The Present Method of Inoculating for the Small-Pox: To which are added, some experiments, instituted with a view to discover the effects of a similar treatment in the natural small-poxDimsdale, Thomas
History
The Present Method of Inoculating for the Small-Pox: To which are added, some experiments, instituted with a view to discover the effects of a similar treatment in the natural small-pox
Dimsdale, Thomas
Smallpox -- Vaccination -- Early works to 1800
28th. He came to the house, and informed me he had been taken very
ill on the 26th in the evening, and continued so all the next day.
His complaints had been, great pains in his head and back, with
heat, thirst, and restlessness. He was at this time, however, pretty
well; but on inspecting the arms, they appeared much inflamed for
a considerable space round the incision, and the erysipelatous
appearance gradually extended itself over the greatest part of the
arms between the elbow and shoulder. He now complained only of slight
flying pains in his head and limbs, but without the least degree of
fever: after a bad night’s rest several eruptions were discovered on
the hips, and one on the neck. Some of these maturated, others dried
away; and, upon the whole, the procedure was such as would not by any
have been called variolous, if unattended with other circumstances.
CASE II.
Nov. 23d.] A healthy strong man, inoculated at the same time, and from
the same person, with the last, accompanied him also on the 26th, when
the arm of this patient appeared in a very doubtful state respecting
the infection.
On the 28th, when he came to the house, the skin at the incision was
discoloured, felt hard, seemed thickened, did not appear inflamed; nor
did he allow it had itched, or that he had perceived any alteration in
his health.
Things remaining in this state, I inoculated him again on the 30th in
the morning, being the eighth day from the first inoculation. On the
evening of the same day he complained of chilliness, attended with pain
in his head and limbs, and passed an uneasy night. These complaints
lasted in a very moderate degree for two days more, but without the
least appearance of a fever. A very few pimples were discovered
upon the decline of these symptoms, but they soon vanished without
maturating.
CASE III.
Nov. 23d.] A third patient, a young man twenty years of age, was
inoculated with the two last. I had not seen his arm from the time he
was inoculated to the 28th, when he came to the house in company with
the others. He said the incised part had itched very much the first
three or four days, but it now appeared nearly in the same state as the
preceding.
He was also inoculated again on the 30th. But as the succeeding
complaints, and doubtful eruption in this case, bore an exact
resemblance to those of the former, it is needless to repeat them.
Nothing happened to either from the second inoculation.
CASE IV.
1765, May 5th.] A man aged twenty-four was inoculated; after which he
went to visit a relation, till it should be thought proper for him to
come to the house, which I directed him to do on the 11th, if he should
continue well till that time.
He took with him two calomel pills, one of five and the other of ten
grains. He was ordered to take the least on the 8th, the other on the
following night, and an ounce of purging salts the next morning.
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