278 On the Piiorily of the Transmission 



respondent has, however, induced me to exainine a number of 

 letters written by Dr. Waterhouse to Dr. Lettsom, and the notes 

 of letters transmitted by Dr. Lettsom to Dr. Waterhoiise, to be 

 convinced of the truth or error of the statement 1 have made. From 

 this examination I am free to confess that Dr. L. does not appear 

 to have Jirst sent the vaccine lymph across the Atlantic. I sub- 

 join extracts from tliese letters, that your readers may draw their 

 own conchision with respect to dates. I cainiot, however, for- 

 bear expressing some degree of surprise that the practice of 

 vaccination was not followed up l)v Dr. Chichester ; for it is 

 rather singular, that no mention of his name occurs but in the 

 statement contained in the Philosophical Magazine, unless it lie 

 in the writings of Dr. Geo. Pearson, which I happen uot to be 

 in possession of, and to which it is at present not in my power 

 to refer. Dr.Waterhouse, on the contrary, is frequently alluded 

 to by various writers. He was the active |)romoter of the prac- 

 tice in America — tlie person to whom the memliers of the Go- 

 vernment applied for lymph and for directions for its use, and to 

 whom also his professional brethren looked for information on 

 this subject. He seems also, from the following extracts, justly 

 to feel the responsibility of his situation on the occasion. If, 

 therefore. Dr. VV. was not the first (which I confess appears to 

 me doubtful) who vaccinated in America, it is but due to admit 

 that it was by him that the practice spread through, and was 

 finally established in, the United States. 



Dr. IF. to Dr. L. 



" Cambridge, April 10, 1799. 



" I received with great satisfaction your letter of the 24th of 

 November, with Dr. .Tenner's and Dr. Pearson's publications on 

 a new, curious, and extremely important disease. I directly 

 threw an account of it into the newspapers, a copy of which I 

 here inclose. I should be highly gratified bv more information 

 respecting this epizootic disorder, and of further trials on the 

 human kind. As such a distemper lias never been head of in 

 this country, it excites the public curiosity as much as any thing 

 that has occurred in the medical line since mv remembrance." 



Nov. 14, 1799. " I here inclose a letter for Dr. Woodville, 

 as it is making tlie same request I did to vou respecting some 

 cow-pock matte •*■•. I send it opened, and wish you would be so 

 kind as to put a wafer in it and suffer the penny post to convey 

 it to him. The curiosity, nay anxiety of the public, especially 

 of parents, on this subject is very considerable. We indeed feel 



* From tliis passage it seems probalile that Dr. W. had previously soli- 

 cited vaccine lymph from Dr. L. No letter, however, containing a request 

 of this kind is preserved, 



anxious 



