From the time that Inoculation was introduced into this country one may date the opposition to its practice; many learned and ingenious men soon entered the field against it, and were encountered by others of equal abilities in its defence. The questions were warmly agitated, and in a short time foreigners of great name became authors on both sides. But the strength of argument on the part of the defenders of Inoculation, supported by the good success of the practice, hath almost silenced opposition; and the concurrence of the courts of Petersburg, Vienna, and France, who have submitted to the operation, and by their illustrious examples encouraged its progress in their dominions, will probably close the dispute in its favour. One objection alone seems not to have been satisfactorily removed, which, although it does not relate to the safety or health of the patient, is yet of great importance to the community, and well deserves the most attentive consideration. You have, say the objectors, produced accurate and satisfactory accounts and calculations of the alarming proportion of deaths that happen from the natural Small Pox, and also proved, that the loss sustained under Inoculation is inconsiderable. But admitting what you have advanced to be true, whence comes it that the same Bills of Mortality to which you appeal, prove also a certain increase instead of a diminution of deaths from the Small Pox, and that for such a series of years as to leave no room to dispute the fact? does it not naturally follow, that though almost the whole number of the inoculated recover, the disease must have been spread by their means, and a greater proportion having taken the natural disease, a consequent greater loss has been sustained by the public? If the above is admitted, it will be difficult to exculpate Inoculation from having been hurtful to society[2]. ----- Footnote 2: Extract from the Bills of Mortality, and a continuation of the estimate from page 19. │ Total of │ Small │ Under 2 │ │ Deaths. │ Pox. │ Years. │ ──────┼──────────┼───────┼─────────┼──────────────────────── 1768 │ 23639 │ 3028 │ 8229 │ Total Deaths 178807 69 │ 21847 │ 1968 │ 8016 │ Under 2 Years 63056 70 │ 22434 │ 1986 │ 7994 │ ────── 71 │ 21780 │ 1660 │ 7617 │ 18821) 115751 (6 72 │ 26053 │ 3992 │ 9112 │ 2825 73 │ 21656 │ 1039 │ 6850 │ 74 │ 20884 │ 2479 │ 7742 │ 75 │ 20514 │ 2669 │ 7496 │ ├──────────┼───────┼─────────┼──────────────────────── │ 178807 │ 18821 │ 63056 │ Totals.