1813.] 



On Vaccination, 



271 



Article VI. 



Exposition of the Facts hitherto collected concerning the Effects 

 of Vaccination, and Examination of the Objections made at 

 different Times against the Practice, Read to the Class of 

 Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the French Institute, 

 by MM. Berthollet, Percy, and Halle, August 17, 1812. 



" {Continued fr 0711 No. II. p. 143.) 

 THIRD QUESTION. 



Is the virus introduced hy vaccination of such a nature as to 

 produce immediately, that is, during the developement of the 

 natural effects of vaccination^ fatal accidents P 



Here a second class of facts make their appearance, which 

 have been brought forward as a proof of the inconvenience and 

 even danger of vaccination. These consist in an enumeration of 

 the fatal accidents which have taken place during the process of 

 vaccination. Let us consider these facts. 



The first observation is drawn from the work of Dr. Wood- 

 ville. The child was at the breast.* On the 9th day after 

 vaccination there broke out from 80 to 100 pocks, accompanied 

 with frequent spasms; and the child died on the 11th day. 

 Now as we have shown that the phenomenon of eruptions has 

 nothing to do with the cow-pox, we ought to infer that fatal 

 accidents following eruptions are not the consequence of vacci- 

 nation. Hence, from the preceding observation, no consequence 

 unfavourable to vaccination can be drawn. 



A second case, worthy of remark, is taken from a report of 

 Mr. Mooire, which M. Chappon cites as a proof of the dangers 

 resulting from vaccination.f The 8th or 9th day after vaccina- 

 tion, an infant of three years of age, till that time in good 

 health, was afflicted with a cough. On the 12th day he lost his 

 voice. On the 14th he was afflicted with a sense of stifling, 

 which increased on the 15th day. The respiration became 

 difficult, rapid, noisy, and the noise appeared to proceed from 

 the windpipe. The same day he died. Here it is impossible to 

 avoid perceiving the symptoms of croup ; but as this dreadful 

 disease often attacks infants on a sudden, arjd during a state of 

 perfect health, and advances with terrible rapidity; why should 

 wcj when it happens to occur after vaccination, ascribe it to 

 that operation, when it is well knov^n to proceed from causes 

 totally different? This fact, then, ought not to be ranked among 

 those which demonstrate the dangers of vaccination. 



Ouglit we to include among the effects of vaccination the 



* Report on the Cow-pox, p. JOS. French Trans. f Chappon, p. 104, 



