1€07.] 
tion or by casual infection, the disease 
has varied much from its ordinary course 5 
it has neither been the same in the vio“ 
fence, nor in the daration of its symp- 
toms; but has, with a very few excep- 
tions, been renvarkably mild, as if the 
small pox had been deprived, by the pre- 
vious vaccine disease, of all its usual ma- 
hyenity. 
Lhe testimonies before the @ollese of 
Physicians are very decided in declarine, 
that vaccination does less mischief to the 
constitution, and less frequently gives 
rise to other diseases, than the small pox, 
either natura! or inoculated. 
The College feel themselves called 
upon to state this strongly, because it has 
been objected to vaccination, that it 
produces uew, unheard-of, and monstrous 
diseases. Of such assertions no proofs 
have been produced ; and, after diligent 
mquiry, the Celiege believe them to have 
been cither the inventions of designing, 
er the mistakes of ignorant men. In 
these respects, ther, m its mildness, its 
safety, and its consequences, the idividue 
al may look for the peculiar advantages 
of vaccination. The benefits which flow 
from it to society are infinitely more con- 
siderable; it spreads no infection, and 
can be ii mmunicated only by mocula- 
tion. Itis from a consideration of the 
pernicious effects of the small pox, that 
the real-value of vaccination is.to be es- 
timated. The natural small pox has 
been suppos sed to Hage a sixth part of 
all whom it attacks; and that even by 
moculation, where ne has heen general 
in parishes and towns, about one in three 
hundred ‘has usually died. It is not suf- 
ficiently know a, or not adverted to, that 
nearly iobeenteh ys some years more than 
one-tenth, of the whole mortality in 
London is occasioned by the small pox; 
and however beneficial the inoculation 
of the small pox may have been to in- 
dividuals, it appears to have kept up a 
constant source of contagion, which lias 
been the means of increasing the number 
of deaths by what is called the natural 
disease. Jt cannot be doubted that this 
mischief has been extended by the incon- 
siderate manner in which great numbers 
of persons, even since the introduction 
of vaccination, are still every year ino- 
culated with the small pox, and after- 
wards réquired to attend two or three 
times a’ week at the places of inocula- 
tion, through every stave of their iliness. 
From this, then, the pubic are to ex- 
pect the great and uncontroverted superi- 
erity gf vaccination, that it comumuni- 
College of Physicians, an 
cates no casual infection, and, while it is 
a protection to the individual, it is not 
prejudicial to the public. 
3. The College of Physicians, in re- 
porting their observations and opin 
on the evidence adduced in support of 
vaccination, feel themselves authorised 
to state that a body of evidence so large, 
so temperate, and so consistent, was 
perhaps never before collected upon any 
medical question, A discovery so novel, 
and to which there was nothing ainale2 
gous known 1n nature, though resting on 
the experimental observations of the in- 
ventor, was at first received with difh- 
dence: it was not, however, dificult fer 
others to repeat his experiments, by 
which the truth of his observations was 
confirmed, and the doubts of the cautious 
were gradually dispelled by extensive 
experience. At the commencement of 
the practice, almost all that were vac- 
cinated were afterwards submitted. to 
the inoculation of the small pox; many 
underwent this operation a second, and 
even a third time, and the uniform suc- 
cess of these trials quickly bred confi- 
dence inthe new discovery. But the evi- 
dence of the security derived from vacci- 
nation against the small nox does not rest 
alone upon those who afterwards under- 
went variolus inoculation,. although - 
amounting to many thous: inds; for it ap- 
pears, from. numerous observations com- 
municated to the College, that those who 
have been vaccinated are equally secure 
against the contagion of epidemic small | 
pox. Towns indecd, and districts of the 
country, in which vaccination had been 
general, have afterwards had the smail 
pox prevalent on all sides of them with- 
out suttering from the contagion. 
are also in the evidence a few examples 
of epidemic small pox having beemssub- 
dued by a general vaccination. It will 
not, therefore aut extraordinary that 
many who have communicated their ob- 
servations should state, that, though at 
first they thought unfavourably of the 
practice, experience had now removed all 
their doubts. 
Tt has been already mentioned, that 
the evidence is not universally favourable, 
although it is in truth nea arly, so, for there 
are a few who entertain sentiments dilicr- 
ing widely f from those of the great majo- 
rity of their brethren. The College; there- 
fore, deemed it theirduty, ia particular 
manner, to enquire upon what grounds 
and evidence the opposers of vaccination 
rested their opinions. From personal 
examination, as well as from their writ- 
ings, 
There: * 
