Letter from Dr. Thornton on the Cow-Pox. 41 



get her to come near these children : bat having, after much 

 persuasion, the first surprise being over, consented to let me 

 inoculate her plentifully with the variolous matter in both 

 arms, she afterwards was induced to touch the childreu 

 labouring under the small-pox with her hands, and catch 

 their breath, but to no purpose; for, having had the cow- 

 pock, she was unsusceptible of the small-pox, in whatever 

 way attempted to be given. 



2 & 3. Thomas Nicholson, set. 6, and John, £Et. 1, his 

 brother, a child at the breast, passed through this disease, 

 as is connnon. On the eighth day the accession of fever 

 came on, rather stronger marked than usual, the symptoms 

 of which were heaviness, a want of appetite, disinclination 

 for food, an increase of heat, the sleep at night restless. 

 Sometim.es these symptoms, especially with infants, are ac- 

 companied with nausea, and actual sickness ; but these 

 symptonis in a day or two passed off, and the patient was left 

 in perfect health. There was no eruption in cither of the 

 two cases. 



Observations. — The first reflection that must naturally 

 strike the reader is, that the child who was in arms, labour- 

 ing under the cow-pock, did not communicate this disease 

 to the mother, who never had had the cow-pock ; hence 

 this disease is not contagious : secondly, being- next door 

 neighbours to the Smiths, and after the cow-pock had scab- 

 bed, being permitted to visit their former plavmates, that 

 they resisted the small-pox. Besides this chance, they 

 w-ere each inoculated by me plentifully with the small-pox 

 matter ; and not satisfied with this, I had them put naked 

 into bed with their neighbour's child, covered with maturated 

 pustules; hut it was all to no purpose, they were rendered 

 by the cow-pock unsusceptible of' the small-pox in whatever 

 waif attempted to be given. 



4, 5, & 6. John Hutchinson, ost. f), William, set. 7, and 

 Thomas, set. 2, went properly through the several stages of 

 the cow-pock pustule. John and Thomas had an accession 

 of fever on the seventh or eighth day. William ailed 

 nothing. 



Observations. — These were next door neighbours to the 

 Smiths, on the right, and being suffered to enter the house 

 of their old playmates after the cow-pock had scabbed, they 

 were exposed to the contagion of the small-pox for hours 

 togeiher; they were also plentifully inoculated by mc for 

 the small -pox, but were all three rinsiisccptible of that disease. 



7. 'i'homas .hjhnson, an. 13, was inoculated like the rest 

 in the arm. The occupation of this lad was to drive a cart, 



usually 



