46 Letter from Dr. Thorntcn on the Cow-Fox, 



eight inhabitants of the village of Lowthcr, of different 

 ages, who had never had the small-pox, were inoculated by 

 me for the cow-pock ; and having passed through this dis- 

 ease without risk or danger of life, or person, that they 

 were nearly all, at least the majority, inoculated afterwards 

 at two remote periods for the small-pox, and exposed to its 

 infection by being brought into the room where the small-pox 

 jvasy but in not a solitary instance did any receive this dis- 

 ease. Such an escape in such a number cannot possibly be 

 attributed to any peculiarity of constitution ; but it must 

 be allowed to the true cause, the preventitie influence of the 

 cow-pock. This law amounts therefore to an absolute cer- 

 tainty, or demonstration; for whence do we form the no- 

 tion that fire burns the flesh ? My personal experience of this 

 circumstance, and traditional report does not approach to 

 half the number of instances as respecting the preservative 

 power of the coiv-pock, nor has indeed any one a more 

 ample or better ground for believing that cork swims. To 

 disbelieve now the efficacy of the cow-pox, must therefore 

 arise either from ignorance or prejudice; and indeed 

 there are reported to be even at this time a few doctors, 

 TSvho do not credit the thing: hut I flatter myself, this report 

 is unfounded ; for an ie,norant doctor is a misnomer ; and re- 

 specting vulgar prejn(llces, these mental mists will, it is 

 toped, soon vanish before the clear sunshine of truth. 



PROGRESS OF THE A'ACCINE INOCULATION IN THE 

 NORTH. 



From such demonstrative evidence of the superior ad« 

 vautages of the cow-pock, the countess of Darlington, 



to 3 relation's, whose child-bad just taken the natural small-pox, and con. 

 tmued there three weeks, but never caught the small-pox, having pre- 

 viously had the cow- pock. A lodjier in the same house refusing to have 

 her two children inoculated with the co>v-pock at this time, a few weeks 

 after lost both by the natural small-pox. 



Mrs. Hutchings, housekeeper of the Rev. Mr. Townsend, author of 

 the " Guide to Health,'" hwing come to live in town with her husband, 

 Bad her child inoculated-by me with the cow-pock ; with this child in her 

 arms she nursed a friend's child laboaiing under the natural small-pox, 

 who with difficulty recovered from itj nevertheless her infant did not 

 take the small-pox, having previously had the cow pock. 



The same was the case with Mrs. Biitain, No. 3, Pit-street, whose 

 child escaped the small-pox from liaving had the cow-pock, although 

 two childien died of the natural small-pox, at the next house, to which 

 her child was often taken. 



Two of my ov n children, who were inoculated by Dr. Jenner for the 

 cow-pock, and ailed nothing but the pustule on the arm, were both after- 

 wards inoculated by me for the smali-pox, and often exposed to it, but 

 wiihoutits producing that disease. 



6 dauahter 



