On general and partial Inoculations in the country.
The preceding translated treatises having been calculated for Russia, which in many circumstances differs from England, and in particular that the will of the Sovereign there is most implicitly obeyed, cannot be expected to contain all that may be necessary to be considered, and attended to in this country.
Nevertheless, the general principle of the regulation, so far as it relates to public Inoculation in towns and villages, may be attended to, and of such places I mean to treat first, and of London and other populous places afterwards, for reasons that will be sufficiently evident in the sequel.
In order to be fully acquainted with the subject, it seems necessary to take into consideration, the mode of conducting this affair in the country, which I do not remember to have ever seen circumstantially published; those who have wrote on the subject, having for the most part contented themselves with representations of their success only.
In the county of Hertford, there have been two methods of public or general Inoculation, one to inoculate, at a low price, as many of the inhabitants of any small town or village, as could be persuaded to submit to it, and at the same time were able to pay, refusing all those who had it not in their power to procure the money demanded.
The other method has been, where the inhabitants of a town, or district, of all denominations, have agreed to be inoculated at the same time, the parish officers, or some neighbouring charitably disposed persons, having first promised to defray the expence, and provide subsistence for such of the poor, as were unable to pay for themselves.
The partial method first mentioned has been attended by much mischief, and sufficiently refuted the absurd opinion endeavoured to be propagated by interested persons, that inoculated persons do not communicate infection; innumerable are the instances which have happened of the disease being caught from the inoculated, and too evident to be denied; and so many of these have died, that an opinion not less absurd than the former prevails in Hertfordshire, that those who take the Small Pox from the inoculated rarely recover.
The method of inoculating every one in the same neighbourhood together has succeeded so happily, that it seems only necessary to determine what is the most reasonable and frugal way of conducting the business; and if joined to this consideration proper attention is paid to airing and cleansing the patients, their cloaths and habitations, as much as possible, from the power of infection, all the benefit that can be derived from general Inoculation will be effected, many valuable lives will be preserved to the community, and the inhabitants made happy, on being released from the apprehensions of a visit from this cruel disease.
As I can from considerable experience speak with some confidence on this subject, I shall proceed to relate the observations that have occurred to me. Assisted by my learned friend Dr. Ingenhouz and my two sons, I inoculated, at different times, the neighbouring parishes of East Berkhamsted, Hertingfordbury, Bayford, and the liberty of Brickenden; in each of these places the whole number of poor were inoculated, with the exception of those who were objectionable. I do not at present remember the exact number, I believe they might be more than 600; but know that they succeeded happily, though there were several very old persons, and women in different periods of gestation; and this mode of practice, as I have been informed, has been also used successfully by many others in different parts of England.
So far as has come to my knowledge, general Inoculations have hitherto been confined to small towns and villages; yet as the further extension is very much to be wished, it may not be improper to relate some particulars of what passed in Hertford, which is doubtless the largest, and most populous town, that has submitted to the experiment of inoculating at the same time the whole number of its inhabitants.