"I inoculated with the cow-pox matter from the eleventh to the
latter part of April, twenty-five persons, including women and
children. Some on the eleventh were inoculated with the matter
Mr. Shrapnell (surgeon to the regiment) had from you, the others
with matter taken from these. The progress of the puncture was
accurately observed, and its appearance seemed to differ from the
smallpox in having less inflammation around its basis on the
first days--that is, from the third to the seventh; but after
this the inflammation increased, extending on the tenth or
eleventh day to a circle of an inch and a half from its centre,
and threatening very sore arms; but this I am happy to say was
not the case; for, by applying mercurial ointment to the inflamed
part, which was repeated daily until the inflammation went off,
the arm got well without any further application or trouble. The
constitutional symptoms which appeared on the eighth or ninth day
after inoculation scarcely deserved the name of disease, as they
were so slight as to be scarcely perceptible, except that I could
connect a slight headache and languor, with a stiffness and
rather painful sensation in the axilla. This latter symptom was
the most striking--it remained from twelve to forty-eight hours.
In no case did I observe the smallest pustule, or even
discolouration of the skin, like an incipient pustule, except
about the part where the virus has been applied.
"After all these symptoms had subsided and the arms were well, I
inoculated four of this number with variolous matter, taken from
a patient in another regiment. In each of these it was inserted
several times under the cuticle, producing slight inflammation on
the second or third day, and always disappearing before the fifth
or sixth, except in one who had the cow-pox in Gloucestershire
before he joined us, and who also received it at this time by
inoculation. In this man the puncture inflamed and his arm was
much sorer than from the insertion of the cow-pox virus; but
there was no pain in the axilla, nor could any constitutional
affection be observed.
"I have only to add that I am now fully satisfied of the efficacy
of the cow-pox in preventing the appearance of the smallpox, and
that it is a most happy and salutary substitute for it. I remain,
etc.,
"M. J. TIERNY."
Although the susceptibility of the virus of the cow-pox is, for
the most part, lost in those who have had the smallpox, yet in
some constitutions it is only partially destroyed, and in others
it does not appear to be in the least diminished.
By far the greater number on whom trials were made resisted it
entirely; yet I found some on whose arm the pustule from
inoculation was formed completely, but without producing the
common efflorescent blush around it, or any constitutional
illness, while others have had the disease in the most perfect
manner. A case of the latter kind having been presented to me by
Mr. Fewster, Surgeon, of Thornbury, I shall insert it:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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