On the progress and present state of the practice of vaccination.

  • Bateman, Thomas, 1778-1821.
Date:
[1811]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the progress and present state of the practice of vaccination. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    lightened neighbours; while they perpetuate a plague, which would otherwise have had its pe- riods of absolute cessation. Such is the condition in which the most hn- proted slate of the art of medicine had placed us, before the benefits of vaccination were discovered ; and such is the condition, to which some persons would advise us to return, in consequence of the alleged insecurity of this preventive. But it would seem to be only necessary to take a clear and dis- passionate view of the slate of tlie facts, relative to the efficacy of the cow-pox, up to tlie present time, in order to be convinced of its incalculable advantages, even were all the reported failures proved to have occurred,—nay, if they had ac- tually occurred to double the extent tliat has been represented. It is the purport of tliis paper to detail, in as brief a manner as possible, the sum of the facts whicli have recently been brought to light, and to point out the inference, which ssems to be justly deducil)lc from them. Tlie National Vaccine Establishment, supported by parliament, has publislied two Reports during the present year, containing the evidence which they have collected from various authentic sources. The Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons at Edin- burgh, and the Faculty of Glasgow, have ag;ijn given their decided testimony.in i'a\our of vacci- nation. They assert unanimously, that the prac- tice of vaccination is generally approved of, by the profession throughout Scotland; that no bad ef- fects can be ascribed to the practice; and that, since its introduction into Scotland, the mortaUty occasioned by small-pox has very greatly de- creased. The Faculty of Physic aus and Surgeons of Glasgow further state, that, since the middle of May, 1801, they have gratuitously vaccinated ia their Hall, 14,500 persons; and that, as far as is