Second Letter to Mr. Tilloch on the Cow- Puck. 149 



forfeited in London than before inoculation commenced, and 

 the community at large sustains a greater loss: the practice, 

 therefore, is more detrimental than le/teficial to society. In 

 the last four yt-'ars precedinjr 1776, the London bills from 

 the small-pox arose at a medium to two thousand five hun- 

 dred and forty-four: this increase is tmly alarming. The 

 disease bv inoculation at the different public charities 

 throughout London, would spread by visitors, strangers, 

 washerwomen, doctors, and inoeulators j by means of hack- 

 ney coaches, in which the sick are to be sent out to take the 

 air, or by sound persons approaching them in the streets. 



" The poor in London are miserably lodged; their habi- 

 tations are in close alleys, courts, lanes, and old dirty houses: 

 they are often in want of necessaries, even of bedding. The 

 fathers and mothers areemployed out constantly in laborious 

 occupations, and cannot attend the inoculated sick: should 

 thev neglect their occupations, food and necessaries would 

 be deficient, and the medicines ordered by the physicians 

 would not be regularly complied with. The air in their 

 houses is impure: they have neither areas, gardens, nor 

 carriages for the convenience of ventilation and taking fresh 

 air. 



" Sailors and sea-faring people, many of whose lodgings 

 are miserable in the little houses bordering on the river, 

 would be liable to catch the distemper, and either to fall sick 

 there without friends or assistants, or perhaps being infected 

 on shore, to carry it to sea in their contaminated clothes, 

 and afterwards falling sick without care orattendance, might 

 spread the disease in foreign climates. 



** Country people coming to town for markets, visits, or 

 ])leasure, would all be subject to the danger of infection. 

 Persons coming from the sick to public charities, for medi- 

 cines or advice, by intermixing in the streets, the. public 

 danger from their infected apparel would be great and inevi- 

 table: the whole neighbourhood would be exposed, and in 

 imminent danger, bv having the small-pox brought to their 

 doors. The gossiping disposition of the poor will spread 

 it further; and after the sick recover, sallying forth in their 

 infected clothes is certain to add to the mischief. The chil- 

 dren who are able to run about will intenningle in the streets, 

 immediately upon their recovery, with their playfellows : the 

 success therefore derived from inoculation must l)e beneficial 

 to a. few only, but involve a great number of others in dan- 

 ger, to which they would otherwise be less exposed." 



Dr. fleberden observes, " That the poor form the largest 

 part of mankind, and only consider the present moment; 



JC 3 and 



