VACCINATION AGAINST SMALLPOX 199 



pustules now appeared, the greater part of which went 

 away without maturating. 



On the ninth day the mother began to complain. She 

 was a little chilly and had a headache for two days, but no 

 pustule appeared on the skin, nor had she any appearance 

 of a rash. 



The family was attended by an elderly woman as a nurse, 

 who in her infancy had been exposed to the contagion of 

 the smallpox, but had resisted it. This woman was now 

 infected, but had the disease in the slightest manner, a very 

 few eruptions appearing, two or three of which only ma- 

 turated. 



From a solitary instance like that adduced of Mary James, 

 whose constitution appears to have resisted the action of 

 the variolous virus, after the influence of the cow-pox virus 

 had been so soon arrested in its progress, no positive con- 

 clusion can be fairly drawn; nor from the history of the 

 three other patients who were subsequently infected, but, 

 nevertheless, the facts collectively may be deemed inter- 

 esting. 



That one mild variety of the smallpox has appeared I 

 have already plainly shewn; 8 and by the means now men- 

 tioned we probably have it in our power to produce at will 

 another. 



At the time when the pustule was destroyed in the arm of 

 Mary James I was informed she had been indisposed about 

 twelve hours; but I am now assured by those who were 

 with her that the space of time was much less. Be that as 

 it may, in cases of cow-pox inoculation I would not recom- 

 mend any application to subdue the action of the pustule 

 until convincing proofs had appeared of the patient's hav- 

 ing felt its effects at least twelve hours. No harm, indeed, 

 could ensue were a longer period to elapse before the appli- 

 cation was made use of. In short, it should be suffered to 

 have as full an effect as it could, consistently with the state 

 of the arm. 



As the cases of inoculation multiply, I am more and more 

 convinced of the extreme mildness of the symptoms arising 



See Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variola: Vaccine, p. 54 

 (of original article). 



