As the malady had shewn itself in so slight a manner, and as it
had taken place at so distant a period of her life, I was happy
with the opportunity of trying the effects of variolous matter
upon her constitution, and on the 28th of March, 1797, I
inoculated her by making two superficial incisions on the left
arm, on which the matter was cautiously rubbed. A little
efflorescence soon appeared, and a tingling sensation was felt
about the parts where the matter was inserted until the third
day, when both began to subside, and so early as the fifth day it
was evident that no indisposition would follow.
CASE IX.--Although the cow-pox shields the constitution from the
smallpox, and the smallpox proves a protection against its own
future poison, yet it appears that the human body is again and
again susceptible of the infectious matter of the cow-pox, as the
following history will demonstrate.
William Smith, of Pyrton in this parish, contracted this disease
when he lived with a neighbouring farmer in the year 1780. One of
the horses belonging to the farm had sore heels, and it fell to
his lot to attend him. By these means the infection was carried
to the cows, and from the cows it was communicated to Smith. On
one of his hands were several ulcerated sores, and he was
affected with such symptoms as have been before described.
In the year 1791 the cow-pox broke out at another farm where he
then lived as a servant, and he became affected with it a second
time; and in the year 1794 he was so unfortunate as to catch it
again. The disease was equally as severe the second and third
time as it was on the first. [Footnote: This is not the case in
general--a second attack is commonly very slight, and so, I am
informed, it is among the cows.]
In the spring of the year 1795 he was twice inoculated, but no
affection of the system could be produced from the variolous
matter; and he has since associated with those who had the
smallpox in its most contagious state without feeling any effect
from it.
CASE X.--Simon Nichols lived as a servant with Mr. Bromedge, a
gentleman who resides on his own farm in this parish, in the year
1782. He was employed in applying dressings to the sore heels of
one of his master's horses, and at the same time assisted in
milking the cows. The cows became affected in consequence, but
the disease did not shew itself on their nipples till several
weeks after he had begun to dress the horse. He quitted Mr.
Bromedge's service, and went to another farm without any sores
upon him; but here his hands soon began to be affected in the
common way, and he was much indisposed with the usual symptoms.
Concealing the nature of the malady from Mr. Cole, his new
master, and being there also employed in milking, the cowpox was
communicated to the cows.
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