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
An extensive series of inoculations took place in 1742-45 in the
south of England. Smallpox was prevalent in Winchester and adjacent
towns, and Dr. Langrish operated freely on whoever resorted to
him. In Portsmouth, Chichester, Guildford, Petersfield, and
Winchester, it was said that at least 2,000 were poxed, and that
only two pregnant women perished, who, as usual, “were inoculated
contrary to the advice of their physician.” The ill results, wrote
Bishop Maddox, “were only such as might reasonably be supposed to
have been worse had those operated on had smallpox in the natural
way”--such being the euphemism wherewith boils, tumours, and other
sequelæ were accounted for.
The reviving favour for inoculation was indicated in this paragraph
from the newspapers of 13th April, in 1744--
Fourteen children, three years old, having been inoculated for
the smallpox in the Foundling Hospital, Hatton Garden, all with
good success, the Governors have resolved to have all their
children inoculated at the same age.
An important movement was made in 1746 with the opening of a
Smallpox Hospital in Cold Bath Fields at which “the benefit of
inoculation” was offered to the poor. At first those who applied
were taken into the house, and nursed through their self-inflicted
illness, but the proximity of the veritable smallpox, the regimen,
and the seclusion were sufficient to deter applicants: those,
however, who have a hobby to ride grow reckless in presence of
obstacles, and by-and-by inoculation was offered to all comers, who
were dismissed to recover and diffuse infection in their own homes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account