On the 19th he took a purge, and was perfectly well.
To these cases many others of a similar nature might be added. But by several unforeseen delays, not in my power to prevent, I have been obliged to trespass so much already on the patience of those who wished to see some account of this practice, that I shall only mention a few, which, by a partial or untrue relation, might possibly be construed to the disadvantage of inoculation; though when the particular facts are candidly exhibited, every just occasion of prejudice will undoubtedly be removed.
During the autumn of the last year the chin-cough was epidemick at Hertford; and as the winter approached, the small-pox also broke out in many places; and almost every child, who before had the chin-cough, and was seized with the natural small-pox, died of a confluent kind. This calamity fell severely among the poor of this place, many of whom earnestly entreated me to inoculate their families; but this was scarcely possible, unless some necessary provision could be obtained for them from the parishes to which they belonged; I therefore acquainted the clergymen of the respective parishes, that if proper care was taken that necessaries were not wanting, I would freely inoculate and attend all such as I thought were proper subjects.
Both the gentlemen approved the design; but after a short consultation with their parishioners, the affair was put off, the parish officers alledging that they could not provide proper places.
That such a design had been in agitation soon became known, and a number of poor people were continually soliciting me to inoculate them and their children at all events, promising to provide for themselves to the utmost of their power. Some had the disease already in their families. It was so much in the neighbourhood of others, that they were in daily fear of taking the infection, and their distress on this occasion was great. Women with children at their breasts, in want of all necessaries, yet solicitous for the safety of their offspring, pressed me to inoculate them and their children with an importunity not to be described. I acquainted them with the danger attending the infant state; but reasons availing nothing, I yielded to inoculate all who had not the chin-cough, or any other dangerous illness, though against my opinion and inclination, almost against my determined resolution. Amongst a very great number of such subjects of all ages and constitutions, and where some might reasonably be presumed to have taken the infection in the natural way, I expected some disagreeable events would happen; but the probability of saving the lives of many preponderated. The following however are the only cases that border on the unfortunate; and the reader will, if skilful and candid, easily place them to the right account.
A mother and three children (one of them at the breast) were inoculated. The children had then the chin-cough; but this was carefully concealed from me, as I had refused all under such circumstances. The youngest, of about five months old, had only five or six pustules in the face, and not more elsewhere proportionably. She lived past the crisis; but the cough remained violent, and she was much enfeebled, and died as children do who perish by the chin-cough, and without any one circumstance of danger that could be supposed to proceed from inoculation.
Another weakly child, about five months old, I had persuaded the mother to wean, in order that she herself might be inoculated. During the preparation this woman fell ill of a fever, as supposed; but on visiting her, I found the confluent small-pox appearing, and that the child had lain with her constantly. I was earnestly solicited to inoculate this infant, in order to give it a better chance, which with great reluctance I yielded to; it had a very small number of distinct pustules, and passed through the disease safely; but not being reconciled to any food but the breast, it died soon after, languishing for want of proper sustenance.
Another unfortunate subject was also a child at the breast, one of eight children, who with the father and mother were inoculated together. On the third day from the inoculation this child was seized with a fever, which, from the symptoms, I suspected arose from worms. I gave it a grain of calomel; a large worm was voided the next day, and the child was seemingly better; but the fever returned at night, and continued without remission in such a manner as to be very dangerous in itself, and prevented any distinction of the eruptive symptoms: at length a confluent kind appeared, though the number was not great; the bad symptoms were not alleviated by the eruption, and the child died early in the disease.
All these cases happened since the introduction and first chapter were written; and have confirmed my opinion, that it is better, both on account of the subject and the reputation of the practice, to defer inoculating children till they are about two years old.