34G Dr. Murray on Vaccination. 



l)y such an occurrence. On the following day the attendant 

 Surgeon examined the arm, and found, to his surprise, that 

 every trace of the incipient pustule had disappeared. The lad 

 Avas some time after again vaccinated, and went regularly 

 through the disease." 



It thus seems absolutely necessary that a degree of febrile 

 commotion should be excited by vaccination, in order to pro- 

 duce the assimilation of the disease in the constitution, since 

 it would appear that if no fever be excited by it, there will be 

 no constitutional infection, and Irence no protection imparted 

 against Small-Pox. It is notorious however, that in the com- 

 mon practice of vaccination, this (constitutional fever is rarely, 

 if ever, watched. At public institutions in particular, the 

 patients are not seen more than twice after the operation, i. e. 

 on the fourth day, to ascertain if it has taken efFect, and again 

 on the eighth day, the time for abstracting the virus, al which 

 period it can neither be known whetlier the system will become 

 atlected, nor whether a proper areola will be formed ; and yet 

 the perfection of the disease is then pronounced upon, if the 

 progress of the pustules has been regular up to that period. 



I will not go so far as to say, that some persons have not 

 effectually, and permanently resisted the infection of Small- 

 Pox, in whom no obvious constitutional commotion could be 

 observed after vaccination, for such is aflfumed to be tlie fact ; 

 I will say, however, that without this indication, it cannot be 

 considered satisfactory ; that full reliance cannot be placed in 

 its prophylacfive virtue ; and that the constitutions of those 

 who have resisted Small-Pox after vaccination, in whom no 

 assimilative fever occurcd, were probably insusceptible both of 

 Cow-Pox and Small-Pox infection, (of which there are nume- 

 rous examples,) although vaccination obtained the credit of 

 protecting them from Small-Pox. 



In regard to Dr. Gregory's remarks, I must say, that from 

 his study and experience in Small-Pox and Vaccine-Pox, the 

 profession is disposed to place much confidence in any thing 

 coming from him on the subject ; and it is therefore with 

 diffidence that I venture to make any comment upon his 

 opinions, as they must be considered the result of much obser- 

 vation and reflection ; but his reasoning and arguments have 

 not convinced me that my notion is altogether so groundless as 

 he would make it appear. 



I cannot give in to his opinion that natural Small-Pox 

 attacks infants as readily as older subjects, and " that suscepti- 

 bility to that disease is complete as soon as the child is born," 

 seeing that it is so contrary to the experience and testimony of 

 the rmqucstionable authorities I have brought forward upon 

 this point ; neither can I consider it jiroof satisfactory, that 

 because no difference has hitherto been noticed in the prolective 



