On Vaccmatton. [April, 



iGommotion excited by the introduction of the matter of small- 

 poji may produce results that seem diametrically opposite to each 

 £)ther. These effects do not appear contradictory, but because 

 they vary according to the disposition and the strength of the 

 subjects who receive the virus, and according as the essential 

 piienomena of the malady, which this virus occasions, take place 

 with more or less violence^ regularity, or perfection. The fact 

 exists. The only conclusion, which in our opinion can be drawn, 

 k that these effects depend upon general laws, which it is not 

 our business here to explain, and that they must not be regarded 

 as a specific property, which, if it did exist, could not give birth / 

 to consequences so different,. 



We must, however, acknowledge, that however striking the 

 observations may be, they do not lead to a striking demonstra- 

 tion. Hence, when any person says that inoculation favours the 

 €ure of a particular disease, we must restrict the proposition to 

 ineao nothing more than a simple expression of the particular 

 fact observed. A person was afflicted with a chronic disease, 

 fTcm the knowledge of the character and progress of which we 

 .could not expect a speedy cure. This person was inoculated, 

 ^pd soon after the cure took place in a manner quite unexpecte4. 

 (Such is the fact. To draw as a consequence that the inoculation 

 was the cause of the cure, it would be necessary that analogous 

 instances had either always, or at least very frequently, occurred ^ 

 ptjierwise the coincidence may have been entirely accidental. 



Examples are given of obstinate, even hereditary ulcers, of 

 cachexy, scurvy, eruptions, &c. cured in consequence of inocu^ 

 lation. The character of those who have attested these facts 

 does not permit us to call them in questioq. We readily admit 

 them ; but to prove that these advantages ought to establish a 

 preference for inoculation with the small -pox matter over vacci^ 

 patjon, it would be at least necessary to prove that vaccination 

 bas npt been followed by equally fortunate consequences; but 

 the yery contrary fact resuks from the observations collected by 

 the Correspondence of Paris, and frorn several cases announced 

 In the wofks extracted by the authors of the Bibliotheque Brif 

 t^nnique. The variety of tacts announced by (he Correspondence 

 pf Paris is so great that it might even lead to some scepticism. 

 We shall therefore only notice those relations which are given by 

 persons entitled to draw our attention, and those the details of 

 ^hich contain some interesting particulars. Without attempting 

 to draw any consequencps from them, we shall simply present a 

 short sratementv 



Mr. Richard Dunning, of Plymouth, in a work published in 

 LiO?)dpn in 1800, entitled Some Ohservations on Vaccination, 

 wheri speaking of the effects of vaccination on the health, saysj 

 lliat he has generally pbseryed the health improved by vaccipa^ 



