CoW'Pock Institution. 97 



children to small- pox infection. As far, however, as the 

 immediate observation of the Institution extends, cow- 

 pock has been found to resist all such trials, with three 

 exceptions only. 



It now appears by increasing experience, that in a very 

 few instances the vaccine infection will form fairly on the 

 arm, and go through its regular stages, without being ab- 

 sorbed into the blood. The same thing has repeatedly 

 happened in inoculating for the small-pox, where no erup- 

 tive fever or eruption succeeded the inoculation. In the 

 three cases of small -pox which have succeeded vaccination, 

 the disease has been mild and of short duration. 



The efficacy of cow-pock, as far as Dublin is concerned, 

 does not rest upon the proofs adduced in its favour by this 

 Institution, for it has been extensively practised during the 

 last five or six years. There are grounds for believing that 

 the number vaccinated throughout the city, including the 

 above 12,065, does not fall short of 35,000. The cases of 

 small-pox following cow-pock which have been reported, 

 upon any reasonable authority, to the Institution, do not 

 exceed six. No one who is acquainted with the careless 

 and inattentive manner in which many practitioners have 

 hitherto conducted vaccination, can be surprised to hear of 

 cases of failure. The neglect of parents also to have their 

 children examined at the regular periods after inoculation, 

 tends to bring the practice into disrepute. To obviate this 

 inconvenience, it has been the practice for some time at 

 this Institution, to oblige parents to deposit a small sum, 

 to be returned after the child has gone through the disease, 

 provided they have attended agreeably to instruction; other- 

 wise the sum is forfeited. This regulation has had the de- 

 sired effect. 



It was reported at an early period of the practice, that 

 vaccination afforded only a temporary security, which was 

 at first limited to three years. Numerous experiments, 

 tried in different quarters, satisfactorily proved the falsehood 

 of this assertion. A similar opinion has been lately revived, 

 but the period of security extended to five or six years. 

 Neither analogv nor experience justifies such an idea, and 

 the history of casual cow-pock fully refutes the allegation, 

 as numerous cases are on record of persons, after having 

 casual cow-pock, resisting during a long life the small- 

 pox, under every circumstance of exposure, inoculation, &c. 

 Besides, had the preventive powers of cow-pock not been 

 permanent, it is but reasonable to suppose that many of 

 Vol. 36. No, US. August J810. G the 



