I. 



the Practice of Vaccination. 291 



Such is the condition in which the most improved stale 

 of the art of medicine had placed us, before the benelits of p' 



vaccination were discovered ; and such is the condition to 

 which some persons would advise us to return, in conse- 

 quence of the alleged insecurity of this preventive. But 

 it would seem to be onlv necessary to take a clear and dis- 

 passionate view of the state of the facts, relative to the effi- 

 cacy of the cow-pox, up to the present time, in order to bQ 

 convinced of its incalculable advantages, even were all the 

 reported failures proved to have occurred; nay, if they had 

 actually occurred to double the extent that has beerj repre- 

 senttd. It is the purport of this paper to detail, in as brief 

 a manner as possible, the sum ol' the facts which have re- 

 cently been broutilit to light, and to point out the inferenpe 

 which seems to be justly deducible from them. 



The National Vaccine Kstablishment, supported by par- 

 liament, has published t'.vo Reports during the present year, 

 containing the evidence which they have collected trom 

 various authentic sources. The Colleges of Pliy&icans and 

 Surgeons at Edinburgh, and the Faculty of Glasgow, have 

 agam given their decided testimony in favour of vaccination, 

 Thty assert unanimously, that the practice of vaccination is 

 generally approved of by the proiession throughout Scot- 

 land ; that no bad effects can be ascribed to the practice; 

 and that, since its .ntroduction mto Scotland, the mortality 

 occasioned by small -pox hah very greatly decreased. The 

 Faculty of Physicians and Suraeons of Glasgow further 

 state, that, since the middle of May 1801, they have gra^ 

 tuiiouslv vaccinated u) their Hall 14,v'iOO persons; and that, 

 as far as is known, the " vaccination in all these has suc- 

 ceeded*." 



The accounts from several public institutions, in and near 

 London, are equally favourable f- In the Roval Military 

 Asylum for the children of soldiers, where between elever^ 

 and twelve hundred arc now received, v;iccination has beeri 

 practised since its first establishment in the year 1803. From 

 that period to the present time, but one instance of death 



• Report from the Vaecine Establishment, 181 1. 



t 1811. It appeiirs, ilial sincethelast Annual Report of the London Vaer 

 cine Institulion. (here have been inocul itecl by Dr. Walker - - i,490 

 J'rom ihcconinrericemem of the Insiitution in 1806 - . - 8,595 

 Py the ap|)c)inted inocujators iiitlie metropolis last year - - 1,046 

 From the btjjiijiiiiig -.., . ^ , . . :^,1C9 



ty l!x .-ippiiinicd iniiculators in the country r - - - 1'0,S01 

 J-roni ihc bK)>inniii<r .... , . . 177,474 



J.ast ytvr, charges of matter - - - 31,992 to f,539 applicants. 

 ffOfa the cyifioiet»cenieitL of the Institution, yii,ObQ tolS,9iJ0 applicants. 



T g . from 



