The history of small-pox in Australia, 1788-1908 / compiled from various sources by J.H.L Clumpston.

Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The history of small-pox in Australia, 1788-1908 / compiled from various sources by J.H.L Clumpston. 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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    Country, by having their children inoculated with the vaccine matter or cow-pock—an infallible preventative of that loathsome, disgusting, and too-often fatal disease, when taken in the natural way. It is almost needless to remark further on the paiticular virtues and propeities of a discovery, announced and recommended to public notice, for the general benefit, fiom such high and indisputable authorities ; I shall only lemark that the preventative qualities of the cow-pock are incontrovertibly established : no preparatory regimen or extraordinary care are requisite in its application or progress : it is attended by no sort of danger or external blemish, wherefore should parents (^elay to embrace the salutary benefit now tendered gratuitously, and the vaccine infection be lost, the most distressing reprehensibility may accrue to them from their remissness in the preservation of their offspring whose destruction hereafter may be reasonably apprehended to ensue from the small-pox, should it ever visit this colony in a natural state. The Sydney Gazette in referring to this paper, said :— There was every reason to hope, that upon the happy introduction into the Colony of the vaccine virus, every parent would have availed themselves of so inestimable a blessing without the necessity of repeated solicitation. The several medical gentlemen have sedulously aclbpted the conduct of the British Faculty, whose benignant labours extending over the whole surface of the globe, reflect eternal honour to the country which to the discovery gave birth and although in numerous inoculations that have been made the innocency of the operation has incontestably proved itself, yet indolence or thought- lessness prevents many from taking advantage of the opportunities that have long offered, and even still continue. If any specious or any plausible argument can be set up against the necessity of vaccination, they must give way to the unanswerable of the Surgeon- General of this Colony, contained in the preceding page : and any objection to so innocent an operation in which the very existence of our children is deeply interested must hereafter be considered as a flimsy absurdity, only started with a view to saving trouble. Parents are by that gentleman again exhorted to attend to this material point of duty, and possibly many who regretted having delayed the object until it was now thought too late, will recover from the inconsolable reflection, and promptly prevent the possibility of a funeral pang. The supply of vaccine lymph appears to have become exhausted soon after this, for there is no mention of any further vaccination until 8th December, 1805, when it was announced in the Sydney Gazette that Mr. McMillan, Acting Surgeon of His Majesty's ship Bvjfalo, procured some of the vaccine matter of Mr. Wentworth, Surgeon at Norfolk Island, and having bestowed every care and attention in inoculating several children and others on the passage from thence to Hobart Town, he had the satisfaction to be assured before he left that settlement of his having fully succeeded in communicating so inestimable a blessing ; and as Mr. McMillan has been so fortunate as to succeed in bringing the virus here, it is hoped an attention to Mr. Jamison's advertisement will secure a continuance of its benefits to these settlements. The advertisement referred to, which appeared in the Gazette on 8th and loth De- cember, was as follows :— Inoculation for the Cow-pox.—Thos. Jamison, Esq., Principal Surgeon, desirous of promoting the benevolent design of vaccination throughout the Colony, requests that settlers and other distant inhabitants who have children that have not yet received the benefit, will forward a list to him at Sydney, specifjnng with their names and places of abode the number of children for inoculation, in order that convenient places of attendance may be chosen in each neighbourhood, and a time for performing the operation appointed, of which timely information will be given in the Gazette. Apparently this did not produce the desired effect, for Mr. Jamison published an a appeal to the public on 19th January, 1806— I finally address the parents of children in this Colony on a subject which is of much more importance than they seem to conceive it. It is an object of the first iiuportance, as it has no less in view than the preservation of the lives of the rising generation of this Colony. In adopting the measures held out of inoculating their children with the cow- pock, in order to prevent the fatality which must attend their having the natural small- pox ; it being ascertained beyond a doubt that the inoculation with the vaccine varus is an effectual preventative against that dreadful and loathsome malady ; I conceive it ought to be one of the most serious considerations that can well occupy the mind of a tender parent, who has the well-being of his infant offspring at heart, and wishes to discharge that Christian duty that is incumbent on them, in adopting every measure to preserve their health and prolong their days. Let me again impress on your minds the serious tendency of neglecting so favourable an opportunity as I have formerly tendered you my services gratuitously, notwithstanding, parents have been so remiss in coming forward with their children that I now consider it necessary to inform them that