212 Proceedings of Societies. [May 7 



Case X. An European man, 26 years of age, became feverish on the 8th April ;the 

 pyrexia increased, and on the 11th, an eruption of small red pimples appeared and 

 the fever subsided. On the 12th there were about 160 small pustules over the body, 

 those on the face containing a yellow fluid. On the 1 7th April, some of the pus- 

 tules had dried, and on the 18th most of the scabs had fallen off from the face, 

 but some of the eruptions on the feet then contained a bluish-colored fluid, and 

 were surrounded by a light red circle about J of an inch broad. This person was 

 vaccinated in England when an infant, and has on his left arm an oblong cicatrix 

 5 an inch in length, the surface of which is pitted. All the cases mentioned in Mr. 

 Mercer's former report recovered. 



The author is inclined to think from the cases he has met with, that the opi- 

 nions of some medical men may be in some degree confirmed, viz. " that no 

 greater security is afforded against a 2nd attack of variolous disease by inoculation 

 of small-pox, than by vaccination; and that after a certain lapse of time, the 

 cow-pox loses its power as a preventive of small-pox ;" yet, he says, in the greater 

 number of instances of variola supervening on vaccination, the disease is much 

 modified and of a mild character. The author mentions the experiments of Dr. 

 Wolde, reported in the 109th No. of the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal 

 for 1831. Dr. W. had re-vaccinated 100 persons of various ages in Hanover, of 

 whom 20 are represented to have had a perfect vaccine vesicle. Mr. Mercer's 

 report concludes with a very copious extract from the same Journal, relative to 

 the identity of Variola, and the Vaccine disease. The author of that article, Dr. 

 Sonderland, of Barmen, states that the Vaccine disease maybe produced in the 

 cow, by covering the animal with a blanket that has been on the bed of a patient 

 who has suffered severely from small-pox, placing another blanket similarly 

 exposed to the variolous contagion, in the stall, so that the animal shall breathe 

 the exhalation from the infected blanket. In a few days the animal is stated 

 to be seized with fever, and on the 4th or 5th day the udders and other parts 

 covered with a hard skin, are said to be affected with an eruption that assumes 

 the appearance of cow-pox, and becomes filled with lymph, which on being used 

 to inoculate the human subject, will produce the vaccine or protective pock. It is 

 but justice to this very interesting subject to state, that Mr. Mercer has made 

 the experiment of covering two cows with cotton clothes that had been on the 

 persons of small-pox patients, but the animals have neither had fever, variola, 

 nor the vaccine disease. In this country it is of vast importance to have the 

 experiment repeated, to verify the fact, that we may always be able to produce 

 the Vaccine disease when it is most required. 



A letter from Mr. Mercer, subsequent to this report, mentions two additional 

 cases of varioloid disease, viz. a man aged 27, and a woman aged 24, both born 

 of European parents. The man is stated to have a well-defined vaccine cicatrix 

 on each arm : the woman also bears an imperfect vaccine cicatrix on each arm, 

 both these patients having been vaccinated in infancy. They have a numerous 

 eruption, which in some places is confluent ; but they are going through the disease 

 favorably. 



Dr. Baikie's observations on the climate of the Neelgherry Hills j and its 

 effects on the sound, and on the impaired European constitution, are prefaced by 

 an account of the weather at Ootacamund. The extreme annual range of the 

 thermometer in the shade is stated to be between 42° and 73° Fahrenheit, but 

 the diurnal range is rarely so much as 11° or 12°. The annual fall of rain does 

 not exceed 42J inches, and the Barometer's annual range is not great. The 

 elevation of Ootacamund is stated to be 7,197 feet above the level of the sea, and 

 the highest summit of the Neelgherry range is 8,429, being not very different from 

 that of the convent of the Great St. Bernard, in the Alps, and the city of Quito, on 

 the Andes. The S. W. monsoon sets in about the end of May, and lasts till the 

 end of August. The N. E. monsoon begins late in October, and is usually attend- 

 ed with high wind and rain. The greatest heat is experienced in April and May, 

 when however the mean monthly temperature is from 60 to 63. The atmosphere 

 generally, is stated to be remarkably dry, elastic, and exhilarating ; highly favorable 

 to European constitutions ; consequently the station is deemed an excellent resi- 

 dence for invalids, from the plains of the Deckan, or from the damp hot climate 

 of Bengal. When invalids can choose the time they will proceed to the Neelgher- 



