The circumstances in which Mr. Jesty purposely instituted the Vaccine Pock Inoculation in his own family, namely, without any precedent, but merely from reasoning upon the nature of the affection among cows, and from knowing its effects in the casual way among men, his exemption from the prevailing popular prejudices, and his disregard of the clamorous reproaches of his neighbours, will entitle him, in our opinion, to the respect of the public for his superior strength of mind. Further, his conduct in again furnishing such decisive proofs of the permanent anti-variolous efficacy of the Cowpock, in the present [1805] discontented state of mind in many families, by submitting to Inoculation, justly claims at least the gratitude of the country. As a testimony of our personal regard, and to commemorate so extraordinary a fact as that of preventing the Smallpox by inoculating for the Cowpock 31 years ago, at our request, a three-quarter length picture of Mr. Jesty is painted by that excellent artist, Mr. Sharp, to be preserved at the Original Vaccine Pock Institution. GEO. PEARSON, } LAW. NIHELL, } _Physicians_. THOS. NELSON, } T. KEATE, } _Consulting T. FOSTER, } Surgeons_. J. C. CARPUE, } J. DORATT, } _Surgeons_. FRAS. RIVERS, } EV. A. BRANDE, } _Visiting PH. DE BRUYN, } Apothecaries_. JOHN HEAVISIDE, } THOMAS PAYNE, } _Treasurers_. WILLIAM SANCHO, _Secretary_. _6th September, 1805._ In the church-yard of Worth Matravers, Dorset, there is a grave-stone with this inscription-- SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF BENJAMIN JESTY, OF DOWNSHAY, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE APRIL 16TH, 1816, AGED 79 YEARS. He was born at Yetminster, in this County, and was an upright honest man, particularly noted for having been the first person known that introduced THE COWPOX BY INOCULATION, and who, from his great strength of mind, made the experiment from the Cow on his Wife and two Sons in the year 1774. Jesty is frequently played off against Jenner, as having anticipated him, but under a misapprehension. Jesty inoculated with Cowpox, sharing the dairymaids’ faith that it prevented Smallpox. Jenner knew that the dairymaids were wrong, and that Cowpox did not avert Smallpox. What he recommended was Cowpox produced by Horsegrease. Pearson and Woodville disregarded Jenner’s recommendation and made use of Cowpox like Jesty, which substitution Jenner did not resist; and not only did not resist, but claimed as the fulfilment of his programme! Jenner should never be suffered to get mixed up with Jesty, and the course of his procedure be thereby obscured.