136 



On Vacdnailon, 



each other, observed in all climates^ and in all possible circum- 

 stances. 



But notwithstanding the present general consent of physi- 

 cians, governments, and the public at large, of the importance 

 and advantages of vaccination, some voices have been raised 

 against it. Whenever these objections have been made by honest 

 and well-informed persons, not influenced by any personal inte- 

 rest, they are justly entitled to attention. Whatever may be our 

 own opinion respecting this question, we are far from blaming 

 those who think differently from ourselves. A spirit of opposi- 

 tion and independence is a valuable quality in the sciences of 

 observation, when it happens to be united to information and 

 talents, and when it is influenced, even if it goes astray, only 

 by the love of truth, and the fear of yielding to precipitate 

 enthusiasm. On that account, in the statement which we are 

 about to lay before the Class, we shall draw our arrangement 

 from the objections wiiich have been made against vaccination by 

 men of information. 



1 . The sensible effects of vaccination have been compared 

 ^vith those produced by inoculation for the small-pox. As the 

 latter, after a fever more or less violent, terminates by an 

 eruption of small-pox, it has been concluded that vaccination, 

 as it occasions nothing similar, produces only an incomplete 

 jevolution in the body, and therefore must be less advantageous, 

 and may even leave an injurious ferment which the local cow-pox 

 lias not been able to remove. 



This iirst objection is purely theoretic 5 but those which follow 

 are supported by facts conceived to be favourable to them. 



2. When vaccination was first introduced into different coun- 

 tries, eruptions made their appearance upon different individuals. 

 Severe, and in some cases fatal, diseases have accompanied 

 these eruptions. It has been concluded that the virus introduced 

 by vaccination was of such a nature as to produce these erup- 

 tions; but as they frequently ^o not appear, and are always 

 irregular and incomplete, the virus in these cases, instead of 

 being thrown out by the skin, according to the intention of 

 nature, remains in the body, becomes the cause of different 

 accidents, and may even produce alterations hurtful to the 

 constitution. 



3. Some accidents, and even diseases which have made their 

 appearance, while the patient was under the effects of vaccina- 

 tion, have been ascribed to it, and have led to the opinion that 

 the virus of the cow-pox was of a nature to produce dangerous 

 and fatal diseases, 



4. Sometimes after a cow-pox inoculation has happily termi- 

 jiated, but at no great interval of time, diseases have made their 

 appearance, which have been ascribed to the influence of vacci-^ 



