240 
_ ROYAL JENNERIAN SOCIETY. 
REPORT of the ROYAL JENNERIAN SO- 
ciETy, on the supposed FAILURES of 
VACCINATION af RINGWOOD, 22 HAMP- 
SHIRE, 
_ Salisbury-square, February 3, 1808. 
HE Royal Jennerian Society, deeply 
impressed with the importance of 
their pledge to the public, in recom- 
mending vaccination as a security against 
the small pox, and feeling equally the 
claim the public have on them to justify 
this pledge by offering such information 
as may remove any reasonable doubt re- 
specting this security, think it their duty 
to publish an abstract of their proceed- 
ings, in consequence of the alarm excited 
by the supposed failures of vaccination at 
Ringwood. 
Upon information received from the 
Right Hon, George Rose, M.P. to whom 
the Society are greatly indebted for his 
zeal and attention on this interesting oc- 
casion, the Society appomted a medical 
deputation, consisting of John Ring, esq. 
vice-president, W. Blair, esq. director, 
and Dr. J. S. Knowles, their resident ino- 
culator. 
‘These gentlemen, assisted by Dr. Fow- 
ler, an eminent physician of Salisbury, 
who is totally unconnected with this So- 
ciety, proceeded to Ringwood; where'a 
public meeting was convened at the town- 
hall, and attended by the Right Hon. 
George Rose, W. Mills, esq. M.P._ S. 
Tuncks, esq. amagistrate of the town, the 
Rev. Dr. Taylor, the Rev. Mr. Davies, 
the Rev. Mr. Middleton, Mr. Westcott 
and Mr. Macilwain, surgeons of Ring- 
wood, and the other principal inhabitants 
of that town and neighbourhood. - In 
their presence the medical gentlemen, 
during two whole days, went into a close 
investigation of tuese supposed failures of 
vaccination, 
Their report (which is open to the 
inspection of any medical man) atfords 
the most consolatery results. These ge- 
neral results the Society now lay before 
the public, to defeat the effects of pre- 
judice or misrepresentation, and to con- 
firm the efficacy and advantage of Dr, 
Jenner’s great discovery, the cow pock ino- 
culation, as asafe, mild, and uncontagious 
antidote against that most terrible and 
~ contagious malady the small pox. 
On the whole, the medical deputation 
are perfectly satisfied, after a minute and 
*% 
Proceedings of Public Societies. 
careful examination of the numerous | 
cases brought before them, that no in- 
stance occurred, during the dreadful vi- 
sitation at Ringwood, of the small pox 
having taken place where the process of 
vaccination had been complete; and they 
have the highest satisfaction in offering 
to the public a confirmation of their own 
opinion, in the subjoined communications 
from the two medical. practitioners at 
Ringwood, by whom the majority of the . 
inhabitants were inoculated. 
General Result of the Inquiry into the 
unfavourable Reports concerning Vac- 
cination at Ringwood. ' 
The small pox appeared at Ringwood 
about the middle of September; and ra- 
pidly spread through the town and neigh- 
hourhoed, partly by means of inoculation, 
and partly by natural infection. 
Vaccine inoculation did not commence 
until the 23d of October; it is therefore 
evident, that all those persons who were 
vaccinated, had been previously exposed 
to the contagion of the small pox. 
Some of these persons had the small 
pox at the same time with the cow pock, 
im consequence of previous infection. 
In others, vaccine inoculation did not 
take effect; and consequently they were 
not rendered insusceptible of the infec- 
tion of the small pox. 
In various instances, dry cow pock 
matter, received from several quarters, 
was dissolved in water almost boiling, 
previous to insertion; andit is probable, 
that on this account it frequently failed 
to produce any effect. Above two hun- 
dred persons, however, were successfully 
vaccinated; and have been protected 
from the small pox, though much exposed 
to its infection in different ways. 
Tt was asserted, that the small pox was 
more fatal at Ringwood and the neigh- 
bouring villages, to those persons who 
wese incculated for the cow pock, than 
to others. This report appeared to be 
totally destitute of foundation. The mor- 
tality was indeed considerable, owing in 
soine Instances to want of air and clean- 
liness, and in others to the immoderate 
use of spirituous liquors, particularly at 
the time of the eruption, which had been 
recommended by athresher, who inocu- 
lates for ihe small pox. 
Tt was reported, that several persons 
at Ringwood, who were inoculated with 
the cow pock some years ago, lately had 
the small pox: but no satisfactory evi- 
dence was given to establish the fact; 
as it appeared either that their arms had 
not been inspected by the inoculator af- 
ter vaccination, or that there was no 
proper 
