CHRONICLE. 
it than theinhabitants of other coun- 
tries in Europe. He combated, in 
a masterly manner, the vulgar error 
that other diseases are inoculated 
with the common small-pox, proving 
that this supposition is totally un- 
founded; at the same time calcu- 
lated that, with respect te the na- 
tural small-pox, as many persons 
die of diseases consequent thereon, 
as of the disease itself; consequent- 
ly, if, in a given number of years, 
40,000 die of small-pox, 40,000 
more will dic of diseases originally 
produced by that disease. He sig- 
nified his regret that prejudices of the 
people, which he convincingly enu- 
merated, gave to Britain the shame 
of being slower than some foreign 
countries in putting vaccination 
(which was followed neither by dis- 
ease nor blemish) into universal use; 
and concluded a most learned and. 
interesting speech, by observing, 
that, if we received inoculation from 
Turkey, we have amply repaid the 
boon, by sending back Dr. Jenner’s 
discovery. 
Dr. James Sims recommended 
that the plan now proposed should 
be extended to every part of the 
united kingdom. 
Mr. Wilberforce added his hearty 
concurrence with the intentions of 
the gentlemen who had spoken ; en- 
‘ tered feelingly into the sufferings 
which humanity had borne for so 
_ long a time, and the benefits that 
_ would accrue from the introduction 
- of the vaccine inoculation ; and pro- 
posed, that, through the medium of 
a committee, the meeting should 
apply to parliament, to address his 
majesty, to command the whole in- 
fluence of the executive government, 
by all its servants, and throughout 
every suitable department, to be 
put in act for the extension of yac- 
cination. 
359 
Mr. Highmore, secretary to the 
small.pox and inoculation hospitals, 
attended with instructions to say, 
that any assistance within the power 
of the governors and officers, to- 
wards the completion of so laudable 
an undertaking, would be most 
cheerfully rendered. He presented 
also a report from the committee of 
those hospitals to a general court, 
Dec. 16, respecting the increased 
public benefit of thatinstitution, since 
the introduction of the Vaccine Lyo- 
cuLaTrion has been added to the for- 
mer branches of its practice. It 
began in this hospital, under the di- 
rection of Dr. Woodville, in January 
1799; and, from that period to the 
1st of December last, 11,800 patients 
and upwards have been vaccinated, 
of which number, about 2500 were | 
afterwards proved to be secure from 
the natural small-pox, by receiving 
a further inoculation according to 
the former practice, which took no 
effect; a number amply sutlicient to 
satisfy the public mind of the secu- 
rity and success of the new practice 
of vaccination. And the committee 
have not heard of any complaint 
from any one of those who were not 
inoculated a second time, of their 
having since taken the natural small- 
pox, although they were chiefly in- 
digent persons, and the far greater 
number of them living in places 
where the air is very confined, and 
particularly where it has been since 
ascertained that the natural small- 
pox was prevalent among those with 
whom many of them necessarily had 
continual intercourse. ‘The success 
of vaccination has very rapidly ins 
creased during the current year. 
From the Ist of January to the Ist 
of December, 1802, of 373 patients 
admitted into the inoculation hos- 
pital, only 49 were inoculated ac- 
Aa4 cording 
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