70 Dr. Ainslie on Small-Pox and Inoculation in Eastern Countries^ 



expired, amidst the hot winds, indolence, or other local obstacles peculiar 

 to the regions of the torrid zone. 



Vaccination, notwithstanding its many enemies* at one time in England, 

 and the numerous real or pretended cases that have been brought forward 

 against it, still preserves its original good name in India, pure as the breath 

 of the animal from which it springs ! Nor can I find, that when care has 

 been taken to select the true disease with a perfectly transparent fluid ; to 

 take that fluid from the vesicle at the proper timet (not later than the 

 seventh or eighth day) ; to avoid vaccinating persons who may have any 

 breaking-out,1: of whatever nature, on the skin ; and by having invariably 

 recourse to Mr. Bryce's test :§ when those points have been attended to, 

 I repeat, I cannot find that vaccination has ever in that country, in any one 

 instance, disappointed the hopes of tlie practitioner, or a mother's fondest 

 wish. It is true, that, when the new disease was first brought to the Coro- 

 mandel coast, there were a few blunders committed by inexperienced men, 

 who mistook for the real malady some of those pustules which frequently 

 appear on children in hot climates, and were astonished that they could not 

 produce from them a disorder similar to what tiiey had seen pictured in 

 books or heard described ; or, perhaps, tliey had trusted to the appearance 

 of irregular vesicles, ll and hastily deemed them sufficient. But mistakes of 

 this nature were soon rectified ; and for many years past no doubts have 

 been entertained, either as to the exact Jacies of the true complaint, or as to 

 tlie non-existence of those evils which it was said occasionally to leave 



* There are those who suppose that the preventive influence of the cow-pox fluid may 

 perhaps only opei'ate on the frame for a certain period or number of years, an evil which, if it 

 does exist, might be obviated by repeating the operation of vaccination from time to time. 



f By not attending to this caution, mischief is sometimes done by the production of a 

 spurious disease ; a fact clearly proved by Dr. Friese, of Breslaw. See Med. Trans., vol. xiv. 

 pages 233, &c. 



J An inestimable caution given us by Jenner. 



§ Wliich is, to vaccinate one arm from the other ; when it will be found, that if the first opera- 

 tion has been effectual in bringing on the real constitutional disease, the second attempt will fail 

 in producing the regular vesicle. — See Bryce on the Cow -Pox, page 207. 



II Dr. Willan describes three species of vesicles which hav j at times been mistaken for cow- 

 pox, but which do not wholly secure the constitution from small-pox. — See his work on Vac- 

 cine Inoculation, page 39. A degenerated cow-pox was also noticed by Sir Gilbert Blane ; in 

 it the vesicle is amorphous, the fluid often of a straw-colour or purulent, and the areola absent, 

 indistinct, or confused. — See his examination before the House of Commons. 



