VACCINATION AGAINST SMALLPOX 183 



generally understood. AH cavilling, therefore, on the mere 

 report of those who tell us they have had this distemper, and 

 are afterwards found susceptible of the smallpox, should be 

 suspended. To illustrate this I beg leave to give the fol- 

 lowing history: 



Sarah Merlin, of the parish of Eastington in this county, 

 when about thirteen or fourteen years of age lived as a ser- 

 vant with farmer Clarke, who kept a dairy consisting of about 

 eighteen cows at Stonehouse, a neighbouring village. The 

 nipples and udders of three of the cows were extensively af- 

 fected with large white blisters. These cows the girl milked 

 daily, and at the time she assisted, with two others, in milk- 

 ing the rest of the herd. It soon appeared that the disease 

 was communicated to the girl. The rest of the cows escaped 

 the infection, although they were milked several days after 

 the three above specified, had these eruptions on the nipples 

 and udders, and even after the girl's hand became sore. The 

 two others who were engaged in milking, although they 

 milked the cows indiscriminately, received no injury. On 

 the fingers of each of the girl's hands there appeared several 

 large white blisters she supposes about three or four on each 

 finger. The hands and arms inflamed and swelled, but no 

 constitutional indisposition followed. The sores were 

 anointed with some domestic ointment and got well without 

 ulcerating. 



As this malady was called the cow-pox, and recorded as 

 such in the mind of the patient, she became regardless of 

 the smallpox; but, on being exposed to it some years after- 

 wards she was infected, and had a full burthen. 



Now had any one conversant with the habits of the dis- 

 ease heard this history, they would have had no hesitation 

 in pronouncing it a case of spurious cow-pox; considering 

 its deviation in the numerous blisters which appeared on the 

 girl's hands; their termination without ulceration; its not 

 proving more generally contagious at the farm, either among 

 the cattle or those employed in milking ; and considering also 

 that the patient felt no general indisposition, although there 

 was so great a number of vesicles. 



This is perhaps the most deceptious form in which an 

 eruptive disease can be communicated from the cow, and it 



