VOL. XXXII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 565 



many cases of the small-pox. I was induced to try the method of incision or 

 inoculation, which came so well recommended by several physicians from 

 Turkey, and which had also been lately practised in London. And the follow- 

 ing is an account of the process, and the success. 



In December 17^1 I first began to put this method in practice, and finding 

 it succeed beyond my expectation in the first instance, I was encouraged to re- 

 peat it ; and afterwards several persons, seeing with how much ease these got 

 through the distemper, were desirous to have the same done to themselves or 

 their children ; so that there are now upwards of 40 here, who have received 

 the small-pox by incision ; who are all got well, and are now in very good health ; 

 only one patient dying. 



What was done by way of preparation, was chiefly purging with rhubarb for 

 children, and sometimes vomiting or bleeding for grown persons ; and many 

 have had no preparation at all. But I always found, that those whose bodies 

 were well prepared, by such proper methods as their different ages or constitu- 

 tions seem to require, had more favourable symptoms than others in like cir- 

 cumstances, where that was omitted. 



The method, which I always took in the operation, was to make two in- 

 cisions, one in the arm, and another in the opposite leg. It is not material, as 

 to raising the distemper, whether the incisions be large or small ; but I com- 

 monly found, that when they were made pretty large, the quantity of matter 

 discharged afterwards at those places was greater ; and the more plentiful that 

 discharge, the more easy the rest of the symptoms generally are, and they are 

 also by this means the best secured from any inconvenience which might fol- 

 low after the small-pox are gone off. 



At first 1 collected some of the matter from the pustules of one who had the 

 small-pox of the natural sort, into a shell or phial, and infused 2 or 3 drops of 

 it into the wound; but finding it to be very troublesome and difficult to get any 

 quantity of the matter, and observing also, that the least imaginable will be 

 sufficient for the purpose, I commonly take small pledgets of cotton, and 

 ripping the pustules, when they are ripe, with the point of a lancet, roll the 

 pledgets over them, till they have imbibed some of the moisture. I put one of 

 these on each wound, and cover it with any common plaster till the next day, 

 when I commonly take away both the cotton and the plaster, leaving the wound 

 to itself, only covering it with a slight linen roller, to defend it from the air. I 

 have sometimes rubbed the pledget only once over the wound, without binding 

 it on, which 1 found to answer the end as well ; and from some other observa- 

 tions I have made, I have been surprised to see the small-pox produced this 



