Dr. Jenner lately met in a large party of fashion a lady of Portman Square, who, with another lady, has inoculated 1300 in the north of England. The rural swain, when he receives the blessing of Jenner’s discovery from such a fair hand, must conclude that the Goddess of Health has adopted the practice.[123] Of course medical practitioners had little favour for this sort of intrusion into their domain, but Jenner encouraged and boasted himself in the domestic diffusion of the discovery. By and by when disasters became common it was found extremely convenient to ascribe them to these unskilled operators; and ultimately vaccination was resigned entirely to the legally qualified practitioner, whose failures are rarely inquired into, and when proclaimed are, as professional matter of course, explicitly denied. Jenner after six months of lionising left London on 23rd June, 1800, and on his way home passed through Oxford where he was introduced to Dr. Marlow, Vice-Chancellor of the University, and other dignitaries, who subscribed the following testimonial, drawn up by Sir Christopher Pegge, Reader in Anatomy-- We, whose names are undersigned, are fully satisfied upon the conviction of our own observation, that the Cowpox is not only an infinitely milder disease than the Smallpox, but has the advantage of not being contagious, and is an effectual remedy against the Smallpox. When a prophet in the country turns out a prophet in London his country neighbours begin to believe in him; and thus it was with Jenner. His metropolitan reputation was reflected in Gloucestershire. Earl Berkeley wrote to the Duke of Beaufort-- Every father of a family owes the greatest obligation to Dr. Jenner for preventing the dreadful effects of the smallpox. And the sense of this obligation took shape in a service of plate presented in 1801 and bearing this inscription-- PRESENTED BY THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY OF THE COUNTY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE TO THEIR COUNTRYMAN EDWARD JENNER, M.D., F.R.S. AS A TESTIMONY OF THE HIGH SENSE THEY ENTERTAIN OF THOSE EMINENT ABILITIES WHICH DISCOVERED AND THAT DISINTERESTED PHILANTHROPY WHICH PROMULGATED THE VACCINE INOCULATION. FOOTNOTES: [119] Meaning thereby, as happened under Woodville at Battle Bridge Hospital where Smallpox and Cowpox were incurred simultaneously. [120] _A Treatise on the Cowpox containing the History of Vaccine Inoculation._ By John Ring. Part i. p. 297. London, 1801. [121] _Ib._ Part ii. p. 720. London, 1803. [122] _The Beauties of the Edinburgh Review_, alias _the Stink-Pot of Literature_. By John Ring. London, 1807. P. 49. [123] _Treatise on the Cowpox_, p. 520. London, 1801. CHAPTER IX. A DISHONOURABLE TRANSFORMATION. Honour was abundant, but honour is windy fare, and Jenner had an eye for something more substantial. Among his papers we read--