The vaccine contest ... being an exact outline of the arguments ... adduced by ... both sides, respecting cow-pox inoculation; including a late official report on this subject / by the Medical Council of the Royal Jennerian Society.

  • Blair, William, 1766-1822.
Date:
1806
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The vaccine contest ... being an exact outline of the arguments ... adduced by ... both sides, respecting cow-pox inoculation; including a late official report on this subject / by the Medical Council of the Royal Jennerian Society. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    65/98 (page 65)
    I still have a word or two to offer on some of the remaining “ proofs of failuref which you have triumphantly published. DOCTOR.—Say on, Sir, say on. “ Any errors “ in the statement of facts will be readily corrected ; iC unless sophistical cavilling, subterfuge, prevarica- “ tion, or fallacy, be advanced, as usual. Neither “ cavilling, ribaldry, nor tart invective, have any “ effect on sensible minds searching for truth, espe- % “ daily from men who seem to have banished de- cency and probity from the human virtues.” SURGEON.—These immoral qualities are not to be charged to the account of every person who (with great pains-taking) discovers your falsehoods, or “ errors in the statement of factsnor is it to be expected that readers in general should have . opportunity, ability, or inclination to search out and expose your untruths: but the cloven foot shews itself very manifestly at length! although not until you have deceived vast numbers of those whom you denominate ec the gaping multitude.” Among the “ errors” which may “■ be readily cor- <c rected,” you will allow me to enumerate, in the *next place, all the cases of cow-pox after small-pox, —cow-pox pustular eruptions,—contagious cow-pox, —children never inoculated,—some persons who have only existed in your own brain,—others who you admit “ did not take” the vaccine disease,—some cases perfectly unintelligible,—and lastly, patients “ who now come to the Mary-le-bone Infirmary,” i