694 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 174Q. 



taken in by the inspiration of the mother, or by penetrating the absorbent ves- 

 sels on her skin, and thus mixing with her blood, of exerting their effects on 

 the child : and it may be observed further from the first of these eases, that it is 

 possible for the child to live through the small pox before its birth ; as well as 

 that after that period under the before-mentioned circumstances it is not liable 

 to the infection again. 



The following history is equally remarkable with the preceding. A lady of 

 high birth and quality, well known to several members of the r. s. had the 

 small pox to a great degree when 7 months gone with child ; notwithstanding 

 which, she went her time and was delivered of a son, who did not appear to have 

 on his body any marks of the distemper. As this lady had been severely 

 handled by the small pox, it was judged that her child would never after be 

 liable to it ; but when about 4 or 5 years old, he was attacked with the dis- 

 temper, but got very well through it, and was then alive. 



A case in some respects resembling this last, is taken notice of by Mauriceau, 

 (Maladies des Femmes Grosses, Case 576,) who delivered a woman of a 

 healthy child at her full time, who, during the 3 th month of her gestation had 

 had the small pox to a great degree , though the child, from any marks of its 

 body, did not appear to have been affected with the distemper. 



These cases are the very, reverse of the former ; where though from inocula- 

 tion the most minute portion of lint, moistened with the variolous matter and 

 applied to the slightly wounded skin, is generally sufficient to propagate this dis- 

 temper ; yet here we see that the whole mass of the mother's blood, circulating 

 during the distemper through the child, was not sufficient to produce it. 



It generally happens, as we are informed by medical writers, and as Mr. W. 

 had himself seen in practice, that if women are delivered during the course of the 

 small pox, the distemper of the child does not keep pace with that of its mother^ 

 but is subsequent to it. Thus the child of the lady, mentioned by Dr. Mead, 

 (Tract, de Variolis, pag. 66,) who was brought to bed on the 11th day, when 

 labouring under a very malignant small pox, was born without any appearance 

 of the pustules ; but on the 4th day after its birth, the child was seized with con- 

 vulsions, and died at the eruption of the small pox. And in a woman', whom 

 Mr. W. attended, and who was delivered of an apparently healthy child on the 

 Qth day of a distinct small pox, the child was not seized till the 8th day after its 

 birth, which is about the time that the infection would have taken place, if it 

 had been received from any other quarter, independent of its mother's having 

 the distemper before its birth. 



From these histories it appears, that the child before its birth ought to be 

 considered as a separate, a distinct organization ; and that, though wholly 

 nourished by its mother's fluids, with regard to the small pox, it is liable to be 



