VACCINATION AGAINST SMALLPOX 189 



from the patient for the intended purpose, was beginning 

 to part with some of its original properties, or, in other 

 words, that it had suffered a partial decomposition. Mr. 

 Trye says : " I inoculated ten children with matter taken at 

 one time and from the same subject. I observed no pecu- 

 liarity in any of them previously to their inoculation, nor 

 did any thing remarkable appear in their arms till after 

 the decline of the disease. Two infants of three months old 

 had erysipelas about the incisions, in one of them extending 

 from the shoulders to the fingers' ends. Another infant 

 had abscesses in the cellular substance in the neighbour- 

 hood of the incisions, and five or six of the rest had axillary 

 abscesses. The matter was taken from the distinct small- 

 pox late in its progress, and when some pustules had been 

 dried. It was received upon glass and slowly dried by the 

 fire. All the children had pustules which maturated, so 

 that I suppose them all secure from future infection; at 

 least, as secure as any others whom I have ever inoculated. 

 My practice never afforded a sore arm before." 



In regard to my former observation on the improper and 

 dangerous mode of preserving variolous matter, I shall here 

 remark that it seems not to have been clearly understood. 

 Finding that it has been confounded with the more eligible 

 modes of preservation, I will explain myself further. When 

 the matter is taken from a fit pustule and properly prepared 

 for preservation, it may certainly be kept without losing its 

 specific properties a great length of time; for instance, when 

 it is previously dried in the open air on some compact body, 

 as a quill or a piece of glass, and afterwards secured in a 

 small vial.' But when kept several days in a state of mois- 

 ture, and during that time exposed to a warm temperature, 

 I do not think it can be relied upon as capable of giving a 

 perfect disease, although, as I have before observed, the 

 progress of the symptoms arising from the action of the 

 imperfect matter bear so strong a resemblance to the small- 

 pox when excited completely. 



Thirdly. That the first formed virus, or what constitutes 

 the true cow-pox pustule, invariably possesses the power I 



Thus prepared, the cow-pox virus was found perfectly active, and pos- 

 euing all its specific properties, at the end of three months. 



