CHRONICLE. 
the great overcame the prejudices 
of paganism, and embraced christia- 
nity, the Romans pleaded their pre- 
judices in favour of combats by gla- 
diators; but the emperor immedi- 
ately interdicted them, although they 
were infinitely less fatal than the 
small pox. It is indeed a strange 
climax in our policy, that; whilst we 
incur a considerable expence in 
maintaining the laws of quarantine 
against the infections of the plague 
and yellow fever, we are ata con- 
siderable expence in supporting a 
public institution for keeping up a 
pestilence more dangerous and fatal 
than the plague and yellow fever 
combined: What should we think 
of the Egyptians, should they pub- 
licly support 2 pest-house for gene- 
rating the plague ; or the Americans 
for disseminating the yellow fever? 
We may hope, however, that the 
governors of the hospital for inocu- 
lation, who are persons of the high- 
est respectability, will ultimately 
discourage prejudices inimical to the 
community; for; as long as they 
continue to inoculate the small pox, 
and give asanction to the practice, 
the extermination of this pestilence 
will never be effected: but, with 
their support, and our exertions, 
with those of other similar institu- 
tions, we may ultimately witness this 
happy consummation. This society 
alone lms vaccinated 20,000 persons, 
and distributed upwards of 20,000 
charges of the vaccine fluid, since 
the last report only. Thus, by its 
efforts, riot only these kingdoms, 
but nearly all parts of the world, 
have been supplied with this saluti- 
ferous' dew of heaven, the good 
effects of which will, I hope, be re- 
lated by some person more compe- 
tent to itshistory, Weare thus be- 
come the centre of communication ; 
407 
and all nations look up to us for ina 
struction. With these brilliant pros« 
pects before us, like a skilful gene- 
ral, who, in order to ensure success, 
inereases his exertions the nearer he 
approaches to victory ; so it becomes 
us to persevere in the glorious cause 
we have espoused. And although 
our expenditure has necessarily ex- 
ceeded our income, the liberal sup- 
port and donations we now hope for 
willenable us to triumph oyer the 
most insidious and malignant enemy 
of the humanrace.” 
The rey. Rowland Hill then ad= 
dressed the company, with regard 
to the salutary effects of vaccina- 
tion; and to offer a few striking 
facts that had taken place under his 
own immediate observation. He 
then said, ‘‘ I have myself inoculated 
upwards of 5000 subjects; and [ 
have not failed in a single ihstance. 
Ihave also made every inquiry in 
all those parts of the country which 
I have occasionally visited, and I 
have uniformly received the most fa- 
vourable and flattering accounts of 
the good effects resulting from it 
where¥er it has been introduced. It 
is calculated that not less than 40,000 
persons die yearly of that pestilen- 
tial disease; the small pox;.and I 
think it will well become the legisla- 
ture to inquire how far men ought 
to be suffered to be thus the means 
of killing themselves. It is one of 
the primary blessings of this island 
that itis a land of liberty ; butit is 
at the same time a great pity that 
we should thus have liberty to ‘kill 
one another. Ihave {felt this senti- 
ment most sensibly ; and, in addi- | 
tion to the number | have myself 
inoculated, [have so warmly recom- 
mended the practice in the chapel I 
possess on the other side of the wa- 
ter, that upwards of 4000 more . 
Dd4 bave 
