A concise history of small-pox and vaccination in Europe / by Edward J. Edwardes.

  • Edwardes, Edward J. (Edward Joshua)
Date:
1902
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: A concise history of small-pox and vaccination in Europe / by Edward J. Edwardes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    to Isaac's theory. Averroes, who came later, must also be named. A Harleian MS. in the British Museum, end of loth century, has an exorcism and prayer in Latin and A.S. «peto Angelorum milia me salvent et de potestate variolcB,' and the Saxon prayer runs thus...'geskyldath me vid de lathan Poccas' (shield me against the hideous pocks). A Cottonian MS. of the nth century has the words ^minntam variolam,' referring to amulets bearing the name of St. Nicaise (d. 430, Bishop of Rheims) Sanctus Nicasius habuit minutam variolam. Ekkehard (Eccardus) relates that in the loth century, the Abbot Notker of St. Gall treated Bishop Caminaldus for small-pox so promptly that no marks were left,— ' pustulasque tandem eruptas ita in brevi sanaverat ut nec saltem de una fuit signabilis.' Ekkehard (quoted by Moore) uses the words ' variolarum morbum.' Bald, a Saxon physician in England in the loth century, recommended the opening of the pocks, like Rhazes: ' If they break one must delve away each of them with a thorn.' (See 'Leechdoms, Wort-cunning and Star- craft,' Rev. O. Cockayne, 1865). Thus small-pox existed from remote times not only in the East and Africa, but in Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, and Spain ; and no doubt all over Europe. That the pitted face left so often by the disease was familiar is evident from Agnellus of the loth century (Du Fresne's Dictionary), who describes a certain person as ' variolosus in facie,'—variolous in aspect.