BIRTH AND PARENTAGE 55 



t 



Audubon sugar refinery, was dosed thrice daily with 

 kino on four days in succession; and that this favorite 

 treatment was repeated a month later. A clerk in the 

 establishment, Monsieur Aubinais, is mentioned as re- 

 quiring frequent attention, as well as Jean Audubon 

 himself, who was once bled at the arm. 



In the entry for March 27, 1784, there is this inter- 

 esting reference: "Inoculated Caesar, Jupiter, and 

 Rose, at thirty francs each, ninety francs" ; and if there 

 were any doubt why Caesar had been inoculated, a hint 

 is immediately given under May 11: "For attention, 

 visits, and remedies, during the smallpox (la petite 

 verole) of the mulatto Joue, sixty francs"; again we 

 read: "June 30, inoculated a little negro bossed, named 

 Joue, thirty francs." Every fresh batch of negroes 

 landed in the colonies led to a new outbreak of this 

 terrible scourge, and but one other disease, la grosse 

 verole* was more common or more fatal among the 

 blacks. For a long period it had been a common prac- 

 tice to inoculate both whites and blacks directly with 

 the smallpox in order to secure some degree of protec- 

 tion against its most virulent form, but this method of 

 fighting the devil with fire had its disadvantages. By 

 the end of the eighteenth century opinion was about 

 equally divided upon the advisability of continuing the 

 measure, since induced variola or smallpox was apt to 

 be virulent, and was often quite as infectious as when 

 manifested in the usual and natural way. Then came 

 Edward Jenner's grand discovery, made twelve years 

 before this date but not announced until 1798, that vac- 

 cinia would prevent variola. Almost immediately vac- 



which played a more or less ornamental role in many households, whether 

 as footmen or servants. In any case the use of this word is doubtless 

 purely local. 



4 See Vol. I, p. 46. 



