A plain statement of facts, in favour of the cow-pox, intended for circulation through the middle and lower classes of society / by John Thomson.

  • Thomson, John, 1765-1846.
Date:
1809
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A plain statement of facts, in favour of the cow-pox, intended for circulation through the middle and lower classes of society / by John Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    // n>as a saying and a btlief amongst tke-e people, that such as lad this Coto pox zoere ever ajter Jreejrom the Siiuill pox, whcther inocuiated jor it or expo^i d to its j?i/ectjo/i in a natural way. iSuch has been observed to bc ihe fact, and particularly by Dr. Jenner, a pbvsician, fqrnici ly residing at Berkley. in Gloucester- shire. He ascertained by the most accurate investigution and thi closest inquirjes, ihe truth of the popular beluf, that this Cow pox zvasa pteservalive from the Small-pox His observations and trials have been rp4de in every possible way, and he lias produced instances ot persons who having had this Cow pox, somc twenty. some thirty, and some fifty years befoic, have re- mained Iree from the Small pox, though frcquently in th^t timr nearly exposed to iis intection in attcnciing upon those ill of it, and though «ven ipocu. ued for it m ii\e usual way.f It occuncd to this ingcnious physician that the natural Cow- pox might be communicated by inocnlation, and tnight bc made milaer in the sainew.^y asthe Small-pox i.s communicated, and made mildei by inoQulation, This he tried wiih perfect success. The inoculated Covi-^poy. is found to be much milder than the na/wrd/Cow-pox. its cxact appeaiance, characters, ic- gular stages, and changrs have bren ascertained. In tbis under- taking many mt mbers ot the mcdical profession, and many not of theprotession have assisted,and by varying their trialsinevery possib!eway, by making their observations under every possiblc circumstance, in diitcrent places and at differcnt times, have produced a great and unexampled body of evidence given by a ^loud of wituesscs in favourot tlie Cow-pox. I his constitutes CHAPTER II. Of cur prcscnt knowledge respecling the Coiv-por^ Which I shall endeavour to convey in as fcw words as possible, and suppcrt by facts. I. The Cow pox is a preservutwe from thc Small pox. This is proved b) the iact that those who have liad the Cow pox re- ttiain ever after free from the Small pox, vi\i^\.\\tix xnoculatcd yc)r ?V or exposed to its A'i7/ara/inlection. Rcad the following cascs. In 178^, Ben. Cowley, aged 26, of Siowe, in Bucking- hamshire, had x\\v.' naturai Cow-pox. 'I hiee years afterwards lie cnfered thc Oxford milit-a. He roas viocv.lated three innes for the Small-pox by the surgcon of the regirnent, but did nol take 2t. K. Smlth, agcd 24. had thc natnrai Cow-pox at tlic same time and placc, His large family havt had tiic Small-pox at diffcrent