174 EDWARD JENNER 



A medical gentleman (now no more), who for many years 

 inoculated in this neighbourhood, frequently preserved the 

 variolous matter intended for his use on a piece of lint or 

 cotton, which, in its fluid state, was put into a vial, corked, 

 and conveyed into a warm pocket; a situation certainly fa- 

 vourable for speedily producing putrefaction in it. In this 

 state (not unfrequently after it had been taken several days 

 from the pustules) it was inserted into the arms of his 

 patients, and brought on inflammation of the incised parts, 

 swellings of the axillary glands, fever, and sometimes erup- 

 tions. But what was this disease? Certainly not the small- 

 pox; for the matter having from putrefaction lost or suf- 

 fered a derangement in its specific properties, was no longer 

 capable of producing that malady, those who had been inocu- 

 lated in this manner being as much subject to the contagion 

 of the smallpox as if they had never been under the influence 

 of this artificial disease ; and many, unfortunately, fell vic- 

 tims to it, who thought themselves in perfect security. The 

 same unfortunate circumstance of giving a disease, supposed 

 to be the smallpox, with inefficacious variolous matter, having 

 occurred under the direction of some other practitioners 

 within my knowledge, and probably from the same incautious 

 method of securing the variolous matter, I avail myself of 

 this opportunity of mentioning what I conceive to be of 

 great importance; and, as a further cautionary hint, I shall 

 again digress so far as to add another observation on the 

 subject of inoculation. 



Whether it be yet ascertained by experiment that the 

 quantity of variolous matter inserted into the skin makes any 

 difference with respect to the subsequent mildness or violence 

 of the disease, I know not; but I have the strongest reason 

 for supposing that if either the punctures or incisions be 

 made so deep as to go through it and wound the adipose mem- 

 brane, that the risk of bringing on a violent disease is 

 greatly increased. I have known an inoculator whose prac- 

 tice was "to cut deep enough (to use his own expression) 

 to see a bit of fat," and there to lodge the matter. The great 

 number of bad cases, independent of inflammations and 

 abscesses on the arms, and the fatality which attended this 

 practice, was almost inconceivable ; and I cannot account .for 



