A Statement of Facts Tending to Establish an Estimate of the True Value and Present State of VaccinationBlane, Gilbert, Sir
History
A Statement of Facts Tending to Establish an Estimate of the True Value and Present State of Vaccination
Blane, Gilbert, Sir
Smallpox; Vaccination
with a sense of unrequitable obligation to the individual[7] who first
disclosed and promulgated the secret, by drawing it from the dark
recesses of rural tradition, and rendering it available to the whole
human race.
Such are the sentiments which must fill every well constituted mind; and
it behoves the whole medical profession, which has already done itself
so much honour by the zealous and disinterested encouragement afforded
to it, to continue its efforts in eradicating every remaining prejudice
against it. It becomes Englishmen, in particular, to cherish it, not
only as the native offspring of their country, of which they have reason
to be proud, but to redeem the character of the nation from the reproach
of having, of all others, whether savage or civilized, done the least
justice to this noble discovery. It is somewhat humiliating to reflect,
that while there is no country which has received more striking and
unambiguous benefits from this discovery, there is none which has prized
it less, nor availed itself of it so little. I here allude to the
unspeakable advantage of it to the public service, both by sea and land,
in the late war, so eventful and portentous in its course, and so
glorious in its termination. Formerly, Small Pox was one of the greatest
embarrassments to the operations of armies; and ships of war were
occasionally under the necessity of quitting the sea, from the
prevalence of this disorder among their crews. Those lately at the head
of the navy and army, with that vigilant wisdom and humanity which
become those who direct the affairs of a great and enlightened nation,
recommended and enforced the practice of Vaccination in both these
departments, to the great furtherance of the public service. Their
example has by no means been followed among the civil population of
England. This is chiefly imputable to the abuse of the press, the
general licentiousness of which may be denounced as one of the most
grievous evils of this age and country, in regard to other subjects
interesting to humanity and public happiness, as well as this; the
votaries of error and depravity being more successful, because they find
more encouragement in disseminating their principles, than the advocates
of truth, virtue, and good order. There is no maxim more true, than that
the best things do become by abuse the worst, and that in proportion to
their excellence. What a mortifying contrast does England form with
Peru, where it was adopted instantly, in consequence of a flash of
conviction from the light of evidence! and was not this conviction fully
justified by the immediate disappearance of Small Pox from that whole
region? To those nations who may feel an envy of the glory attached to
our country by this discovery, it must be no small consolation to
perceive that a large proportion of the English nation has hitherto been
so besotted as not to know how to appreciate it, nor how to avail
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