■ Cow-Pock with the Smc/Il-Pox. 239 



ifhip iheKnclvmion, eleven of whose crew were inoculated, 

 and went through the vaccine disease without any rcmissiou 

 of their ordinary duty, or any deprivation of their usual al- 

 lowance of wine or provisions. He also inoculated such 

 soldiers of the garrison of Gibraltar as had not had the 

 sniall-pox: the plague, at this time, prevented the garrisoa 

 from receiving the usual supplies of fresh provisions from 

 Barbarv ; and Spain was shut against iheni by the war: their 

 food, in consequence, was principally salt provisions sent 

 from England, and they generally indulged in drinking new 

 wine: this diet, added to the excesses which soldiers usu- 

 ally commit, put the cow-pock to a severe trial, especially 

 when it is further considered that they, whilst under ino- 

 culation, performed their ordinary regimei^tal duties; and 

 so far was the cow-pock from preventing their doing this, 

 that not a single case occurred where any application was 

 requisite to the inoculated part, though the heat of the at- 

 mosphere was frequently upwards of ninety degrees; in 

 corroboration of which the surgeon-major's certificate was 

 produced. At JMinorca the same success attended the ino- 

 culation, where it was also generally introduced amongst 

 the inhabitants; and their medical men were instructed in 

 the practice: such seamen also on board of the British fleet, 

 under the command of adniiral lord Keith, as had not had 

 the small-pox were inoculated with the cow-pock. At 

 Malta, its practice was also generally introduced both 

 among the troops and iniiabitants; and an hospital, called 

 the Jc-nneriau Imtlttithn, was established by the governor, 

 for the inoculation of ihe poor. In this island the rava-.^es 

 of the small-pox had always been dreadfid ; and some of the 

 men of war then in the harbour had the small-pox on board,, 

 and had buried scvtral men : this apprehen-iion was also en- 

 tertained by the admiral, and the late general sir Ralph Aber- 

 crombie, Vvhoeach issued general orders for the inoculation 

 of such seamen and soldiers, untler their respective com- 

 mand:?, as had not had the small-pox. A certificate, con- 

 finnmg the above facts, was delivered in, signed by sir 

 Alexander Ball, governor of Malta. In Sicily, the small-r 

 pox had been, if po-;sl!)!e, still more fatal than in Malta; 

 for the computation of death:;, occasioned by it in the year 

 preceding his arrival, exceeded eight thoitsauil in the city of 

 Palermo alone : the introduction of the cow-pnck was there- 

 fore received with eutJiK^iuim, and an bo'pital, similar to 

 that at Malta, was immediately c>-tab!ishcd by his Sicilian 

 jSlajesty ; and allliough tjje small-pox, soon after his arrival 

 ill the city, again appeared, it was immediately stopped hy 

 1 vaccine 



