558 
which is no Jess than to eradicate a 
disease acknowledged to be the 
greatest’ scourge that ever afllicted 
mankind, there can be but one sen- 
timent on the subject, 
*¢'The enlightened, the Dbeneyo- 
Jent, the opulent, will doubtless vie 
with each other, in the zealous sup- 
port of an undertaking which will 
reflect the highest honour upon their 
country ; and, by saying millions of 
victims from an untimely grave, 
prove an inestimable blessing to the 
whole human race.” 
Dr. Lettsom expatiated on the 
advantages the community experi- 
enced from establishments formed 
for checking the ravages of the small- 
pox, by the introduction of imo. 
culation. But it was to be lament- 
ed, that one unfortunate circum- 
stance attended the practice by ino- 
culation; while it insured safety to 
the individual, it afforded the means 
of spreading the variolous contagion. 
This he confirmed by the production 
of tables, drawn up With elaborate 
accuracy, shewing the comparative 
mortality occasioned by the small- 
pox, for 42 years before the intro- 
duction of inoculation, and 42 years 
after that practice became known. 
He shewed that the mortality was 
annually increasing since the intro- 
duction of inoculation. In the 42 
years before inoculation, 1100 died 
annually in London, or about 72 in 
every 1000 ; but in the last 42 years, 
the calculation is on the average 
2000 deaths in London only, until 
the last two years, in which, from 
the adoption of inoculation with 
cow-pock, the number has decreased 
to 1500. Healso expatiated on the 
increase of christenings and decrease 
of deaths, from the very excellent 
regulations adopted in hospitals and 
the establishments of dispensaries ; 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
by which more than 300,000: poor, 
who could not’ otherwise ‘allord to 
have recourse to medical aid in their 
various diseases, were relieved ; by 
which it was very evident, frony 
calculations made from the bills of 
mortality, that, in the last 15 years, 
there were annually, on an average, 
1300 more christened, and 1500. 
fewer deaths, than in the fifteen years 
preceding. That it was no unrea- 
senable supposition to advance, that 
if Dr. Jenner’s discovery had been 
known 15 years ago, 30,000 lives 
would have been saved to the coni- 
munity in that short space of time. 
He concluded by seconding the mo- 
tion for the address. 
Dr. Bradly, in a most energetic 
speech, took a comprehensive view 
of the advantages resulting from the 
very great blessing with which we 
had been fayoured, and of the ho- 
nour which this country should de- 
rive from having the vaccine inocu- 
lation first promulgated by our own 
countryman, Dr. Jenner.’ That so 
great was the exultation, and so high 
a sense was entertained on the conti- 
nent of Europe, of the very great 
advantages of the Jennerian disco- 
very, that it was celebrated by fétes 
and anniversary demonstrations of 
exultation. His being concerned in 
a widely-extended literary work, 
(the Medical Journal) gave him op- 
portunities of knowing, from cor- 
respondents in various parts of the 
world, the high opinion entertained 
throughout the whole continent of 
Europe, he might say the whole 
world, of the Jennerian practice; 
and observed that our neighbours on 
the continent appeared rather sur- 
prised, that we, with whom that 
practice originated, appeared slow 
in the propagation of so great a bles- 
sing, and less sanguine in promoting 
it 
