Thoughts on General and Partial Inoculations: Containing a translation of two treatises written when the author was at Petersburg, and published there, by Command of her Imperial Majesty, in the Russian LanguageDimsdale, Thomas
History
Thoughts on General and Partial Inoculations: Containing a translation of two treatises written when the author was at Petersburg, and published there, by Command of her Imperial Majesty, in the Russian Language
Dimsdale, Thomas
Smallpox -- Vaccination -- Early works to 1800
It is now above fifty years since Inoculation was introduced into this
country, and like other new institutions was then opposed; but at
present, though it may be impossible to define the numbers that are
yearly inoculated, it is certain that most of the wealthy approve and
avail themselves of the practice: yet we view the Bills of Mortality
with unconcern, though they demonstrate that the number of deaths from
this disease is considerably increased; and with the affecting
circumstance, that they are probably of the younger part of the people.
Although this matter has not been attended to here, it did not escape
the penetration of the Empress of Russia; who, with a regard to the
happiness of her people that deserves much greater commendation than I
am able to bestow, was extremely solicitous to render Inoculation
general among her subjects: and it was with a view to this that soon
after the recovery of the Empress and Grand Duke from this operation,
her Majesty was pleased to command me to write their cases, with the
principal occurrences during the Inoculation, from an idea that being
published they would tend to the removal of prejudices, and the
advancement of a practice she had much at heart to encourage.
Her Imperial Majesty also frequently did me the honor to converse freely
on several points respecting the natural Small Pox and Inoculation; and
having been pleased to approve of the manner in which her enquiries and
doubts were answered, I was afterwards commanded at different times to
give in writing the substance of what had been advanced on these
occasions. These orders were obeyed, the tracts translated into the
Russian language, and as I imagined, were only intended for the perusal
of the Empress. But in the year 1770, my treatise on Inoculation, with
the following tracts, was published at Petersburg by her Majesty’s
command:
I. An Account of the Inoculation for the Small Pox of her Imperial
Majesty, Autocratrix of all the Russias.
II. An Account of the Inoculation for the Small Pox of his Imperial
Highness the Grand Duke, the Heir of all the Russias, by Baron
Thomas Dimsdale, first Physician to her Imperial Majesty.
III. Remarks on the Book, intitled, The present Method of
Inoculating for the Small Pox, written by the Author now at St.
Petersburg.
IV. A short Description of the Methods proposed for extending the
salutary Practice of Inoculation through the whole Russian
Empire.
V. A short Estimate of the Numbers of those who die of the natural
Small Pox, with a View to demonstrate the Advantages that may
accrue to Russia from the Practice of Inoculation, &c.
A translation of these tracts, with some further remarks on Inoculation,
and a relation of my journey to Russia, has been preparing for the
Press; but on some accounts unnecessary to be entered on here, is
deferred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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