CASE VIII.
A man between 50 and 60 was inoculated about four in the afternoon: on the morning of the third day after the inoculation I first saw his arms, when they shewed uncommon signs of infection, being already much inflamed; and upon inquiry, I received from him the following account: that on the same evening he was inoculated, he felt an uneasiness and numbness at and near the place of insertion; and that the day following, these complaints increased, and spread up to the shoulder of one arm, which was very stiff and numbed; that the incision had itched several times, and his arms felt as if he had been bruised by a blow with a very large stick. And on the preceding evening, which was the second from the inoculation, his head had been giddy and in pain, accompanied with some chilly fits; but all these sensations went off without any other illness. He had rested well, and never thought himself in better health.
From this time I saw him at different times every day, and he continued in perfect health; only sometimes, especially towards evening, he said he felt as if he had drank too much. The arms were much inflamed; but on the 6th and 7th day they altered their colour to a darker hue, and the inflammation and hardness were evidently abating. He now desired to go a journey of about 20 miles on business; and this I consented to, from an absolute confidence that he was secure from any alarming attack; having first enjoined him not to go into company where he might risque spreading the infection; for his breath at this time had that peculiar offensive smell which accompanies the disease.
He returned the following day, being the 8th, in the afternoon, making no complaint, but of hunger; yet said his head had ached the preceding night after his journey. His arms were now rather more inflamed, which I attributed to the friction they might have in the chaise; but from this time all complaints of every kind ceased. His arms soon became quite well; he took his first purge on the following day, a second on the 11th, and returned home on the 13th from the inoculation, without having a single eruption of any kind.
It is remarkable in this gentleman’s case, that being so well he did not chuse to live with those who had the distemper, but continued in a lodging with his wife, who accompanied him by way of nurse, in full confidence of having had the small-pox many years since. However, after they got home, she fell ill, and had the distemper in a very clear but favourable manner, and doubtless caught it off her husband.
CASE IX.
A young gentleman aged nineteen was inoculated June 2d, 1765.
On the 3d he rode out with a friend in an open chaise, and it being stormy weather, returned home wet. I called on him next morning, and found him in bed, complaining that he had rested ill, felt shooting pains in his head, his throat a little sore, thought himself feverish, and that he had taken cold the preceding day. All this seemed very probable; his pulse was too quick, though the heat not considerable, and he was in a moderate sweat.
He rose about ten, and kept within doors the whole day, complaining of weariness, slight pain in the head and about the shoulders; also that the incised parts felt uneasy, and itched.
On the 5th he thought his cold considerably better, and ventured abroad. His arm appeared certainly infected, and very forward; insomuch that I suspected he would have no more illness in consequence of the inoculation.