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
People thus enchanted do not like to be brought to their senses;
and medical men, who in 1800 attested the perpetual prophylaxy
of cowpox, were naturally very unwilling to be proved deceivers
and deceived. When cases of smallpox were reported as following
vaccination, they at first denied the possibility, saying that
either there had been no vaccination, or that the smallpox was
not smallpox. On the other hand, the Smallpoxers who had been
snuffed out by the Cowpoxers, revived in presence of the discovered
impotence of the new practice, and stoutly maintained, and cruelly
demonstrated that unquestionable vaccinations were followed by
unquestionable smallpox. It needs little acquaintance with human
nature to see unlimited elements of bitterness in these conditions.
To be convicted of imposture does not beget equanimity, nor
contradiction as to plain matter-of-fact; and thus convicted were
the Cowpoxers and thus contradicted were the Smallpoxers.
The Edinburgh reviewer described Dr. Moseley’s treatise on
cowpox as blending “the ravings of Bedlam with the tropes of
Billingsgate.” Some Billingsgate I concede, but not Bedlam at all.
Much however depends on the point of view. Vaccination if regarded
as a blessing in which the inspiration of heaven was consummated
in the salvation of the human race from smallpox,[170] resistance
thereto might appear, as Carlyle observes of creatures under
enchantment, as “malignantly insane.”
Dr. Moseley’s book,[171] it is to be allowed, was singularly
exasperating. He had spoken against cowpox from the outset, and was
charged with condemning that of which he knew nothing; to which he
cogently replied that he could scarcely know less than the gang of
medical men who attested its perpetual efficacy in the newspapers
in 1800 before they had any proper experience of it whatever. If
his scepticism was premature, what was their credulity? Moseley
had patience: no argument could be heard in the rage that set in
for the new salvation. “Cowpox, I admit, is not contagious,” he
said, “but cow-mania is.” When, however, in process of time it was
seen in hundreds of cases that cowpox conferred no immunity from
smallpox, he published in 1804 _Lues Bovilla_--a somewhat pompous
treatise, with frequent touches of superfluous learning, and
permeated with the irritating superiority of the true prophet--“You
see it has turned out just as I predicted.” Nor was he content to
make general assertions: he specified the names and addresses of
those who had been correctly vaccinated, or had taken cowpox from
the cow, and had subsequently suffered from smallpox with their
neighbours; also of cases of severe illness, injury, and death
resulting from vaccination. Bluster was idle in presence of such
facts. Even the Royal Jennerians had to eat humble pie, for in
their Report, dated 2nd January, 1806, we read--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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