SM A I.I. POX. 





8M 



colour, and itwUed with slight depressions or piU As the eruption 

 travels from above downward*, the parts of the body successively 

 attacked by it become affected with welling, the mouth waU-rs, and 

 the roice U hoane ; when the incrustation has taken place, these 

 symptoms subside, but a secondary fever commences, which is some- 

 times more severe than that which preceded the outbreak of the 

 eruption. Small-pox, according to its severity, is distinguished by 

 authors into two varieties, the dininel and the cu1ntnt, ranala ditml'n 

 and fouturat. In the former, the pustules are* few in number, well 

 funned, and do not touch each other, and the ferer is inflammatory, 

 but mild ; in the latter, the tUnrasc altogether is more violent, the 

 eruption more general, and the pustules, small and unhealthy, run one 

 inti> another. The fever likewise is greater, and rather of toe typhoid 

 character, U not mitigated on the appearance of the eruption, and in 

 iniu-li aggravated at its termination; there is delirium, considerable 

 prostration . t the vital powers, ptyalism, inflammation of the fauces, 

 an 1 frequently diarrhoea. Petechuc and an unhealthy exudation from 

 tli.' Uidy often accompany this form of the disease. Among the 

 mucous membranes, the larynx and trachea suffer much, and children 

 often die of suffocation from thin cause ; the extent of mucous and nf 

 cutaneous inflammation, however, are not always necessarily propor- 

 tioned to each other. Kmall-pox rarely attacks the same individual 

 more than once, snd, like measles and scarlatina, its consequences are 

 sometimes more to be dreaded than the disease itself. During the 

 secondary fever, an intense form of ophthalmia frequently sets in, 

 which rapidly involves all the structures of the eye, and in the course 

 of a few days destroys it* entire organisation. " Although it is not 

 common to have both eyes thus affected, still a large proportion of the 

 blind at our public institutions owe their misfortune to this disease. 

 Pleurisy, consumption, scrofula, obstinate diarrhoea, and a fetid din- 

 charge from the earn attended with more or less deafness, are the 

 principal diseases liable to result from a severe attack of small -pox. 

 The immediate cause of this disease is a peculiar miasm or poison 

 received into the system from an individual labouring under the same 

 affection, and it is said to make its appearance in from twelve to four- 

 teen days after exposure to the contagion ; when, however, it U com- 

 municated by inoculation, it appears on the seventh or eighth day. 

 Instances are recorded of mothers who were exposed to the infection 

 of small-pox, communicating the disease to the fiettis in utero, without 

 being themselves affected by it; and, what is equally remarkable, 

 women suffering from small-pox during pregnancy, have brought forth 

 healthy children, who did not take the disease till they were inoculated. 

 Small-pox is frequently epidemic, especially in the spring, and, like all 

 other epidemics, those who are first attacked by it suffer the most 

 severely : it is observed also to be greatly influenced by certain con- 

 ditions of the atmosphere. 



Small-pox can be communicated by inoculation with the matter of 

 its pustules, and the resulting disease being rendered milder by this 

 operation, it was formerly much practised to guard the individual against 

 a spontaneous attack ; since, however, the introduction of vaccination 

 by Dr. Jenner, the practice has been deservedly abandoned. Vaccination 

 was supposed by its discoverer to secure the individual permanently 

 and effectually from the contagion of the small-pox ; more extended 

 experience has proved, that although it does not always prevent it, 

 yet it so shortens its duration and moderates its violence, that .1 

 death from small-pox after vaccination U a rare occurrence. A dif- 

 ference of opinion prevails resjrectin;; the character of the eruption 

 which occasionally appears after exposure to variolous infection in 

 persons previously vaccinated. According to many, it is nothing more 

 than chicken-pox ; while others affirm that it is really small-pox, 

 although modified by the controlling influence of the cow-pox. The 

 truth appears to be, that "modified small-pox" resembles the 

 chicken-pox in its mildness and duration, but differs from it in its 

 originating from the " variolous germ," and in its power of commu- 

 nicating the true small-pox to others, as well by inoculation as by 

 infection. 



The history of the different epidemics of small-pox shows the mor- 

 tality to be one in four of those attacked who had not been vaccinated ; 

 whiiit of those who had undergone vaccination the proportion was 

 not one in 4.X From the register kept at the Small-Pox Hospital in 

 Ixjndon, it appears that the mortality at this institution is < 

 ably greater than one in four, having averaged during the last fifty 

 years 80 per cent., the extremes being IS and 41. From the same 

 source we learn that the greatest number of deaths occurs on the 

 eighth day. Of 168 fatal cases, there died in the first week 32 ; in the 

 second, 99; in the third, 21 ; and in the fourth and after, 16. The 

 causes of death at these different periods are the following : 1st week, 

 malignant fever ; 2nd week, affections of the throat, and consequent 

 suffocation j 3rd week, or during the second.iry f. excite- 



ment, mortification of large portions' of the integuments, pneumonia, 

 pleurisy, or laryngitis; 4th, and following weeks, exhaustion, erysi- 

 pelas, or some of the diseases before enumerated as liable to result 

 fr..m small pox. It was formerly supposed that the eruption of variola 

 was not confined to the skin, but invaded also the internal parts ; this 

 is not the case, the internal affections are simply inflammatory, and do 

 not |rtake of the specific character of the cutaneous disease. 



No peculiar plan of treatment U required for small-pox ; it i that 

 of ordinary fever : cleanliness, free ventilation, an attention to the 



strength of the patient, and a watchfulness against accidental compli- 

 cations, are the principal points to be kept in view. During the 

 eruptive stage of the disorder, the bowel* should In- k.-i>' mo! 

 open by saline aperients, and the occasional exhibit ion of a mild mer- 

 curial. The temperature of the skin may be regulated by cool air, or 

 by sponging it with tepid vinegar and watrr ; if there should be miii-h 

 unpleasant effluvium from the surface of the body, washing it with a 

 weak solution of one of the chlorides will be found to correct this. It 

 has been recommended by some writers, and has been long a ] 

 in Eastern countries, to pierce the pustules with a fine needle ; t M - 

 procedure, it is said, lessens the violence of the secondary fever, ami 

 prevent* pitting. M. Serres, with the same object, directs the appli- 

 cation of lunar caustic to the pustules on the fourth day. As a general 

 rule, we should say that venesection is not admissible at n; 

 small-pox ; indeed we have no hesitation in affirming that some of t In- 

 severest consequences of the disease may be averted by a judicious 

 employment of measures of an opposite tendency to blood-letting. 

 The sloughing of the integuments, and the intense ophthalmia. rapidly 

 terminating in entire loss of vision, are eminently oonMOted with .m 

 enfeebled and cachectic state of body ; and the best mode of a\ 

 these evils is to have recourse early to those remedies which ai> 

 efficacious in arresting their progress. Hence quinine, combined with 

 the mineral acids, sarsaparilla, wine, brandy, if the powers are much 

 reduced, and animal food, if the patient can eat it, must be perse- 

 vcringly administered. It may not be out of place here to i. 

 that the character of the ophthalmia termed runV./iw has only 

 been pointed out to the profession by Mr. Marson of the Small-Pox 

 Hospital. It had been supposed that the eye was lost in small-pox 

 from one or more of- the pustules of this disease forming on 

 Mr. Marson has shown not only that this never takes place, but thai t !,. 

 loss of vision is attributable to ulceration or sloughing of the cornea, 

 which comes on generally about the eleventh or twelfth day of the 

 disease. The patient is nearly always in a state of great debility, and 

 requires tonic medicines and nutritious diet to give him a chance of 

 escaping from the destructive effects of this ophthalmia. 



SMALT. A silicate of potash coloured by means of oxide of 

 in'various shades of blue, which being reduced to powder is used in 

 painting and varnishing -porcelain and earthenware, for imparting a 

 blue colour to glass, and in various other applications in the useful 

 arts. The manufacture, which is a curious one, is minutely described 

 by Mr. Tomlinson, in a paper read before the Society of Arts. London, 

 and inserted in the ' Pharmaceutical Journal ' for April, 1851. The 

 materials are carefully prepared, and are melted in pots in the glass 

 furnace, with occasional stirring. The combination of the materials 

 by melting or smelting gives the origin of the word smalt from the 

 German, nchmelzen, "to melt," or the substantive schmtlz, which means 

 " enamel." Smalt or smalts is called also tclimdz or schmal:-l>l 



When the glass attaches itself to the workman's rod, and can bo 

 drawn out into threads, it is ready for pouring. The glass gall or 

 sandiver is skimmed off, and the several metallic impurities of the 

 cobalt subside; the latter being afterwards separated, form an article 

 which is known in commerce by the name of tprii*. It is variable in 

 its composition ; but may contain cobalt, nickel, iron, arsenic, bismuth, 

 and silver. The blue glass is taken out of the glass pots in iron Ladles, 

 and poured into water in order that it may be readily pulverised. 

 After this it is crushed at a stamping mill, sifted to the - 

 ordinary sand, and then ground in a mill between horizontal granite 

 stones for from four to six hours. The powder thus produced is trans- 

 ferred to large vats of water, and in a few minutes a sepaiati on of 

 particles takes place, the heaviest, or those richest in cobalt form a 

 deposit, which constitutes one of the commercial varieties jf smalt, 

 known as azure, coarse blue, or ulrm. liluu. The number of 11, 

 required to form this deposit varies with the season, it 1 

 what longer in winter, \v lien the water is colder and denser than in 

 summer. The water above the deposit, holding finer parti; 

 drawn off into other vats and allowed to subside for a time, \ 

 from three-quarters of an hour to an hour and a half, according to the 

 quality of powder required. The term farbe or " colour" is applied to 

 these deposits. The water is again drawn off into reservoi: - 

 allowed to remain for an indefinite length of time, the deposit being 

 known by the name of etrh(l or " blue sand." 



The colours thus obtained are all again subjected to the action of 

 water- ' '<./!. as it is called, before they are lit 



for the market. " Kach deposit is agitated in tubs abundantly sup- 

 plied with water, and is then left to subside for a length of time. "which 

 experience has taught will produce the particular variety requited. 

 During the subsidence, any floating impurities are separated by 

 of a fine horse-hair sieve. The water is then carefully deean' 

 into another vessel ; the deposit just formed is treated with 

 water if necessary; and all these waters in their turn, on being drawn 

 off, deposit differei i: of smalt, either in the form of farbe or 



eachel." The various precipitates being t.iken out of the vat 

 drained are placed on shelves in a warm room or they arc dried 

 taneously in an airy loft. The hard masses thus formed are crushed 

 and sifted, placed in a hot room with occasional stirring, and when 

 dry arc taken to a room in which are arranged a m 

 containing the different shades of smalt with their numbers. The 

 sorting is followed by a final sifting, and the smalt is packed in small 



