The Story of a Great Delusion in a Series of Matter-of-Fact ChaptersWhite, William
History
The Story of a Great Delusion in a Series of Matter-of-Fact Chapters
White, William
Vaccination
Here we have a distinct mis-statement. It was not Jenner’s “fact”
that Cowpox protected the human body from Smallpox--that was a
widespread superstition. His contribution to the question was
a definition of the Cowpox effective against Smallpox, namely
Horsegrease Cowpox, other Cowpox being adjudged spurious. Pearson
so far from confirming Jenner’s position, deliberately set it
aside. He not only accepted the rural faith in Cowpox (which Jenner
knew to be unwarrantable), but, when he proceeded to practice,
made use of Cowpox which owed nothing to Horsegrease. If therefore
Pearson’s procedure was “highly flattering” to Jenner’s feelings,
he was either easily pleased, or an adept in dissimulation.
The truth is, the publication of _Further Observations_ was
designed by Jenner to loosen himself from what was definite in
the _Inquiry_, so that he might be able to appropriate whatever
might result from the investigations and experiments then going
on. He had defined prophylactic Cowpox as Horsegrease Cowpox, but
Horsegrease did not meet with favour, nor appear likely to answer;
and it might be expedient to drop it; and thus he described the
ground of his attachment to that form of specific--
Firstly.--I conceived that Horsegrease was the source of Cowpox
from observing that where the Cowpox had appeared among the
dairies here [Berkeley] (unless it could be traced to the
introduction of an infected cow or servant) it had been preceded
at the farm by a Horse diseased in the manner described, which
Horse had been attended by some of the milkers.
Secondly.--From its being a popular opinion throughout this great
dairy country, and from its being insisted on by those who here
attend sick cattle.
Thirdly.--From the total absence of the disease in those
countries where the men servants are not employed in the dairies.
Fourthly.--From having observed that morbid matter generated by
the Horse frequently communicates, in a casual way, a disease to
the human subject so like the Cowpox, that in many cases it would
be difficult to make the distinction between one and the other.
Fifthly.--From being induced to suppose from experiments, that
some of those who had been thus affected from the Horse resisted
the Smallpox.
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 Cowpox of the general constitutional symptoms which followed.
(P. 91.)
The boy inoculated with secondary Horsegrease was Baker, Case
xviii. of the _Inquiry_. He died of fever in the parish workhouse
before he could be subjected to the variolous test.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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