouse informs those who have applied

him out

to

of Cambridge, to inoculate their families, but he declined

only

it

until

the disorder had gone fairly through his

until

some of them had been inoculated by Dr. Aspinwall, and

otherwise exposed to the Small Pox.

his assertion, that the
infection

Kine Pox

Small Pox, by a

of the

and

family,

But having now confirmed

protects the

constitution

fair experiment,

them whenever they choose.

own

Those who

he

is

from

the

ready to attend

Boston may rest

live in

assured, that from the proximity of his residence to the capital, he

shall

make such arrangement

punctually as

if

The new
on a large

was

and
but

use

Previous
about
house's

Small

the

had

and
Pox,

Pox.

an

from

all

Dr.

epidemic

the

casually

Small

had

arm

of

Pox,

began

S.

of

D.

Dr.

Cow

from

who had been

either

lymph from a

obtained

suffering

Small

persons

tested

Marblehead from London,

accident

this

son,

S.

be

to

produced

to

forty

Dr.

arrived at

supposed

and

it,

scale.

reality

in

was shortly afterwards

inoculation

who had

sailor,

as to be able to attend them as

he resided there."

Pox.

inoculated

Dr.

Water-

vaccinated

or

by

to

took

inoculation,

one excepted.^

According

''

Baron

to

The occurrences

at

Marblehead

led Dr.

Waterhouse

to believe

that the vaccine virus had degenerated."

Waterhouse

Waterhouse.
p. 10.

1800.

wrote

to

Lettsom,

begging

him

Prosfect of Exterminating the Small Pox. Part

to

II.,


INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION.

4^8

apply

Jenner

to

out

that

following

Dr.

Jenner's

him

"

of

it,

letter

Could

this

by

credit

and that he turned

footsteps,

me

from him, should he allow

might set

some

gained

lymph,

of

assistance.

further

for

supply

fresh

had

he

pointing

to

for

to publish

it

or

any part

benevolent business a-going again next spring.

likewise say to the American public that

matter from Dr. Jenner himself,

had received

would have a very good

it

effect

indeed."

the

In

meantime

by a

wait

"

made

Jenner

to

gave out that the winter was an unfavourable season

inoculation,

to

stratagem.

little

Waterhouse wrote

new

were

Americans

the

and by that means

for this

suspended the practice

throughout the country from that period until the arrival of fresh
matter and your

letter.

Now we

are going on again, but not with

Some unlucky cases have

damped the ardour of a people who received this new inoculation
with a candour, liberality, and even generosity, much to their
the faith and spirit of the last season.

credit."

The new
some

opposition,

establishing
"

The

was

inoculation

the

not

introduced

Waterhouse

but

without

succeeded

in

practice,

characters in America most distinguished for

wisdom and
They are not, however, over-forward in assisting me against this new irruption of
the Goths.
1
do not wish them to do more than make cartridges,
or at least hand them.
At present they leave me too much alone,

goodness are firm believers

'

Extract of a letter

from

in

your

doctrine.

Dr. Waterhouse to Dr.

Cambridge (America), November

5th,

1801.

(Baron,

Jenner,

loc. cit.)

dated

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
and

it

is

probable will only come openly to

Had

do not tvant them.

times
in

feel

assistance

not a kind of apostolic zeal

The

discouraged.

little

my

429

when

should at

natives of America are skilful

bush-fighting."

Cow Pox

inoculation

was introduced

into

America

on the strength of one doubtful experiment, and, as

on

Continent,

the

vaccinae

variolar

Thus were

was

whereas
Pox.

It

the

it

scientists

in

was Jenner who

among Cows,"

really

or

was

known

the

Europe and America

led to believe that this English

commonly known

was

it

Small Pox of the Cow.

or

They were

deceived.
disease

under the impression that

"

first

in

Cow

as

Cow

named

it

Small

Pox,

Cow

Small

England as "the Pox

Pox."

refer to this subject in the next chapter.

shall

again

CHAPTER

XVI.

PROGRESS OF VACCINA! TON IN ENGLAND.

HAVE already

Edward

with

dealt

the

and

life

Jenner, from the study of which an insight

be obtained into the history of vaccination

up

to the year

was

it

country, the doctrine

prise

to

Cow Pox

as

Cow

of

essential.

many

It

again

will

tion,

the

and

at

title

of Jenner's

Pox," but

in

the

by

Jenner

sur-

so universally

observations and
fully,

length, to the assump-

variola: vaccincB.

original

paper was

published Inquiry he

words, variolcB vaccincB.

invented

is

be

theory that

explain this point

some

by Jenner, of the term

The

Cow

refer,

it

clinical

To

pathological experiments.

to

no doubt be a

modified Small Pox, as

is

in this

Pox came

the origin of the

to learn

Cow Pox

after

Small

will

rerarded as the outcome of

that

by the profession

inoculation had been adopted

considered

England

in

period which followed,

the

to

how

out

point

will

may

of Jenner's death (1823).

passing on

Before

of

letters

himself,

Whether
or

this

whether

"

On

the

inserted

term was
it

was

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

suggested by

shown
any

manuscript,

his

friends

whom

to

does

history

not

Jenner made himself responsible

rate,

he

had

relate.

At

for

it

and

therefore necessary to investigate his views as to

is

it

one of the

431

the relation which was supposed to exist between the

two diseases.
been

has

In the

recently

Cow Pox was

hence

entirely

is

from human

The

without foundation.
believed

Small

justifiable,

facts of the case

Cow Pox

the

that

from

same

the

with

inoculated
the

similarity to

and he

Pox and some other

When

source.

he also

Phipps was

Cow

Pox,

was struck

with

some

cases of inoculated Small

Pox,

convinced

felt

was

diseases arose

boy

the

that

Pox, and

derived from the diseased heels of the horse

believed that Small

which

Jenner believed

that

term variolce vaccince was

Jenner

that

are,

made,

derived

the

that

the statement

place,

first

that,

Jenner

at

least,

Cow Pox

The

Small Pox were derived from the same source.

idea

that

milkers

Cow Pox

suffering

arose

through

human

from

agency

the

Small

and

Pox

of

never

occurred to Jenner.
Jenner's

theory

horse grease

According

and

it,

to

was

of the
well

Fraser,

recommended

origin

known

to

of
his

Cow Pox

from

contemi)oraries.

Woodville strongly objected

Jenner

to

omit

it

from

to
his

original paper.
"

deeply regret that he did not follow the advice which Dr.

Woodville gave him upon being requested

to peruse

the nianu-

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

432

on

script of his first treatise

The

which

part

this subject, prior to its publication.

Woodville

Dr.

objected

was

to,

opinion

the

broached relative to the origin of this disease, than which nothing

can be more contrary to philosophy, analogy, and experiment."

Pearson

also

the

criticised

term which Jenner

had

Cozv Pox.

substituted for

" For the sake of precision in language, and

justness in thinking, and considering that

many

disabusing ourselves from

the use of just terms,

of consequence,

there

no way of

is

of the errors of physic, but by

not unworthy of our attention to guard

it is

against the admission of newly appropriated

names which

will

mislead by their former accepted import.

" Variola is an

assumed Latin word, and

popularly understood
a

name

meaning

known by another name

of a disease, better

Granting that the word

Pox.

its

Variola

is

'

be

will

the English tongue by saying that

in

the

it

is

Small

derivative

from

Varius and Varus used by Pliny and Celsus to denote a disease

with spots on the skin, the etymological import of Variola

cutaneous spotted distemper

distinct of the

cutaneous order

and therefore, as
technically (/car

and no
"

its

is

is

what

called the

to signify this kind

e^0K')(rjv)

as the

Cow Pox
in

is

essential

Small Pox,

of spotted malady,

a specifically different distemper from

particulars, namely, in the nature of

its

symptoms,

although

the

Cow Pox

render the constitution not susceptible of the Small Pox,

a palpable catachresis to designate

by the denomination

Variola;

Cow Small Pox, and

infection

by the variolous poison."

is

what

vaccines;

English,

It

is

apprehend, the name, Variola has been used

morbific poison, and in

may

any

other.

Now

Small Pox

the

is

but one of the most formidable and

yet the

is

for

Cow

called the

that
is

is

it

Cow Pox

to

say,

in

unsusceptible of

interesting to note that after the publication of

Pearson's pamphlet, and

Vol.

after

ii.,

the

p. 87.

discovery of cases


PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

Cow Pox

of

arisino;

Jenner avoided,

for

"

independently of horse

433

grease,"

any further reference to

time,

the origin of the disease.

was Fraser^ who was

It

vaccina:

aside

After setting

Pox

is

my

the

and

Jennerian

opinion of the

beheved

till

theory,

origin of this
that

lately

variolce

modified Small

as

disease

was

it

Pox.

Cow

that

modified horse grease, P"raser wrote

My own

''

original,

Cow Pox

regard

to

by the term

led

certainly

is

also singular

but

learned friend, Dr. James Simms, has broached the same idea

a paper read before the Medical Society of London, and pub-

in

lished in the last

Small Pox and the

volume of

Cow Pox

different modifications;

and

their

memoirs.

are one

believe that the

and the same disease under

have found,

course of conversation

in

with some of the most eminent medical and chirurgical doctors

in the

many

metropolis, that after having attentively listened to

of the arguments which

may

be

adduced

fairly

in

favour of this

opinion they have appeared often to incline to the same

I

am aware

that

the proposition

equally fanciful and absurd with

time

let

them remember

that

it is

may

be considered,

Dr. Jenner's, but at the

at least

state of our knowledge by experiment.

upon

this doctrine as incontrovertible,

content

same

supported by analot^y,

philosophy, and, of course, probability, although not

at present, into its merits with a

belief.

by some,

in the

do not intend

nor even

to enter

view of establishing

it,

present

to insist
largel}',

but shall

myself with observing that such a circumstance would

answer the most important and useful purposes."

Before seeing what those useful purposes were,

as well

to

mention that

by asserting

that

his

PVaser concluded

view

was

it

paper

this

on

established

is

the

" solid

'

and

Henr>' Fraser,

VOL.

I.

imperishable
M.D.

foundation

of truth

Observatiuns on Vaccine hioculation.

28

"

but,

\'6o^-


OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

PJ^ OGRESS

434

however

may

one

carefully

evidence can

be

found

Nevertheless,

he

adopted

out

believing

it

the

" Firstly, It

doctrine.

and

pointed

reasons

great

would render the practice of vaccine

the

for

inoculation

minds of the people who are now

imposed upon and intimidated, and

in

fact

shocked at the idea of

ancestry.

" Secondly,

It

would place Dr. Jenner's discovery upon a rock

by depriving the antagonists of vaccination of

line of

his

no

general by reconciling

its filthy

of

theory,

two

the

memoir,

his

support

in

as

following

the

read

their only successful

argument."

Thus
specific

assumption

the
effect

that

Cow Pox

on the constitution,

exercised

rendering

proof

it

against Small Pox, led to the invention of an ingenious

theory,

which

satisfied

the minds

willing to accept a plausible explanation,

opposed to
the

all

who were

of those

though

it

was

knowledge of the disease

practical

in

Cow.

But the great question,

after

all,

was whether

disease did or did not protect from Small

which

were two ways

in

persons

vaccination

after

was put

this

Pox

and there

to the test.

insusceptible

of

this

Were

inoculation

with Small Pox, and were they proof against exposure

to infection ?
is

the fact

suftlcient

that Jenner

test as unfair,

and

it

is

answer

to the first question

discountenanced the variolous

therefore unnecessary to detail

the cases in which inoculation of Small

after vaccination.

With regard

to

the

Pox succeeded
test

of expo-

'

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

to infection, evidenceespecially towards

.sure

4,i5

the last

few years of Jenner's life was equally overwhelininnbut the failures were attributed to the use of inijiroper

lymph, or to badly or
or -the

tion,

Chicken

Small

crushing

involved

ready

of these

blow to Jenner.

Never

many

Pearson

pronounce
all,

perplexities

as

source

of no value

grease as

preserving

he had

With regard

Cow Pox

of

will

"

''

since

respecting

the

variolous

Cow

suspect

'

effects

that

Monro.

i8i8.

was,
if

he

back upon

fall

"true lifo
researches

earlier

of the inefficacy
notice,

Dr. Alexander Monro's

'

after perfect vaccination.

the

of the experience

t(j

equine lymph was of no

publication

Pox,

there

of

which
of

Cow

Dr.

have

Small Pox occurring after

afloat of

''vaccine"

to the instances

on Small Pox

he

Cow

him

led

which were brought to Jenner's

Monro wrote
Ever

had

of the

his

in

give a short account of

observations

Dr.

source

satisfied himself that

value.

"

spontaneous

his death, to

although

was

before

would appear as

it

only

proved

fiilures

of genuine

and

the

fluid,"

"

malignant

as

he even .seemed

and W'oodville

were preparing, just before

horse

regardc-d

acknowledge that the

to

Pox which

after

was

reports

so

in

Pox

The

Pox.

performed vaccina-

inefficiently

jenner's

been

Cow

Pox.

various
In

myself have had as

Pox,

confess

some mistake had been committed,

Observations

oti

the Different

discovery

rumours

consequence
to

the

was
either

Kinds of Small Pox.

anti-

led

to

as

to

p. 144.


PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

436

the nature

of the disease,

At

about

length,

was

removed,

nine

or

as

years

very distinct evidence

of

doubt

all

my

consequence of

in

previous vaccination.

the

to

ago,

having failed to

vaccination

perfect

my mind

from

having had ocular and

produce the promised security."

Dr. Monro

made

only

not

Small Pox after

The

Cow Pox

Monro,

said
"

more

still

dated

now

are

made by

statements

of Dundee, were

Dr.

him

Cooper informed

Mr.

27th

the

" cases

that

of

Ramsay,

Dr. Alexander

a letter to

In

striking.

Ramsay

Dr.

18 18,

June,

pro-

daily occurrences."

Though our

confidence,

no doubt,

is

limited, yet

and

nation) does appear to us of great value,

over

advantages
think that
its

observations,

members of

but he corresponded with other

fession.

own

his

variolous

We

inoculation.

much depends on

effecting

are

(vacci-

many

inclined

vaccine

the

it

to possess

to

disease

in

most perfect form, and preserving the pustule entire, which

hitherto has not been the case.

" It
fairly

must, indeed, be admitted that facts do not bear us out

in

the conclusion that vaccination has resisted the attack

of this eruptive disease in proportion

On

character.

marked

contrary,

the

cases of Small

several

to

the

of

of

perfection

the

most

its

distinctly

Pox have occurred in those who have been

vaccinated apparently in the most satisfactory manner, and where the

celhilated

" In

marks on both arms are

most

cases,

however,

still as

the

perfect as possible.

had

pustules

served entire, but in several they were so

not

and

in

been
those

pre-

no

circumstance whatever could be found, on the strictest examination, to

invalidate

form having succeeded

the

evidence

to vaccination

of Small
in its

Pox

in

its

perfect

perfect form."

After this independent testimony, Dr.

Monro

described

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

own

the cases in his

and not the

family,

incident in their history

least strikino-

the fact that tlu^y had l)ecn

is

vaccinated by Mr. Bryce, and submitted to his

The

was

case

first

437

test.

Monro's eldest son.

Dr.

acred

Iifteen.

"

on

He

had been

the

left

vaccinated,

arm

by

Mr.

Saturday, October 29th,

according

Bryce with

to my father's notes,
Cow Pox matter, on

1803."

Fitleen years afterwards, the bo)- caught .Small Pox.

The

following

the

is

history of the case

lull

"Edinburgh, Febniary
"

A.

M.,

He went
was

service

and

threw

this

1818.

2%//i,

morning seized with headache,

on returning home from the morning

to church, but

more oppressed

still

eyes

his

was

drowsiness, and considerable general oppression.

lassitude,
"

fifteen,

aet.

red

on

himself

the

where

sofa,

was much

face

his

had severe headache

him sleeping

found

flushed,

was very drowsy

at

one o'clock wu.

"His
qTjick

was then hot; pulse but

skin

he was more flushed

severe.

Got

of the

5!

very restless night

little

eyes redder, and headache more

compound powder

Passed a

of jalap.

frequently started up, and

had no

affected;

In the evening, his pulse became

and took no dinner.

appetite,

talked

great

deal in his sleep.

''Monday.

Pulse

had hot and cold

no.

fits.

Still

Had

more

natural as to colour and quantity.

Was

grains of ipecacuanha were prescribed.

siderable
still

more

frequently

Vomited

quantity of yellow-coloured fluid like

restless

deal in his sleep.

''

and oppressed;

flushed

a stool from the jalap, which was

Tuesday.

and swollen

freely

bile.

10

con-

Passed a

night than the preceding, and talked a great

Was

VviXsG

more

sick

occasionally sick during the night.

Skin hotter;

120.

thirsty

face

tongue white

still

more flushed

complained of cold.

;
1

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

438

No

Got

stool.

compound powder of

5! of

" Wednesday {\st day of entptioii).

thirst

had three or four

flea-bite, on the back of the

and

on

also

removed

There
"

forehead

the

bear the

good

Eyes

red.

night.

body, nor equally prominent

the centre of

breast-bone, there

in

The

sleep

much

dis-

Tried to

sneezing.

over the whole

sit

round

distinct red line

of those on the face,

and

neck,

fluid,

its

with a

Eyes more inflamed, and more tender.

up, but

it

which he refers

hair, especially

Had

itchy.

ver}^

on the

good deal of

produced acute headache, and

he could not do so above ten minutes.

his throat,

size

those on the face and neck are

many

back of the head, which are

Has slight
Has no

to the larynx.

soreness of
difficulty in

Several pustules on the face have run together.

swallowing.

1 1

Passed

red spots on the skin are

There are a number of pimples among the

stool.

the

he cannot

Pulse 60.

deal.

a small quantity of a serous

is

depression in the centre.

No

spots

The cheeks and

slightly inflamed

Each spot has a

farthest advanced.
in

extremities.

and legs

arms,

lips,

considerably broader, and not of uniform

the

dreaming, and talked a great deal during his sleep.

b}'

" Friday (third day of eruption).

basis

of

number of red

Starting

appetite.

Little

not

is

and there are also a

greater,

and sneezed a good

light,

like

finger,

little

Pulse 120.

The

ears,

sneezed

Tongue white

painful.

of a florid red colour.

is

and

eylids are swelled

entptioii).

nose,

He

of which

colour

is

especially

cold,

now much

is

the cheeks,

skin between these

turbed

red

the

much

spots,

hand, and on the

left

hot and red

round

red,

a slight moisture on the face.

is

number on

of

Thursday (2nd day of

on

small,

and pressure

much

complained

still

forehead

the

pressure,

b}'

Skin

feet.

from the medicine.

stools

There are several

frequently.

and 4 grains of

jalap

Complained much of coldness of the

calomel.

tablespoonful of syrup of senna

was prescribed

o'clock A.M., and a second similar dose given at half-past

at
1

at night.
"

Saturday (fourth day of eruption).

as yesterday.
"

Sunday

thirst

no

Had
{fifth

fever.

Nearly

in the

same

state

three or four loose stools from the medicine.

day of

He

eruption).

had a

free

Passed

motion

in the

good night

morning.

no

Appetite

PROGRESS OF VACCIXATION IX /-XGLAXD.

The pimples on

improved.
different

vesicles

and

sizes,

have

filled

AV*

the face and lobe of the ears are of

by a watery

The

fluid.

and are very

distinct necks,

like

transparent

blisters occasioned

by boiling water.
"

conceive that the transparent vesicles were formed on the

top of the original pimples.

Dr. Rutherford, however, holds

different opinion as to the origin of the transparent vesicles,

supposed, that

consequence of inflammation of the

in

and

skin,

serous fluid was suddenly effused under the scarf skin, and formed
vesicles at the side of the Small Pox pimples.

"The

vesicles

by transparent water are more numerous

filled

on the face than those

by pus,

filled

a dozen of pustules on the face

for there are not

The pimples on

manifest depression in the centre.

above

hall"

by pus, which have a

filled

the breast,

those on the back, arms, thighs, and legs, are exactly like the

pimples of the Small Pox, and are

with pus.

filled

The progress

of the pimples on the face has been quicker than that of those

nearer to the centre of circulation.

bone, which had

made

the greatest

a lancet by Mr. Bryce, and

Bryce

said,

The pimple over the breastprogress, was punctured with

was found

to contain

he had no doubt but that

it

pus

and Mr.

would, by inoculation,

communicate the Small Pox.

" Skin not so itchy to-day.

The

vesicles

which were

filled b}-

a watery fluid, in the course of four or five hours lost considerably

of their prominence, were less tense, and wxre by no

transparent, and

seemed

filled

on turning the head and pressing on them.

made

a drawing from

the

face,

This day, Mr. Lizars

which conveys a more accurate

(Vide Plate

idea of the appearances than verbal discription.

Got
"

at 12 o'clock p.m. a tablespoonful

Monday, March 2nd

yesterday afternoon
appetite.

The

(sixth

Slept a good deal

took his breakfast with

pustules on the face are not so tense as yesterday

twice.

pimples on the arms and legs are

No thirst no fever. The

now become pustular, and Dr.

Rutherford and Mr. Bryce think them perfectly

Pox.

111.)

of syrup of senna.

day of eruption).

passed a good night

The medicine has operated

filled

means so

with whey, and some of them burst

like those of

Small

Mr. Bryce punctured one of them, which was found to be

The cuticle over the pimples on the

with thick viscid pus.

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

440

legs is thicker than that of those of the face

arms and

more of

the pustules are

of

vesicles

shrivelled,

of them

some

and legs are now

face

fluid,

is

there are

of the pimples on the leg seem

Many

The

have gone back.

of those

cuticle

with a watery

filled

of a yellow colour, and in

a few opaque white spots.

to

The

a grey colour.

which are

face

his

and hence

swelled.

less

spaces between the pustules of the face are less red than

The

yesterday.
"

observed about nine in the evening, that the vesicles on

the face which had been

by

filled

a transparent fluid,

Was

Pulse 6o.

very considerably.

had shrunk

nine in the evening in

at

a sound sleep, from which he did not awake though a candle was
Pulse 64.

held near to his eyes.

" Tuesday,

March ^rd

[seventh day of eruption). Y'^ss&d a

Pulse 60, and regular.

night.

vesicles

which contained the clear

of them, the scarf-skin

is

much

a small quantity of yellow

There

The

is

now

but

little

fluid

shrivelled,

fluid.

number

greater

No

have burst.

On some

and these are

Eyes

stool.

good

of the larger

filled

by

less tender.

redness on the skin of the body between

the pimples.
"

The progress

on the

left

of the pimples has been very irregular

hand are

though they

to the touch, hard,

appeared.

first

not been nearly so rapid as

On

The progress of
of many in other

one of them being opened,

Many

matter.

and of a

it

was found

light

those

these pimples has

parts of the body.
to contain purulent

of the smallest pimples on every part of the body

have gone back, and on pressing the skin, no hardness

The pimples on

ceptible.

grey colour,

the

breast

have not

is

per-

gone on

to

suppuration faster than those of the extremities of the body.

"

There

is

extremities, but

diffused
it

redness between the pimples on

the

never was so great as between the pustules on

the face.
"

None of

the pimples which resembled

were above a quarter an inch

in diameter,

those of Small

Pox

and many as small as

pin points.
"

Mr.

Syme made

the pustules on the

the hand.

his
left

drawing between

ii

and 12 o'clock from

arm, and also of the one on the back of

FROGRJSS OF VACCINATION IX ENGLAND.

"

No

headache,

" Wednesday,

good
on

lips is

appeared

now

is

first

Skin cool

are

no

thirst.

The

no matter.

is

still

pressed, and there

is

the

left

hand and fingers which

of a grey colour, feel hard, are painful

no matter now

Many

very viscid yellow matter.

by matter

still filled

scale,

in

them

in the centre

Skin

" Thursday,

March

very itchy.

^fli

{ninth day).

now

the pustules have

have now

Pulse 64.
''

dry

No

6th

{tenth

still

a few

The

thighs.

which resembled the blisters

and are surrounded by

Many

had

day).

the

pustules,

which

of these crusts on the face

under them

after the larger crusts

March

''Friday,

number of

greater

hands and

Dr. Rutherford supposes that a

upon the skin

a slight

is

a very good night.

The

light yellow colour,

fallen off, but the skin

elevated.

Passed

brown colour formed on

resembled those of Small Pox.

rough, and slightly

is

little

fallen

crust

was formed

off.

Passed

good

night-

headache; no thirst; appetite good.

Saturday, March yth {eleventh day). AW the pimples are

in

the outer layers.

fallen off.

On

great

many

of the dried vesicles

still

remain.

skin,

there

is

an

for a few of the layers

Pulse natural

feels himself now much stronger.

''Sunday, March Sth {twelfth day). The
face,

now

of the dry crusts have

drawing the fingers along the

evident elevation where the pimples were

on the

by

filled

the pustules were depressed

the

crusts of the pimples on the face,

crusts of a dark

it

there are, however,

contain

still

of others, there

Pulse 60.

dried up

containing purulent matter upon

from burns, are of a

if

still

Appetite to-day very keen.

when

but there are other

of the pimples on both thighs

which gives the appearance as

in the middle.

a few

in

skin between the pimples

Mr. Bryce opened one of them, and found

matter.

small crust of a

pustules on the back of the hand which evidently

are

Passed

of the natural colour, and the swelling of face

The pimples on

gone.

day of eruption).

(eighth

formed over many of the pustules

is

forehead, there

of the face

and

^lli

Pulse 64.

night.

iiis

or heat of skin.

thirst,

March

deep brown colour

441

crusts

no Jieadache

still

continue

and those on the thighs, arms, and hands have a

considerable degree of hardness and transparency.

respects quite well.

Is in all

other

PROGRESS OF VACC/NATJO^'

442

"Saturday, March

some

still

EA'GLANB.

criiptioit).

There

many on
warm bath

crusts on his face, and a great

though

and hands,

arms,

day of

(eighteenth

i^tli

lA^

he took

There are three very evident

the

pits of a triangular

temple, the bottom of which

now forms

the crusts on the hands has burst, and

around the basis or rather circumference of the dried

"March

lyth.

Many

are
'^

March
still

a white line

of the crusts on the extremities of the

{the twenty-second

day since

pimples of different sizes,

great distance from

red

along.

and there
still

colour,

There

in

right

eruption appeared).
different

thigh,

of

states

and

no

at

One was like a flea-bite, of a

globular when the finger was drawn

each other.

and

felt

second has a
is

tlie

and

progress, were observed to-day on the

pale

oft'.

of the crusts on the arms and legs.

March 22nd

Three

left

crust.

igth (tiventy-first day since eruption appeared).

many

night.

cuticle over

body, and especially those on the arms, have not fallen

^^

last

form on the

The

very irregular.

is

are

the thighs,

deeper red within the paler red,

circle of a

a clear spot on the top

in a third, the

more apparent, and the centre of

like whe}', evidently depressed,

it

seem.s

crimson ring

filled

is

with a liquor

and had every appearance of the

genuine Small Pox pimples.

"

March

2'i^rd.

The

pimples which have appeared on the thigh

continue to follow the usual course of the pimples of the modified

Small Pox.
"

number of crimson-coloured blotches appeared on

after the crusts fell

off",

and these were not obliterated

period as the 2nd of June.

do not propose

was constantly kept

to quote in

full

the other cases in the family, but

vaccination

is

at so late a

During the progress of the disorder,

a dish with nitrous fumigation

the skin

in the

room."

the particulars of

the

history of the

important.

was inoculated in his left arm on Wednesda}', December

1806, when three months and three days old.
A pustule

"J. M.
17th,

has formed, about one-sixth of an inch in diameter, which

at the edges,

and

its

is

red

middle rises into a point, from which matter

PROGRESS OF ]'ACC1NAT10N IN ENGLAND.

has oozed out, and, by

dr^'ing,

December 22nd, 1806,

formed a ^'ellow

arm

left

upon the arm, and rubbing

flat

point of the lancet

On Monday,

crust.

days after the inoculation, Mr. Brycc-

five

inoculated him with matter from his

the lancet

443

was under the

instead of laying

off the matter while the

cuticle,

he punctured the arm,

with the point placed perpendicularly, three or four times.

" Ar^'/z/^rr 23;7/. Thirty-two hours afterwards, a pimi^le alxtut

one-tenth of an inch

on his right or

last

diameter, and of a red colour, had formed

in

punctured arm.

The

vaccination

was

at the

time considered complete."

J.

M.,

set.

Monday, March

II,

symptoms which

from

i6th.

developed

into

1818. suffered

an

attack

of

Small Pox.

The

Cow

Pox, and tested by Mr. Bryce, and, at the time,

Mr. Bryce, and

the

K.M., had also been inoculated with

third child,

vaccination

K.M.,

as

thirteen,

ait.

Monro and

Dr.

perfect.

his

father,

On March

regarded

15th,

had symptoms which proved

181S,
to

be

those of an attack of Small Pox.

Among

other cases reported to Dr. Monro, was the

son of Dr. Hennen.

at first, as the

This boy contracted Small Pox, and

considered as \'aricella.
a soldier,

in

Small Pox.

whom
Dr.

the

But the source of

was

infection

was

disease w^as ascertained to

Ijc

Hennen wrote:

"This boy was vaccinated by myself when

I

disttase

boy had been vaccinated, the

had every reason to be

three

months

old,

and

satisfied with the genuineness of the

in Spain,
he has often been exposed to variolous contagion
Portsmouth."
at
year
France, and Portugal, and particularly last

matter

Another

letter

of great

interest

was received from


PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

444

wrote
"

quharson

mentioned

now, though

myself placed

many

facts

It

the

now about

is

fell

after vaccination,

eminence

first
.

this

the

in

pestilential

in

Coldinghame,

at

Several 3'oung people,

victims to the disease.

weeks afterwards,

it

Even

months since Small Pox appeared

three

Eysmouth, and Ayton.

vaccinated

place

of Berwickshire, particularly

coast

east

judged

which Small Pox

in

or no credit.

little

situation of bringing forward

painful

which gentlemen of the

to

Far-

Dr.

to

circumstance.

of the

taken

shape,

the

in

profession will probably give

"

the time

have seen a multitude of cases

every possible

in

at

but as he seemed to think lightly of them,

prudent to take no further notice

feel

Pox supervening

indeed, seen several cases of Small

upon vaccination, which

has,

Smith

Dr.

1818.

had,

2nd June.

of Dunse,

Smith

Dr.

who had

not been

course

of a few

In the

malady extended

over

itself

other parts of the country, and whole families were in consequence

promiscuously

number

vaccination.

after

anxiety,

am

attended two

many

for

can,

upon

and

have seen a

of Small Pox took

of

disease

the

place

were con-

particular that

in

may have

with

much

to

but,

i'i

If the

the latter,

communicate the Small Pox

not leave the

much odium

incurred

we

to

it

former, vaccination
are imperiously

in the mildest

rising generation

in

after

Vaccination either does, or

resist the variolous affection.

cannot possibly do harm

called

having had recourse to inoculation

has so long been exploded.

does not,

not.

perfectly sensible

the opinion of
it

and watched the progress

fluent,

"

whether vaccinated or

laid up,

of cases wherein great crops

the

way we

scourge of a

loathsome and dangerous disease."

Practitioners

behef

the

in

even when
tion

it

had

protective

Small

was

so

committed

power

Pox occurred

impossible

for

of

themselves

Cow

to

Pox

that

after perfect vaccina-

many

to

believe

it.

FROGRIiSS OF J-ACCIXA770N

The

they

dist^ase,

must

said,

This, for example, was

case

of a boy at Inverness, two

Pox

Small

Pox

" after

the;

view

years

old.

445

Cliicken

takc:n

having passed through

most perfect

in its

Malignant

Ije

Pox.

ENGLAND.

/jY

in

\\\v.

who had

Cow

th(!

Put Dr. RoJjertson

state."

set

the question at rest by inoculating a child, and the child

so inoculated not only had the

had

Dr.

severely.

it

experiences, and

"

Cow

similar

who had

the Small

Pox

after

Pox."

previous

convictions

Cow

of

efficacy

Init

repeatedly practised inoculation with

Monro was unable

Dr.

Small Vn\,

Smith, of Dunse, had

matter taken from those

the

common

disease was

and

himself from

free

regard

in

Pox,

milder

to

the

to

he

his

in-o])hylactic

concluded,

that

the

might otherwise have

been

These were not the only outbreaks of Small

Pox

than

the case.

about

and

this

it

not

is

which afforded similar experiences

time

surprising,

that

therefore,

Jenner was

surrounded with perplexities.

X'acci nation,

discredited,
reinstated.

favourable
\'accine

J(^hn

Jenner.

it

still

reports

of

about

the
;

more

lUiron,

the

was

but

in

partly,

no

re\i\al

particularly

friend

doubt,

of

officials

the

measure

great

and was gradually

survived,

This was due

Establishment

brought
of

but

true,

is

it

by

and

to

th(-

the

National

was

certain))-

the

exertions

lMogra|)h(--r

ot'


PROGRESS OF VACCINA 7/0^ IN ENGLAND.

446

and correspondence had been placed

Jenner's notes

by

executors

his

his

in-

was regarded as

Jenner, he

acquaintance with

timate

From

hands.

Baron's

in

the most suitable person to prepare a biography.

early

Jenner's

Edward Gardner.

The

But Baron's object was not merely

Introduction

the

in

Pox

of Small

prevalence

recent

Thus

of vaccination.

shattered credit

the

to restore

"

Baron by

to

biography of Jenner; his work was intended

to write a

he wrote

were bequeathed

letters

in

parts

different

Europe, and the corresponding diminution of confidence

virtues of the Variolae Vaccinae rendered

importance

siderable

endeavour

to

showing that

by

confidence,

Jenner

Dr.

understood,

nothing, in

confirm his

original

opinions both with

and the Variolae Vaccinae.

have been done

for

them

regard

would hope

foresaw

in these respects

that

to

am

and

the

prothat

persuaded,

the

\'ariola

something may

that shall tend to

universal adoption of a practice capable of effecting so

" Nothing,

if

which does not strengthen and

has occurred

fact,

and increase that

clearly

account

satisfactorily

the

in

that his doctrines,

of

an object of no incon-

it

restore

to

deviations which have been observed

perly

All

promote the

much good.

can ever accomplish this object

except a real knowledge of the nature of that affection which might

be

made

to

accelerate

lake the place

this

of Small Pox.

event has led

me

ver}' sincere

No

to

to the discussions contained in

the present volume, the publication of which at this time,

humbly hope, may not be without

wish

its

would

use."

one can posssibly read Baron's Life of Jenner

without

feeling

displayed

all

the

prejudices

through

the

and

work

the

and

strong

no

bias

one with

any knowledge of comparative pathology, can possibly

PROGRJt:SS OF
Study

without

it

fallacies

Cow Pox

Jenner's

Cow

of

Small

proved to be
described as

Cow Pox

gross

himself.

His

already

own

and thus he

Cow

Rut

Pox.
of

tissue

Cow

it

have

and endeavoured

power of

tective

as

447

the

pointed

satisfiction

was the remnant of an

Pox.

variolce vaccince,

with

committed

proving to his

in

EArQLA.YD.

/A^

impressed

Baron

investigation,

resulted

out,

being

which

to

historical

VACCIXAT/ON

justified

that

outbreak
the

to establish

term,

the j)ro-

his elaborate statement

l)lunders,

the

for

disease

Small Pox had nothing to do with

was. in

fact.

At the

Cattle Plague.

time,

however. Baron's teachings were accepted, and thus his

blunders

purpose.

his

fulfilled

Criticised in

the light

of modern information, the only value of Baron's work

be tbund

to

is

spondence,

way
to

in

the

by which

we

are

able

which vaccination was

in

of

publication

corre-

Jenner's

judge

to

conducted

of

from

the
1

798

1823.

Baron
ideas,

and he

medical

of

employed
so

far

succeeded

for

that

Thus he was

profession.

Committee

channels

other

of

he misled the

made

in

Chairman

Medical

Provincial

the

Surgical Association, and

spreading his

their report,

signed,

and
and

probably entirely written by the Chairman, the pathological

in

fallacies

in

description

Jenner's

of

the

affinities

Small Pox and the so-called

are

told

that,

" ui)on

were

repeated

between

Human

biography

Cow

due

Small Pox, and

understanding

ot

we
this


PROGJ^ESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

4^8

the

everything that

of the subject

portion

Then

depends,"

of vaccination

practice

Vciluable

is

in

follows

an elaborate dissertation on the disease described by

Layard.

this country,

in

and

Ramazzini,

Lanzoni,

and by Frascatorius, Lancisi,

others,

in

other

in

Italy,

words, on Rinderpest or Cattle Plague.

Thus was Cow

Cow

Small Pox; and

Pox dogmatically asserted

Eraser's

theory,

Cow Pox

to

be

which obscured the great

fallacy

in

was admitted as a pathological

inoculation,

fact.

support

In

of the

Baron

theory,

had written

Bree, of Stowmarket,

" During the prevalence of Small

several dairies

became

affected with

Pox

Mr.

that

related

to say

in

neighbourhood,

this

Cow Pox

which supports

of the identit}^ of the two diseases, the latter being

the opinion

probably modified by being developed in the cow."

Baron also referred to a statement

Waterhouse, of Massachusetts,
" At one

to

families

cows

in eight or nine years, several people

an hospital near a populous

might have the daily

were

milked

by

The consequence was,

their teats
r)ne

in

a letter to Jenner.

in

New

of our periodical inoculations, which occur in

England once

cows

made by Dr.

and udders, so

the

hospital,

of

benefit

persons
the

village, in

in

all

order that their

their

stages

drove their

milk.

of

These

Small Pox.

cows had an eruptive disorder on

like the

as well

Small Pox pustule, that every

as the

physician

who

told

me,

It

was

declared the cows had the Small Pox."

whole of

this

anecdote was hearsa)'.

|>roljably a coincident

outbreak of one of the

^Fhe

common

PROGRESS OF

of the teats

<jruptive affections

was taken

in

1\4C(:/.VATI0.V

" It

And

this

occasion

we

interest

little

conceive,

the

nature

the

doubt

to

the

had been communicated,

it

of

fact

on

that

Pox had been conveyed from man

Small

the

cow, just as

the

to test

yet Baron writes

impossible,

is

and so

H9

the event at the time, that no inoculations

were made from the cows

eruption.

IN EiVGLAJvo.

Gloucestershire, from the

cow

to

the dairies of

in

man."

to

But though Baron succeeded

in

carrying the general

opinion of the profession in favour of vaccination, there

were individual vaccinators who. occasionally, spoke out

Thus,

enough.^

candidly

Estlin,

in

the editor of the Medical Gazette

''

Allow me,

engaged
tliirty

the

in

3'ears,

activity

in

the

place,

first

to

one

vaccinating (at

have watched, with

of the

virus

endeavouring in vain

to

and

premise

time

many

for

to

having been

that,

rather

regret,

wrote

1837,

extensively)

for

a decided decHne
years,

renew the lymph

in

have been

from

its

original

On the diminished anti-variolous power of the present

source.
the pubhc are
stock of vaccine matter I need make no remark
;

aware of the

too painfully

Badcock

was

led

fact."

to

undertake

by the tbllowing occurrence

in

his

experiments

1836:

''Towards the end of the year 1836, I suffered severely from

dangerous attack of Small Pox, which happened but a few

months

after

revaccination

and

been impressed with an idea

protective influence

'

Compare Duncan

Stewart.

Vol.
vor..

ii.,

I.

having

the old vaccine

by passing through

Vaccination in Jicngal.
-

that

my mind
so

many

Report on Smnll Pox in

previously

had

lost

its

constitutions

Calciitfa,

1827-44.

p. 518.

29

and


PROGRESS OF VACCINATfON IN ENGLAND.

450

during the long period of forty years,

to

procure some

my own

Badcock wrote

may

it

to

1845,

greater number of cases

of

power against Small Pox.

which that disease has occurred

in

met with

are

vaccination

been

has

fact

ordinary vaccine virus

the

protective

its

the

arise,

years already ascertained, that

after

up

has lost a great deal of

his experiences

of"

From whatever cause

late

anxiou<^

children revaccinated."

And, again, speaking

"

was exceedingly

cow, for the purpose of having

fresh from the

than

and

formerly,

in

some

instances those are very severe, and occasionally even terminate

fatally."

In

fact,

an alteration

in

had now become one of the stock apologetics

Pox
to

and the

failures,

believe in " that

a suffering

vaccinated,

1,294

consequence
vaccination

malignant
less

of

the

or

with

infirm,

was

Pox

variety

used

while

in

attacked

that

if

it

similar

Small

Pox,

and 1,379 died

Indeed,

disease.

to

Out of 547,646

effect

England,
the

had

in

France,

in

was credited with having no

Small

Cow

persuaded

still

Badcock,^

to

attacked

"^^t^re

disfigured

malignant

argument

According

met with abroad.

11.773

became

was

profession

for

most precious boon of Jenner

world."

experiences were

lymph

the quality of the

over

when

vaccinated,

the

been

for

not

vaccination the attack might have been worse.

Even

Ceely,-

one of the
'

Vol.
Vol.

ii.,

ii.,

most
p. 51;.
p. T^t^.

accurate

obervers.

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION- IN ENGLAND.

who

had

convinced

"spontaneously"
able in

himself

cow,

the

in

that

and

explanation

for

was

origin,

its

raising

human

Pox

arose

had

never

been

on

vesicle

variola,

by

which

vesicle

so

in-

when he succeeded

cow

the

any other

nevertheless

fluenced by Baron's teachings, that

in

Cow

his practical investigations to find

all

451

of

inoculation

had

the

physical

characters of the vaccine vesicle, he was led to believe

had

he

that

succeeded

" Vaccination

There

rock."

Pox.

were

up

now,

is

was

not

by

variola,

Baron's

Baron's

Baron

indeed,

upon

led

to

of

Cow

Pox

of

any
Ceely

researches,

the

the
It

1857. vaccination

Blue

would

report,

Book on
be

but

out
it

of

remains

ordinary hold which the

the

obtained further

vaccination
place,

as

evidence

to

by

from

Simon.

analyse

of

Jennerian doctrine

minds of even distinguished

however, much

to

Cow

fact.

support

compiled

here,

related

theory of

Small Pox, being regarded as an established

In

in

the original

for

and Badcock's experiments, and the incidents

by Waterhouse and Bree,

the

hesitation

independently

historical

in-

in

placed

no

only

perfectly

bv

misinterpreted

outbreaks

although

but

discovered

human

Ceely's

Pox

Thus,

term Cozu Small Pox

substituting the

Coiu

Pox.

summed

were

vestigations,

Small

and

researches,

historical

words,

human

of

inoculation

Cow

producing

in

the

had

sanitarians.

that

extrauj^on
It

is.

be regretted that the teachings and

"

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

452

reproduced, and

should have been

of Baron

fallacies

Jenner's Inquiry described as a masterpiece of medical

induction

comment

similar

to

Blumenbach

that of

on Jenner's researches on the cuckoo.

Not

were

only

blunders

Baron's

but

approval,

with

quoted

Cattle

Plague

Small

Pox theory again comes

to

regard

with

the

Cow

the

front

to

under

cover of Ceely's variolation experiment.

"

It

was not

forty years afterwards that science supplied an

till

wonderful

of Jenner's

interpretation

authentic

discovery

indeed, had suspected the solution, and had hinted his

when he

for such in fact

Simon
show

also

that

"

might

nation
if

Cow Pox by

called the

is

it

endorses

the

he,

Vaccinae,'

statement

following

host of theoretical

objections

to

to vacci-

have been met, or indeed anticipated,

could have

it

the

name of Variolae
Small Pox of the cow."
the

meaning

been affirmed sixty years ago, as

it

can be affirmed now,"

"

'

This new process of preventing Small Pox

carrying people through

Small

Pox

in

is

vaccinated are safe against Small Pox, because they,

had

Their safety

it.

is

of the same sort as

inoculated under the old process,

natural disease.

The

trifling

really only

modified form.
in fact,

The
have

they had been

if

or had been infected by the

disorder which they suffer,

those

few tender vesicles on the arm, the slight feverishness which they

show,

is

Small Pox of the most modified kind

Small Pox so

modified by the intermediate animal organisation through which

it
it

has passed, that when thus reintroduced into the

excites

human body

but insignificant disturbance, and no general exhalation

of infected material.'

PROGRESS OF VACCAYA 7V0A' LV ENGLAND.

Thus

P>aser's

creed

was

which,

in turn,

that

met a host of

it

led

our

in

from

suffering

the

obvious

for in

cured,

if

Cow Pox

Cow Pox

by

the numerous
" vaccine

outbreaks
"

But never,

tracing the infection.

is

so

been

Such

made

the

that

belief

it

statement

studied

rarity

and

hydrophobia

Human

dog.

in

To

with

Cow Pox

this,

that

disease

that

there have not

the

in

disease

direct

and that

harmonises

Human

from

Small

opposition

ao^ain.

If the.se

to

with

Pox.
facts.

diseases were de-

Small Pox, the observation would

have been established with as much

rabid

connection

to

arises
is

in

Horse Pox have been met with and

arain and

from

of

Small

difficulty

sufficient opportunities for observation

Cow Pox
rived

be

rare a

excessively

further,

the

may

|jro-

any outbreak of

in

Cow Pox or Horse Pox, has a

Human Small Pox been established.
reply

been

Human
no

or

too

is

cows and

in

has

the source of the disease were

little

through

doctrine

this

lymph

there-

is,

transmission

of

fallacy

is

from milkers

arises

and

Pox,

modified
the

and the student

text-books,

Pox, there would have been

The

has been repro-

officially accejited,

which

from

horses

The same

Small

But

cow.

error,

theoretical objections.

that

Pox

Small

fore,

pathological

the f^n-ound

medical

believe

to

to

commended on

officially

theory having been

duced

led

453

man

results

emphasize

this

frcjm

certainty, as
th(i

point.

bite
will

that

of

give

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

454

summary of

brief

have occurred

and

this

in

outbreaks

the

in

791,

stock of lymph.
dairies

In

Bradley.

broke out at

Norton Nibley,

was

In

same

the

raging

this

Cow Pox
Fresh

Town.

no

Cow Pox

and Stafford

in

and Barry described

time onwards, for a long period,

received

further

Pearson

Ireland.

in

attention

natural

or no attention in this country.

little

of lymph

stocks

and

Later, a fresh stock

for Jenner's use.

Leicester,

From

Cow Pox

year,

Devon, Buckingham, Dorset, Norfolk,

Wilts, Somerset,

prevalence

the

in

by Woodville,

and Aikin described the prevalence of

its

first

Gloucestershire,

in

raised from the dairies in Kentish

Suffolk,

1780,

1770,

1798, he raised his

described

Pearson, and

lymph was taken

in

Cow Pox was

1799,

and was

London,

in

other countries.

In

1796.

1794.

Cow Pox which

Cow Pox

In England, Jenner found

1782,

of

were occasionally

was paid

to

raised,

the disease

in

but
the

cow.
In

stock

of

lymph

which

was

introduced

raised a

among

the

1838, Estlin

met with an outbreak

Gloucestershire, and raised a

fresh stock of lymph.

current stocks.
in

met with an outbreak, and

1836, Leese

Cow Pox was

Abbas

observed

and again

of Abbotsbury
tresh stocks of

being

In

in

and

in

1838-39 by Mr. F^ox, of Cerne

1839, in Dorsetshire, by Sweeting,

in

1838,

lymph were

frequently met with

1840,

raised
in

1841, and

by Ceely,

1845,

Cow Pox

the Vale of Aylesbury.

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION /N ENGLAND.

From

time onwards,

this

outbreaks of the disease

cow have not been recorded, but

the

met with the

tioners

when

Thus,
found

that

lymph

vaccine

Mr.

(on two occasions)

Rudge,

Retford

])racti-

fresh stocks.

in

1857,

was

it

men had employed

Donald

in

fresh

Dalrymple, of Norwich

Mr. Beresford, of Narborough,

Gorham, of Aldeburofh

Leicestershire; Mr.

of Great

made

were

medical

several

several

and raised

disease,

inquiries

J5S

Mr, Alison,

Mr. Coles, of Leckhamjjton

of Leominster, and one or two

Sweeting had met with the disease

in

Mr.
Mr.

others.

two instances,

in

and had disseminated lym])h obtained by the \accination

Another stock of lymph

of persons from each source.

was raised by Ceely

Cow

Po.x

and

1845,

an outbreak of

investiofated

In Italy,

in

Cow Pox

in

1887,

in

lastly,

Wiltshire.

was found by Sacco

1800, in

in

the Plains of Lombcirdy, and by other practitioners

1808-9.

Ii^

Miglietta
1843,

in

1812,
1830,

was

in

Piedmont;

Rome, by Dr.

''^'^

several outbreaks of

observed

it

1832,

in

Quite

Maceroni.

Cow Pox

Naples

at

and

in

by
and

recently

have been encountered,

and the stocks of lymph renewed.

In

France,

in

18 10,

Cow Pox was

Department of La Meurthe, and

Amiens, and Rambouillet

at Passy,
in
in

1839

in

1842.

Jumeaux, where,

at

during

Pagnac
the

in

the

1822, at Clairvaux
in

at Saint Illide, at Saint Seine,

1841

in

found

in

1836;

and

at

Rouf-n

Perylhac
'^^

D-ux

thirty

years.

1843,

previous

at

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IK ENGLAND.

456

Cow Pox

circulated.

M. Majendie

Departments

three

in

and

Loire

et

Guyonville

at

Nogent

near

villages

introduced by

and

infected,

one

from

stock was established)

Rouen; and

near
1881,

same place

In Germany, as
to

the

disease.

It

was

also

in

April

and

Cow Pox was

that

had

contracted

the

same
as

Small Pox.

1802,

ing
in

to

Bucholz,

Mecklenburor,

the
1812,

to

at

lymph

Beaugency

and again

in

the

at

its

in

as

parts

discovered

and
in

there,

power

of

and

in

against

with, accord-

Germany

Silesia,

and

Erlangen.

In

Brandenburp;,

Gresen

The

1769.

dairymaids

the

protective

to

by milking the

Cow Pox was met

of

discovered.

had been referred

disease

the

Holstein,

Cow Pox was

frequently

published

different

in

neighbourhood

it

tradition

Gloucestershire,

In

milkers

been well known

disease appears to have

cows

were

soon as attention had been drawn

ascertained

who

was

1884, ^^ Cerons.

in

Gottingen newspaper

milkers

1866,

Bordeaux,

near

1883

in

these

three

in

milkers

1864, also at Petit Ouevilly.

in

in

Eysines,

at

of

1854

disease

(the

cows

purchased

newly

farms

in

the

in

Beziers in

On

1864

in

occurred

it

1852

in

at

1863.

in

Rheims, and

at

to

Wasseloune

at

1845

in

arrondissement of Sancerre, and

and

cow belonging

was found

1846

in

Department of Eure

the

it

been raised and

in

Department of Bas Rhin

the

in

broke out

1844

in

had

of lymph

stocks

fresh

several

Berlin

and

its

PI^OGRESS OF VACCJNA'/70N
suburbs by Bremer

near Luneburg by l-ischer

Greifswalde by Mende;
wick, by Giesker
In
five

Holstein,
epizootics

Ornum,

in

by

in

iSi6 at Seggerde

in

1813 to

and

cases,

of Biistorf,

Ritter

of

1825

also

found

wiili

It

great

disease

this

Neu Busach, and by

the

betw^een

corresponds

description

P^runs-

in

was found,
Albeis, near

1834.

W'urtemberg.

1829,

in

Berensbrook,

and

Schleswig-Holstein.

years

numerous outbreaks were reported.

in

and

Luders met

1S24.

Hobi-'stein.

.y.-j

of Brunswick.

otlu-r parts

in

the farms

in

Riss, at

Stralsund, in
In

from

isolated

common

1829,

and

Eichthal,

number of
very

ENG/.AX/).

JA'

with

Cow Pox :

the

The

1825

to

great

publication

1837,

number
of

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

458

Other

vaccine

the

After

countries.

successfully

lymph was sent

1830, fresh
at

so that

ten years

in

children were vaccinated with

employed

and

Stuttgart,

institutions

to

many hundreds

Cow Pox lymph

of

collected

Wurtemberg.

in

according

Holland,

In

found

in

1805,

Denmark,

In

181

in
it

Numann, Cow Pox was

to

and

1,

1824.

in

was found by Niergaard,

at

Fiinen,

occurred

among

1801.

in

Russia,

In

cows

the

in

an

1838,

in

village

epizootic

neighbourhood of

the

in

St.

Petersburg.
In

North America

was found by Dr.

it

Massachusetts, and by

of Connecticut,
In

in

Mechoacan, and

in

province of Caraccas

the
;

was known, according

in

de

Calabozo, in

the

and by Humboldt
Pepping,

to

of

valley

Valladolid

of
of

district

the

in

in

among

Peru, and
the

cows

Chili.

Hence

it

is

from being a

who
in

was found

it

neighbourhood

the

in

Norton and Trowbridge,

1801.

South America

Ablixco,

Drs.

of

Buett,

evident
rare

that

disease,

natural
as

are unacquainted with the

Cow Pox

many have
subject

is

far

supposed,

and,

further,

not one of these numerous outbreaks has any causal

relationship with

To

assert,

Human

Small Pox been established.

therefore, the theory

on the ground of Ceely and

of

Cow

Small Pox

Badcock's experience,

is

PROGRESS OF VACCINAT/OX IX EXGLAXf).

to substitute experimental

observation.

must

proof whatever that

fallacies

again

assert

disease.

i/ic

cornxn

for

After a number of

Pox.

possessing

the

Pox

inasmuch as

but,

produces

Cow

characters

there

cultivated
is

as

the

and

no more reason

for

Pox was transformed

Small
for

Cow

believing that

Small

Pox,

Small

Cow

inoculated,

characters

Horse

Pox can

similar

Cow

of
also

appearances,

Human

supposing that

into

Pox, than there

Pox,

Horse

Pox,

and

Sheep

Pox

Plague,

Cattle

when

physical

produce

to

Human

of inoculated

cattle plague,

with

vesicle

no

a vesicle was produced

trials

Pox, that Sheep Pox

be so

is

physical

is

was pro-

Pox.

duced by the inoculation of cows with

clinical

there

that

Cow

459

Human
are

all

manifestations of one and the same disease.

Cow Pox

The

practical

vinced,

without

any

further

diseases,

Small

Pox

and

Cow

distinct.

Cow Pox

disease

by

as

a local

symptoms.

is

Small

contact.

inoculable,

student of

is

also

Pox

evidence,

is

Pox,

and

Small Pox

by sudden and severe

is

is

at

once con-

that

are

the

disease

followed

two

specifically

communicable

highly infectious.

affection,

is

solely

though

which,

Cow Pox

begins

by constitutional

an acute disease, characterised

fever,

which

is

followed

after

forty-eight hours by a generalised eruption.

If

we study

inoculated

Cow Pox

in

early

removes

from the cow, we observe the formation of a papule,

a

vesicle,

an

ulcer

with

surrounding

induration,

PROGRhSS^OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

46o

enlargement of the lymphatic glands, and secondary^

Cow

eruptions or vaccinides.

Turenne
to

pointed

and

syphilis,

In

most

of

Cow Pox

which

of our

of a

ordinary

to the

relation

the benign vesicle of variolation

the
to

Small

natural

with

deal

when

the

lymph

character, that

of

Cow Pox

which

the

these

gated

are

know

day,

it

calf.

The

in

the

same
of

cycle

of

full

when we have
cow,

the

or

untamed

original

its

what the symptoms

is

contrast

"tender

as

that

are

manifestations

form

appearances

Jenner has given many instances,

striking

We

present

to

natural

description

the

only

is

really appreciate

described

constitutional
ulcers,

we

removes from

reverts

in

feverishness."

It

early

are.

stand

aftection

at

the

Pox.

to

description

cultivated on

of

as

this

history.

of the

stands

Cow Pox

disease

the

of the

belly

of vaccinia

description

natural

its

artificially

the

or

child

comparison with

account

has been

it

analogous

strictly

is

description

the

as Auzias-

fact,

text-books,

simply an

result after

arm

the

not

in

follow

really

medical

is

is

it

1865,

in

only by a

is

it

we can

disease that

disease

out

Pox.

mitigated

the

with

vesicles

slight

Jenner met with what,

called

of the

then

to

vaccinal

disease in

associated

accidents
its

with

unmitiviolent

symptoms, the development of corroding

and generalised eruptions.

'

Vol.

ii.,

p. 552.

Bousquet met with

i'LATK

XXH.

o
04

o
o
o
J

H
00
O
o;

^uum:jU&%/.Q-.M.

PROGRESS Of VACCI.VA770y /X RXGLAXD.

similar

experiences.

which followed from

results

from

derived
similar

the

at

different

the

ilescriijed

of lymph recently

user

Ceely

met

also

with

same laws which

a])ply

Cow

at a late stage

jects to revert to

late period

not

he

can

lymph

taking

no

(lue-stirtn

Pox

to .Small

inocu-

inoculation.

Cow Vox

on

some sub-

tend

will

original virulency. or, as P)Ou.squet

its

saiLvagerie,

induce,

Pox

have referred

from

resulted

there

lymph taken

it.

inoculation.

and

periods;

apply also to

lation,

Pox

which

differences

the

at a

fully

accidents.

to

calls

the;

and

cow.

the

In speaking of Small

that

has

Estlin

,<,,

as

just

Pox lymjjh

.Small

and ingrafted on a suitable

transient

may

soil

benign

or

j^apule

tak(;n

vesicle,

but an attack of continent .Small Pox.

1

have already stated that Auzias Turenne was the

first

to

out

i)oint

that

even the

syphilis; but

Cow Pox

plaint

from

There

is

that

milkers

the

theory than

there

is

for

and

it

had

e\cn

cow had derived

the

com-

Iwvilla,

who were

no more ground

for

with

affected

believing

believing

in

.Small

the course which the malady runs which

into

relation

Horse Pox, the

Horse Pox

is

with

parallel

syi)hilis
is

still

and

closer,

transmitted by coition.

syphilis.

the

Cow

that

produced by milkers suffering from

closely

to

opponents of vaccination

earliest

regarded the disease as lues

been suggested

analogous

is

In

Pox

Pox.

It

is

is

it

so

that

in

brings
find

latit-r

inasmuch

as

this country.

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

462

Creighton

has pointed

much

so

has

he

that

of so-called

cases

how

vaccinal

tion,

there appears

for

may

syphilis

many

may be

This

cow.

the

very

by

which are attributed

cases

questionably

the

full

than

an asserdoubt that

vaccination

Cow Pox

un-

virus

analogy

the

to

but

are

syphilis

to

point

clearly

two diseases

the

of the disease

little

of the

effects

and nothing could more

between

be

to

all

vaccinal,

sweeping

too

Pox;

regard

truly

type

transmitted

be

as

syphilis

inocu-

Cow

tendency to

being reversions to the original

in

the

closely

parallel with the natural

lated syphilis runs

so

out

the difficulty in

dia-

gnosing the exact nature of these vaccinal accidents.

Again,

if

Pox.

are strikingly similar

cases

Without

entering

of this subject,
progress

study the effects o{ syphilis

his plates with

being

syphilis

been

observed

of

cases

discussion

an example, to the

as

refer,

Horse

inoculated

prolonged

into

As

syphilisation.

struck

were
he

the

and scar

in

and no one can compare

Jenner's (see Plates

The

appearances.

had

to

in

Horse Pox we have the stages of papule,

vesicle, ulcer, scab,

of

will

Ricord's

in

inoculated

without

artificially

on the human subject, the appearances

inoculated

some

we

results

likeness

Cozv

the

similiarity

of the

unknown

would

Creiijhton.

with

to

scarce!)-

between

IV. and

have

in

but

failed

them.

their

inoculation

artificial

jenner,

XXIH.)

So

Pox avd Vaccinal Syf hilts.

it

to

they

have

striking

Facing f^ge

PI.ATK XXIII.

Pl^l.

tf;^^n>L

Pltf

?..

Fi^S.

Figs.

V
?i

o
Ti^7
Tig4.

R^5

INOCULATED SYPHILIS (lUCOKD)

Compare

Fig.

with Plate IV.

TuiaiitimjMS^AJinJtt

^t,-

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

indeed

by

the

are

judicious

As

the

of an

result

of

convinced

Baron,

Jenner,

the

that

vaccine

"

investigation

into

the

been

Reports of the

the

all

vesicle.

history,

" vaccination,"

has

profession

time

in

"

that,

lymph

s\philitic

produce

pathology, of

especially the

possible

is

it

strain

of the

characters

physical

and

selection,

that

be cultivated which would

niio^ht

the

appearances,

463

feel

by

misled

National \^iccine

Establishment, and by a want of knowledge concerning

the nature of

Cow

Pox, Horse Pox, and other sources

Though

of " vaccine lymph."

lymph

generally taken

is

Pox,

yet

the

and

nature

mean

to

pathology

this country,

in

of

the

instead

have been led

the

human

of the

purely

to

whereas

statement

viruses

distinct

that

cholera, anthrax,

to Jenner's

\accination as

same

and
of

have been

and severe diseases

protective measures

the

for chicken

theory

teaching,

use

in

introduced by Pasteur, such

have been

Pox,

have

in

animals.

different

The

theoretical

We

the virus of a benign disease

the

from several

derived

its

regard vacciiiation as inoculation

to

subject with

coiu,

and

have not been made the subject

affinities,

of practical study for nearly half a century.

sul)mitted

Cow

of

\irus

disease,

this

vaccine

the

is

of
in

most

Cow

recent

Small

principle

as

and

extension

Pox.
the

analogous

against

of the

Pasteur's
old

as inoculation

rabies, are

a }jrotective

which

fallacious

system

method

Small

ot

is

the

Small

PROGRESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

464

Pox

though

Variolation,

inoculation.

dangerous

practice,

can at least claim to be based upon

grounds,

viz.,

by

the prevention or modification of a disease

artificially

purely

inducing a mild

involved a totally

from one disease by the

protection

of a

totally

and

not.

has

not

been

existence

with

support

the

induction

artificial

which was

by

either

experiments.

The

nearly a century

for

the

principle

supported

since,

and

folklore,

principle

pathological

method has

Jennerian
for

disease

distinct

experience or

clinical

upon

pathological

different

was a

inoculation

based

treatment

empirical

of that disease.

attack

Cow Pox

of

substitution

Jenner's

scientific

of

struggled

Cow

the

Small

Pox theory and the numerous and ingenious explanations

of

Cow

spurious

marks

quality of

Inoculation

disease

of

lymph, deficiency

in

assertions

man,

number

the

in

and the misinterpretation of

Cow Pox

does

immunity

affording

in

the

in

of

Pox, inefficiently performed vaccination,

inferior quality of

effect

embodied

failures

syphilis,

and

statistics.^

have the

not

from

the

neither

do

anci

least

analogous

Cow

Pox,

Horse Pox, Sheep Pox, Cattle Plague, or any other

radically

tective

of

disease,

power against

Cow

totally

dissimilar

Pox,

failed to

eradication

Human

Horse

Pox,

Small Pox.

and

exterminate Small

of this

disease
'

any

exercise

we must

I'ide p. 163.

in

Inoculation

have

Plague

Cattle

Pox

pro-

specific

and
future

for

the

resort

PRO GI^ ESS OF VACCINATION IN ENGLAND.

methods similar

to

which

modern

in

OUT

STAMPING
Cattle

as

Hay^arth,

have been so successful

times

of

diseases

Foot

Plaj^ue,

proposed by

those

to

465'

lower

animals,

such

Mouth

Disease,

and

the

and

in

Sheep Pox.
In

case

the

of

performed by

effectually

either slaughter,

stated

lower animals this has been

the

that

isolation,

muzzling.

or

might

rabies

combined

notification,

has been

It

stamped

be

out

of

country in twelve months by universal muzzling

equal

truth

may

it

in

the

stamped out

system of

rigid

to be

is

with

this

with

be said that Small Pox might be

same time by

And

isolation.

if

any

practical benefit

Pasteur's system

derived from

and a

notification

of protective
reason

why

nurses and other attendants upon cases of Small

Pox,

inoculation,

any

cannot see

scientific

should not be protected by inoculation with attenuated

Small Pox within the walls of a

and with

due

precaution

prevent

to

Pox

Small

hospital,

spread

the

of

infection.

There can be no doubt

of COMPULSORY
place

isolation

the

NOTIFICATION

vaccination.

face

been

and
of

an

instrumental

vaccination

Indeed,

epidemic,
in

I.

it

long a

ISOLATION

maintain

staying

been

is

will

that

carried

isolation

the

system
re-

where
out

in

which has

outbreak,

thc^ugh

has received the credit.

Unfortunately a belief
VOL.

and

have

vaccination

ere

that

in

the efficacy of vaccination

30

PROGRESS OF VACCIATATION IN ENGLAND.

466

has been so enforced in the education of the medical

practitioner,

of

the

that

practice

our generation,
to

the

the

credit

it

is

will

hardly probable that the

be

generally

futility

acknowledged

in

though nothing would more redound

of the profession and give

advance made

It is

more probable

and

isolation.

in

pathology and sanitary science.

that

Small

evidence of

when, by means of notification

Pox

is

kept

under

control,

vaccination will disappear from practice, and will retain

only an historical interest.

FINIS.

^JL

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY

Los Angeles

This book

is

DUE on the last date stamped below.

DEC 2 2,^96^
i

1%

^' APR

B\OWED

JUN

2 81969

RIOMFD
3

JUM

JUN

LIB,

1986

1 6 1988

MP 15 1988

FonnL9-62w-7.'61(01437s4)44i

RtC'D

WR30'86

Vim

LIB.

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