As the attack of Small Pox in subjects who have undergone Vaccination, generally occurs after a long interval, it becomes a question whether this is owing merely to the chance of such subjects not having been exposed to variolous contagion, or to the effect of time in diminishing the antivariolous virtue of vaccination. The former is certainly conceivable; but when we consider the numberless severe proofs to which the recently vaccinated were experimentally exposed in the early part of this practice all over Europe, from which the most satisfactory evidence resulted; and when it is considered that, in the great majority of cases, Small Pox has not occurred till several years after vaccination, it seems by far most probable that the virtue of it is weakened by time. When parents, therefore, become anxious and apprehensive regarding the risk of Small Pox after a lapse of years, it seems quite reasonable that they should be indulged in having the operation repeated.

Let all this be applied to the case of a community, in which the total eradication of Small Pox is quite hopeless. Let it be admitted that such occurrences as have been described do frequently occur: let it even be admitted, for argument’s sake, that every vaccinated case whatever must of necessity and unavoidably at some time or other in future life be affected with this mitigated species of Small Pox, would it not even under this great abatement be one of the greatest boons that could be conferred on humanity, being an instrument or remedy which would disarm Small Pox of its danger? Would not the next greatest benefit to the total extirpation of Small Pox, be the stripping it of its terrors by rendering it safe and harmless?

It may be further remarked, that the benefit derivable from the different proportions of the persons vaccinated to the total population, advances in a considerably higher progression than the simple arithmetical. It is evident that the smaller the relative number of the vaccinated, the greater their chance of meeting with Small Pox infection, and that though the disease which they may catch is of a mitigated nature, it would nevertheless be desirable to avoid it on its own account, but still more on account of the prejudice it creates. This, in the eye of general benevolence, constitutes an additional, though secondary motive for extending the vaccine inoculation as widely as possible, even though the attainment of the maximum, that is, total extirpation, should be impracticable and hopeless.

It is of the highest importance to society, that this subject should be seen in its true light, and in all its bearings; for the frequent occurrence of these cases of Small Pox, however safe in themselves, have had a most pernicious effect on the credulous and ignorant, by giving a check to the practice of Vaccination. It ought never to be forgot that the power of Vaccination in extirpating Small Pox being established, the question of its expediency is completely set at rest. How many parents are there now who, from a weak distrust in the virtue of Vaccination, have to lament the loss of a child from Small Pox, either casual or inoculated? Many such are known to myself. It is pleasing, however, to observe, that though this unmerited discredit into which Vaccination had fallen, swelled the number of deaths in London from Small Pox to 1051 in 1817, good sense is likely still to prevail, for last year (1818) the deaths have fallen lower than they have ever been known since the institution of the bills of mortality, the total number being only 421[[6]].

On the whole matter, I believe I am speaking the language of every man of good principles and feelings, capable of reflecting seriously and considerately on the subject, when I say, that whenever he applies his mind to it, he finds some new and increasing cause of complacency and satisfaction. Viewed as a mere physical fact in the natural history of the animal kingdom, the virtue of the vaccine virus in resisting the action of the variolous, is, by its novelty and singularity, highly striking and interesting to every one whose taste leads him to take delight in contemplating and exploring the devious ways and varied forms of Nature, as curious exceptions to the uniformity and constancy of her laws. One can hardly contemplate with sufficient astonishment, the extraordinary fact that a morbid poison taken from a domestic animal should, when inserted into the human body, shield it against the assault of one of the most fatal and cruel maladies to which it is incident. But the importance of this, as a physical curiosity, vanishes to nothing when the unexampled benefits of it to mankind are fairly weighed; benefits which could never have been dreamt of by the most sanguine philanthropist, who, in contemplating it, finds himself lost in astonishment, at a boon to mankind almost beyond the grasp of his mind duly to appreciate: so that what seems at first sight merely a sportive aberration from the usual course of things, has, by the wise dispensation of Providence, become subservient to the most beneficent purposes: and how many more useful discoveries may there yet be in reserve for the alleviation of human misery, from obscure and undetected facts still lurking under the very surface of Nature! It will in the eyes of future ages be deemed an epocha in the destinies of the world, and one of the highest boasts of the country in which it took its rise, with a sense of unrequitable obligation to the individual[[7]] who first disclosed and promulgated the secret, by drawing it from the dark recesses of rural tradition, and rendering it available to the whole human race.

Such are the sentiments which must fill every well constituted mind; and it behoves the whole medical profession, which has already done itself so much honour by the zealous and disinterested encouragement afforded to it, to continue its efforts in eradicating every remaining prejudice against it. It becomes Englishmen, in particular, to cherish it, not only as the native offspring of their country, of which they have reason to be proud, but to redeem the character of the nation from the reproach of having, of all others, whether savage or civilized, done the least justice to this noble discovery. It is somewhat humiliating to reflect, that while there is no country which has received more striking and unambiguous benefits from this discovery, there is none which has prized it less, nor availed itself of it so little. I here allude to the unspeakable advantage of it to the public service, both by sea and land, in the late war, so eventful and portentous in its course, and so glorious in its termination. Formerly, Small Pox was one of the greatest embarrassments to the operations of armies; and ships of war were occasionally under the necessity of quitting the sea, from the prevalence of this disorder among their crews. Those lately at the head of the navy and army, with that vigilant wisdom and humanity which become those who direct the affairs of a great and enlightened nation, recommended and enforced the practice of Vaccination in both these departments, to the great furtherance of the public service. Their example has by no means been followed among the civil population of England. This is chiefly imputable to the abuse of the press, the general licentiousness of which may be denounced as one of the most grievous evils of this age and country, in regard to other subjects interesting to humanity and public happiness, as well as this; the votaries of error and depravity being more successful, because they find more encouragement in disseminating their principles, than the advocates of truth, virtue, and good order. There is no maxim more true, than that the best things do become by abuse the worst, and that in proportion to their excellence. What a mortifying contrast does England form with Peru, where it was adopted instantly, in consequence of a flash of conviction from the light of evidence! and was not this conviction fully justified by the immediate disappearance of Small Pox from that whole region? To those nations who may feel an envy of the glory attached to our country by this discovery, it must be no small consolation to perceive that a large proportion of the English nation has hitherto been so besotted as not to know how to appreciate it, nor how to avail themselves of it, and that it has encountered more opposition among ourselves than in all the world besides.

TABLE I.

Years.Total Mortality.Mortality from Small Pox.Proportion.Proportion to 1000.
170622,09710941in2050
170721,600107812050
170821,2911687112-1/279
170921,800102412149
171024,620313818127
171119,833915121-1/246
171221,198194311192
171321,057161411377
171426,569281019-1/2106
171522,232105712147
171624,4362427110100
171723,4462211110-1/294
171826,523188411471
171928,347322918-3/4114
172025,4541440117-1/256
Total—350,50327,557112.778

In this series it appears that the deaths from Small Pox are, to the total mortality, as 1 in 12.7; that is, 78 in 1000.