Mr. MAITLAND'S ACCOUNT OF INOCULATING THE SMALL POX Vindicated, From Dr. WAGSTAFFE's Misrepresentations of that PRACTICE; with some Remarks on Mr. MASSEY's Sermon.
The Second Edition.
To which is added, His First ACCOUNT of
Inoculating
the SMALL POX.
LONDON:
Printed and Sold by J. PEELE, at
Lock
's
Head
in
Paternoster-Row.
1722.
TO THE HONOURED Sir
HANS SLOAN,
Bart. PRESIDENT Of the Colledge of PHYSICIANS,
&c.
P ERMIT Me, Honoured SIR, to Inscribe these few Sheets to you. They are written in
Vindication
of the
Practice of Inoculating the
SMALL POX.
Your known Candour and Experience encourage me to submit them to your Censure, with Regard not only to the Safety of the
Method
; but likewise to the Truth of the
Facts
here contested. I am under great and many Obligations,
Honoured Sir,
Your most Obedient Humble Servant, CHARLES MAITLAND.
Mr. MAITLAND's Account of INOCULATING THE Small Pox Vindicated,
&c.
I Am very Sensible of the Respect that is due to the Profession, and Character of the Author of the Letter against
Inoculating the Small Pox
; but am no less sensible of the Obligation I lye under to vindicate my own Reputation, which a violent Fit of Sickness hath hitherto hinder'd me from doing. And I can do it with the more Freedom, because I am conscious to my self, that I began this Practice in
England
with the same View to the
Publick Good,
with which, I hope, the Learned Author condemns it. I must take the Liberty to say, that allowing the Doctor's Abilities to be as great as possible in his own Profession, he seems not quite so well qualify'd to write upon this Subject; because of the Narrowness of his Experience (as far as appears by his Letter) and his partial Credulity, or Incredulity in Matters of Fact, which he takes from others; and lastly, because of strong Prejudices, which impose upon his most excellent Understanding; and draw him into Reasonings, which either are inconsequential, or conclude strongly for the Practice of
Inoculation,
which they are brought to overturn. All these, I believe, will appear very plain to any Impartial Reader, in the following
Animadversions,
in which I will endeavour to be as short as the Subject will allow.
The Letter pretends to be an Admonition to Physicians not to meddle in this Practice of
Inoculation,
'till they are better ascertain'd, by Experience, of the Success of it: At the same Time, it is a most warm Dissuasive, not only to Physicians, but to all Sorts of People, not to practise it at all; and consequently, to deprive them of all Possibility of coming by Experience. Would it not found somewhat absurd, if any one should say to a young Physician, Pray, Sir, don't Practise 'till you have Experience? But it is still more so in this Case, because in a Practice that is entirely to be laid aside, you can neither have the Benefit of your own, nor other Peoples Experience.
As to Physicians meddling with this Practice of
Inoculation,
I can only say, it may favour too much of Novelty to be bigotly zealous for it; and too much of a Faculty-Interest to be so violent against it. Physicians cannot ingraft People against their own, or their Parents Consent; and a Physician would be out of his Duty, who should persuade them to it contrary to their Inclinations: On the other Hand, If a Person, from the Experience of the Fatality of the
Small Pox
in general, or in his own Family in particular, should resolve to ingraft his Child, any Physician, who should dissuade him from it, might, in a great measure, be chargeable with the fatal Consequences of the Neglect of a Method, which the Parent had propos'd, as the only Moans to save his Child's Life: And he would be still as much to blame, if when the Parent had resolv'd to ingraft his Child, he should refuse to attend him. It is very common with Parents, not only to leave their Children in Houses infected with the
Small Pox,
but to bring them into the Room, where their Brethren or Sisters lye ill of them; and a Parent who does so, conveys the Infection to his Child as deliberately, and according to the Doctor, certainly more than he, who orders him to be
Inoculated.
Would it not then be equally, impertinent in the Physician to deny his Attendance in either Case?
I must put the Doctor in Mind, that there are very few of the most useful Discoveries in Physick, that have not been strenuously oppos'd by many of the Faculty upon their first Appearance. There is extant a Decree of the College of Physicians at
Paris,
against the Use of Antimonial Vomits: It were easy to assign many Instances of the like Nature.
As the Doctor is surpriz'd,
that an Experiment, practis'd only by a few ignorant Women, amongst an illiterate and unthinking People, should on a Sudden, and upon a slender Experience, so far obtain in one of the Politest Nations in the World, as to be receiv'd into the Royal Palace.
I hope he has not forgot, that the Practice of Curing Intermitting Fevers by the BARK, was introduc'd of a Sudden, by a barbarous
Indian,
if not into the Royal Family, into the Family of a Viceroy; and thence transmitted to us.
Page 7.] The
Blood
of the
English if we speak of it as National, is the Product of the richest Dyet,
&c.
Ergo,
to bring 'em to a spare Dyet before they have the
Small Pox,
must be extremely dangerous and hurtful. This must be the Doctor's Conclusion: mine, I own, would be the direct contradictory. If the Inflammatory State of the Blood, arising from the Richness of the Dyet, makes the
Small Pox
in
England
very mortal; That Practice, which either takes the Advantage of a contrary State of the Blood, or by a Spare Dyet introduces it, must be beneficial.
Page 8.]
The finest, the most Volatile, and indeed, Insensible Particles of the Animal Juices, are the most penetrating, and consequently the most contagious.
And for the same Reason, the most
noxious:
Does it follow therefore, To convey the Infection by the grosser and sensible Parts, must be extremely unfit and dangerous? I confess, I should have inferr'd the contrary.
The Symptoms are more or less, and the Distemper appears in a greater, or a less Degree, according to the State of the Blood at the Time of Infection.
Therefore the Practice of
Inoculation
is highly to be encouraged, because it either finds, or puts the Blood into a good State, before the Infection; seems to be a more natural Conclusion, than the contrary One.
Page 10.]
If we could be assur'd, that the Distemper would not be equally uncertain by
Inoculation,
according to the Nature of the Injected Matter, or the Disposition of the Fluids, in the Person who receives it; so that it would constantly prove of the mildest Kind,
Inoculation
would, no doubt, be a very rational and useful Practice.
The Doctor surely will not affirm, that a Person
Inoculated
is equally uncertain of the Circumstances mention'd, with one who catches the
Small Pox
by the common Way of Infection.
First,
He may be assur'd, if the
Inoculation
takes Place, of the Time when he shall have the
Small Pox. Secondly,
That he has not the Infection by the insensible Particles, which the Doctor owns to be the most contagious; or which is near the same Thing, convey the Contagion the strongest,
Thirdly,
He may be as sure, as his Operator is careful, that he is infected by a favourable Kind. And,
Fourthly,
He may be much more sure of the Disposition of his Fluids, than a Person who catches them by Chance, after a Surfeit, or a Debauch: And after all this, he may be assur'd, if he has not absolute Certainty, (which, I believe, one has hardly in Blood-letting) that he has a much greater Probability to escape, which is sufficient Ground for human Prudence to act upon: If the Doctor will deny those Things, I think it is Folly to reason upon this Subject any longer: And if, as the Doctor says, Inoculation
may be a more uncertain Method to give the Contagion, than that which Nature has pursu'd
; it may be, notwithstanding that, much more safe.
Page 11.]
The very Choice that is made of a thick purulent Matter, to intermix immediately with the Blood, seems a little repugnant to our Reason, since we know, that the Particles have such a different Contexture, and such different Powers to Attract.
It may proceed from my Ignorance, or Dulness, but, I confess, I do not easily apprehend the Meaning of this Sentence; Whether by
the Particles
he means the Particles of purulent Matter, or the Particles of Blood; or whether the Particles of purulent Matter have different attractive Powers, from those of the Blood, is not obvious from the Construction of the Sentence. I chuse rather to understand him in the last Sense, because he has afterwards very sagaciously discover'd,
That the blended Particles of Blood with Blood, may, in all Reason, be thought more likely to unite, and less liable to raise Commotions.
But it happens unluckily in the Case of
Inoculation,
the Design is to
raise a Commotion
; and the purulent Matter, for the Reason mention'd by him, is fittest for that Purpose; And his Observation, that
purging Medicines injected into the Blood will Purge,
does not prove, that the
Pus
of the
Small Pox,
mix'd with the Blood, may not raise the
Small Pox.
What he says in this Paragraph, as likewise in the following, concerning the Experiment of the
Mangey Dog,
proves, that
Pus
is a more proper Vehicle to convey Infection than Blood; I cannot find any more in it.
Page 13.]
It never came into the Heads
of the Practitioners above-mention'd
to raise Distempers by Art in a human Body.
Then I will be bold to say, it never came into their Heads to practise Physick; which, consider'd in a true Light, is founded upon that single Principle of Curing
Natural,
by raising
Artificial Diseases.
What is Bleeding, but an artificial Haemorrhagy; Purging, but raising an artificial Diarrhaea? Does the Vomiting produc'd by a Surfeit, and that procur'd by a Medicine differ so much, as that the One must be call'd a Disease, and the Other not? Are not Blisters, Issues, and Setons, artificial
Imposthumations? I hope he has not forgot the of his great Master
Hippocrates.
The Wounds and Amputations of Surgeons, differ only from accidental Ones, by the Manner and Intention;
Morbus est ille corporis status qui functiones Animales laedit:
And it may be likewise observ'd, that Physicians produce those Diseases in their Patients often by Way of Prevention as well as Cure; and in this they do nothing but imitate Nature, which often attempts the Cure of one Disease by another.
Page 14.] His next Argument is taken from
the fatal Consequences of this very Matter it self returning into the Blood, in the very Height of the
Small Pox,
where there seldom is a full and sufficient Discharge by the Skin,
&c. One would imagine, that the natural Inference from this, would be to the Advantage of
Inoculation
; For if there are terrible Symptoms, which arise from Want of a sufficient Discharge of the purulent Matter in the
Small Pox
;
Inoculation,
which provides for such a Discharge, by artificial Out-lets, must needs be useful; and seems more proper than the Blisters, which the Physicians apply on that Occasion. As to the
fatal Consequences arising for Want of a sufficient Discharge upon the Skin,
I am affraid the Case is quite different from what the Doctor represents; for the more Matter is discharg'd upon the Skin, the more is often return'd into the Blood; witness the
confluent
Kind of
Small Pox,
where the Discharge upon the Skin, as well as the Symptoms arising from the Return of the Matter into the Blood, are both the greatest: And I believe it will be found, the less the Discharge upon the Skin, the less will be the Danger from these Symptoms. The Doctor says,
That one may always observe in this artificial Method (even where the Distemper is the fairest and most kindly) that the Pustules scarce ever plump up to that Degree, or contain so laudable a Matter, as they do in the natural Sort.
Here is an odd Jumble of the Words
always, scarce ever:
Suppose for
scarce ever
one put
seldom,
then the Sentence runs thus;
One may always observe the Pustules seldom plump up,
&c. What happens but seldom, happens sometimes; and to observe
always That
not to happen, which happens sometimes, is odd, or oddly express'd. I would be glad to know how many Cases the Doctor has observ'd, to frame this so general a Proposition upon; of the contrary of which, Hundreds of Persons about this Town, who know the Disease perfectly, have been Eye-Witnesses.
Page 16.] The Doctor foresees some Inconvenience that must happen, from those
viscid Particles
intermixing with the Blood, without undergoing the common Alterations of Aliment. But they have that in common with the
Volatile
and most
Insensible Particles.
But then they are
viscid,
and therefore, (according to the Doctor's Reasoning) don't convey the Infection so strong: But they
occasion great Disorders
; Not so great as the
Insensible
and
Volatile Particles.
At last, they
break through the Glands of the Skin:
If only the small Quantity of purulent Matter, that mixes with the Blood, break thro' the Pores of the Skin, the Eruption, indeed, would be very small; But to cause an Eruption, is the very Intention of the Operation; the
Small Pox
cannot be produc'd without it: And if the Doctor still insists, that it is
only like the
Small Pox; all I can say is, If he had been pleas'd to attend Multitudes of Cases of
Inoculated Persons,
here and elsewhere in
England,
since this Practice began, he must have been convinc'd, that the
Eruptions,
produc'd by
Inoculation,
are the
Genuine Small Pox.
If his Arguments so far prevail, as to hinder any future
Inoculation,
he must for ever continue in his Mistake; If the Patient recovers, then it was only something like the
Small Pox
; If any one dies, then to be sure it was the
Small Pox
catch'd by
Inoculation,
and of the worst Sort. In this Paragraph it is no
Small Pox
; by and by, it is a
Small Pox
so bad, that it is capable of
spreading the
Small Pox through
a whole City; and an artificial Way of depopulating a whole Country.
This Way of Arguing is a very plain Proof of the strong Prejudices the Doctor lyes under; and that as he has taken up his Opinion early, he is resolv'd to defend it obstinately.
Page 20.] The
Inoculators
are charg'd with
Acting like Empirics,
because
they are not ascertain'd of the different Doses for Children and Adults.
There does not seem to be any great Matter in this Nicety, by Experience, as it stands hitherto; a small Quantity will communicate the
Small Pox,
and a greater has been found not to do hurt in any one Instance. If the
Inoculation
is perform'd by Incision, the different Apertures will answer that Intention: However, there is a great Difference between recommending Caution, and forbidding the Practice: It is still more strange to forbid the Practice, 'till that is determin'd, which can only be found out by Practice. According to this Principle, it had been impossible ever to have found out any Thing in Medicine; for he that gave the first Dose of a Vomiting, or Purging Medicine, or of any other, could never be sure of the proper Dose; nay farther, according to this Doctrine, it is impossible to give any Body their first Dose of any Medicine: For who can tell what is the proper Dose for any particular Person, there being often Singularities in every one's Constitution: In all these Matters, Mankind generally govern themselves by common Sense, and strong Probabilities; there being no absolute Certainty in any human Affairs.
Page 25.] The Doctor returns to his former Point, that it is
not the Genuine
Small Pox,
and consequently no Security against that Disease.
The Matters of Fact I will answer by themselves; all I shall say at present is, that if the Symptoms of the Ingrafted
Small Pox
are more mild, than those of the natural Sort, I hope the Doctor will not bring that as an Objection against the Practice. I believe the Patient, in this Case, has just as great Certainty for not having the
Small Pox
again, as any other Person who has had them;
which is no absolute one.
Those who are Infected by any Method, I believe, are much in the same Condition, as to their Security from the Disease for the future; for which, I will give the Doctor this one plain Proof, which is sufficient to establish a moral Certainty. This Practice of
Inoculation
has been continu'd for many Years in several Countries; if the
Inoculated
had been subject to catch the
Small Pox
a second Time, something of this Kind must have happen'd; and a very few Instances of this, must have put an End to the whole Practice: For can any one imagine, that People in their Senses would have continu'd a troublesome Experiment, which was not effectual for the Purpose for which it was design'd? I will take the Freedom to say, that this single Reflection is a stronger Proof of this Point, than all the Doctor's Doubts and Suggestions, who knows nothing to the contrary; as I shall shew by and by. May it not at least be adviseable to allow a Truce in the Dispute, 'till an uncontested Case of that Kind happens?
Page 28.] But, Innoculation
does not always take Place and produce the Disease:
is Therefore the Practice to be left off? There are some Persons, who by a Speciality of their Constitutions, seem hardly susceptible of the Distemper; and others, who have had the Disease, but it has been mistaken, or forgot. They go farther in
Turky,
and affirm, that the very running Sores are a Security against the
Small Pox.
There may be, indeed, a strong Presumption, that Persons, who have had so severe a Tryal as
Inoculation,
may not be susceptible of the Distemper. Besides, there are several Incidents in performing the Operation, which may not be carefully attended to; if the Patient has not the
Small Pox,
there is little Hurt done. There are some, whom a very strong Dose of Physick will not purge: What then? must we never afterwards give a Purge?
If the Doctor's Aphorism, laid down,
Page
36, That an
Experiment, to make it useful, always must be nearly uniform
; there must be no such Thing as the Practice of Physick; unless by the Word
nearly
he allows a very great Latitude.
I cannot allow it as a solid Argument against
Inoculation,
that the
French
and
Italians
have not begun it; no more, than that the House of
Bourbon
has never been
Inoculated.
Were the Doctor's Letter publish'd in
Italian
too, as it is in very elegant
French,
both Nations, to be sure, will be sufficiently frighten'd from ever attempting this Practice: And to make the Antidote still more universal, let us have it in
Sclavonic
and
High-Dutch,
Welsh
and
Irish
also.
What the Doctor says,
Page
44, of
the Attention that is to be given to the natural Weaknesses of the Constitutions of the Persons
Inoculated, is a very proper Caution; and perhaps Miscarriages, if any such there be, may be owing to the Neglect of it. But, as I hinted before, if the least ill Success, even in the most innocent Branches of the Practice of Physick, arising from Want of Care, or Skill, should be a perpetual
Bar
to the Repitition of them, People must leave off to Purge, Vomit, Bleed, or even to cut Corns, of which Operation several die in a Year within the Bills of Mortality.
Page 45.] But it is
possible, and even probable, the Matter of the
Small Pox
may communicate the Diseases of the People from which it is taken.
This is hard! The Doctor will scarcely allow, that the Matter of the
Small Pox
will communicate the
Small Pox
; but it is
probable,
that it will communicate any other
Disease. Que vive
Thomas Diaphoinus,
il n'a Jamais ete vaincu en dispute!
How are we sure, that the Aliment, or Drugs, both for External and Internal Uses, don't communicate the Diseases; nay, the very natural Qualities of those Animals from which they are taken? I think, indeed, the Election of wholsome Subjects to
Inoculate from,
is a proper Caution; but the Doctor demands absolute Certainty, which cannot be found in any human Affair, and less still in any Medical or Chyrurgical Practice. Mankind in all those Matters govern themselves by the strongest Probabilities; and that these are on the Side of
Inoculation,
I shall plainly demonstrate.
Page 51.] The Doctor's Argument from the
jarring Opinions
of the
Innoculators
; if all he says were true, is just as strong against the Practice of Physick in General: For if no Body was to take any Medicine 'till
Doctors cease to differ,
I believe the Faculty would starve: May we not with more Truth affirm, that the
Anti-inoculators
(a Word more sonorous, and longer by two Syllables than that of
Inoculators
) are as inconsistent and changeable in their Opinions? One while they asserted, that it was impossible to give the
Small Pox
by this Method; when Experience had convinc'd them, some of 'em at least, of the Untenableness of this Doctrine; then they allow'd, if it prov'd mortal, that it was the
Small Pox
; if they escaped, to be sure they would have them again; If it was a favourable Sort, then there was some inveterate Distemper transplanted with it; If any Boils or Imposthumations appear'd at the going off of the
Disease,
those were the Effect of the
Inoculation,
not the Consequence of the
Small Pox
in General, or of the Constitution of the Patient. These are certainly, not the Reasonings of ingenious and inquisitive Philosophers, but the Cavils of interested Disputants; and it would be ridiculous, for any Man to be determin'd by the jarring Opinions, either of the one Side or t'other.
There is nothing material in the Way of Argumentation, 'till we come to
Page
62. There this
Practice
is condemn'd, as it tends to propagate and continue an Infection in any Place: Here again it is the
Small Pox
; else why should it spread the
Small Pox?
I answer, if it be true, that the Generality of Mankind have the
Small Pox
; if they are rare in some Years, they must be rise in others; because a new Stock of Subjects susceptible of the Distemper is produc'd; and the Operation of this Distemper upon the Mass of Mankind in any particular Place, is nearly uniform. When this general Run of the
Small Pox
happens; I take it to be indifferent to the Mass of the Inhabitants of any Place in general, except in this one particular, that when the Disease is produc'd by a bad Constitution of Air, as it is most Epidemical, so it is then most mortal. Now if this Distemper should happen to be propagated by an artificial Method in a favourable Season, would not this be rather an Advantage to Mankind than otherwise? For example, The Doctor alledgeth that hardly one of a hundred hath dy'd of the natural Sort this Year; would it not then have been highly profitable to Mankind, that a general Run of the
Small Pox
had happen'd in so favourable a Season; and this would still operate more strongly for the Benefit of Mankind, if not only the Season, but the Method of Propagation had ten to one of odds of producing a mild Sort. So that this Argument of the Doctor's has the Misfortune, with a great many of the rest, to prove the Contradictory of his Conclusion: But without taking the Advantage of the Doctor's hardy Assertion, that hardly one of a hundred have dy'd this Year of the
Small Pox:
I will examine it a little by Numbers. I have not all the Bills of Mortality by me, but by a small Specimen, the Accompt stands thus:
Dy'd of all
Diseases.
Dy'd of the
Small Pox.
1707.
21600
1707.
1078
 
21291
 
1687
 
21800
 
1024
 
24620
 
3138
 
19833
 
0915
 
21198
 
1943
 
21057
 
1614
 
26569
 
2810
 
22232
 
1057
 
24436
 
2427
 
23446
 
2211
1718.
26523
1718.
1884
 
 
 
 
 
274605
 
21788
By which it appears that the single Branch of Mortality occasion'd by the
Small Pox
is some Years 1/
and in a Circle of twelve Years about 1/12 of the whole Mortality in general; For 21,788 is near 1/12 of 274,615. During this Term of Years,
London
wanted an Addition of near 22000 People yearly to keep it equally full. If all Mankind had the
Small Pox,
then 22000 People, one Year with another had it; of which 1/12 dy'd; If one half of Mankind had the
Small Pox,
then 1 out of 6, who had the
Distemper,
dy'd of it. Which, by the way, shows the Doctor to be out in his Calculation; for if only 1000 die this Year, as perhaps may appear by the Bills, 100,000 must have been sick of the
Distemper,
to make his Assertion true,
that one only of a hundred dy'd:
If he means it only of Children, it is a strong Argument for
Inoculation,
because it allows that to be a favourable Age.
By the Bills of Mortality of
Breslaw
it appears, that the Mass of Mankind lose above 25
per Cent,
before they are a Year old; that is, of a 100 that are born, more than 25 die that first Year: I may say with great Probability that not 1/9 of those have the
Small Pox
at all; but die of other
Diseases
; and that in the Account, as it stands before us 8 of 9 of Infants may be reckon'd neither Subjects of the
Distemper,
nor of this Practice, but as it were
non-Entities.
Therefore out of the 22000 People, the yearly Recruits of
London
abovemention'd, substracting 4000, there remains 18000, of which yearly there died above 1800 of the
Small Pox
; that is, 1/
: So that the
Small Pox
may be reckon'd to cut off 1/
of Mankind above the Age of one Year. I wish the World is not malicious enough to say, that Physicians (like the Clergy) are now strugling for their Tenths. But to proceed, If, as I said, all Mankind above a Year old have the
Distemper,
I out of 10 dies of it; If one half, then 1 out of 5, which have the
Distemper
the natural way, dies of it: If ¼ of Mankind have the
Small Pox
once in their Life, then of them 2 out of 15 die: If 5/6, then 3 out of 25, which have the
Distemper,
die of it. According to D.
Nettleton
's Calculation; out of 1245 who had the natural
Small Pox
in some Neighbouring Towns in
Yorkshire
there died 270, which is about 22 out of a hundred. As to the prudential Part of
Inoculation,
it is all one whether a greater or lesser Number have the
Small Pox
; for the Chance of not dying by the
Small Pox
the natural Way, is made up of the Chance of escaping the
Distemper,
and that of escaping in the
Distemper.
If ½ of Mankind have the
Distemper,
it is ½ of ⅕ or 1/
▪ If
/4 of Mankind have the
Distemper,
then it is ¾ ×
/
or 6/
or 1/
&c.
Still all Mankind must be consider'd with the Seeds of a Distemper within them which has the Chance of 1 to 9 to cut them, off. Then surely they don't merit such hard Names, of
Homicides and Spreaders of Infection,
who do but attempt to lessen the Dread and Danger of this terrible Pestilence.
By the Accounts of the
Inoculation in England
and the
Plantations,
tho' it is an early Practice, and has not been manag'd with due Care and Circumspection; out of about 500 on whom it has been perform'd, the Enemies of the Practice have not produc'd the Names of above 3 Persons that have died; allowing their Deaths chargeable on this Practice, which I believe is not in Fact true: A Practice which brings the Mortality of the
Small Pox
from one in ten to one in a hundred, if it obtain'd universally would save to the City of
London
at least 1500 People yearly; and the same Odds wou'd be a sufficient prudential Motive to any private Person to proceed upon, abstracting from the more occult and abstruse Causes which seem to favour this Operation. It is a self evident Proposition, that a Person who receives the Infection by
Inoculation,
has a much fairer Chance for his Life, than he who takes it the natural Way; unless it can be affirmed, that the having the Election of all the Circomstances of the Disease, is of no manner of Advantage. For Example, it must be of some Benefit, to know that one is to have the Distemper nine or ten Dayes before it comes; rather than to be surpris'd, or perhaps mistaken in it. To have it at an Age when it is not so mortal: To take it when the Body is in a temperate and cool State, rather than in a contrary one: When the Constitution of the Air is favourable, rather than malignant: After a cool Dyet and other due Preparations, rather than after a Surfeit or a drunken Bout. For if the principal Strokes towards the Cure, are in the Regimen, in the Beginning of a Distemper; it must be still more so, in a Regimen before it begins. If the Doctor will deny these Truths, I have done. But if the having all the Circumstances abovemention'd in one's Power be of some Advantage, then the
Practice of Inoculation
cannot be hurtfull but beneficial to Mankind in general: Then why must an Experiment already practis'd with Success in another Country, that bids fair to save the Lives of Multitudes, be entirely laid aside and crush'd in the Bud? Cannot the learned Physicians, who so zealously oppose it, have a little Patience, and Time will clear up many Things in it, which perhaps may be now doubtful? Therefore since this Practice cannot be hurtful but beneficial to Mankind in general, it ought not to be discouraged.
As to the Inconsistencies and Mistakes, the Doctor is pleas'd to charge me withall: I shall always be so ingenuous as to own such, as my Inadvertency or Want of Experience have subjected me to. What I wrote was according to the best Information or Experience I had at that Time. General Propositions, in practical Matters, are not to be understood in the Strictness of a Logical Universality. The Symptoms from which I exempted the Inoculated
Small Pox,
are to be understood in a Comparative Sense, with regard to those of the natural Sort; the Word
usual
will justify this Meaning, in which any Reader, not quite Captious, will interpret them. If with all these Restrictions I cannot be favourably understood, I beg Pardon; and as I said before, I shall be always willing to recant any Mistake. But as on the one hand, I study to keep myself free from Prejudices, so as to be susceptible of any future Conviction, which may arise from
Experience
; so I wou'd not submit a Point already establish'd, to the silly Cavils of those who have none.
I am sure, I am not mistaken in the Account of the
Inoculation
at
Newgate
; but the Doctor is. I referr the Reader to my printed
Journal
; whereby it appears, that the Operation was fairly and equally perform'd on all: And I can with great Truth, declare, that I had no Intention to make any Difference in the Incisions; nor was there, indeed, any made. The Doctor not having seen
Evans,
the Man who had had the
Small Pox
before, till next Day, when they were partly heal'd, this might occasion his Mistake. Nor was the Matter taken from a violent Flux-kind, but from a full distinct Coherent kind, and at the proper Time. Mrs.
Tompions
Boil (as he call's it) on her Arm; was not the same from the first Day of the Eruption; nor the only one she had: But was a fair, regular Pustule of the
Small Pox,
of which also she had others, if he had been pleas'd to examine.
Alcock,
who had the
Goal-Distemper,
had also 60 Pustules, at least, of the
Genuine Small Pox
; with a gentle Fever before the Eruption. As to all of them, having had but few Eruptions; I hope, that is no Objection against the Practice. And as to the Time and Manner of their Pustules going off; they were much the same, as in the gentler Sort of
Small Pox:
Only that
Alcock
opening his with a Pin, made them fall off sooner. The Doctor might have taken Notice, that
Eliz. Harrison,
who had them as gently, at least, as any of them; has been employ'd since in Nursing above 20 People in the
Small Pox,
and never has catch'd them: Which any impartial Person will judge to be a better Proof of the Genuinness of the Distemper, than all his Observations can evince to the contrary.
As to Mr.
H
n
's Case, it is true. But the Inference is only, that there was one Person, on whom the
Inoculation
did not take place. I hope the Doctor has not forgot that he own'd to me that Mr.
Colt
's Children had the true
Small Pox
; tho' their Case differ'd in nothing from those in
Newgate
; but in the Degrees of the Distemper.
As to the Experiment in St.
Thomas
's
Hospital,
after two vastly large Incisions, and an immoderate Quantity of the Matter applay'd; three Days and Nights Confinement of the Patient to his Bed, without opening his Bandage, a warm Regimen, in a hot Season; I visited him, (to know the Truth of the Noise that was made) on the sixth Day after the Operation, and saw no Eruptions, nor had he any; nor were his Incisions digested: I took the Freedom to ask Doctor
Wadsworth
then present, whether the Sores (pointing at them) were like those he saw at
Newgate?
And he fairly own'd, he cou'd not say they were. I again saw this Patient a Week after, but still no Eruption; If any Eruptions happen'd between these Times, they could not be the
Small Pox:
And I believe, none who saw and attended both Experiments, can truly say, they were like those in
Newgate.
I own that it seem'd probable that the six Persons in Mr.
Batt
's Family might have catch'd the
Small Pox
of the Girl that was
Inoculated
; but it is well known that the
Small Pox
were rife not only at
Hertford,
but in several Villages round it, many Months before any Person was
Inoculated
there: Witness Mr.
Dobb
's House in
Christ's Hospital
Buildings, where he himself died of the worst Sort with Purples; and his Children had it. Some other Families there, and particularly Mrs.
Moss
's, where the above-named
Elizabeth Harrison, Inoculated
in
Newgate,
attended several Persons under it, to prove whether she would catch the Distemper by Infection; Both
Latin Boarding-Schools
; Mr.
Stout
's and Mr.
Loyd
's Families; Mr.
John Dimsdale
's Coachman and his Wise; and Mr.
Santoon
's Maid-Servant, who was brought to the same House, and died of the Confluent kind of the
Small Pox
; I took Matter from the said Coachman to
Inoculate
Mr.
Batt
's Daughter in the Country Farm House, the
first
Ingrafted in that Country. After this I took Matter also from Mr.
Stout
's Maid-Servant to
Inoculate
Mrs
Heath
's two Sons; which were all I
Inoculated
in that Town. Besides all these there were a great many more, whose Names I cannot at present call to mind both in Town and Country about it, who had the
Small Pox,
and several died of it, the Summer before I began this Practice: These are Matters of Fact, which the Doctor's Author cannot disprove. To charge then the Spreading the
Infection
and the Consequences of it,
that Town, upon two single Boys who were
Inoculated
in a Court in a manner separated from all the rest of the Town, which was fuller of the
Small Pox
before than after the
Inoculation,
is not agreeable to that Ingenuity which the Doctor seems to demand of his Adversaries.
The Case of Mr.
De Grave
's Daughter which fills up three or four Pages in the Letter, and upon which the Doctor lays the Foundation of his
Hypothesis,
the Reader may please to take from her Father's own Words in his Letter annex'd. From which it appears that the Girl had the
Small Pox
but once, of the favourable kind; and in all Probability by
Inoculation.
So far the Case is singular, that it did not take place till eleven Weeks after the Operation; and untill the Blood was put into a Ferment by violent Motion. Here the Doctor triumphs in his
Dilemma, Either she had, or she had not the
Small Pox
by Inoculation
; If the first, then it is plain
Inoculation
is no
preventive
of the
Disease
; If the second, the
Experiment
is good for nothing. I think in this way of Argumentation, to make it conclusive, there ought to be a perfect
Enumeration
; but here is a
Third
Case, and the real one, not enumerated; which is, that the Girl had the
Small Pox,
and that but once, by
Inoculation
; tho' not at the same Time when the Doctor lays the Scene of his
Dilemma.
But to consider the Second Branch; allowing that this
Small Pox
was the natural Sort, and not produc'd by
Inoculation,
of which, I think, the contrary is plain; sure it is a strange Inserence to say, that because
Inoculation
has not taken Effect in one Subject, it is therefore good for nothing. The Doctor's excellent Judgment will instruct him to reason with more Temper and Solidity in other Matters of his Profession; and not make Use of his
Aphorism, That one Instance
is as good as a thousand in Matters of Experience. What the Doctor says of his Fears of a great Class of Hypothetical Diseases, is all vanish'd, and the Girl is very well. I refer the Doctor upon this Head of the Preventive Power of
Inoculation,
to the Letter which he lays so much Stress upon, from
Boston
; where his Ally in this Dispute owns,
That not one of the
Inoculated (being about three Hundred)
during the Space of five or six Months,
in a general Run of the
Small Pox, has had the
Small Pox
the natural Way, as far as we know:
But of this more afterwards.
As for his second Story of Captain
Hussart,
it requires only a bare Reading to make it ridiculous; For no unprejudic'd Person of common Sense can believe that one, after having been
Inoculated
twice without any Effect, would try it a third Time: But after a third Time, to try it a fourth, fifth, and sixth Time, passeth all Degrees of Credibility. But it seems this Captain was not very certain, whether it was five or six Times; one
Inoculation
had quite slipt out of his Memory: he wanted one Quality, which the Proverb demands in some Sort of People. Since the Doctor can give Credit to this Story of Captain
and at the same Time question the
what is said by eminent Physicians, who
from their own and other Peoples Observations on the Spot, where
Inoculation
is practis'd daily; I appeal to my Readers, if I may not with Justice tax him of being partially
Credulous
or
Incredulous,
as Facts make for or against his Purpose. And with all due Respect to the Senate of
Boston,
I question whether a Bill, or an
Hypothesis,
founded upon such a Fact, is more extraordinary. But allowing it to be true, what is the Inference? That a Person, who could not catch the
Small Pox
by
Inoculation,
had them the natural Way: If that were granted, will it prove, that one who has the
Small Pox
by
Inoculation,
may afterwards have them the natural Way? If upon the same Authority, the Doctor can believe the Story of the
Muscovite
Dragoon, or the
Inoculated
Soldiers in the
French
Army; I wish him much Joy. I promise him I will not (like the Gentry who went in quest of St.
Alban
's Trough) ride twenty Miles to be able to disprove it. I should be glad to know, which Way the Doctor supports so bold an Assertion,
That
[Page 17]
by the Account Dr.
Nettleton
gives, as also by the best Observation upon those who have been
Inoculated
in this City, scarcely a fourth Part of them have had a true and genuine
Small Pox; I have read over carefully Dr.
Nettleton
's Account, contain'd in his Letters printed in the
Transactions
of the
Royal Society,
No 370; and for my Life I cannot find any Thing to justify this Assertion; on the contrary he says,
We have not yet found, that ever any had the Distemper twice, neither is there any Reason to suppose it possible; there being no Difference
that can be observ'd betwixt the natural and artificial Sort, (if we may be allow'd to call them so) but only that in the latter the Pustules are commonly fewer in Number; and all the rest of the Symptoms are in the same Proportion more favourable.
I hope there is at least as much Credit due to an ingenious Practitioner, who writes from a very extended Experience, as to one who writes for the most Part by Hearsay.
As to those who have been
Inoculated
in
London
; to oppose my own, and other Persons Testimony from ocular Inspection, against his, who talks by Report, may seem perhaps too great Presumption. I therefore challenge the Doctor to name the Cases and Authorities whereby he supports such a wild Assertion.
As to Mr.
Sp
r
's Case, I will not preoccupy my Reader with any Reflection; but refer him to the Matter of Fact here subjoin'd, as it is testify'd by the Surgeon and Apothecaries that attended him.
As to the Case of Lord
B
ts
's Servant, I refer to the Account subjoin'd.
He is just as much misinform'd of the Case of Lord
F
s
's Son, who had a favourable Sort of
Small Pox,
and was in no Danger of his Life; as the Physician who attended him will readily own.
As to the unfortunate Accidents which have happen'd to some of the First Rank by this
Ingrafting Method
; if I guess right who he means, one of them is perfectly well without any unfortunate Accident; and the Imposthumation, which had no Dependance nor Communication with the Incision, is perfectly cur'd without any Exfoliation of the Bone, or any
Hectic Fever.
But it is hard to charge the common Accidents of the
Small Pox
in general, upon this Method in particular.
It is no less a Misinformation, that the Children of a Nobleman, understood in his Letter, were
Ingrafted
from a bad Sort of
Small Pox.
As to what he says of the poorer Sort of
People of
Scotland,
running about with the
Small Pox
upon them, without either Shoes or Stockings
; the Doctor seems here to intend a Reflection, but I choose to avoid all Reflections, either National or Domestick. I believe the People of
England,
as well as those of
Scotland,
for the most Part, neither wear
Shoes
nor
Stockings
in the
Small Pox:
As to their Custom or Ability of
running about,
they are much in the same Condition, as they are here; some have them favourably, some otherwise, and every one has Conveniencies and Helps according to their Circumstances.
As for the three Letters from
Boston
in
New England,
printed by Way of
Appendix
to the Doctor's, It might suffice to say, that they are only a severe, and perhaps a just Invective, against the Clergy and others, for meddling in this Branch of the Physicians Practice: Upon which Encroachment, some of the Faculty invoke the Vengeance of the Civil Magistrate; and threaten the Offenders, as
Poisoners
and
Spreaders of Infection,
with Prisons and Gibbet's: And if the Laws in being are somewhat deficient, modestly call, as some others have done, upon the Legislature for new Ones. This general Consideration is sufficient to invalidate the Credit of any Thing that is said by a Person so strongly interested: But so great is the Force of Truth, that it has extorted enough from this partial Complainant to justify the Practice, which he so bitterly inveighs against. For first he owns, that the whole Practice of
Inoculation
was manag'd by unskillful Persons; and that many
who dy'd or suffer'd much under
Inoculation,
if they had had better Management, might have had better Fate.
That the Practitioners neglected
as trivial both the Advantages of a suitable Season, and a well prepared Body; That they
Inoculated
all Ages and Constitutions from the Beginning; That they
Inoculated
Women with Child, and Hysterical people:
And after all,
They practis'd it at first with indifferent good Success: That it had been practis'd, since the Middle of
June
to the Date of his Letter,
Dec. 20.
upon above two hundred Subjects with various Succcess.
He tells you in his second Letter,
That they had at that Time the Experience of two or three Hundred
Inoculated: And after all this, in all his three Letters, he gives you only two Letters of the Name of one
Inoculated
Person who dy'd, Mrs.
D
l.
He says at Random,
that others dy'd of it, whom Time may bring to Light.
Were the Bodies of those
Inoculated
Persons hid under Dunghills? Had they not Christian Burial? It is wondrous strange, that in a Place, where the Practitioners in Physick and the Magistrates both were against
Inoculation,
he could not come at the Knowledge of a Mortal Case but one, the
Inoculated
Mrs.
D
l,
who is trump'd up upon all Occasions: He says,
many of the
Inoculated
suffer much,
Page 2. What then? A Person that has the
Small Pox,
even in the gentlest Sort, must suffer, And at last, Page 10, he ingenuously acknowledges,
That the
Small Pox (acquir'd by
Inoculation
)
is frequently more favourable than in the common Way, and not altogether so mortal.
Secondly,
That not one of the
Inoculated
during the Space of five or six Months has had the
Small Pox
in the natural Way, so far as we know
; that is, of about three hundred People
Inoculated,
some of which, no doubt, had only those Eruptions, which they will not allow to be the genuine
Small Pox
; In a Time, when the
whole Town and Country was an Hospital of People sick
of the Distemper, and few Persons exempt from its Rage, for the Space of five or six Months,
not so much as one had the
Small Pox,
for
ought they knew:
I say, if such a Case had happen'd, it is not probable it could have been conceal'd; and that this Acknowledgment from one, who is so zealous an Enemy to the Practice, is a stronger Proof of the Efficacy of it, for the Purpose intended, than all the
Ifs
and
May-be's
of this or any other Letter-Writer.
It had been fair in this Gentleman to have given in the Numbers that dy'd of the natural Sort of
Small Pox,
during that Season; or to have stated the Case fairly between two or three Hundred sick of the natural Sort, and as many of the
Inoculated
Kind, both under the Care and Direction of unskillful and unexperienc'd People: And then, perhaps, as in the
Inoculated
Kind, he could instance, by Name, only One that dy'd; In the other Sort he would have been puzzled to find the Names of those who escap'd.
But to this he will say, that the
Inoculated Small Pox
propagated the Mortality of the natural Sort. There is a full Answer given to this Objection of spreading Infection before. I think it is hard to exclude Men from the Means of securing themselves from a great Pestilence, upon a meer Suggestion: The Influence of the natural
Small Pox
upon Mankind, in any Place, in a Circle of Years, may be affirm'd to be uniform with strong Probability; and if the Air of any Place, in a contagious
Season,
is such, as renders the Distemper very mortal, it is a strong Motive for People to take the Advantage of a good Season, and secure themselves in Time from a Plague, which is so likely to destroy them: And if Prudence only were to be consulted, it would perhaps be much more the Duty of the Legislature to order, than to forbid this Practice. And no doubt, according to the Acknowledgment of the Enemies of this Practice, they would, by this Method, diminish the Mortality, and encrease the Number of their People; and the Magistrate is forc'd often upon more arbitrary Proceedings in any Pestilence: But as that would seem too great an Encroachment upon the natural Rights of Mankind, I should not approve of it. But on the other Hand, it would be a most Tyrannical Encroachment upon the same Rights, to debar Mankind from the lawful Means of securing themselves from the Fear and Danger of so terrible a Plague.
As for the particular
Faetor,
that, according to the Letter,
attends the Sores of the Inoculated
; it is much of a Piece with the Story of the
Kentish Long - Tayls:
It shews him to be an utter Stranger to the whole Practice; and makes one doubt, whether he ever saw a Case of
Inoculation
quite through. And the
Pointing at the
Inoculated
in the
Streets,
is as great an Instance of Barbarity, as the other is of Ignorance.
There is a Letter in Town from the Revd. Mr.
Mather
at
Boston
of a later Date, which has several remarkable Passages in it.
The Distemper
(meaning the Small Pox)
has lately visited and ransacked the City of
Boston;
and in little more than half a Year, of about five thousand Persons, that have undergone it, near nine hundred have died.
But how many Lives might have been sav'd, if our unhappy Physicians had not poison'd and bewitch'd our People with a blind Rage, that has appear'd, very like a Satanick Possession, against the Method of Relief and Safety in the way of the
Small Pox
Inoculated? I prevail'd with one Physician (and for it, I have had bloody Attempts made upon my Life by some of our Energumens) to introduce the Practice; and the Experiment has been made upon almost three hundred Subjects in our Neighbourhood, young and old, from one Year to seventy; weak and strong, Male and Female, white and black; in Midsummer, in Autumn and Winter: And it succeeds to Admiration.
I cannot learn that any one has died of it, tho' the Experiment has been made under various and marvellous Disadvantages. Five or six have died upon it or after it; but from other Accidents.
He mentions afterward
that Cats had it
;
and takes notice of the same thing in Doctor
Leigh's
History of
Lancashire;
and subjoins,
That
it was generally complain'd that Pigeon-houses of the City continu'd unfruitful; and the Pigeons did not lay or hatch, as they us'd to do, all the while that the
Small Pox
was in its Epidemical Progress: And it is very strongly affirmed, that our Dunghill Fowl felt much of the like upon them.
At last concludes;
with the great Benefit they have found by Blisters early apply'd and continu'd in the natural
Small Pox,
and is sorry it was so late before they fell into this Way; but it has constantly prosper'd: I know not, says he, that it has once miscarried since we came into it.
I refer the Reader to his Letter annex'd.
It appears by this Letter, that somewhat more than one out of five, and less than one out of six died of the Distemper. And likewise, by the Effects mention'd upon Animals, that the general Contagion was owing to a bad Disposition of the Air; and not chargeable upon
Inoculation.
And lastly, notwithstanding the unfavourable Constitution of the Air, the
Inoculated
did well.
I doubt not but the impartial Reader is now satisfy'd that this Practice of
Inoculation
may be still beneficial to Mankind, notwithstanding any thing that the Doctor has adduc'd to the contrary, either by way of Argument or Fact. And that by the same zealous Partiality, it had been easy to have crush'd any, the most useful Practice in Medicine in the Beginning. It is pretty remarkable, that in a Neighbouring Nation, where Agues are the best Branch of the Physicians Practice, the Use of the Bark has been, and is still in a great Measure, suppress'd by Methods not much unlike what are us'd against
Inoculation
; and indeed every one of the Doctor's Arguments would have concluded more strongly against the Use of the
Cortex,
than against this Practice. I will suppose any Stickler against the Bark to have reason'd thus in the Doctor's Strain.
A Drug that has been only us'd among Slaves, an illiterate unthinking People, who have the Advantage of a warm Climate, and a Spare Dyet, is not fit to be immediately dispens'd to the
English,
whose Blood, speaking of it as National, is the Product of the Richest Dyet: Is it not plain by the Diseases that it often leaves behind it, that it spoils the Constitution? Witness the Jaundice, Tumours of the Legs, and other Cachexies that are often subsequent upon it. Besides none but Empirics can give a Medicine of which they are not sure of the Dose; Is it not plain that it will not answer the Design of preventing the Disease for the future? For notwithstanding the Use of this Drug, the Patient suffers many a Relapse. Besides
there are not only one or two, but innumerable Instances of People who have died after the Use of it; and others, who have had a diseased Constitution all the rest of their Lives. The Dispensers of this Medicine disagree widely among themselves, both as to the Manner of its Operation and the Dose; Some give it in Tincture; some in Substance; some in greater, some in lesser Quantities, &c. In fine, there are three Letters from a Friend in
New England,
which inform me that many who have taken the Bark have suffer'd very much; and Mrs.
D
l,
who had taken great Quantities of it, actually died, &c. Tho' I have not my self made Use of this Medicine, nor seen much of the Effects of it; I am well assur'd, that not a fourth part of the Diseases it pretends to cure, are Genuine Agues: Before I had seen the Practice of this Medicine, I affirmed, that is was impossible, it would cure an Ague; but I am willing to retract that Opinion, being convinc'd by an Experiment, that it does so sometimes.
It were easy to carry this Parallel reasoning thro' the whole Letter, not only with equal, but more Strength in most Places.
The Doctor, in appearing with so great Zeal against this Practice, is not the Representative of the whole Faculty. For there are many of them who from their Disinterestedness and Innate Love to Mankind, are willing, that an Experiment should go on, which, in Proportion to the Extensiveness of the Practice, must necessarily diminish the Mortality of the
Small Pox
in general: This is a candid, as well as decent Way of proceeding. At the same Time, I only blame the Author of the Letter, and those who take part with him, for their too early and strong Prejudices; being unwilling to Censure their Intentions, which I hope, are for the Good of Mankind, as well as my own.
But there is still a stronger
Dr.
Massey's Sermon,
Page 6.
Objection against this Practice;
That it is unlawful, and first introduc'd by the Devil, who Ingrafted
Job
of the Confluent Sort of
Small Pox.
From useful Discoveries, there can always be drawn important Consequences.
First,
Hence learn we, that the
Small Pox
is an ancient Disease; for if it was convey'd to Job
by some such Way as
Inoculation, the Matter must have been taken from some Body Infected with the Distemper.
Secondly,
That
Sydenham
was not the first that began the
cool Regimen
; for
Job
fat down upon the Ashes in the open Air;
his Friends saw him afar off. Thirdly,
That his Friends were tardy, above three Weeks before they came to see him; for in the Genuine Confluent Kind of
Small Pox,
it will be that Time before they can bear scraping with a Potsherd.
Fourthly,
Beloved, this confluent Sort of
Small Pox
were more gentle, to be sure, than the common natural Ones; for he seems neither to have had Delirium, sore Throat, nor Shortness of Breath; he talk'd distinctly and good Sense.
Now here a Question ariseth, Whether an honest Man can do that which the Devil has done? I answer in the Affirmative; there are three things mention'd; of the Devil's Assembling himself (as in this Place) with the Sons of God; Believing, and Quoting of Scripture. All these Things a good Man may not only do, but is bound to do.
I readily agree with this Reverend Divine, that if
Inoculating
the
Small Pox
be an unlawful Action, it cannot be justify'd by the Good which may ensue from it; but that it is unlawful, must be prov'd, either by some natural or positive Law: That this Reverend Gentleman has brought no such Proof, either from natural or reveal'd Religion, will appear plain upon a very short Review of his Discourse.
Page 13.] He says he will attempt to prove,
That Diseases are utterly unlawful to be inflicted by any who profess themselves Christians:
He terms it very right; for it is an Attempt to Prove, and no more. By restraining the Prohibition to Christians, one would think, there was some positive Command in the Gospel against it; but he has brought none, which, by the most forc'd Construction, can prove
Inoculation
to be prohibited by the Christian Dispensation. I know of no Immorality that is forbid to a Christian, the Practice of which is allow'd to an Infidel. Indeed Morality is more clearly taught and more strongly enforc'd by Rewards and Punishments amongst us; but it does not change its Nature amongst the rest of Mankind. He does not wonder, that the Practice of
Inoculation
should obtain, where the Doctrine of
Fatality
is believ'd; but the Misfortune is, that the Matter of Fact is quite otherwise: For if he had carefully perus'd Dr.
Wagstaffe
's Discourse, which he so much commends, that would have inform'd him,
That no Body pretends to give us an Instance of an
Inoculated Turk. And why? Because their Belief of a Fatality makes them neglect very much the ordinary Helps of Medicine for preserving their Lives.
Page 14.] The Instances which he gives of Almighty God's having given a miraculous Power to Mankind to inflict Diseases for their Punishment, does not prove, that He has not given them an ordinary one for their Benefit.
And his saying, [Pag.15]
That no Man was ever yet condemn'd to an immediate Sickness, for Want of sufficient Authority
; is, without any Proof. Diseases are External, and In
; the Magistrate very often inflicts both: That Criminals are lawfully punish'd with the Mutilation of their Body, I suppose he will allow to be common. Is not that inflicting a Disease with a Witness? And are there not many Executions perform'd by Poison, which is inflicting an Internal mortal Disease? And here his own Argument turns upon him; for
if Diseases are sent for the Punishment of our Sins,
then it would seem to follow, that the Magistrate, who has a Power from God to punish our Crimes, has likewise a Power to inflict Diseases,
for Sins that are manifest to him and all the World.
The greater Power of inflicting Death, certainly includes the lesser in the Choice of the Means: If, for Example, there should be a Law made to punish the
Inoculators
with the
Inoculation
of some Disease, I fancy this Reverend Divine would not think it sinful or unreasonable.
Page 16.] He spends a long Paragraph, to prove what no Body ever deny'd; That a Man cannot lawfully do all that is in his Power to do: And another as evident, That the Means, as well as the Intention, must be lawful; but these are only general Propositions; The Subsumption, that inflicting Diseases for a good Purpose is unlawful, is only suppos'd, not prov'd.
Page 18.] He
doubts whether the Life of Man be a Good or not.
If the Life of Man is no Good, then, indeed, to act for the Preservation of it, is not to act for any good End; and consequently, not only this Practice, but all others in Medicine, and many other charitable Actions, must be given up. The rest of the Argument of this Paragraph, is grounded upon the Insufficiency of this Method for the Purpose intended. The Doctor might have remember'd, from his Exposition of his Text,
Job
had the
Small Pox
by
Inoculation
from the Devil, even of a favourable Sort; that he recover'd of them, and never had them again. But in this he must forgive me, if I put him in Mind, that he is out of his Sphere; and that notwithstanding his Professions to the contrary, he lays aside the Divine, and takes upon him the Physician. The Question here is, Whether giving a Disease with a good Intention, be in it self an unlawful Action.
Page 20.] Another Argument is,
That a Law which forbids the Evil, forbids also every thing that has a Tendency to it; therefore all causeless and voluntary Mutilations are forbid:
And yet, notwithstanding this Law against Mutilation, more express than any against
Inoculation,
Surgeons cut off Peoples Limbs. Here the Intention hallows the Action, which is in itself expresly forbid; and which is more, I believe no Surgeon will affirm, that in all Cases, where Limbs are cut off, there is a direct Impossibility to save the Patient's Life otherwise; or that the Operation is always successful. A Surgeon who cuts a Person for the
Stone,
even if his Patient dies of the Operation, does not think he has committed a mortal Sin, in inflicting a mortal Disease; and yet the Patient perhaps might have liv'd many Years, and not dy'd of the Distemper at last. The Difference of the two Cases, the one being for Cure, the other for Prevention, does not change the State of the Question; which, in general Terms, is this, Whether Mankind have a Lawful Power of inflicting Diseases for good Purposes? A Person who has not had the
Small Pox,
may be very justly consider'd, as having the Seeds of a mortal Distemper within him; and the Dread of it is surely a Suffering, that will justify the Lawfulness of using Means, which have the greatest Probability of saving him from a Danger, which, for ought he knows, may be nearer and greater, than that of a Stone in the Bladder. Anxiety and Bodily Pain, don't differ so much, as to make an Action lawful in one Case, sinful in the other.
Page 21.] But it seems
it is a Tempting of Providence.
And there is no great Difference between the
Devil's Proposal to our Saviour, to cast himself down headlong, and that of
Inoculation. It is wonderful, into what Absurdities, Zeal for an Opinion, will drive a Man, even to assert that there is no Difference between a Man's running into a Danger absolutely unnecessary, and from which nothing but a direct Miracle can save him; and a Venturing on a small Hazard to avoid a much greater. The Case put it as disadvantagiously as possible, more resembles that of a Person who leaps out of a Window for fear of Fire, and surely that can never be reckon'd a Mistrust of Providence, even if he did it before he was much in Danger; for no body can say that God Almighty may not save a Man from Fire in the ordinary Course of his Providence; And if a Person, who being prompted by his too early Fears had taken this Course, and lost his Life by the Fall; no body will arraign him of
Self-murder:
He might have done an imprudent, but not a sinful Action. The Parents who suffer their Children to converse with their infected Relations; which differs in no Moral Point from the Case of
Inoculation,
would think it very hard to be treated as Homicides or Murderers of their Children, when the very Action proceeds from, the contrary Principle, extreme Tenderness.
Pag. 22.] In the former Page, it was a presumptuous Trust; in this, it is an intire Mistrust of Providence. He is sure to have the
Inoculators
some way or other.
Pag. 23.] They cannot pray for a Blessing upon their Endeavours; because Prayer supposes the Use of lawful Means.
I believe the contrary is true, for as a Person, who is
Inoculated,
puts himself more immediately into the Hands of God, if he has any Sense of Religion, cannot avoid praying for a Blessing upon the Means, which, to be sure, he thinks lawful, and has not yet been prov'd to be otherwise.
Page 24.] His Argument to prove that
Inoculation
tends to promote Vice and Immortality is the most extraordinary of all. This it does, by taking off the Dread of the
Small Pox,
and consequently the Restraints of Sobriety that Mankind lie under upon that Account. This Reverend Gentleman has very justly found fault with one Maxim, to
do Evil that Good may come of it:
But he has establish'd one, just as dangerous in the room of it,
not to do Good least Evil come of it.
For if the Diminishing the Fear of Dying of Diseases catch'd by Irregularity, is an Evil, then an able Physician is a common Nuisance. We have reason to be thankful, that there are a sufficient Number left, who cannot be charg'd with being Encouragers of Vice and Immorality, upon this Score. This Principle in its full Extent would destroy all Works of Charity and Mercy; for the Hope of Forgiveness is an Encouragment to do Injuries; and the Hope of being reliev'd in Want is a Discouragement to Industry.
I am touch'd with the devout Reflections upon Providence, that are all along spread thro' his Sermon, to which I subscribe with all my Heart; but I cannot so much commend the Distorting those great and solemn Truths of our Holy Religion to mantain little Party Interests and fashionable Opinions. The Text that is quoted Pag. 22. that the very Hairs of our Head are numbred; I take to be a stronger Argument against Periwigs and Shaving; than all that the Sermon contains against
Inoculation:
Our Hairs of our Beards were given us for an Ornament by Providence, and it is known, that many have catch'd great Colds with mortal DisEases ensuing upon them by Shaving. Is not a Man answerable for all the bad Effects that follow upon an unwarrantable Action that contradicts the very Intention of Providence?
The Peroration Page 29, is equal to any Piece of the whole Performance,
Let the Atheist and the Scoffer, the Heathen and the Unbeliever disclaim a Dependance upon Providence: Let them
Inoculate
and be
Inoculated,
&c.
I think this clinches the whole Matter; and this Reverend Gentleman has furnish'd us with a new, sensible and religious Test, an Atheist or Infidel can be found out, as a Witch, by the Marks upon his Body: And that, as it has been intimated already, that the Devil was the first
Inoculator
; I think, it is not impossible that the next zealous Preacher upon this Subject may prove the Cicatrices of
Inoculation
to be the Mark of the Beast. Thus it appears, that the Doctors Position, of the Unlawfulness of inflicting Diseases for good Purposes, is groundless, and contrary to the common Usages of Mankind.
I have been oblig'd to be the more particular in answering this
Sermon,
because the Charge in it against the
Inoculators,
is hea
than that in the Letter, in as much as immorality is a greater Fault than bad Practice in Physick.
From all that I have said, I will draw this one Conclusion; that there does not appear as yet any Objection of Weight enough to stop the Progress of the Practice of
Inoculation.
But if upon future Trials, it should be found that the Inconveniencies do overballance the Advantages of it; I shall then be as ready to condemn, as I am now to justify it.
Certificate of the Honourable Mr. WILLIAM SPENCER's DEATH.
April 22, 1722.
UPON Examining the Body of the Honourable
William Spencer,
Son of the Right Honourable the late Earl of
Sunderland
; We found the
Small Pox
of a mix'd Sort, distinct in some Parts, and confluent in others; almost dry'd and seal'd throughout the Body: All the Inward Parts were in their natural State, and free from any Mark of the
Small Pox.
In the Right Ventricle of the
Heart
there were two
Polipus's,
whereof of one was branch'd out into the
Arteria Pulmonalis.
In the Head, we found the Surface of the Brain full of Water; and the Substance of it flabby; the Ventricles of it being as full of Water as they could hold; The
Plexus Choroides
being white by soaking in that Water: The
Basis
of the
Brain
was also full of Water. In the
Longitudinal Sinus,
there was a long and pretty large
Polypus
; and likewise one in the
Lateral Sinus.
The
Cerebellum
was in its natural State.
Apr. 22. 1722.
Sign'd thus,
Claudius Amyand,
Isaac Garnier,
Apothecar
Thomas Garnier,
Apothecar
John Reilliez,
John Dolignon.
N. B.
The Child seem'd to be in a fair Way on
Saturday
the 21
st,
'till Two a-Clock in the Afternoon, when he was seiz'd with a Convulsion Fit, of which he dy'd in a Quarter of an Hour.
This is also Sign'd thus,
Claudius Amyand,
Isaac Garnier,
Apothecar
Thomas Garnier,
Apothecar
The CASE of Mr. DEGRAVE'S Daughter, in a LETTER to Mr. MAITLAND.
SIR,
I Find my Daughter's Case has made some Noise in Town; and has been misrepresented. It was thus: She was
Inoculated
the 23d of
Febr.
1721-2; and as I saw her daily during the three Weeks that she was confin'd after the
Inoculation,
so I can affirm, no
Small Pox
ever appear'd uponher during that Time, but only Heats and Flushings, attended sometimes with Heaviness and Pain in her Head, and a little more Quickness of Pulse than usual, and oftentimes without any Disorder at all: None of those Heats and Flushings ever came to Perfection, or to any thing like the
Small Pox,
which gave my Daughter some Uneasiness; and the rather, that the other Persons, who had been
Inoculated
at the same Time, and in the same House with her, had a very fair distinct
Small Pox,
and yet had less Sickness than She: Nor did the Incisions in her Arms discharge so much and so long as theirs did; and therefore were compleatly heal'd in less than three Weeks Time, when the Sores of the other Person, were yet large and running. Thus all Expectation of her having the
Small Pox
by the
Inoculation
being over, she was purg'd once or twice, and then discharg'd from her Confinement, the 17th of
March
following: Nay, it was believ'd, she never would have that Distemper; for having been very much expos'd to the Infection, when the was but two Years of Age, and yet more when the was about Eight, without contracting it, this last Tryal being unsuccessful, seem'd to give a tolerable Ground for this Opinion. However my Daughter continu'd discompos'd, and out of Order, when the came Home; the Heats and Flushings abovemention'd still subsisting on her, though in a lesser Degree; her Stomach loathing Flesh-meats, and her Rest disturb'd with Dreams and Horrors. She had likewise two small Boils, one under her Arm, and another on her Side: But none of these Accidents were troublesome enough to hinder her Attendance on her accustom'd Business within and without the House: However these continuing for about two Months after she came Home, the was purg'd once or twice, in order to remove them; but still they subsisted upon her, not to any Degree, 'till the
Small Pox
broke out upon her, which happen'd in this Manner: Three Days before, she had heated herself extraordinarily; the first, by going to the
Camp
and back again, on Foot, in a very warm Day; the second, by walking heartily to the
Charter-House,
to see her Brother and returning Home; and the third Day in going and sitting at the
Play-House
in
Lincolns-Inn-Fields:
As she sat at this last Place, the
Small Pox
broke out upon her: at least, I never perceiv'd it upon her, 'till her Return; at which my Daughter was surpriz'd, she having had no Illness whatever, that could hinder her Pleasure at the Play, and her walking Home; or any such precursory Warnings of that Distemper, which I hear have been divulg'd Abroad. As soon as the
Small Pox
had appear'd, she recover'd her Stomach for those Flesh-meats she had loath'd before; and came to that natural compos'd Sleep, of which she had been depriv'd since the
Inoculation
; And she having gone through the most favourable Periods of that Distemper, she got well in Eight Days from That I perceiv'd the first Eruption; so that I must conclude, from the Symptoms which my Daughter was by Times afflicted with, during Eleven Weeks after she had been
Inoculated,
that it appears evident to me, the
Small Pox
she had then, was the Effect of the
Inoculation,
although it has shew'd itself much later than is usual, after that Operation. As to the
Itch,
that appear'd upon her about the same Time with the
Small Pox:
I can only account for it thus; She had been Infected by her Brother, about three Months before she was
Inoculated,
and I thonght her cur'd of it by the same Means that were Efficacious for the Cure of her Brother. It is certain that when she was, there was no Appearance subsisting of that Distemper, nor any Shew of it, 'till that Time the
Small Pox
appear'd upon her. However, she is perfectly cur'd of the
Itch,
by the same Means that were us'd at first: And I thank God, my Daughter is at present as well, if not better, in every Respect, than ever she was in her Life.
I am, SIR, Your most humble Servant, ISAAC DEGRAVE.
August 23, 1722.
A Letter from Dr. NETTLETON, at
Halifax
in
Yorkshire,
to Dr. JURIN, R.S.Secr.
SIR,
IN Answer to what you require from me, as to what has been farther done, I have only to add, that since I writ to Dr.
Whitaker,
I have made the
Insition
upon about fifteen Persons, who have all had the Distemper very favourably, and got thro' it with a great deal of Ease. As nothing uncommon or extraordinary did happen in any of these Cases, it will not be necessary to trouble you with a particular Account of any of them: They were most of them at some Distance; the
Small Pox
being, in a great Measure, gone from this Town and Neighbourhood.
I am very sensible of the Favour done me by the Royal Society, who were pleased to take Notice of my Letter to Dr.
Whitaker,
which you had nothing to move you to, besides a generous Disposition to encourage the smallest Attempts towards any thing, that may tend to publick Advantage. I must own that all the Information I had concerning this Affair, which I have happen'd to be engaged in was entirely from the
Philosophical Transactions.
'Tis now about six Years since the Royal Society did communicate to the World some Letters from two very considerable Physicians residing in
Turky,
whose good Sense or Integrity we had no reason to call in question; these Gentlemen did solemnly assure us, that the Method of
Inoculation
had been for many Years practis'd in those Parts of the World, with almost constant Success. I had, as well as all others who have been engaged in, the Practice, with sufficient Sorrow and Concern, been called to many in the
Small Pox,
whose Cases were so deplorable, as to admit of no Relief. And therefore I could not but be very thoughtful about this Method, which promised to carry Persons thro' that cruel Distemper, with so much Ease and Safety. I was so far from knowing that it was a Crime, that I always thought it the Duty of our Profession, to do what we could to preserve the Lives of those who commit themselves to our Care. And I know no Reason, why we ought not, with all humble Thankfulness to Almighty God, to make Use of any Means, which his good Providence shall bring to Light conducing to that End. This Matter, tho' of so great Importance, lying dormant so long after it was known, is, I presume a sufficient Proof, that none have been very forward to try Experiments. But when we had the Account in the publick Papers, that it had by their
Royal-Highness
's Command been done with Success at
London,
I could not be satisfy'd without trying it here. I was soon convinced, that it would be of very great Use; and the more Experience I have had of it since, the more I am confirm'd in the same Opinion. I believe all others, who have seen any thing of this Practice, are in the same Sentiment, and there is no doubt, but in a few Years the World will acknowledge the Service, which the Royal Society have done to Mankind, in first revealing to this Part of
Europe,
a Thing so beneficial as it will certainly prove; for tho' some few unfortunate Accidents may sometimes happen, yet these will be very rare in comparison of the many sad and disastrous Events, which this Distemper has been, and ever will be very fruitful of, while it is left to rage in its full Force and Violence.
Sir,
I doubt not but when you Love collected a sufficient number of Observations for it, you will be able to demonstrate, that the Hazard in this Method is very inconsiderable, in proportion to that in the ordinary way by accidental Contagion, so small, that it ought not to deter any body from making use of it. In order to satisfy my self, what Proportion the Number of those that die of the
Small Pox,
might bear to the whole Number that is seized with the Distemper; in the Natural way, I have made some Enquiry hereabouts, and I shall take the Freedom to transmit the Accounts to you, because I believe you may depend upon their being taken with sufficient Care and Impartiality. In
Halifax
since the Beginning of last Winter, 276 have had the
Small Pox,
and out of that Number 43 have died. In
Rochdale,
a small Neighbouring Market Town, 177 have had the Distemper, and 38 have died. In
Leeds,
792 have had the
Small Pox,
and 189 have died. It is to be noted, that in this Town, the
Small Pox
have been more favourable this Season than usual, and in
Leeds
they have been more than usually mortal; but upon a
Medium
in these three Towns, there have died nearly 22 out of every hundred, which is above a
fifth
Part,
of all that have been infected in the natural way. I have in these Accounts confin'd my self to the Limits of the Towns. The Numbers that have had the
Small Pox
in the Country round about, is vastly greater; but the Proportion of those that die is much the same. I have made the Enquiry in several Country Villages hereabouts, in some I found the Proportion to be greater, in others less, but in the main it is nearly the same.
I am,
&c.
THOMAS NETTLETON.
Halifax,
June 16. 1722
Mr. MATHERS Letter from
Boston
in
New England
March 10th 1721/2.
SIR,
SO considerable a Part of Mankind fearfully perishing by the
Small Pox
; and many more of us grievously suffering by that miserable Distemper, you will allow me to entertain you with a few more Communications, and writ (I think it's) a fourth Letter upon it.
The
Distemper
has lately visited and ransack'd the City of
Boston
; and in little more than half a Year, of more then five thousand Persons that have undergone it, near nine hundred have died. But how many Lives might have been saved, if our unhappy
Physicians,
had not
poison'd and bewitch'd
our People with a
blind Rage,
that has appear'd very like a
Satanick Possession,
against the Method of Relief and Safety in the way of the
Small Pox
Inoculated.
I prevail'd with one Physician, (and for it I have had bloody Attempts made upon
my Life
by some of our
Energumens
) to introduce the Practice; and the Experiment has been made upon almost three hundred Objects in our Neighbourhoud, Young and Old; (from one Year to seventy) weak and strong; Male and Female, White and Black; in Midsummer, in Autumn, in Winter, and it succeeds to Admiration.
I cannot learn that any one has died of it; tho' the Experiment has been made under various and marvellous Disadvantages. Five or six have died upon it, or after it, but from other Diseases or Accidents; chiefly from having taken the Infection in the common way, by Inspiration, before it could be given them in this way of
Transplantation.
However at present I need say no more of this, having already given you some Report of our Proceedings in it.
To them who are under the
Inoculation
of the
Small Pox,
we commonly give a
Vomit,
in the time of their
Decumbiture,
a Day or two before the expected Eruption. One of our Patients not vomiting so freely as he would have done, thrust a Finger or two into his Throat, which fetch'd up, what was to be discharg'd from his uneasy Stomach; He had but a few of the
Small Pox,
and the Pustules were sufficiently of the
distinct Sort,
as it uses to be where they have the
Small Pox Inoculated
; but the Fingers that had been thus employ'd, prov'd as full as they could hold, of the
confluet Sort,
which he now thought his whole Body would have been, if we had not in this Way prevented it.
Doctor
Leigh
in his
Natural History
of
Lancashire,
counts it an Occurrence worth relating, that there were some Catts known to catch the
Small Pox
; and pass regularly thro' the State of it, and then to die. We have had among us the very same Occurrence.
It was generally observ'd and complain'd, that the Pigeon-
Houses
of the City continu'd
and the
Pigeons
did not
hatch
or
lay
as they used to do, all the while that the
Small Pox
was in its Epidemical Progress: And it is very strongly affirm'd that our Dunghil Fowl felt much of the like Effect upon them.
We have so many among us, who have been visited with the
Plague
in other Countries many Years ago, and who have never been arrested with the
Small Pox
after it, tho' they have been exposed as much as any other People to it; that it now begins to obtain a Belief with us, that they who have had the
Plague,
will never have the
Small Pox
after it.
I will add but one Thing more. For Succour under the
Small Pox,
where Life is in Danger, after all the Methods and Medicines, that our
Sydenham
and others rely upon; I can assure you, we have yet found nothing so sure as this; Procure for the Patient, as early as may be, by
Epispastiks
a plentiful Discharge at the
Hand-writs,
or Ancles, or both, (I say as early as my be) and keep them running till the Danger is over. When the Venom of the
Small Pox,
makes an evident or violent Invasion on the Nobler Parts this Discharge
does wonderfully.
I am sorry it was so late before we fell into this Way; but it has
constantly prosper'd:
I know not that it has once miscarried, since we came into it.
March 10. 1721-22.
My Lord
B
st
's Servants Case, by one that constantly attended him.
MY Lord
B
st's
Six Children were
Inoculated
the 18
th April:
Five of them had got thro' the
Small Pox
before the 30
th,
when his Servant was
Inoculated.
He came from
Cirencester
to My Lord's House in
London
about the Time that his Children had the
Small Pox
on them, with an Intent to be Inoculated; but Matter could not be found so soon as desired, and the Fellow in the mean time liv'd among the Servants that attended on My Lord's Children: Whether he had contracted any Infection by that Commerce is not determin'd; or whether the Disorder he had on him three or four Days before he was Inoculated, may be ascribed to that, as some have thought, or to a Change of Dyet and Air, or only to a Cold caught; 'tis most certain he complain'd then of Pain in his Head and Bones; and was feverish. Doctor
Mead
was consulted, and order'd him to be blooded, vomited, and other Medicines for his Relief; and that the Inoculation should be Postpon'd till after his Recovery: For this End he was remov'd out of My Lord's House to a Nurse, who takes People in for the
Small Pox.
He got well of his Complaints the 28
th April
; and 'twas thought proper to Inoculate him the 30
th Ditto.
He kept well till the
5th May,
and then had no other Disorder on him than what is usual before the Eruption of the
Small Pox
after Inoculation. On the 6
th
the Eruptions were plain of the distinct large Kind, and he was relieved on that Account; but at Night his Complaints returned on him, and were rather more severe than they had been, he having then a kind of
Dilirium,
frequent Vomitings and Stools; These continuing the 7
th,
Doctor
Arbothnot
was call'd to his Assistance. Doctor
Mead
saw him also the next Day. They prescrib'd several things, which had the desir'd Success; but at this Time his Body was cover'd with
Small Pox,
and most of it of the confluent Sort. He continu'd in a tolerable good Way till the 11
th
of
May,
when his Fever was sharper on him, with a
Dilirium
and Difficulty of Breathing. He was then blooded and blisterd, but without any Effect. He died the 12
th,
and was open'd the 13
th.
Then upon Inspecting the Outside of his Body, the Face and Limbs were found as full of
Small Pox
as they could hold; as were also two Places in his Breast and Shoulders; they all appearing of the Confluent Sort. Nothing Material was observ'd in the Dissection of his Body, saving that the Lungs were Inflamed and mortified; and that in the Cavities of the Thorax there was a pretty large Quantity of bloody Matter extravasated.
I Here think fit to declare, that whatever
Pamphlets, Advertisements,
or
Queries
are, or shall hereafter be publish'd in
News Papers
or otherwise, as some have lately been with unknown or fictitious Names of Persons Inoculated; and false in Fact, maliciously intended to Discredit this Practice and impose upon the Publick; I will not take any Notice of them, except the Author wi
own his Name, and bring sufficient Vouchers for what he advances.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
Page
3. line 26. r. more certainly.
Pag.
24. line 30 r. applied.