. 1. 3. 9. OF SENSATION. 205 



When the inoculated small-pox is given under all the most fa- 

 vourable circumstances, I believe less than one in a thousand 

 miscarry, which may be ascribed to some unavoidable accident, 

 such as the patient having previously received the infection, or 

 being about to be ill of some other disease. Those which have 

 lately miscarried under inoculation, as far as has come to my 

 knowledge, have been chiefly children at the breast; for in these 

 the Habit of living in the air has been confirmed by so short a 

 time, that it is much easier destroyed, than when these habits of 

 life have been established by more frequent repetition. See Sect. 

 XVli. 3. Thus it appears from the bills of mortality kept in the 

 great cities of London, Paris, and Vienna, that out of every thou- 

 sand children, above three hundred and lift) 7 die under two years 

 old. (Kirkpatiick on Inoculation.) Whence a strong reason 

 against our hazarding inoculation before that age is passed, espe- 

 cially in crowded towns; except where the vicinity of the natu- 

 ral contagion renders it necessary, or the convenience of inocu- 

 lating a whole family at a time; as it then becomes better to 

 venture the less favourable circumstances of the age of the pa- 

 tient, or the chance of the pain from toothing, than to risk the 

 infection in the natural way. 



The most favourable method consists in, first, for a week be- 

 fore inoculation, restraining the patients from all kinds of fer- 

 mented or spirituous liquor, and from animal food; and by giv- 

 ing them from one grain to three or four of calomel every other 

 " iy for three times. But if the patients be in any the least dan- 

 of taking the natural infection, the inoculation had better be 

 immediately performed, and this abstinence then begun; and two 

 or three gentle purges with calomel should be given, one imme- 

 diately, and on alternate days. These cathartics should not in- 

 duce more than two or three stools. I have seen two instances 

 of a confluent small-pox in inoculation following a violent purg- 

 ing induced by too large a dose of calomel. 



Secondly, the matter used for inoculation should be in a small 

 quantity, and warm, and fluid. Hence it is best when it can be 

 recently taken from a patient in the disease; or otherwise it may 

 be diluted with part of a drop of warm water, since its fluidity 

 is likely to occasion its immediate absorption; and the wound 

 should be made as small and superficial as possible, as otherwise 

 ulcers have been supposed sometimes to ensue with subaxillary 

 abscesses. Add to this, that the making two punctures either on 

 the same or one on each arm, secures the success of the opera- 

 tion in respect to communicating the infection. 



Thirdly, at the time of the fever or eruption, the application 

 of cool air to those parts of the skin which are too warm, or ap- 



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