Sixthly: From the progress and general appearance of the pustule
on the arm of the boy whom I inoculated with matter taken from
the hand of a man infected by a horse; and from the similarity to
the cow-pox of general constitutional symptoms which followed.
[Footnote: This case (on which I laid no inconsiderable stress in
my late treatise, as presumptive evidence of the fact adduced)
seems to have been either mistaken or overlooked by those who
have commented upon it. (See Case XVIII, p. 36.) The boy,
unfortunately, died of a fever at a parish workhouse before I had
an opportunity of observing what effects would have been produced
by the matter of smallpox.]
I fear it would be trespassing too far to adduce the general
testimony of our farmers in support of this opinion; yet I beg
leave to introduce an extract of a letter on this subject from
the Rev. Mr. Moore, of Chalford Hill, in this county:
"In the month of November, 1797, my horse had diseased heels,
which was certainly what is termed the grease; and at a short
subsequent period my cow was also affected with what a
neighbouring farmer (who was conversant with the complaints of
cattle) pronounced to be the cow-pox, which he at the same time
observed my servant would be infected with: and this proved to be
the case; for he had eruptions on his hands, face, and many,
parts of the body, the pustules appearing large, and not much
like the smallpox, for which he had been inoculated a year and a
half before, and had then a very heavy burthen. The pustules on
the face might arise from contact with his hands, as he had a
habit of rubbing his forehead, where the sores were the largest
and the thickest.
"The boy associated with the farmer's sons during the continuance
of the disease, neither of whom had had the smallpox, but they
felt no ill effects whatever. He was not much indisposed, as the
disease did not prevent him from following his occupations as
usual. No other person attended the horse or milked the cow but
the lad above mentioned. I am firmly of opinion that the disease
in the heels of the horse, which was a virulent grease, was the
origin of the servant's and the cow's malady."
But to return to the more immediate object of this proposition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account