Zoonomia; Or, the Laws of Organic Life, Vol. I

by Erasmus Darwin

21st. There appeared to be some inflammation under the cuticle, where the punctures were made. 22d. Inflammation more considerable. 23d. On this day the inflammation was somewhat greater, and the cuticle rather elevated.

"24th. Inflammation much less, and only a brown or orange-colour remained. 25th. Scarcely any discoloration left. On this day he was inoculated with variolous matter, the progress of the infection went on in the usual way, and he had the small-pox very favourably.

"At this time I was requested to inoculate a young person, who was thought to have had the small-pox, but his parents were not quite certain; in one arm I introduced variolous matter, and in the other blood, taken as in experiment 3d. On the second day after the operation, the punctured parts were inflamed, though I think the arm in which I had inserted variolous matter was rather more so than the other. On the third the inflammation was increased, and looked much the same as in the preceding experiment. 4th. The inflammation was much diminished, and on the 5th almost gone. He was exposed at the same time to the natural infection, but has continued perfectly well.

"I have frequently observed (and believe most practitioners have done the same), that if variolous matter be inserted in the arm of a person who has previously had the small-pox, that the inflammation on the second or third days is much greater, than if they had not had the disease, but on the fourth or fifth it disappears.

"On the 23d I introduced blood into the arms of three more children, taken on the third and fourth days of the eruption. The appearances were much the same as mentioned in experiments first and third. They were afterwards inoculated with variolous matter, and had the disease in the regular way.

"The above experiments were made with blood taken from a small vein in the hand or foot of three or four different patients, whom I had at that time under inoculation. They were selected from 160, as having the greatest number of pustules. The part was washed with warm water before the blood was taken, to prevent the possibility of any matter being mixed with it from the surface."

Shall we conclude from hence, that the variolous matter never enters the blood-vessels? but that the morbid motions of the vessels of the skin around the insertion of it continue to increase in a larger and larger circle for six or seven days; that then their quantity of morbid action becomes great enough to produce a fever-fit, and to affect the stomach by association of motions? and finally, that a second association of motions is produced between the stomach and the other parts of the skin, inducing them into morbid actions similar to those of the circle round the insertion of the variolous matter? Many more experiments and observations are required before this important question can be satisfactorily answered.

It may be adduced, that as the matter inserted into the skin of the arm frequently swells the lymphatic in the axilla, that in that circumstance it seems to be there arrested in its progress, and cannot be imagined to enter the blood by that lymphatic gland till the swelling of it subsides. Some other phænomena of the disease are more easily reconcileable to this theory of sympathetic motions than to that of absorption; as the time taken up between the insertion of the matter, and the operation of it on the system, as mentioned above. For the circle around the insertion is seen to increase, and to inflame; and I believe, undergoes a kind of diurnal paroxysm of torpor and paleness with a succeeding increase of action and colour, like a topical fever-fit. Whereas if the matter is conceived to circulate for six or seven days with the blood, without producing disorder, it ought to be rendered milder, or the blood-vessels more familiarized to its acrimony.

It is much easier to conceive from this doctrine of associated or sympathetic motions of distant parts of the system, how it happens, that the variolous infection can be received but once, as before explained; than by supposing, that a change is effected in the mass of blood by any kind of fermentative process.

The curious circumstance of the two contagions of small-pox and measles not acting at the same time, but one of them resting or suspending its action till that of the other ceases, may be much easier explained from sympathetic or associated actions of the infected part with other parts of the system, than it can from supposing the two contagions to enter the circulation.