An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae: A Disease Discovered in Some of the Western Counties of England, Particularly Gloucestershire, and Known by the Name of the Cow PoxJenner, Edward
Science
An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae: A Disease Discovered in Some of the Western Counties of England, Particularly Gloucestershire, and Known by the Name of the Cow Pox
Jenner, Edward
Smallpox -- Vaccination -- Early works to 1800; Vaccination -- Early works to 1800; Vaccinia -- Early works to 1800
In the year 1792 Stinchcomb was inoculated with variolous matter, but
no consequences ensued beyond a little inflammation in the arm for a
few days. A large party were inoculated at the same time, some of
whom had the disease in a more violent degree than is commonly seen
from inoculation. He purposely associated with them, but could not
receive the Small Pox.
During the sickening of some of his companions, their symptoms so
strongly recalled to his mind his own state when sickening with the
Cow Pox, that he very pertinently remarked their striking similarity.
_CASE XII._
The Paupers of the village of Tortworth, in this county, were
inoculated by Mr. Henry Jenner, Surgeon, of Berkeley, in the year
1795. Among them, eight patients presented themselves who had at
different periods of their lives had the Cow Pox. One of them, Hester
Walkley, I attended with that disease when she lived in the service
of a Farmer in the same village in the year 1782; but neither this
woman, nor any other of the patients who had gone through the Cow
Pox, received the variolous infection either from the arm or from
mixing in the society of the other patients who were inoculated at
the same time. This state of security proved a fortunate
circumstance, as many of the poor women were at the same time in a
state of pregnancy.
_CASE XIII._
One instance has occurred to me of the system being affected from the
matter issuing from the heels of horses, and of its remaining
afterwards unsusceptible of the variolous contagion; another, where
the Small Pox appeared obscurely; and a third, in which its complete
existence was positively ascertained.
First, THOMAS PEARCE, is the son of a Smith and Farrier near to this
place. He never had the Cow Pox; but, in consequence of dressing
horses with sore heels at his father's, when a lad, he had sores on
his fingers which suppurated, and which occasioned a pretty severe
indisposition. Six years afterwards I inserted variolous matter into
his arm repeatedly, without being able to produce any thing more than
slight inflammation, which appeared very soon after the matter was
applied, and afterwards I exposed him to the contagion of the Small
Pox with as little effect[1].
[Footnote 1: It is a remarkable fact, and well known to many, that we
are frequently foiled in our endeavours to communicate the Small Pox
by inoculation to blacksmiths, who in the country are farriers. They
often, as in the above instance, either resist the contagion
entirely, or have the disease anomalously. Shall we not be able now
to account for this on a rational principle?]
_CASE XIV._
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