The appearance of the spots, is such as might be reasonably expected on any person who died of a malignant fever. Dry scabs frequently remain on the inoculated parts, for some months after the disease.
T. DIMSDALE.
To Dr. Baylies, Physician and
Privy-Counsellor to his Prussian
Majesty at Berlin.
London, March 10, 1777.
Dear Sir,
PLEASE to accept my thanks for a very polite letter and a book, both which I received from my learned friend, Dr. Watson. But I am greatly chagrined to find, on the perusal of the French translation of my answers to the queries, that by the insertion of words, not to be found in what I wrote, not only the sense of my answer is perverted, but I am made to speak what is not true, and to give an opinion contrary to my own sentiments, and the experience of every one in the least acquainted with the small-pox.
What follows will convince you, Sir, that my complaint is well founded, and I confide in your honour, for taking the most effectual steps to prevent the injury my character would sustain, if the mistake should not be rectified.
You will please to observe, that at the conclusion of the case transmitted to me, there were three queries, to each of which I gave distinct answers. The third query is: “Or were the pustulary eruptions that shewed themselves on the 12th day of the disease, a critical discharge of a putrid, or other kind of fever?” In my answer, having first remarked that the patient passed through the inoculated disease in a regular manner, I say in reply to the above-mentioned query.
“After which he was seized with a disease, that I have not the least doubt was a fever of the putrid kind; but I do not think that the pustulary eruptions can with propriety be deemed critical, as they did not terminate the disease: I rather esteem them to have been marks or tokens of great malignity and anger.”