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DR. HARVEY CUSHING 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
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THE 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 EDWARD JENNER, M.D. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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THE 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 EDWARD JENNER, M.D. 
 
 LL. D., F. R. S. 
 
 PHYSICIAN EXTRAORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY GEO. IV. 
 FOREIGN ASSOCIATE OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, 
 
 &c. &c. &c. 
 
 WITH 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS OF HIS DOCTRINES, 
 
 AND 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM HIS CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN BARON, M.D., F.R.S. 
 
 LATE SENIOR PHYSICIAN TO THE GENERAL INFIRMARY, AND CONSULTING 
 PHYSICIAN TO THE LUNATIC ASYLUM AT GLOUCESTER, FELLOW OF THE 
 ROYAL MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY' OF LONDON, &C. &C 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 HENRY COL B U R N, P U B LI S LI E R, 
 
 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 
 1838 . 
 
' 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 History of his early Life {)• I • 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 177S—1783, including Letters from John Hunter p, 27- 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Life from 1783 to the publication of the “ Inquiry” p. 62. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Early History of Vaccination p. 121. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Opinions of Dr. Jenner respecting the Variola, and Variolae 
 Vaccinas.—Illustrations drawn from their Literary and Medi¬ 
 cal History p. 161. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Sketch of the History of Variola, and of Variolous Inocula- 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Dr. Jenner’s Opinion respecting the Origin of Small-pox and 
 Cow-pox—Illustrations of that Opinion — Proofs of its ac¬ 
 curacy p. 236. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Difference between Variola and Variolse Vaccinye—Observations 
 on Varioloid Diseases p. 256. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Life after Publication of the “ Inquiry” to July 1800.—Disasters 
 at the Small-pox Hospital,, and at Petworth, &c. p. 289. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Introduction of Vaccination into America, France, Spain, Me¬ 
 diterranean, Constantinople, Bagdad, Bombay, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 p. 385. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Publication of the Account of the Origin of Vaccine Inocula¬ 
 tion—Introduction of Vaccination into Deniqark, Sweden, 
 Russia, &c. &c. &c.—Discovery of the Variola? Vaccinoe in 
 Lombardy, &c. p. 436. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Presentation of Plate by his Friends in Gloucestershire-— First 
 Parliamentary Grant p. 479. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Vll 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Adverse claims, French and Hindoo 
 
 p. 543. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Formation of the Royal Jennerian Society—Departure of the 
 Expedition under Don Francisco Xavier Balmis from Spain 
 
 p. 565. 
 

 ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 •- 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 This work has been composed from materials 
 of the most authentic description, the whole of the 
 notes and correspondence of Dr. Jenner having 
 been put into my hands by his executors. My close 
 and unreserved intercourse with him, and my inti¬ 
 mate knowledge of his sentiments and habits of 
 thinking on all subjects during the last fifteen years 
 of his life, probably induced them to believe that I 
 was not an unfit person to draw from such sources 
 an accurate delineation of his character and opi¬ 
 nions. 
 
 Many reasons, with which I need not trouble the 
 public, would have induced me to shrink from the 
 labours of such a work ; and nothing certainly could 
 have reconciled me to the attempt had I not been 
 influenced by the most sincere veneration for the 
 name of Jenner, and by the conviction that the 
 confidence with which he honoured me did afford 
 me facilities for acquiring an insight into his feelings 
 
X. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and motives, by which I have been enabled to speak 
 without hesitation or doubt on all those points that 
 most concerned either his conduct as a man, or the 
 nature of his doctrines. 
 
 Notwithstanding these encouragements, I cannot 
 but own that I have entered upon this undertaking 
 with a degree of anxiety in which I can scarcely 
 .expect any to sympathize. I trust that I am not 
 deceiving myself when I say that nothing of a per¬ 
 sonal nature prompts this avowal. It is of moment 
 that a true and faithful portrait should be drawn of 
 so distinguished an individual; that those, who have 
 admired and extolled him as a great benefactor of 
 our race, may know that on many other grounds he 
 was worthy of their highest regard and warmest 
 affection. It cannot be expected that there should 
 be an uniformity of sentiment on momentous ques¬ 
 tions of a professional or scientific nature, but I shall 
 ever have cause to lament if, through any defects 
 of mine, the kindness, the rectitude, the consistency, 
 and the unextinguishable ardour and devotedness 
 of Jenner in a glorious cause do not shine conspicu¬ 
 ous in every act of his long and laborious life. 
 
 On a knowledge of these things my pretensions 
 as his biographer chiefly rest. If I have failed in 
 imparting that knowledge I shall have a cause 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XI 
 
 for regret which no deficiency in any other part 
 of my design could occasion. The world at large 
 has felt and acknowledged the blessings of his 
 great discovery ; but few are aware how numerous 
 were his claims to admiration. For these reasons 
 I have been anxious in the early part of this work 
 to disjoin, as much as possible, his private cha¬ 
 racter, and his acquirements as a naturalist, from 
 that important subject which has so extensively oc¬ 
 cupied the public mind and caused his other nume¬ 
 rous titles to consideration to be overlooked. 
 
 It must, at the same time, be remembered that 
 Doctor Jenner was nearly fifty years of age before 
 he published his first work on the Variolse Vac- 
 cinae. The whole of the early part of his life 
 having been spent in comparative seclusion, it can¬ 
 not be expected that it should afford those materials 
 which best suit the purposes of the biographer. 
 His epistolary intercourse with Mr. Hunter has 
 enabled me to fill up a space in his life that could 
 not otherwise have been supplied. Unfortunately, 
 all. Jenner's replies to Mr. Hunter have been de¬ 
 stroyed ; and had it not been for his printed pa¬ 
 pers, we should have been left in total ignorance 
 of the result of the inquiries to which his letters 
 to Jenner refer. Notwithstanding this circum- 
 
 b 2 
 
XU 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 stance, I have not refrained from publishing many 
 of those letters. Mr. Hunter was too remarkable 
 a character in many respects, and his name is too 
 intimately associated with the progress of natural 
 history and physiology in this country, to permit 
 me to doubt for a moment, that whatever fell from 
 him in his correspondence with such a man as 
 Jenner, will be favourably received by the public. 
 
 After thus endeavouring to trace Jenner’s history 
 in early life, I have brought together various incidents 
 to illustrate the progress of his mind in effecting the 
 discovery of Vaccination. This detail will, I trust, 
 show alike the force and originality of his genius 
 and the benevolence of his purpose. From the time 
 of his first successful vaccination in 1796 to the 
 last hour of his existence he laboured incessantly to 
 disseminate the practice. In every instance where 
 it was had recourse to ; in whatever clime, or under 
 whatsoever circumstances it was performed, his 
 name and reputation were either directly or indi¬ 
 rectly associated with it. This peculiarity has so 
 much identified vaccination with Jenner that it is 
 impossible to think of him or to speak of him, as he 
 deserved, except in conjunction with its magnificent 
 and animating course. In this respect he stands 
 pre-eminent; and it cannot but be interesting to 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Xll 
 
 those, who have reflected upon what has been 
 brought about by his means, to be assured that his 
 private demeanour well accorded with his public re¬ 
 putation ; that he lived with the generosity of a good 
 man, and the simplicity which befits a great one. 
 
 While thus delineating his personal qualities I 
 have endeavoured to elucidate his doctrines relating 
 to that subject in which all must feel so deep an 
 interest. My duty on this point has led to a discus¬ 
 sion that some may think foreign to the object of 
 a biographical work. I am induced to hope, how¬ 
 ever, when all things are duly considered, that I shall 
 stand excused not only for bestowing pains in pla¬ 
 cing Dr. Jenner’s opinions in a proper light, but for 
 collecting from different sources such scattered rays 
 of knowledge as may tend to explain and confirm 
 them. He drew his conclusions from the patholo¬ 
 gical facts which he had an opportunity of observ¬ 
 ing. These conclusions, it will be found, are veri¬ 
 fied in a remarkable manner by observations made 
 in different ages, and in different countries. 
 
 Had I, therefore, been guided merely by what 
 was due to him, I could not but attempt to ex¬ 
 plain and vindicate his views. In so doing, I 
 trust it will be found that I am assisting that great 
 cause in which his life was spent; that I am bring- 
 
XIV 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ing past experience and the unprejudiced testimony 
 of impartial witnesses to confirm the decisions which 
 his own investigations led him to; and that there¬ 
 fore, in rendering justice to him, I am giving greater 
 force to his doctrines, and increased confidence in 
 the practice founded on them. 
 
 Influenced by these considerations I have, after 
 detailing the early history of vaccination, brought 
 together much that seemed to bear upon the literary 
 and medical history of cow-pox, as well as of small¬ 
 pox. The nature of the former cannot be under¬ 
 stood without well examining the properties of the 
 latter. They agree in some very essential particu¬ 
 lars ; but the points in which they differ, so far as 
 the welfare of the community is concerned, it is of 
 more importance to insist upon. At present it may 
 be sufficient to remark that the coincidences, as well 
 as the peculiarities, of each affection are best elu- 
 
 i 
 
 cidated by combining the examination of their pa¬ 
 thological character with their literary history. 
 Under this last head, I would hope that some in¬ 
 formation has been collected not uninteresting in 
 itself, but possessing a higher value from its con¬ 
 nection with the grand results of Dr. Jenner’s in¬ 
 vestigation. 
 
 Great care has been bestowed in tracing this 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XV 
 
 history; and though many may be surprised at the 
 conclusions to which it leads, I nevertheless trust 
 it will be found that nothing has been lightly 
 advanced. My own mind was quite unprejudiced, 
 and the views which I am inclined to adopt have 
 arisen entirely from a close examination of the evi¬ 
 dence, and not from any preconceived opinions. 
 They were first suggested on examining the de¬ 
 scription of Philo Judaeus, as referred to in Dr. 
 Willan’s posthumous work on the antiquity of small¬ 
 pox ; and from meditating on the nature and pro¬ 
 perties of cow-pox. My own attention having been 
 thus excited, the natural and medical history of the 
 eruptive diseases of man, and of the inferior animals, 
 necessarily became an object of inquiry. The num¬ 
 ber of instances in which it appears that a disease 
 of this class affects different orders of animals, and 
 is communicable to the human species, has given a 
 degree of interest to this inquiry which I could 
 scarcely have anticipated. That interest is infi¬ 
 nitely enhanced when we consider how much the 
 safety and happiness of mankind are connected with 
 the great discovery which this discussion is meant 
 to elucidate. 
 
 The whole subject is a curious and important 
 one; and it may with truth be affirmed that in 
 
XVI 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 no former instance did historical evidence and re¬ 
 markable pathological phenomena so, singularly and 
 beneficially throw light on each other. In this part 
 of my subject, more especially, I have to acknow¬ 
 ledge the deepest sense of obligation to two kind 
 friends, Richard Gamble, M. D. Oxon. and the 
 Reverend John Webb, A.M. Oxon. who have aided 
 me by their learning and research. 
 
 Throughout this discussion my first object has 
 been to endeavour to throw some light on the nature 
 of cow-pox itself. My next has been to prove the 
 justness and accuracy of Dr. Jenner’s main doctrines. 
 As the benefits which might have resulted from his 
 discovery have, manifestly, been circumscribed by 
 erroneous views on both these points, I was solicitous 
 to collect such a body of evidence as might tend to 
 remove these errors. In executing this design I 
 have been compelled to break in upon the chrono¬ 
 logical order of events, by deducing from the whole 
 experience of vaccination such an accumulation of 
 facts as ought to convince the most sceptical that 
 nothing but the proper extension of the practice is 
 necessary to accomplish all that its benevolent au¬ 
 thor promised. 
 
 Intimately as Jenner’s name and character were 
 connected, and always must be, with every instance 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XVII 
 
 of vaccination, I wish it to be distinctly under¬ 
 stood that I am not to be considered as the historian 
 of that practice. The events which arose from its 
 first promulgation were unspeakably interesting to 
 him. These, therefore, have been recorded with 
 great care and fidelity. I have felt this to be a de¬ 
 licate part of my duty, because it required me to 
 bring forward many incidents which I would gladly 
 have allowed to fall into oblivion. In placing his 
 conduct in its true light I have studied to be equally 
 just to that of others, as no statement has been 
 delivered that is not corroborated by original and 
 authentic documents. 
 
 I have abstained entirely from taking any part 
 in the violent and discreditable controversy which 
 arose out of the vaccine discovery. Although Dr. 
 Jenner was the object of many harsh and unfounded 
 aspersions, he never thought it necessary to weaken 
 that strong position, which truth and knowledge had 
 enabled him to take, by replying to them. The ut¬ 
 most vigilance of those who ignorantly assailed either 
 his conduct or his doctrines, has left no stain upon 
 his name. All, therefore, that is required of me 
 is plainly and distinctly to describe his actions; and 
 to leave them to speak both for his genius and his 
 virtues. 
 
Xviii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In treating of the progress of vaccination I have 
 confined myself to such incidents as were either 
 immediately directed by Dr. Jenner himself, or were 
 of a striking nature from their magnitude, or the 
 station of those engaged in them. Had not my de¬ 
 sign been limited in this way, it would have been a 
 sincere gratification to me to have made mention of 
 many individuals who distinguished themselves by 
 zealously promoting the practice. Their co-opera¬ 
 tion was gratefully felt by Dr. Jenner; and when¬ 
 ever the history of vaccination shall be fully re¬ 
 counted, their services will not be overlooked. 
 
 The private history of Jenner and of his labours 
 could only be fully derived through those channels of 
 information which have been open to me. I have 
 selected such facts as are for the most part new, I 
 believe, to the public. In order to authenticate the 
 narrative, and to impart to it that spirit which origi¬ 
 nal documents alone can give, I have embodied such 
 as appeared to me most interesting, in the text. I 
 have preferred this method either to that of printing 
 them as an appendix, or in the form of notes. One 
 of the chief reasons for this decision arose from the 
 nature of the transactions that I was called on to 
 record. Many of them regarded the conduct of 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XIX 
 
 individuals; and I saw no method of escaping 
 charges of partiality or unfairness except by bring¬ 
 ing forward proofs that cannot be denied, and 
 which will show that I have dealt honestly by all. 
 In a question which has in a peculiar degree excited 
 strong feelings, both with the public and in the 
 profession, I can scarcely hope to have written, on 
 all occasions, so as not to have called up recollections 
 of an unpleasant kind in the minds of some. How¬ 
 ever this may be, I trust it will be apparent that 
 truth and moderation have guided me throughout 
 the whole work. 
 
 Many of Dr. Jenner’s own letters are published 
 from copies transcribed by himself into his note¬ 
 books. He appears sometimes to have omitted the 
 introductory and concluding sentences; and very 
 frequently the precise dates. These circumstances 
 will account for an abrupt termination of some; and 
 likewise for any deviation that may be noticed be¬ 
 tween the manner of expression in the copy and 
 the original. 
 
 For almost all his early letters I am indebted to 
 his friend the late Edward Gardner, of Frampton- 
 upon-Severn, who bequeathed them to me on his 
 death-bed. These, together with those addressed to 
 
XX 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 myself, form a series which touches on almost every 
 subject of interest, whether of a public or domestic 
 nature, during the last forty years of his life. 
 
 I have also had letters and extracts of letters 
 transmitted to me by Colonel Berkeley, Thomas 
 Paytherus, Esq., Henry Hicks, Esq., James Carrick 
 Moore, Esq., Charles Murray, Esq., and Henry 
 Jones Shrapnell, Esq., to all of whom I beg to return 
 my thanks. 
 
 Animated as I have been by the most ardent and 
 devoted attachment to the memory of Jenner, it 
 cannot be expected that I should either repress 
 my feelings, or employ cold and measured language 
 to mark my sense of the value of his labours, and 
 the importance of their results. I can scarcely ex¬ 
 pect that my reader will go along with me on all 
 such occasions, but I do indulge the hope that he 
 will see reason to forgive that warmth in which he 
 may not be able to participate. Jenner’s nature 
 was mild, unobtrusive, unambitious; and many who 
 have done justice to his discovery have still to learn 
 how beautifully the singleness of his heart and his 
 genuine modesty graced and adorned that splendid 
 reputation which the wonderful consequences of his 
 labours had acquired for him. In every private af¬ 
 fair, in every public transaction one principle guided 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XXI 
 
 him. The purity of his motives and the disinterest¬ 
 edness of his actions have, by no means, yet been 
 duly acknowledged: Had those who opposed him 
 and Vaccination known how little of selfishness, of 
 vanity, or of pride entered into his character, they 
 would, I am persuaded, deeply lament the wounds 
 which they inflicted; and in the place of bitterness 
 and reproach would have found cause for unmixed 
 esteem and approbation. 
 
 Before I conclude these prefatory remarks I must 
 offer some explanation of the delay that has taken 
 place in the publication of this work. Obstacles were 
 at the very outset thrown in my way, which I need 
 not here specify. The papers too were extremely 
 voluminous, and in the greatest disorder. To bring 
 them into a state capable of affording me any assist¬ 
 ance in constructing the narrative with fidelity, re¬ 
 quired a degree of labour much greater than I could 
 have anticipated. These difficulties not a little in¬ 
 creased the really arduous duty that I had to per¬ 
 form. So seriously did I at one time feel this 
 that I anxiously wished and, indeed, had determin¬ 
 ed, to relinquish my task altogether : in addition 
 therefore to the exertion demanded by the subject 
 itself I may be permitted to state that my profes¬ 
 sional avocations necessarily precluded me from 
 
XXII 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 giving that unbroken and undivided attention in¬ 
 dispensable to the rapid progress of a work of this 
 nature. 
 
 The publication of the first part, without waiting 
 for the completion of the second, seemed under such 
 circumstances to be expedient, both to the execu¬ 
 tors of Dr. Jenner and to myself. Other reasons 
 concurred to give strength to this decision. The 
 recent prevalence of small-pox in different parts of 
 Europe, and the corresponding diminution of con¬ 
 fidence in the virtues of the Variolse Vaccinae, ren¬ 
 dered it an object of no inconsiderable importance 
 to endeavour to restore and increase that confidence, 
 by showing that Dr. Jenner clearly foresaw the de¬ 
 viations which have been observed; that his doc¬ 
 trines, if properly understood, satisfactorily account 
 for them; and that nothing, in fact, has occurred 
 which does not strengthen and confirm his original 
 opinions both with regard to the Variola and the 
 Variolae Vaccinae. I would hope that something 
 may have been done in these respects, that shall 
 tend to promote the universal adoption of a prac¬ 
 tice capable of effecting so much good. 
 
 Nothing, I am persuaded, can ever accomplish 
 this object except a real knowledge of the nature 
 of that affection which might be made to take 
 
INTRODUCTION. xxiii 
 
 place of small-pox. A very sincere wish to accele¬ 
 rate this event has led me to the discussions con¬ 
 tained in the present volume, the publication of 
 which, at this time, I would humbly hope may not 
 be without its use. 
 
 As there is great reason to fear that Dr. Jenner’s 
 views are not sufficiently understood, so in like man¬ 
 ner it is to be apprehended that his disinterested 
 efforts, and the formidable difficulties which he 
 overcame, are still very imperfectly appreciated. 
 Due pains have been bestowed to represent both 
 in their true colours. The picture cannot be 
 finished until the subsequent events of his life are 
 recorded: but as the principles which guided him 
 in his early days retained their influence to the 
 last, and as they are set forth in what is already 
 written, the reader will be enabled to form a just 
 estimate of his moral, as well as of his intellec¬ 
 tual character. 
 
 I own that I have been chiefly solicitous that 
 the true and genuine lineaments of his mind 
 should stand forth in all their fair and just pro¬ 
 portions. Had he merely coveted a wide-spread 
 reputation, the voice of the world proclaiming a 
 great epoch in the physical history of man, pro¬ 
 duced through his instrumentality, might have sa- 
 
XXIV 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 tisfied an ambition much more greedy of fame. 
 Gratifying as such an acknowledgment must have 
 been, Jenner’s heart was too pure not to seek its 
 enjoyment from a constant devotion to higher and 
 better things than those which centre in mere 
 human authority or approbation. Such, in truth, 
 he was; as such it is my earnest desire that 
 he should be remembered. “ Ut vultus hominum, 
 ita simulacra vultus imbecilla ac mortalia sunt; 
 FOItlUA MENTIS JETEItNA.’* 
 
LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 DR. JENNER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HISTORY OF HIS EARLY LIFE. 
 
 Edward Jenner was born in the vicarage at 
 Berkeley, in Gloucestershire, on the 17th of May, 
 1749. He was the third son of the Reverend 
 Stephen Jenner, A. M. of the University of Oxford, 
 Rector of Rockhampton, and Vicar of Berkeley. 
 His mother was the daughter of the Rev. Henry 
 Head, of an ancient and respectable family in Berk¬ 
 shire. This clergyman once held the living of Berke¬ 
 ley, and had, at the same time, a prebendal stall in 
 the Cathedral of Bristol. 
 
 Besides his church-preferments, the father of Jen¬ 
 ner possessed considerable landed property, the fa¬ 
 mily being of great antiquity in Gloucestershire and 
 the neighbouring county of Worcester. It has pro- 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 duced several eminent men, among whom may be 
 mentioned Dr. Thomas Jenner, President of Mag¬ 
 dalen College, Oxford, the immediate predecessor 
 of the pious and learned Dr. George Horne. Jen- 
 ner’s father had been tutor to a former Earl of 
 Berkeley ; and the late earl, his brother the admiral, 
 and, indeed, the whole of that noble house always 
 evinced a very strong regard to him and to his 
 family. This excellent and devout man was cut 
 off not long after the birth of his son Edward, at 
 the age of 52, in the year 1754. This heavy 
 loss was as much as possible alleviated by the af¬ 
 fectionate care and judicious guidance of his eldest 
 brother, the Rev. Stephen Jenner, * who brought 
 him up with paternal tenderness. He had another 
 brother, the Rev. Henry Jenner, M. A., Oxon, 
 Rector of Rockhampton, Gloucestershire, Vicar of 
 Little Bedwin, Wiltshire; and domestic chaplain 
 to the Earl of Aylesbury. From this gentleman 
 are sprung the Rev. George C. Jenner, and Mr. 
 Henry Jenner, who, as will hereafter be seen, as¬ 
 sisted their uncle in his interesting pursuits and 
 inquiries. 
 
 Dr. Jenner had three sisters, Mary; Sarah ; and 
 Ann, who was married to the Rev. Wm. Davies, 
 Rector of Eastington, in the County of Gloucester. 
 
 * B. D. Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford; and Rector 
 of Fittleton, Wiltshire. For many years he was Rector of 
 Rockhampton, and perpetual Curate of Stone, both in Glouces¬ 
 tershire. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 3 
 
 He left three sons, the Rev. William Davies, D. D. 
 Rector of Rockhampton; Robert Stephens Davies, 
 Esq., of Stonehouse; and Edward Davies, Esq., of 
 Ebley House, in the same county. 
 
 When about the age of eight years, Jenner was 
 put to school at Wotton-under-Edge, under the 
 Rev. Mr. Clissold. He was next placed under the 
 tuition of the Rev. Dr. Washbourn, at Cirencester, 
 where he made a respectable proficiency in the 
 classics, and laid the foundation of some of those 
 friendships which continued throughout life. His 
 taste for natural history began to show itself at a 
 very early period. Before he was nine years of age, 
 he had made a collection of the nests of the dor¬ 
 mouse ; and when at Cirencester, he spent the hours 
 devoted by the other boys to play or recreation, 
 in searching for fossils, which abound in the oolitic 
 formation in that neighbourhood. His scholastic 
 education being finished, he was removed to Sodbury 
 near Bristol, in order to be instructed in the ele¬ 
 ments of surgery and pharmacy by Mr. Ludlow, 
 an eminent surgeon there. On the expiration of 
 his term with this gentleman, he went to London 
 to prosecute his professional studies under the di¬ 
 rection and instruction of the celebrated John Hun¬ 
 ter, in whose family he resided for two years, a 
 favourite pupil. 
 
 The energy and originality of Mr. Hunter’s cha¬ 
 racter, had already commanded the respect of his pro¬ 
 fessional brethren, and secured to him a large share 
 
 B 2 
 
4 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 of public confidence and attention. He unquestion¬ 
 ably belonged to that family of genius, whose works, 
 whatever may be their nature, have not merely 
 a temporary and local interest, but an abiding and 
 universal one ; because they are founded upon prin¬ 
 ciples which regulate the progress of truth in all 
 branches of knowledge, and they would not have 
 failed to have rendered him a distinguished man in 
 any situation in life. He was not less vigilant in his 
 observation, than he was scrupulous and accurate 
 in his examination, of the objects of his studies. 
 He became thereby a penetrating and original thinker, 
 and being at the same time gifted with much en¬ 
 terprise and perseverance, he mastered difficulties 
 which for ever would have obstructed the progress 
 of inferior minds. 
 
 When .Tenner went to London, he was in the 
 twenty-first year of his age, Mr. Hunter in the forty- 
 second. He was not at that time a public lecturer, 
 but he had been about two years Surgeon to St. 
 George’s Hospital, and for a considerably longer pe¬ 
 riod he had established his menagerie at Brompton, 
 where he so successfully and perseveringly carried 
 on his inquiries respecting the habits and structure 
 of animals. 
 
 The boldness and independence of Mr. Hunter’s 
 character produced deep and permanent effects on 
 the minds of all who witnessed them. Jenner, in 
 particular, felt their power ; he saw a master-spirit 
 advancing steadily in that walk of knowledge to 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 5 
 
 which lie himself was led by all the predilections of 
 his taste, and all the influence of his early habits. 
 He saw a kind, free, and manly nature devoted to 
 the acquisition of science, and putting away from him 
 entirely the selfish and personal considerations, which 
 are too apt to encumber the researches, and to cir¬ 
 cumscribe the objects, of less enlightened minds. The 
 heart of Jenner was peculiarly alive to virtues of this 
 kind, and he had moreover an intellect fully capable 
 of appreciating and admiring the other qualities of 
 his master: it was a singular felicity which brought 
 such men together. The pupil not only respected 
 the teacher, but he loved the man ; there was in 
 both, a directness and plainness of conduct, an un¬ 
 quenchable desire of knowledge, and a congenial 
 love of truth. An unfeigned and unchangeable 
 regard to this life-giving principle, adds a peculiar 
 dignity to all human researches, and its influence 
 subsists long after our common occupations, and all 
 the objects of worldly ambition, have passed away. 
 
 These remarks will receive full and pleasing con¬ 
 firmation, in the personal history of the eminent in¬ 
 dividual whose life we are considering. After com¬ 
 pleting his professional studies in London, he re¬ 
 tired from his preceptor’s house; but he did not 
 retire from his good-will and affection, nor from 
 his anxious guidance and direction in his scientific 
 pursuits. An uninterrupted epistolary correspond¬ 
 ence was kept up between them, till within a short 
 period of Mr. Hunter's death. A very considerable 
 
6 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 number of his letters have been preserved. The 
 reader can scarcely fail to be interested in those 
 which I mean to present to him, truly characte¬ 
 ristic as they are of the writer's mind, as well as 
 illustrative of the nature and progress of the in¬ 
 quiries of Jenner. 
 
 Dr. Jenner set a great value upon these letters. 
 They were carefully preserved in a cover, which was 
 inscribed in his own hand-writing “ Letters from 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenneran honour which he 
 was not always in the habit of conferring on more 
 dignified communications. 
 
 During; the time of his residence with Mr. Hun- 
 ter, in 1771, Captain Cook returned from his first 
 voyage of discovery. The valuable specimens of 
 Natural History which had been collected by Sir Jo¬ 
 seph Banks, were in a great measure arranged and 
 prepared * by Jenner, who was recommended by 
 Mr. Hunter for that purpose. He evinced so much 
 
 * The knowledge which he thus acquired he always retained. 
 In the dissection of tender and delicate organs, and in minute 
 injections, he was almost unrivalled, and displayed the parts 
 intended to be shown with the greatest accuracy and elegance. 
 He had the kindness to bequeath to me a preparation which 
 combines all these qualities. It represents the progress of the 
 ovum in our common domestic fowl, from its first develope- 
 ment to its full and complete growth, when it is about to be 
 dropped from the oviduct. The dissection is beautiful, and 
 the vascularity of the membrane which invests the ova, as well 
 as the internal state of the oviduct, where the shell is formed, 
 are all exhibited with masterly skill. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 7 
 
 dexterity and knowledge in executing this duty, 
 that he was offered the appointment of Naturalist 
 in the next expedition, which sailed in 1772. But 
 neither this, nor other prospects of a more enticing 
 nature, could draw him from his purpose of fixing 
 his abode in the place of his birth. In this deter¬ 
 mination he was partly guided by the deep and 
 grateful affection he felt for his eldest brother, who 
 had been his guide and director when deprived of 
 parental care ; and partly by an attachment to the 
 rural scenes and habits of his early youth. Pos¬ 
 sibly in this decision we may now be permit¬ 
 ted to trace the agency of a higher power, which 
 induced a young man frequently to reject most 
 flattering prospects of wealth and distinction that 
 he might be enabled to follow up the leading object 
 of his mind in the seclusion of a country village. It 
 was in this situation that the great purpose of his 
 life was to be fulfilled. It was in such a combina¬ 
 tion of circumstances as was here presented, and in 
 none other, that the discovery of vaccination could 
 have been effected. In this respect it differed from 
 most other investigations. The facts which have 
 led to the knowledge of the principles of the differ¬ 
 ent' sciences, are scattered widely over the works of 
 the creation, and may be found out by all who, with 
 competent faculties, set themselves assiduously and 
 patiently to read the volume that is spread out before 
 them. It must be confessed that it is a rare gift 
 among men, to be able to decipher, with profit to 
 
8 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 themselves and advantage to others, this great 
 book, which every where teems with wondrous 
 instruction. It nevertheless is open to all, and all 
 may peruse it freely; but the page upon which the 
 virtues of vaccination were inscribed, could never 
 have been seen by many individuals. The existence 
 of such an affection as cow-pox was known only 
 in a few districts; it therefore could not become a 
 subject of common observation, nor challenge the 
 keen scrutiny of inquiring intellects to its elucidation. 
 Its reported prophylactic powers, it is true, had not 
 altogether escaped popular notice; but no one had 
 arisen to ascertain the correctness of this rumour, or 
 to investigate the source and accuracy of the tradi¬ 
 tion, till Jenner was led to the pursuit; and to an 
 almost unlooked-for, and unparalleled extent, ren¬ 
 dered it available to the subjugation of the greatest 
 scourge of mankind. It is manifest, therefore, that 
 in the very essence of the inquiry itself, and in the 
 character of the genius of him by whom it was con¬ 
 ducted, there was a suitableness and an accommo¬ 
 dation, without which it neither could have been 
 begun nor accomplished. This peculiarity will be 
 rendered still more apparent when we come to trace 
 the progress of his mind in maturing the discovery. 
 He mentioned the subject to Mr. Hunter while he 
 was his pupil; and often attempted to arouse the at¬ 
 tention of his professional brethren in the coun¬ 
 try to it, but without success. The merit of perse¬ 
 vering in his labours, and the honour of his triumph, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JEN NEIL 
 
 9 
 
 rest therefore, in an exclusive manner, with him¬ 
 self. 
 
 In attempting to unfold character, it is not less 
 instructive than it is interesting* to find in the pri¬ 
 vate history of a distinguished individual, the suc¬ 
 cessive links in the chain of events, by which it 
 pleaseth Providence to conduct him to that emi¬ 
 nence where shines the splendour of his genius and 
 his intellect. This progress in the case of Jenner 
 can luckily be delineated with much accuracy. 
 While yet a youth, and just entering on his ele¬ 
 mentary studies, that impression was made upon his 
 mind which laid the foundation of all his future 
 researches respecting vaccination ; and, with the con¬ 
 stancy of a character fitted and fashioned for great 
 achievements, it was never permitted to escape from 
 his consideration till it terminated in that wonderful 
 discovery, the effects of which all nations have en¬ 
 joyed. It is probable, therefore, that the seed which 
 was sown before his intercourse with Mr. Hunter 
 commenced, would in some future time have germi¬ 
 nated, even though he had never witnessed the ani¬ 
 mating and encouraging example afforded by his 
 prolific and indefatigable genius. 
 
 While thus ascribing its natural influence to a fact 
 which will be more fully elucidated in the course of 
 this narrative, we must not underrate the effects of 
 the culture of such a mind as Jenner's, when con¬ 
 ducted by a spirit so inquisitive, so searching, and 
 so skilful, as that of Mr. Hunter. 
 
10 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER, 
 
 It was a truly interesting thing to hear Dr. Jenner, 
 in the evening of his days, descanting, with all the 
 fervour of youthful friendship and attachment, on 
 the commanding ajid engaging peculiarities of Mr. 
 Hunter’s mind. He generally called him the 
 “ dear man,” and when he described the honesty and 
 warmth of his heart, and his never-ceasing energy 
 in the pursuit of knowledge, it was impossible not 
 to be animated by the recital, and to perceive that 
 something more than esteem for high intellectual 
 attainments, was required to form that bond of union 
 which, to the last hour of his life, joined the affec¬ 
 tionate recollections of the pupil with the memory 
 of the master. 
 
 Immediately after his return from London, Jen¬ 
 ner commenced the active duties of his profession. 
 Those who know the painful and laborious exertions 
 of a country surgeon, will see with interest and satis¬ 
 faction that the love of knowledge can overcome all 
 obstacles; that the daily demands of a toilsome and 
 anxious calling, may be duly and vigilantly fulfilled, 
 and buoyancy enough of character left, to enable a 
 young man in a secluded situation, with little aid 
 from books or society, to rise above every discou¬ 
 ragement, to keep his mind constantly alive to every 
 new source of information, to commence and carry 
 on original investigations in many branches of phy¬ 
 siology and natural history, and ultimately, by pa¬ 
 tience and humility of mind, to bring forward for the 
 use and unspeakable advantage of his fellow crea- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 1! 
 
 tures, one of the most valuable discoveries that ever 
 rewarded the exertions of man. 
 
 When Jenner returned to Berkeley, he took up 
 his residence with his brother Stephen. His talents, 
 distinguished as they had been by the favour and 
 approbation of the best judges in London, soon 
 gained him confidence and esteem in the country. 
 His practice rapidly increased, and he acquired a 
 degree of reputation, which, at so early an age, sel¬ 
 dom attends the character of medical men. Ad¬ 
 dicted as he was to the study of natural history from 
 his earliest years, it was not likely that his fondness 
 for that pursuit should have been checked by what 
 he had witnessed in London. On the contrary, he 
 applied himself to the prosecution of it with re¬ 
 doubled ardour, and contrived, in a short time, to 
 accumulate a series of specimens illustrative of com¬ 
 parative anatomy and natural history, which, had 
 they been more ostentatiously displayed, would have 
 formed a museum of no inconsiderable magnitude. 
 Had not his mind in latter years, been necessarily 
 drawn to objects of deeper and more universal in¬ 
 terest, his researches in this most interesting field 
 of knowledge could not have failed to have placed 
 him in a very distinguished situation among those 
 who have most successfully cultivated it in modern 
 times. 
 
 About this period an incident occurred, which 
 miffht have dissevered his connexion with his na- 
 tive country. He was dining with a large party at 
 
12 
 
 LIFE OF F)R. JENNER. 
 
 Bath, when a question arose whether the tempera¬ 
 ture was highest in the centre of the flame of a 
 candle, or at some small distance from its apex. Va¬ 
 rious opinions were delivered, hut Jenner, with his 
 usual ingenuity and readiness, soon settled the dis¬ 
 pute. He placed the candle before him, and in¬ 
 serting his fino'er into the middle of the flame, he 
 
 o o 
 
 retained it in this situation for a short time. He 
 then placed it a little above the flame, but was com¬ 
 pelled immediately to withdraw it. “ There, gentle¬ 
 men,” he observed, “ the question is settled.” 
 
 His manner on this occasion indicated so much 
 talent and good sense, that a gentleman of conside¬ 
 rable political influence, who happened to be of the 
 party, was particularly struck with him. The next 
 day he sought for Jenner, and offered to procure for 
 him an appointment of emolument and distinction 
 in the East Indies. This, however, like a former 
 offer, was declined, as well as another of a still more 
 enticing nature, which was shortly after made by 
 his friend and preceptor, Mr. Hunter. 
 
 After what has been said, the reader will easily 
 believe that Dr. Jenner, at this early period of 
 his life, had given indications of genius, which 
 all good judges of character did not fail to recog¬ 
 nize as the harbingers of much future reputation. 
 His knowledge and dexterity as a surgeon, his man¬ 
 ners as a gentleman, and his general information as 
 a man of sciepce, rendered his company always ac¬ 
 ceptable in the families most distinguished by rank 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 13 
 
 <or talent in the district where he lived. But there 
 were other qualities, of a personal nature, which more 
 peculiarly endeared him to his intimate associates. 
 He not only commanded confidence by his skill, and 
 respect and esteem by his acquirements, but also se¬ 
 cured to himself good-will and affection, by the ten¬ 
 derness, and kindness, and benevolence of his na¬ 
 ture, and the meekness with which he carried 
 all his faculties in the sight of his fellow men. 
 To much depth and accuracy of observation and un¬ 
 common delicacy of feeling, which at times cast a 
 shade of pensiveness and sorrow over his mind, there 
 was added a liveliness of disposition, which rendered 
 him a friend capable alike of entering into the deepest 
 and saddest emotions of the soul, or participating in 
 all the joys of its gayest and happiest moments. 
 
 In following the calls of his profession through the 
 “ alleys brown” and shady lanes of the beautiful 
 vale where he resided, he kept a constant eye to the 
 varying scenes which were passing before him ; he 
 had the keenest relish for picturesque beauty, and in 
 his excursions alike gratified his taste in this respect, 
 and increased his knowledge by pursuing the details 
 of natural history. He thus contrived to combine 
 the labours of his profession with the truest pleasure 
 and instruction. On such occasions he encouraged 
 his friends to join him in his rides. I have known, 
 and do now know, those who have been favoured 
 with such happiness, who have accompanied him for 
 twenty or thirty miles in a morning, and listened 
 
14 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 with the highest interest at one time to the over¬ 
 flowing of his mind, while with a vivid and imagi¬ 
 native fervour he shadowed forth his own feelings, 
 or with a painter’s eye and poet’s tongue delineated 
 the beauties around them. He would then descend 
 to less impassioned themes, and explain, with the 
 most captivating simplicity and ingenuity, the eco¬ 
 nomy of vegetables and animals, or the various pro¬ 
 ductions that came within observation. 
 
 His manners in every respect corresponded with 
 a mind so given to such objects. He never met 
 with any one without endeavouring to gain or to 
 impart instruction. In natural history, in particular, 
 he wished from his earliest years to show how much 
 information and amusement lie scattered around us, 
 how bountifully the sublimest sources of gratification 
 are supplied, and how desirable it is that all 
 should be taught to taste them. 
 
 With some of his particular friends he often, at 
 this period of his life, spent days in their houses, 
 especially in cases of sickness of a serious nature. 
 In this way he made their home for a season his 
 head-quarters, and from thence went to visit his 
 patients in the surrounding district. In a situation 
 like the Vale of Gloucester, this temporary sojourning 
 at a few miles distance from his own abode, was not 
 attended with much inconvenience in a professional 
 point of view, and it was often a source of recre¬ 
 ation and amusement to himself,—and I may add 
 of unmingled satisfaction to his friends. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEll. 
 
 15 
 
 The cottage is still standing, in the neighbourhood 
 of his friend Henry Hicks’s house at Eastington, 
 where he, on one of these occasions, put together his 
 remarks on the cuckoo, and prepared that paper for 
 publication. But it was chiefly at Clapton, a farm 
 belonging to his aunt Hooper, # near Berkeley, that 
 his observations on that subject were made. 
 
 His appearance and manner during that portion 
 of his life which we have just been surveying, has 
 been described to me by one of his earliest friends. 
 A delineation so characteristic it is not right to 
 omit:— 
 
 “ His height was rather under the middle size, his 
 person was robust, but active, and well-formed. In 
 his dress he was peculiarly neat, and every thing 
 about him showed the man intent and serious, and 
 well prepared to meet the duties of his calling. 
 
 “ When I first saw him it was on Frampton 
 Green. I was somewhat his junior in years, and 
 had heard so much of Mr. Jenner of Berkeley, that 
 I had no small curiosity to see him. He was dress¬ 
 ed in a blue coat and yellow buttons, buckskins, 
 well-polished jockey boots, with handsome silver 
 spurs, and he carried a smart whip with a silver 
 handle. His hair, after the fashion of the times, 
 
 * This lady was Deborah Jenner, youngest sister of Jenner’s 
 father, and married to Thomas Hooper, Gent, of Clapton. She 
 was particularly attached to her nephew Edward : and he spent 
 many of his boyish days at her house. She died at the age of 
 80, in the year 1784. 
 
16 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 was done up in a club, and he wore a broad-brim¬ 
 med hat. 
 
 “ We were introduced on that occasion, and I 
 was delighted and astonished. I was prepared to 
 find an accomplished man, and all the country spoke 
 of him as a skilful surgeon and a great naturalist; 
 but I did not expect to find him so much at home 
 on other matters. I, who had been spending my 
 time in cultivating ray judgment by abstract study, 
 and smit from my boyhood with the love of song, 
 had sought my amusement in the rosy fields of ima¬ 
 gination, was not less surprised than gratified to 
 find that the ancient affinity between Apollo and 
 Esculapius was so well maintained in his person.” 
 
 In words such as these did poor Edward Gardner, 
 but a short time before his death, describe to me 
 his first interview with Jenner. The acquaintance 
 thus begun, soon ripened into a cordial friend¬ 
 ship, which existed for more than forty years. 
 During the whole of that time he enjoyed his con¬ 
 fidence, and, as will hereafter appear, was intrusted 
 with all his most secret and private affairs. 
 
 Such was the attachment of Jenner’s friends to 
 him at this time, so much did they covet and prize 
 his society, and so highly did they value his 
 amusing and interesting conversation, that when 
 he, either as a visitor or in his professional capacity, 
 had been at their houses, they would accompany 
 him on horseback many miles on his way home, 
 and this, too, often at midnight, that the pleasure 
 
LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 17 
 
 derived from his company might be prolonged. 
 This arose from the singular and happy union of 
 scientific and original observation, with the playful¬ 
 ness, and mirth, and wit, of familiar intercourse. 
 Profound and inquisitive minds discovered in his 
 society wherewithal to be pleased and instructed— 
 the most superficial and gay wherewith to be 
 amused. At one time he would be dealing out 
 abstract propositions with a clearness and distinct¬ 
 ness peculiarly his own, and with the precision of 
 a Franklin, but with more imagination, he would 
 render these propositions applicable to the common 
 concerns of life. At another time the truest and 
 most illustrative delineations of manners and cha¬ 
 racter would flash from his mind. His practical 
 humour, too, was often most enlivening and de¬ 
 scriptive. It was the more engaging as it was 
 alike free from all manner of impurity and ma¬ 
 levolence. In these respects he was, as honest 
 Izaak Walton says—neither beholden to the devil 
 nor his own corruptions, but kept clear of both. 
 Whether he was mirthful or grave, he could blend 
 both his serious admonitions and his jocose re¬ 
 marks, so as to produce a most harmonious com¬ 
 bination. 
 
 His recreations from his more severe studies con¬ 
 sisted, at this time, in the cultivation of polite 
 literatureand occasionally he sought an acquaint¬ 
 ance with the Muses. His imagination, indeed, 
 was always singularly vivid ; and he had a peculiar 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 facility, even in common conversation, of clothing 
 his remarks in the gay and lively colours of poetry. 
 His knowledge of the economy of plants and ani¬ 
 mals, and his vigilant attention to all the varied 
 forms and properties of surrounding objects, supplied 
 him with an inexhaustible fund of analogies and 
 imagery, which alike animated and adorned every 
 subject that he touched upon. 
 
 His conceptions of this sort were frequently em¬ 
 bodied in little fugitive pieces, which were some¬ 
 times read at convivial meetings, or passed between 
 himself and his friends in the ordinary interchange 
 of their correspondence. Gardner, who was no 
 mean judge of matters of this kind, who had been 
 the school-fellow of Chatterton, and who had with 
 no inconsiderable success devoted himself to the 
 study of poetry, often declared that Jenner in be¬ 
 coming a distinguished physician, had lost the op¬ 
 portunity of acquiring renown as a poet. 
 
 Without, by any means, wishing the reader to take 
 this opinion in its literal sense, the present is not an 
 unsuitable time to introduce a few of Jenner’s poet¬ 
 ical jtux cl'esprit, merely to illustrate the character 
 of his mind and the faithfulness of the preceding 
 delineation. His own estimate of his powers and 
 acquirements in this field may be gathered from 
 what he says to his friend Gardner :— 
 
LIFE OF Dli. JENNEK. 
 
 19 
 
 Berkeley , Thursday Night. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 Enclosed is the medley and the song I sang to the gal¬ 
 lant Bowmen ; miserably scrawled; indeed you will hardly 
 make it out. If your brain is not too much in a whirl, let 
 me remind you of the Ranunculuses for Mr. Nelmes. Did 
 not you promise me some, and some rose-trees? These are 
 flowery subjects, and I hope, in harmony with your mind. 
 
 I have thrown in a few more stanzas to “ Ladbroke’s 
 Entire it is my best song. I wish I could give up, or, 
 at least, suspend the little acquaintance I have made with 
 the Muses. Every time I begin a bagatelle, I almost 
 swear it shall be the last; and hardly steer clear of perjury, 
 you see. But when I see that the resolves of the greatest 
 philosophers can be set aside by the most gentle means in 
 the world, I, who am among the lowest of the order, should 
 not repine at my lot. As I once told you, Ave are certainly 
 puppets danced about by wires that reach the skies. For 
 my own part, I rejoice at your thinking it wrong to dance 
 without a partner, and shall be among the first to congra¬ 
 tulate you on the great Master of the Ceremonies indulging 
 you with the hand of a fair one. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 Instead of presenting either of the songs spoken 
 of in this letter, I think the reader will be more gra¬ 
 tified by perusing two addresses to a robin. Both 
 the style and sentiments are in strong contrast, and 
 show the versatility of his powers. 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 LIFE OF 1)R. JENNER. 
 
 ADDRESS TO A ROBIN. 
 
 Come, sweetest of the feather’d throng! 
 And soothe me with thy plaintive song: 
 Come to my cot, devoid of fear, 
 
 No danger shall await thee here: 
 
 No prowling cat, with whisker’d face, 
 Approaches this sequester’d place : 
 
 No schoolboy with his willow-bow 
 Shall aim at thee a murd’rous blow : 
 
 No wily lim’d twig ere molest 
 Thy olive wing or crimson breast: 
 
 Thy cup, sweet bird ! I’ll daily fill 
 At yonder cressy, bubbling rill; 
 
 Thy board shall plenteously be spread 
 AVith crumblets of the nicest bread; 
 
 And when rude winter comes and shows 
 His icicles and shivering snows, 
 
 Hop o’er my cheering hearth and be 
 One of my peaceful family : 
 
 Then soothe me with thy plaintive song, 
 Thou sweetest of the feather’d throng ! 
 
 ADDRESS TO A ROBIN. 
 
 IN ANSWER TO ONE BY CAPTAIN SNELL. 
 
 Begone this instant from my door! 
 
 Nor plague me with thy canting more. 
 
 Hop off! I say, nor in this place 
 Dare show thy hypoeritic face. 
 
 Pray do’st thou think, ungrateful fellow, 
 Because thy voice is somewhat mellow, 
 
LIFE OF DK. JENNEIl. 
 
 21 
 
 Or that thou hither com’st assuming 
 A kind of modesty in pluming; 
 
 Wilt thou allure me, whining beggar ? 
 
 Or my true notions of thee stagger ? 
 
 Have I not seen thee, sturdy ruffian, 
 
 With impious claw thy father cuffing ? * 
 Seen thee, thou vile impostor, blackguard, 
 With many a blow thy mother smack hard ? 
 Strip from her back the downy feather, 
 Spite of inclemency of weather ; 
 
 Nay, threaten her with instant killing, 
 
 If thy full platter she put bill in : 
 
 Why then how dar'st thou thus from me 
 To ask for hospitality ? 
 
 Disdainful wretch ! when smiling spring 
 Bids every bird tune up and sing, 
 
 Though the sweet orchestra should want ye 
 To take a part, a soft andante, 
 
 The lark, who leads the band, in vain 
 Solicits thy assisting strain, 
 
 For slily thou leav’st all their chanting, 
 Deep "in the woods to go gallanting. 
 
 Long have I known thy ready knack ’tis 
 A thousand wily tricks to practise. 
 
 Did’st thou not use deception vile 
 A bard *f* to cozen and beguile, 
 
 Draw by a kind of hocus pocus 
 -His rays poetic to a focus, 
 
 Then craftily divert the flame 
 To blaze upon thy worthless name ? 
 
 * Unum arbustum non alit duos Erytkacos. 
 f Captain Snell. 
 
LIFE OF OIL JENNEK. 
 
 99 
 
 Think’st thou I know not, rogue ungrateful. 
 Of mischief thou hast got a pateful ? 
 
 Do qualms of conscience ne’er molest thee ? 
 
 No retrospective thoughts infest thee? 
 
 Hast thou not entered farmer’s houses, 
 Annoying oft their lawful spouses ? 
 
 Deform’d their butter, peck’d their cheese, 
 
 And robb’d them of their market fees ? 
 
 Though ne’er did they deny thy asking, 
 (Villain, a hypocritic mask in!) 
 
 But ever ready were to pour 
 Around thy head the crumby show’r. 
 
 And pray another thing—but ’sdeath ! 
 
 Why do I thus consume my breath ?”— 
 
 Once more I say, Hop off!—hoh ! hoh ! 
 
 ’Tis well thou thought’st it time to go : 
 
 And this I tell thee, little blade, 
 
 If ever on my palisade 
 
 Again I catch thee—by the law 
 
 Thy grave shall be Grimalkin’s maw ! 
 
 The “ Signs of Rain” exhibits much of the minute 
 painting of Cowper, or of Crabbe; and shows, in 
 pleasing combination, the accuracy of the naturalist 
 and the fancy of the poet. 
 
 SIGNS OF ItAIN. 
 
 AN EXCUSE FOR NOT ACCEPTING THE INVITATION OF A 
 FRIEND TO MAKE A COUNTRY EXCURSION. 
 
 The hollow winds begin to blow, 
 
 The clouds look black, the glass is low, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEIt. 
 
 23 
 
 The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep, 
 And spiders from their cobwebs creep. 
 Last night the sun went pale to bed, 
 
 The moon in halos hid her head. 
 
 The boding shepherd heaves a sigh, 
 
 For see ! a rainbow spans the sky. 
 
 The walls are damp, the ditches smell. 
 Clos’d is the pink-ey’d pimpernel. 
 
 Hark ! how the chairs and tables crack ; 
 Old Betty’s joints are on the rack. 
 
 Loud quack the ducks, the peacocks cry, 
 The distant hills are looking; nigh. 
 
 O O 
 
 How restless are the snorting swine— 
 The busy flies disturb the kine. 
 
 Low o’er the grass the swallow wings; 
 The cricket too, how loud it sings. 
 
 Puss on the hearth, with velvet paws, 
 
 Sits smoothing o’er her whiskered jaws. 
 Thro’ the clear stream the fishes rise, 
 And nimbly catch the incautious flies. 
 The sheep were seen at early light 
 Cropping the meads with eager bite. 
 
 Tho’ June, the air is cold and chill; 
 
 The mellow black-bird’s voice is still. 
 
 The glow-worms, numerous and bright, 
 Illumed the dewy dell last night. 
 
 At dusk the squalid toad was seen 
 Hopping, crawling, o’er the green. 
 
 The frog has lost his yellow vest, 
 
 And in a dingy suit is dress’d. 
 
 The leech, disturb’d, is newly risen 
 Quite to the summit of his prison. 
 
24 
 
 LIFE OF D11. JENNER. 
 
 The whirling winds the dust obeys. 
 
 And in the rapid eddy plays. 
 
 My dog, so altered is his taste, 
 
 Quits mutton bones on grass to feast; 
 
 And see yon rooks, how odd their flight. 
 
 They imitate the gliding kite, 
 
 Or seem precipitate to fall. 
 
 As if they felt the piercing ball. 
 
 ’Twill surely rain—I see with sorrow. 
 
 Our jaunt must be put off to-morrow. 
 
 He frequently indulged his fondness for Epigram. 
 His trifles in this way possess both point and hu¬ 
 mour. 
 
 DEATH AND MR. REACH. 
 
 A SHORT DIALOGUE.—N. B. MR. P. DIED IN APRIL. 
 
 P.—Awhile forbear thy horrid gripe, 
 
 Do pray, dread Sir! remember 
 Peaches are never fairly ripe 
 ’Till August or September. 
 
 D.—To gratify my longing taste, 
 
 And make thy flavour fine, 
 
 I had thee in a hot-house placed. 
 
 And moistened well with wine. 
 
 Mr. Peach shortened his life by the too free use 
 of the bottle. 
 
LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 25 
 
 ON THE DEATH OF A SHERIFF’S BAILIFF. 
 
 Arrested by Death ! cries John ; I’ll give bail; 
 
 No ! no ! replies Death, I must take you to gaol; 
 
 To gaol friend P quoth John, why sure there’s a flaw, 
 
 Look in statute the- Stuff'! nonsense ! pshaw, pshaw ! 
 
 Rejoins the grim tyrant, you’ve done with your tricks : 
 Contention give o’er, and go headlong to Styx. 
 
 ON THE DEATH OF AN OLD WOMAN NAMED 
 
 HEYWOOD, 
 
 NOT HEM ARK ABLE FOR HAVING LED AN EXEMPLARY LIFE. 
 
 Tho’ some may exclaim ’Twas strange, or ’twas cruel, 
 Yet’tis said to be true; Old Nick wanting fuel, 
 
 Gave an order for faggots well-season’d and good; 
 
 So Death took his hatchet and cut down Hey-wood. 
 
 ON THE DEATH OF A MISER. 
 
 Tom at last has laid by his old niggardly forms, 
 
 And now gives good dinners ; to whom pray ?—the worms. 
 
 on lord Berkeley’s huntsman, who died in the 
 
 CHACF,. 
 
 Determined much higher to hoist up his name, 
 
 Than Nimrod the hunter, in annals ol fame, 
 
 Hark forward ! cried Charles, and gallantly whirled 
 His high-mettled steed o’er the gates of the world. 
 
 Knowing that good company and good discourse 
 were the sinews of virtue, he promoted them on all 
 occasions. He was especially fond ot music, and 
 
26 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 was a member of a catch club that met at Cam. He 
 could also play on the violin and flute; and he was 
 in the habit of forming select musical parties, where 
 he occasionally was a performer. 
 
 I have seen him in his latter years, after his re¬ 
 nown had filled the world, and after the many cares 
 attendant upon vaccination had often weighed heavy 
 upon him, shake them entirely off, he would then 
 take up a humorous strain, and sing one of his own 
 ballads with all the mirth and gaiety of his youthful 
 days. 
 
 He had a particular dislike to cards, both because 
 they interfered with a much more instructive em¬ 
 ployment of time, and often led to evils of a much 
 more serious nature. 
 
LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 27 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 1773—1783. 
 
 INCLUDING LETTERS EROM JOHN HUNTER. 
 
 I shall now proceed to illustrate the foregoing 
 sketch, by a reference to those facts and incidents 
 which a knowledge of existing documents enables 
 me to present. A great deal of the interest of his 
 early professional life is naturally derived from his 
 epistolary intercourse with Mr. Hunter. Unfortu¬ 
 nately many of the letters are without date, and I 
 have been under the necessity, therefore, of endea¬ 
 vouring to ascertain the periods at which they were 
 sent, from collateral evidence. The first appears to 
 have been written in 1773; it refers to some of 
 Jenner’s observations on the cuckoo. I may also 
 mention that the picture alluded to became his pro¬ 
 perty, and remained in his possession till his death. 
 He bequeathed it to his friend Henry Hicks, in 
 whose house at the Leaze it now remains. 
 
28 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received yours, and was extremely happy to hear of 
 your success in business : I hope it will continue. I am 
 obliged to ycu for thinking of me, especially in my Natu¬ 
 ral History. I shall be glad of your observations on the 
 cuckoo, and upon the breeding of toads : be as particular 
 as you possibly can. If you can pick me up any thing that 
 is curious, and prepare it for me, do it, either in the flesh 
 or fish way. Pictures have been very cheap, but the season 
 is now over. There will be but one sale, viz. Fordyce’s; 
 but I believe all his pictures are exquisite, and will go be¬ 
 yond you or me. Since you wrote to me, I purchased up 
 a small landscape of Barrett’s, of cattle and herd; I gave 
 five pounds seven shillings and sixpence: it is one of his 
 eight guinea pictures. You shall have it or not as you 
 please. I have one of the same size that I bought of him 
 some time ago. 
 
 I saw the young lady, your patient. I do not know well 
 what can be done. If it was possible to pass a bougie from 
 the nose up the duct to the sack, it might be of service; 
 but nothing but a solid can be of any use as a local appli¬ 
 cation. Her general habit should be attended to, such as 
 sea bathing, or cold bath ; using a good deal of gentle exer¬ 
 cise, such as getting up early in the morning, riding, &c.; 
 she might take gentle mercurials with the bark and the 
 cicuta. Let me hear from you soon. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 The three subsequent letters appear to have been 
 sent not long after the preceding. Mr. Hunter had 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 29 
 
 a short time before commenced lecturing to the 
 pupils at St. George’s Hospital. He afterwards ex¬ 
 tended his plan, and threw his class open to the 
 public, and began steadfastly to execute that great 
 scheme, for elucidating the structure and functions 
 of organised bodies, which subsequently became the 
 main object of his life. The ardent, energetic, and 
 original character of the writer, is seen in every sen¬ 
 tence. Although all Jenner s replies have been de¬ 
 stroyed, the results of some of the experiments, to 
 which the following letters refer, were published in 
 1778 in the <e Philosophical Transactions,” in Mr. 
 Hunter’s paper on the heat of animals and vegeta¬ 
 bles ; and others will be found in <e The Observations 
 on some parts of the Animal Economy,”* which were 
 published in 1792. 
 
 Among Dr. Jenner’s papers I find a manuscript, 
 detailing many of the experiments which he made 
 at this time, at the instigation of Mr. Hunter, on 
 hedge-hogs; but I deem it expedient to delay its 
 publication till it is found convenient to collect and 
 print all his medical and philosophical papers. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received yours, as also the cuckoo’s stomach. I should 
 like to have a few more of them, for I find they do not 
 all show the same thing. If possible, I wish you could. 
 
 * See pp. 112, 156, 195, 233. 
 
30 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 remove the cuckoo’s egg- into another bird’s nest, and 
 tame the young one to see what note it has. There is em¬ 
 ployment for you, young man ! If you collect eggs, you 
 should also collect the nests; and I do not care how many 
 you send. I wanted a crow’s nest, as also a magpie’s, in 
 the branches of the tree ivhere they are built; but I am 
 afraid it is now too late. 
 
 This evening, looking into my book of patients, to 
 scratch out the name of one who had just paid me, and 
 whose name began with an M, I saw a Mr. Mathews of 
 Berkeley, recommended by you. He did not pay me. I 
 forget whether he was recommended by you as a friend, to 
 serve him, or me: if it was to serve him, I scratch him out 
 of my book. I)o you keep an account of the observations 
 of the cuckoo; or must I refer to your letters ?—I want a 
 nest with the egg in it; also a nest with a young cuckoo, 
 and also an old cuckoo. 
 
 I hear you saying, there is no end to your wants. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received your salmon and very fresh, and just ex¬ 
 amined enough to want another, but will wait till another 
 season. If I was to have another, it should be one that had 
 just spawned; I will take a cock salmon when you please. 
 
 If you catch any bats let me have some of them; and 
 those you try yourself, open a hole in the belly, just size 
 enough to admit the ball; put the ball down towards the 
 pelvis, and observe the heat there; then up towards the 
 diaphragm, and observe the heat there; observe the fluidity 
 of the blood ; do all this in a cold place. Extraneous 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 31 
 
 fossils are all vegetable and animal productions, found in a 
 fossil state. See if you can catch the number of pulsations 
 and the frequency of breathing in the bat, without torture. 
 If the frost is hard, see what vegetables freeze ; bore 
 holes in large trees, and see whether the sap runs out, 
 which will show it is not frozen. I am afraid you have not 
 a proper thermometer. I will send you one. 
 
 Your very much obliged servant, 
 
 J. Hunter. 
 
 I have not seen Dr. H. but I dare say he will be glad to 
 have the cases. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I do not know any one I would sooner write to than 
 you : I do not know any body I am so much obliged to. 
 I thank you for a fish, but I should thank you more if 
 you had let me know who it comes from. 
 
 I beg for the future you will always write when you 
 send me any thing. Somebody sent me a cheese with a 
 fish upon it; it was perhaps you : you know I hate to be 
 puzzled. Also let me know what things you have sent 
 me lately. I have not received the cuckoo’s nest yet. 
 Now for your patient. I believe the best thing you can do, 
 is to do little. I would not touch the fungus with an es- 
 charotic, for fear the brain should be near; I would also 
 use but a very slight compression, as the fungus will be a 
 bandage to the brain ; and as to the fungus itself, you 
 have nothing to fear; for whenever the parts underneath 
 are sound, the fungus will subside of itself. Keep your 
 patient rather low and quiet. Let me know how he goes 
 on, and any thing else you can. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 • John Hunter. 
 
32 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 The next letter, I presume, was written in 1775. 
 It refers to his design of establishing a school of 
 natural history, on a scale till that time unknown 
 in this country. He wished Jenner to join him in 
 the undertaking. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I have received many things from you, and will 
 thank you in the lump; but while I thank you, let me 
 know what I owe you. I have a great scheme to com¬ 
 municate to you, and want you to take part in it; but 
 remember it is as yet a most profound secret. My scheme 
 is to teach natural history, in which will be included 
 anatom}", both human and comparative. The labour of it 
 is too much for one man, therefore I must have some per¬ 
 son to assist; but who that person shall be is the difficulty. 
 When running over a variety of people, you have come 
 into my mind among the rest. Now if it is a scheme 
 you would like, and a possibility of your leaving the 
 country, at the same time able and willing to lay down 
 one thousand guineas, I will send you the whole proposals: 
 hut if you cannot leave the country upon any terms, then 
 it is unnecessary to go any farther : and all I have to beg 
 is to keep it a secret. I would not have you mention it to 
 
 Ludlow- &c. I proposed it to L-— before he 
 
 left London; but his father objected, I believe, to the 
 money. I know the scheme itself will be to your taste. 
 Before you consult with any of your friends, just consult 
 with yourself, and ask, can I go to London, and can I 
 give one thousand guineas for any chance that can be 
 worth it? Let me hear from you soon. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 J. Hunter. 
 
 London, May %Mh . 
 
LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 32 
 
 Much as Jenner was attached to Mr. Hunter, and 
 interested as he was in the pursuits to which the 
 preceding letter refers, and flattered as he could 
 not but be by taking a conspicuous station in the 
 metropolis, under circumstances most promising to 
 a young man, he nevertheless declined the proposal. 
 I do not know the cause that was assigned for this 
 determination. Mr. Hunter, from his knowledge of 
 Jenner’s character, seems to have anticipated it. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received yours in answer to mine, which I should 
 have answered. I own I suspected it would not do; yet 
 as I did intend such a scheme, I was inclinable to give 
 you the offer. 
 
 I thank you for your experiment on the hedge-hog; 
 but why do you ask me a question by the way of solving 
 it? I think your solution is just; but why think,—why 
 not try the experiment? Repeat all the experiments upon 
 a hedge-hog as soon as you receive this, and they will give 
 you the solution. Try the heat. Cut off’ a leg at the 
 same place: cut off the head, and expose the heart, and 
 let me know the result of the whole. 
 
 I am, dear Jenner, 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 / 
 
 August %id. John Hunter. 
 
 There are a considerable number of letters written, 
 I believe, between the last-mentioned period and 
 that which I am now about to specify. They refer 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 to professional subjects, experiments on the heat of 
 animals and vegetables, and the collection of fossils 
 and other subjects of natural history for the Mu¬ 
 seum. Mr. Hunter kindly acknowledged Jenner’s 
 labours in his behalf, as may be seen by what he 
 says on sending him a picture. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received yours by Dr. Hicks with the hedge-hog 
 alive ; I put it into my garden, but I want more. I will 
 send you the picture, but by what conveyance or by what 
 place ? I have a picture of Barret and Stubbs. The land¬ 
 scape, by Barret; a horse frightened at the first seeing 
 of a lion, by Stubbs. I got it for five guineas: will you 
 have it ? I have a dearer one, and no use for two of the 
 same masters; but do not have it excepting you would like 
 it, for I can get my money for it. I am glad you have got 
 black-birds’ nests. Let me know the expenses you are at, 
 for I do not mean that the picture is to go for any of it, 
 only for your trouble. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 N. B. I should suppose hedge-hogs would come in a 
 box, full of holes all round, filled with hay, and some fresh 
 meat put into it. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received the box, also your letter. I am very much 
 obliged to you for your kind attention to me, and how 
 to reward you I do not know. Let that be as it will, 
 I must still give you commissions. If you can get me ea¬ 
 sily salmon spawn I should like to have it, and out of dif- 
 
LIFE OF DR, JENNER. 
 
 35 
 
 ferent places, as it will be of different ages. It should be 
 put into bottles immediately with spirits, each parcel sepa¬ 
 rate from the other. The spirits should be proof, and 
 there should be rather more spirit than spawn. 
 
 I will also take any specimens of fossils you may send me, 
 or indeed any thing else. Did I send you any of my pub¬ 
 lications in the Philosophical Transactions ? If I have not, 
 let me know. I want to put you upon some experiments 
 this winter. What do you think of examining eels ? Their 
 sexes have not yet been found out, nor their mode of pro¬ 
 pagation ; it is a thing of consequence in Natural History. 
 I began it, but I could not get eels immediately from the 
 river, and to get them from fishmongers, who buy them in 
 custom, does not do. My intention was to examine several 
 pretty large eels on the first and fifteenth of every month 
 in the year. If eels are in plenty with you, and if you 
 like the proposal, let me know, and I will give you full 
 instructions how to proceed; also next spring I would 
 have you make experiments upon the growth of vege¬ 
 tables; and, if you have no objection, I will set you upon a 
 set of experiments upon the heat of vegetables in the win¬ 
 ter. If in any of these pursuits you discover any princi¬ 
 ple worthy the public, I will give it into the Royal Society 
 for you. I must pick you up a picture this winter. I saw 
 Mrs. Black # at Mr. Drummond’s the other day. I suspect 
 Mr. Black is dead, but I durst not inquire. Cannot you 
 get me a large porpoise for either love or money ? What 
 is the bird you sent me, also the two young animals, which 
 I imagine to be Guinea pigs ? 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 * Jenner’s eldest sister Mary, who was married to the Rev. 
 Geo. Charles Black, LL.B. of Norwood, Middlesex. 
 
 n 2 
 
36 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 On the eleventh of May, of this year, he gave 
 Jenner the first intimation of his illness. He men¬ 
 tions it, as will be perceived, very casually, although 
 it was of such a nature as to excite very serious ap¬ 
 prehensions in the breasts of all his friends. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I have before me now two letters of yours, which I 
 should have answered much sooner. Your friend Dr. 
 Hicks I have not seen. I was not at home when he called, 
 and I have had no time to wait upon him as he lived en¬ 
 tirely out of my walk. I should have been glad to have seen 
 him, but I suppose he stood upon ceremony. I received 
 the fossils, and should be glad of any that you can get- 
 If any bones of animals are found, be sure to get them for 
 me. I should be glad to have some of the salmon fry. I 
 had the pleasure of seeing your brother, but only for a 
 short time. I received the bird ; I am not acquainted 
 with it: send me some more, if you can get them readily. 
 I sent with Mr. Jenner the thermometer; if you do not 
 understand it, let me know. 
 
 Not two hours after I saw your brother I was taken very 
 ill with a swimming in my head, and could not raise it off 
 the pillow for ten days: it is still not perfectly recovered. 
 Have you begun the eels ? No porpoises. No salmon 
 spawn before it has hatched. You see I am very greedy. 
 Be sure to keep an account of all the out-goings. 
 
 My compliments to Mrs. Black and to your brother, 
 and let me hear from you. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 London , May 1 1th, 1777. J. Hunter. 
 
LIFE OF Dlt. JEN NEIL 
 
 37 
 
 Mr. H UNTER TO E. JENNER. 
 
 D EAR JeNNER, 
 
 Excuse me for not answering your letters so soon as I 
 could wish : send me all the fossils you find. What I 
 meant by bones, was all the bones that are found any depth 
 under the surface of the earth: many are found in stones, 
 &c. I suppose those skeletons are not complete, but send 
 me some of them ; and if any history can be given, send it 
 also. The thermometer is a very useful one when under¬ 
 stood. You will observe the scratch; upon the glass stalk ; 
 perhaps about two inches from the globe, which is the 
 freezing point; put 0, or nought, which is upon the ivory 
 scale, two degrees below the scratch, then 0 becomes the 
 thirtieth degree, and the scratch being two degrees above 
 it, stands at the freezing point; then from that count up¬ 
 wards; or if the cold is below 30, then put No. 1 or No. S, 
 or 3 at the scratch, and count down: every No. is 10 de¬ 
 grees. What the d—1 becomes of your eels in the winter? 
 but try them in the summer, and see what you can make 
 of them. 
 
 I do not remember Dr. Fordyce’s ever supposing a 
 polypus vascular. I rather should believe that he sup¬ 
 posed the contrary ; you know it comes near my idea, viz. 
 that the blood is alive, and is the bond of union every¬ 
 where. But I should very much suspect that a polypus 
 formed after death is not of that kind. I am pretty cer¬ 
 tain that I have injected them in arteries after amputation. 
 I have a preparation which shows it, and which supports 
 my theory. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 London , July 6th , 1777. 
 
38 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Mr. Hunter felt very much disposed to continue 
 to treat his indisposition lightly. He found it ne¬ 
 cessary, however, to seek relief by retiring from 
 his labours for a season. Bath was fixed upon for 
 this purpose, and he arrived there in the end of 
 August. Jenner visited him soon afterwards. He 
 was most sensibly affected by his appearance, and 
 concluded at this early period, that that very dis¬ 
 ease existed, which, in 1793, suddenly extinguished 
 Mr. Hunter’s most valuable life. This impression 
 so much distressed Jenner, that he abstained from 
 giving to the world his observations on the affection 
 under which he believed Mr. Hunter to labour, lest 
 his attention should be drawn to it, and his fears 
 excited by its truly formidable nature. He could 
 not, however, refrain from communicating his alarm 
 to some of Mr. Hunter’s friends. He wrote the fol¬ 
 lowing interesting letter to the late Dr. Heberden 
 on the subject. From some cause or other it was not 
 forwarded ; but it finds a place here with much 
 propriety, because it shows the delicacy of his feel¬ 
 ing, and moreover establishes his accuracy as a 
 pathologist; and contains the first account of a 
 morbid affection, which had escaped the observa¬ 
 tion of former inquirers. In a subsequent page the 
 reader will find a letter from Sir Everard Home, 
 which fully confirms the justness and accuracy of 
 Jenner’s diagnosis. It will be seen, also, that the 
 letter to Dr. Heberden contains the substance of the 
 
LIFE OF UR. .TENNER. 
 
 39 
 
 communication which he made to his friend Dr. 
 Parry of Bath, and which was published in his work 
 in 1799. 
 
 E. Jenner, to Dr. Hebkrden. —1778. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 When you are acquainted with my motives, I presume 
 you will pardon the liberty I take in addressing you. I 
 am prompted to it from a knowledge of the mutual re¬ 
 gard that subsists between you and my worthy friend Mr- 
 Hunter. When I had the pleasure of seeing him at Bath 
 last Autumn, I thought he was affected with many symp¬ 
 toms of the Angina Pectoris. The dissections (as far as I 
 have seen) of those who have died of it, throw but little 
 light upon the subject. Though in the course of my prac¬ 
 tice I have seen many fall victims to this dreadful disease, 
 yet I have only had two opportunities of an examination 
 after death. In the first of these I found no material dis¬ 
 ease of the heart, except that the coronary artery appeared 
 thickened. 
 
 As no notice had been taken of such a circumstance by 
 any body who had written on the subject, I concluded 
 that we must still seek for other causes as productive of 
 the disease: but about three weeks ago, Mr. Paytherus, a 
 surgeon at Ross, in Plerefordshire, desired me to examine 
 with him the heart of a person who had died of the Angina 
 Pectoris a few days before. Here we found the same ap¬ 
 pearance of the coronary arteries as in the former case. 
 But what I had taken to be an ossification of the vessel 
 itself, Mr. P. discovered to be a kind of firm fleshy tube, 
 formed within the vessel, with a considerable quantity of 
 ossifie matter dispersed irregularly through it. This tube 
 did not appear to have any vascular connection with the 
 
40 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNEE. 
 
 coats of the artery, but seemed to lie merely in simple 
 contact with it. 
 
 As the heart, I believe, in every subject that has died 
 of the Angina Pectoris, has been found extremely loaded 
 with fat; and as these vessels lie quite .concealed in that 
 substance, is it possible this appearance may have been 
 overlooked P The importance of the coronary arteries, and 
 how much the heart must suffer from their not being able 
 duly to perform their functions, (we cannot be surprised 
 at the painful spasms) is a subject I need not enlarge upon, 
 therefore shall only just remark that it is possible that 
 all the symptoms may arise from this one circumstance. 
 
 As I frequently write to Mr. H. I have been some 
 time in hesitation respecting the propriety of communi¬ 
 cating the matter to him, and should be exceedingly 
 thankful to you, Sir, for your advice upon the subject. 
 Should it be admitted that this is the cause of the disease, 
 I fear the medical world may seek in vain for a remedy, and 
 I am fearful, (if Mr. H. should admit this to be the cause 
 of the disease) that it may deprive him of the hopes of a 
 recovery. 
 
 Mr. Hunter remained in Bath till the middle of 
 November. He continued to have frequent inter¬ 
 course with Jenner. Some of his letters written at 
 this time are of an unusually playful character, and 
 show that his mind was not at all depressed by his 
 illness, and that the spirit of inquiry was kept as 
 much awake as when he was in perfect health. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 Till yesterday we did not know*from whom the hare 
 came, but the cook found it out; we thank you ; it was a 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 41 
 
 very fine one. By your not taking any notice of my letter, 
 I do suppose you did not receive it. Near three weeks 
 ago, I wrote to you to meet us at the Hot Wells, Bristol. 
 Some days after the date of the letter we went to the place 
 appointed, by 10 o’clock in the morning, but no Jenner 
 there ; we breakfasted, we dined,we went to Kings-Weston, 
 we drank tea, we supped, we staid all night, and set out 
 for Bath next day. We would have come on to Berkeley, 
 but we were afraid that you might not be there. I am 
 afraid it will not be in my power to come to see you, al¬ 
 though I wish it much. I shall be obliged to take South¬ 
 ampton in my way home. Are hedge-hogs so saucy as to 
 refuse coming, without coming for them ? See if you can 
 coax them. We are all alive here. The Downs look like 
 a bee-hive. Let me hear from you. Mrs. H. gives 
 her compliments to you. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 J. Hunter. 
 
 Bath , 18th. 
 
 My letter was sent to your friend in Bristol by the 
 coach, but perhaps the coachman did not deliver it. 
 
 It has been already mentioned that Mr. Hunter 
 published his paper on the heat of animals and ve¬ 
 getables in the “ Transactions of the Royal Society” 
 in 1778. Two letters written, one in March, another 
 in November of that year, have a reference to that 
 paper, as well as to other pursuits in which he was 
 engaged. They, like all the others, afford very 
 striking displays of the writer’s character and mode 
 of thinking and expression. The latter not always 
 strictly grammatical, but nevertheless full of energy 
 and meaning. His ideas, though distinguished by 
 
42 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JEN NEIL 
 
 their novelty, and obviously the result of his own 
 unaided reflection, are often given in an abrupt 
 and laconic manner; but there is a clearness of 
 conception, which enabled him to compress into a 
 small space what would have required from others 
 tedious and minute detail. 
 
 The kindness also, with which he acknowledges 
 Jenner’s assistance, and the little pledges of respect 
 which he from time to time offered to his friend, 
 form incidents not unworthy of notice in the history 
 of two such men. 
 
 The picture byBassan, which is mentioned below, 
 this instant hangs in the dining-room of the Chauntry 
 (Dr. Jenner’s house) at Berkeley. It has been often 
 pointed out to me by Dr. Jenner as the gift of Mr. 
 Hunter. It has been preserved with great care, 
 and seems a genuine specimen of the painter whose 
 name it bears. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 Your letter of December has lain before me ever since 
 I received it, to put me in mind that it was not answered. 
 I am glad you liked the candlesticks; I thought them 
 pretty. The fossils were none of the best; but I know 
 you did not make them, therefore not your fault. The 
 particular one you put the Q ? upon is only a cast of a 
 
 bivalve. I wish I had seen E-’s collection. I am 
 
 matching mv fossils as far as I can with the recent. Have 
 
LIFE OF DE. JENNEK. 
 
 43 
 
 you made any experiments with hedge-hogs ? and can 
 you send me some this spring ? for all those sent me died, 
 so that I am hedge-hogless. 
 
 Mr. Luders sent me the bone; it is a very curious one; 
 whether he will let me keep it or not I do not know'. 
 
 I received yours by Mr. Jones, with the bird; I thank 
 you for thinking of me. Frogs live an amazing while 
 after they are dead, as also all animals of that tribe. The 
 directions I gave you about black-birds were, when you 
 have a black-bird’s nest, viz. with four young ones, take 
 one just hatched, and put it bodily into spirits by the head, 
 extending the wings and legs. Observe when the feathers 
 are beginning to sprout; then take another, and serve it 
 the same way: then a third and a fourth, so as to get a 
 series of the growth of the feather, but the last or fourth 
 must not be so old as the feathers to cover the other parts 
 where feathers do not grow. This you w T ill better under¬ 
 stand v4ien you come to make the trial. I have a picture 
 
 of Bassan’s, that I lent a poor d-1 three guineas upon: 
 
 he died, and never redeemed the picture. I intend send¬ 
 ing it to you ; it is a good deal damaged, but some of the 
 figures are very good. Get a frame for it, and hang it in 
 a strong light. There are some experiments of mine pub¬ 
 lishing in the Philosophical Transactions, which I will 
 also send you with the picture; accept of them as a re¬ 
 membrance of the trouble I put you to. Let me hear 
 from you when convenient. Mrs. Hunter desires her com¬ 
 pliments to you. 
 
 I am, dear Jenner, your 
 
 Most obedient and most 
 
 Humble Servant 
 
 John Hunter, 
 
 London, March 29 th, 1778. 
 
44 
 
 LIFE OF DTI. JENNER 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I thank you for all the trouble you have taken. I 
 have interspersed your experiments among my works, 
 and I wish I had more, but 1 do not know well what to set 
 you about. If you could make some experiments upon 
 the increased heat of inflammation, I should be obliged to 
 you. I have made some, but I am so much hurried that 
 they are but imperfect. To give you an idea of such ex¬ 
 periments, I first introduced the thermometer into the anus 
 of an ass ; then I injected a solution of corrosive sublimate, 
 above a pint, which it threw out very soon. Some hours 
 after I threw in another, and about twelve hours after 
 I again introduced the thermometer. The same experi¬ 
 ment might be made upon a dog. I opened the thorax of 
 a dog, between two ribs, and introduced the thermometer. 
 Then I put some lint into the wound to keep it from 
 healing by the first intention, that the thorax might inflame; 
 but before I had time to try it again (from the hurry of 
 business) mydogdied, which was on the fourth day. A deep 
 wound might be made into the thick of a dog’s thigh; then 
 introduce the thermometer and some extraneous matter; 
 put in the whole depth, large enough to allow the ther¬ 
 mometer to enter when the plug was taken out, which 
 should be taken out in the time of inflammation, and see 
 the difference. If these experiments will amuse you, I 
 should be glad they were made; but take care you do not 
 break your thermometer in the dog’s chest, &c. 
 
 I am, dear Jenner, 
 
 Your much obliged 
 
 and most obedient Servant, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 London , Nov. 21sL 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 45 
 
 About the period we are now considering, Dr. 
 Jenner was instrumental in forming a society which 
 had for its object the improvement of medical sci¬ 
 ence. It was also intended to promote conviviality 
 and good fellowship. The following were among 
 the members: Dr. Parry, of Bath; Dr. Hicks, of 
 Bristol; Dr. Ludlow, of Corsham ; Dr. Mathews, of 
 Hereford; Mr. Paytherus, and Jenner. The meet¬ 
 ings were chiefly held at the Fleece Inn, at Rod- 
 borough, but it was customary to appoint them in 
 other parts of the country, as it suited the conve¬ 
 nience of the members. 
 
 These meetings were often truly interesting. 
 After the more serious business was finished, the 
 members dined together. They occasionally per¬ 
 mitted visitors, who were not medical men, to join 
 them, at this part of their entertainment. No one 
 more frequently enjoyed this indulgence than Jen- 
 ner’s faithful friend Henry Hicks. This gentle¬ 
 man’s house lay in the direct road from Berkeley to 
 the place of meeting, and it was often Jenner’s cus¬ 
 tom to call as he passed and carry him with him to 
 Rodborough. 
 
 Jenner added largely to the mirth of the party, 
 but.he never appeared without contributing his full 
 share to the intellectual banquet also. His paper on 
 the Angina Pectoris, which forms the ground-work 
 of his friend Dr. Parry’s book on that subject, was 
 read at the meeting. He also communicated others 
 on many points of physiology and pathology. These 
 
46 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 papers fell into the hands of some of the members, 
 and he could never recover them : I have often heard 
 him lament the loss of one of them in particular. 
 It contained observations respecting a disease of the 
 heart, which frequently comes on during attacks of 
 acute rheumatism, and leads to enlargement and 
 disorganization of the part. This formidable dis¬ 
 order had very much escaped the notice of medical 
 men. Jenner’s observations were original, and had 
 they been published at the time they were first com¬ 
 municated to the society, his claims to priority could 
 not have been set aside as they have been since that 
 time by other writers. 
 
 He also wrote a treatise on opthalmia, which was 
 read to the society, and was intended for publica¬ 
 tion. It is drawn up in a systematic form, and was 
 meant to point out a method of treatment which he 
 had found successful in certain stages of the disease. 
 This branch of surgery has been, since the period 
 referred to, cultivated with so much scientific pre¬ 
 cision as to deprive less perfect observations of much 
 of their value. The essay, however, of Jenner, bears 
 unquestionable marks of close and accurate discrimi¬ 
 nation both of the symptoms and varieties of the 
 disease; and with his other writings on profes¬ 
 sional subjects, could not have failed to have secured 
 to him a sound reputation as a medical philosopher, 
 had not the splendour of his other discoveries cast 
 all inferior objects into obscurity. This letter I 
 
LIFE OF Oil. JENNEE. 
 
 47 
 
 presume refers to the society I have just been des¬ 
 cribing. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received your account of your experiments on the 
 hedge-hog, also the dog-fish, for which I thank you. I 
 have now received your account of the aneurismal vein 
 with the cast, and showed it to my pupils this evening 
 with the description. 
 
 I hope you will be able to procure the arm when the 
 man dies. If you would choose to have it published, I 
 would either give it to the Medical Society here, or send it 
 to Edinburgh to be published in their commentaries. Let 
 me know your inclination, and I will add whatever I may 
 think wanting, and give it your name. I am very happy to 
 hear that some of you have wished to communicate your 
 ideas to one another. If I can give you any assistance, 
 command me : I shall always be glad to hear from you as 
 an individual, or as from the society. Mrs. H. desires her 
 compliments to you. Have you left off fossilizing ? 
 
 I am, dear Jenner, 
 
 Your much obliged and humble servant, 
 
 London, April %8th. John Hunter. 
 
 Jenner was also a member of another society 
 which assembled chiefly at the Ship, at Alveston, a 
 village about ten miles from Bristol. This society 
 he denominated Convivio-Medical, in opposition to 
 the one that met at Rodborough, which he called 
 Medico-Convivial. Among the members of the 
 
48 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 former were the Ludlows, (E. and D.) of Sodbury, 
 Shute of Winterbourne, Bradford of Frenchay, Fews- 
 ter of Thornbury, Pountney of Hensbury, Davies 
 of Bristol, and Richardson and Taylor of Wotton- 
 under-edge. I am indebted to the last-named gentle¬ 
 man for the preceding list, and he, with Dr. Brad¬ 
 ford, are now, I believe, the only survivors of their 
 former associates. 
 
 Dr. Jenner has frequently told me that at the 
 meetings of this society he was accustomed to bring 
 forward the reported prophylactic virtues of cow- 
 pox, and earnestly to recommend his medical friends 
 to prosecute the inquiry. All his efforts were, how¬ 
 ever, ineffectual; his brethren were acquainted with 
 the rumour, but they looked upon it as one of those 
 vague notions from which no accurate or valuable 
 information could be gathered, especially as most of 
 them had met with cases in which those who were 
 supposed to have had cow-pox, had subsequently 
 been affected with small-pox. These discourage¬ 
 ments, as will be seen more at large hereafter, did 
 not suppress the ardour of Jenner’s mind. He often 
 recurred to the subject in these meetings ; at length 
 it became so distasteful to his companions, that I 
 have many times heard him declare that they threat¬ 
 ened to expel him if he continued to harass them 
 with so unprofitable a subject. This society was in 
 existence so late as 1789. 
 
 As it has often been asserted that the late Mr. 
 Fewster of Thornbury, has a claim to be considered 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 49 
 
 as the inventor of vaccination, I take this opportu¬ 
 nity of saying a few words on that subject. 
 
 That gentleman in his early days was associated 
 with Sutton in the practice of small-pox inoculation, 
 and had frequent opportunities of hearing the popu¬ 
 lar notion that those who had had cow-pox could 
 not be infected with small-pox. He, as has just been 
 said, was one of the members of the medical society 
 which met at Alveston. The subject was often 
 brought before the meetings, but neither this circum¬ 
 stance, nor his own previous acquaintance with the 
 reports of the country, and his experience that they 
 were not altogether without foundation, could in¬ 
 duce him to prosecute the investigation further, or to 
 countenance Jenner’s efforts. On the contrary, he 
 certainly undervalued them, and continued to do so 
 even after the Inquiry was published. In a letter to 
 Mr. Rolph, surgeon, in Peckham, dated at Thorn- 
 bury on the 11th of October 1798, and published in 
 Dr. Pearson’s inquiry concerning the history of the 
 cow-pox, he has the following words :—“ I think it 
 (i. e. the cow-pox in the natural way) is a much 
 more severe disease in general than the inoculated 
 small-pox. I do not see any great advantage from 
 inoculation for the cow-pox : inoculation for the small¬ 
 pox seems so well understood, that there is very little 
 need of a substitute. It is curious, however, and 
 may lead to improvements.” 
 
 I am the more induced to record the above state¬ 
 ment, because I have recently witnessed attempts to 
 
50 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 assert this gentleman’s claim to merit as an inves¬ 
 tigator and discoverer in the field where Jenner ac¬ 
 quired that reputation to which Mr. Fewster un¬ 
 questionably had no just claims. His own opinion, 
 as given in the preceding extract, is quite conclu¬ 
 sive upon this point, and must for ever silence all 
 further doubts respecting it. If other evidence were 
 wanting, it may be mentioned that there are letters 
 from Mr. Fewster to Dr. Jenner, now in existence, 
 which clearly assign all the merit to Dr. Jenner, 
 without in the most remote degree alluding to any 
 pretensions of his own. I may also state, that after 
 Dr. Jenner’s death, I wrote to Mr. Fewster for some 
 information concerning the Alveston meeting and 
 the early history of vaccination, and that I received 
 a very civil letter, in his name, from his son, dated 
 Thornbury, Sept. 3d, 1823,; but not the most distant 
 insinuation of any claims, such as I have been consi¬ 
 dering, was advanced. 
 
 I cannot refer to these meetings, but especially to 
 the one at Rodborough, without more particularly 
 mentioning one of its members, the late Dr. Parry, 
 of Bath. His acquaintance with Jenner commenced 
 when they were at school together at Cirencester. 
 Early intimacy and corresponding studies and tastes, 
 laid the basis of a friendship which endured through 
 every vicissitude of life. By means of letters, and 
 as frequent personal intercourse as the nature of 
 their occupations would permit, they stimulated 
 each other in the pursuit of knowledge whether it 
 respected professional or other subjects ; and it was 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENIN ER. 
 
 51 
 
 in furtherance of this design that the little society at 
 Rodborough was instituted. 
 
 Not long after this period Jenner appears to have 
 experienced some disappointment in his affections, 
 which for a considerable time materially impaired 
 his happiness. Mr. Hunter alludes to this occur¬ 
 rence in one of his letters in a manner rather more 
 playful and jocular, than was quite in unison with 
 the deep and tender emotion, which for a time filled 
 the heart of his correspondent. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I own I was at a loss to account for your silence, and 
 I was sorry at the cause. I can easily conceive how you 
 must feel, for you have two passions to cope with, viz. 
 that of being disappointed in love, and that of being de¬ 
 feated ; but both will wear out, perhaps the first soonest. 
 I own I was glad, when I heard that you was married to a 
 woman of fortune; but let her go, never mind her. I shall 
 employ you with hedge-hogs, for I do not know how far I 
 may trust mine. I want you to get a hedge-hog in the be¬ 
 ginning of v/inter and weigh him; put him in your garden, 
 and let him have some leaves, hay, or straw, to cover him¬ 
 self with, which he will do : then weigh him in the spring, 
 and see what he has lost. Secondly, I want you to kill 
 one at the beginning of winter to see how fat he is, and 
 another in the spring, to see what he has lost of his fat. 
 Thirdly, when the weather is very cold, and about the 
 month of January, I could wish you would make a hole in 
 one of their bellies, and put the thermometer down into 
 the pelvis, and see the height of the mercury; then turn it 
 
 E 2 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 r. 9 
 
 O faj 
 
 up towards the diaphragm and observe the heat there. So 
 much at present for hedge-hogs. I beg pardon, examine 
 the stomach and ntestines. If Hewson’s things go cheap, 
 I will purchase some that I think proper for you ; those 
 you mention I am afraid will be every body’s money, and 
 go dear. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 London , Sept. 25th, 1778. 
 
 I am afraid that the hedge-hogs in this case had 
 not quite the power ascribed to them by Mr. Hun¬ 
 ter. For several years afterwards Jenner certainly 
 continued to feel the mortification which he had ex¬ 
 perienced. Two of his letters to his friend Gardner, 
 written in 1783, seem to refer to this subject, and 
 paint very strongly the intensity of his feelings. In 
 one he says, “ I am jaded almost to death, my dear 
 Gardner, by constant fatigue: that of the body I 
 must endure ; but how long I shall be able to bear 
 that of the mind, I know not. Still the same dead 
 weight hangs upon my heart. Would to God it 
 would drag it from its unhappy mansion ! then with 
 what pleasure could I see an end of this silly dream 
 of life.” 
 
 Again, on the 8th of April of this year, he writes 
 thus to the same friend : “ As for myself, the same 
 
 stream of unhappiness is still flowing in upon me; 
 its source seems inexhaustible ; but there is a sooth¬ 
 ing consolation in it; all little disquietudes are sunk 
 or washed away. I feel their influence no more.” 
 
LIFE OF M. JENNER. 
 
 53 
 
 Though he thus occasionally indulged his melan¬ 
 choly feelings, and poured them into the bosom of a 
 very kind and attached friend, it is a satisfaction to 
 know that they did not materially interfere with his 
 usefulness as a professional man, or retard his scien¬ 
 tific pursuits. He alludes, in one of the preceding 
 extracts, to the fatigue occasioned by his labours. 
 An incident which occurred about this time, affords 
 a pleasing proof of the extent of his reputation as a 
 surgeon, and will easily account for the avidity with 
 which his assistance was sought for in the surround¬ 
 ing district. A patient in the Infirmary at Glouces¬ 
 ter was afflicted with a disorder which required im¬ 
 mediate relief, by an operation of a delicate nature. 
 Both the surgeons of the institution were so circum¬ 
 stanced as to be unable to lend their assistance. In 
 this perplexity Mr. Jenner, of Berkeley, was sent 
 for. He performed the operation, and saved the 
 man’s life. 
 
 To judge of an occurrence of this kind properly, 
 it must be remembered that Berkeley is sixteen 
 miles distant from Gloucester, and that surgeons 
 were then less skilled than they are now ; and that 
 though at the present time there are few, or none 
 who are not prepared to undertake the most hazard¬ 
 ous operations, such knowledge, when Jenner was 
 called upon from his native village, was chiefly con¬ 
 fined to hospital surgeons. 
 
 His intercourse with Mr. Hunter was kept up as 
 usual; and I introduce a few more letters written 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEIt. 
 
 5i 
 
 about this period, which, though they do not differ 
 much from others that have been presented to the 
 reader, will neyertheless, I trust, be found to possess 
 sufficient interest to justify their insertion. 
 
 Mu. Hunteii to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I received yours with the eel. The spawn of the sal¬ 
 mon was lost. I shall send you back the eel again, with 
 the liver, stomach, and gut removed ; and nothing left but 
 a fringe, which passes down the sides of the back-bone, 
 which I took and still take to be the spawn ; but I never 
 saw any difference in it at any time of the year, and this 
 one you have sent is similar to all I have yet seen. I 
 think your stopping the eels is a good scheme, if you can; 
 but I should suspect that they would be more slippery than 
 hedge-hogs. I do not know if hedge-hogs burrow. About 
 a month hence examine another, and compare him with 
 your notes, and memory also. Examine his heat in the 
 pelvis, diaphragm, &c. ; a month after that, another, &c. 
 1 like your experiment on the toad and snake, but bury 
 them rather deeper, and let the ground be kept moist 
 about them, especially in the summer. I shall keep your 
 letters, but I expect in the end all your notes. I like 
 your friend Ludlow; he is a lively sensible fellow. I have 
 got a few preparations for you ; I am getting them put into 
 a little order for you before I send them. Are there no 
 bats in the old castle of Berkeley ? 1 should like similar 
 
 experiments to be made upon them to those of the hedge¬ 
 hog. Mrs. H. desires her compliments to you. Believe 
 me to he most sincerely, 
 
 Y ours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 London , Nov. 9 th, 1778. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 55 
 
 Mu. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 What are you doing ? how do hedge-hogs go on ? do 
 they fall off in their weight ? how cold are they in winter ? 
 &c. &c. Let me hear from you. I have not yet sent 
 the preparations for you : I have added an eye to them of 
 my own making. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 London, Jan . 1 6th, 1779. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I thank you for the trouble you have taken. I do not 
 see another experiment to be made with hedge-hogs but 
 one : get a piece of meat into the stomach of one in the very 
 cold weather, and kill him twenty-four hours after, to see if 
 it is digested, which I have done with lizards. This may 
 be difficult; but suppose he was made lively in a warm 
 room, and then fed and put out into the cold immediately, 
 with a little hay over him. If this does, two or three may 
 be served in the same way, and kill them at different dis¬ 
 tances respecting time; observe their breathing when in the 
 cold ; if possible, the quickness of the pulse, and the fluidity 
 of the blood. If you should chance to get more than you 
 can use, I would take a few to put into my garden to walk 
 about in the evenings. 
 
 Is there no chance to see you in London, this winter?— 
 do come and see us. I shall send you a paper of mine 
 upon the free martin ; also one to Ludlow. I wrote to him 
 in answer to his letter. I hope he received it. If a good 
 
56 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 deal of that air of the hog’s guts could be collected, see 
 if a candle will burn in it as large as in common air. I had 
 a letter from Mr. Cheston of an ossified thoracic duct. I 
 wish he would let me have it; you see how greedy I am. 
 You will hear from me soon. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 D ear Jenner, 
 
 I have not troubled you with any letter this long time, 
 nor have I heard from you. This moment I do not know 
 if I sent you the butter-jugs; if they are not sent, they shall 
 this week. I want you to pursue the experiments upon the 
 heat of the hedge-hog this winter, and if you could send 
 me a colony of them, I should be glad, as I have expended 
 all I had, excepting two: one an eagle eat, and a ferret 
 caught the other. Mrs. Hunter and I were at Bath the 
 other day, and came home by the way of Gloucester ; wish¬ 
 ed much we could have stayed a day to have waited upon 
 you. Let me hear from you soon. 
 
 I am, dear Jenner, 
 
 Yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 London, Nov. 8th , 1779. 
 
 Many of the preceding letters refer to organic re¬ 
 mains. The situation in which Jenner lived in the 
 vale of Gloucester was particularly favourable to the 
 study of these bodies : he was within reach of the 
 principal oolitic series, and, as will presently appear, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 57 
 
 he was contiguous to another formation, which is 
 closely allied to the former, and is not less rich in 
 fossils. 
 
 Geologists have arranged the oolitic formations 
 into three grand divisions, called upper, middle, and 
 lower. Each is characterized by certain properties, 
 and by peculiar organic remains. These remains 
 consist of many extinct genera of oviparous quadru¬ 
 peds, and various vertebral fishes—testacea, corolloid 
 zoophytes, &c. &c. The oolitic formations divide the 
 island from north-east, to south-west. They bound 
 the vale of Gloucester, and constitute the Cots wold 
 range of hills. 
 
 The Lias formation, on which reposes the whole 
 series of oolitic hills, accompanies the latter across 
 the island from the Humber to St. George’s Channel 
 in Dorsetshire. 
 
 Its range from its northern extremity to a few 
 miles south of Gloucester is very regular, presenting 
 an average breadth of about six miles. It is bound¬ 
 ed on the south-west by the oolites, and on the 
 north-west by the red marl. Its eastern extremity, 
 after passing Gloucester, continues to accompany the 
 oolitic ranges through Somersetshire, to the coast 
 in Dorsetshire. Its western limit is more irregular. 
 It feathers in and out among the coal fields which 
 occur towards the estuary of the Severn, and the 
 upper part of the Bristol Channel, in the counties of 
 Gloucester, Somerset, Monmouth, and Glamorgan. 
 The coal formation alluded to occupies three great 
 
58 
 
 LIFE OF DIL JENNER. 
 
 basins. The edges of these basins consist of nearly 
 vertical strata, composed of mountain lime-stone and 
 old red sand-stone, and form bold and precipitous 
 ranges of hills. Among the valleys are deposited the 
 horizontal strata of lias, with subjacent beds of red 
 marl, and magnesian lime-stone. The manner in 
 which the lias is cut through by the strata of moun¬ 
 tain lime and old red sand-stone, above-mentioned, 
 gives its outline in this district a very irregular cha¬ 
 racter. 
 
 It is not necessary here to dwell with much greater 
 minuteness on the geological peculiarities of this 
 part of England. In order, however, to connect this 
 subject with the pursuits of Dr. Jenner, it is proper to 
 specify a little more minutely some of the formations 
 in his neighbourhood. With this intention I refer 
 to one of the coal basins already noticed. It occu¬ 
 pies part of the south of Gloucester, and of the north 
 of Somerset. It is bounded on the south by the 
 Men dip hills, on the west by the range which forms 
 the defile of the Avon, and on the north-east by a 
 continuation of the same chain. All these chains 
 exhibit inclined strata of mountain lime, and old red 
 sand-stone. The lias and subjacent horizontal beds 
 fill up the interior of this basin in the neighbour¬ 
 hood of Bath and Bristol, and throughout the Somer¬ 
 setshire collieries. On the north-west of the ridge 
 which forms the edge of the coal basin, they are to 
 be seen at Pyrton, at Aust, at the Hock-crib, arid on 
 
LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 59 
 
 other points along the banks of the Severn. With¬ 
 out pursuing further the various ramifications of the 
 lias, I will merely mention that at the places last enu¬ 
 merated, Dr. Jenner spent a great deal of time in in¬ 
 vestigating the mineral contents, as well as the orga¬ 
 nic remains, with which this formation so remarka¬ 
 bly abounds. When he began his labours in this part 
 of natural history, geology was in its infancy, and 
 the study of organic remains had scarcely been freed 
 from the absurd conjectures which in the preceding 
 century were adopted by the best naturalists. It is 
 true, that it was not believed at that time that fossil 
 shells were lapides sui generis, and that they were 
 formed by a vis formativa , peculiarly inherent in 
 certain parts of the earth. But all the important 
 information which has been derived from the study 
 of this subject, whether as it regards the geologi¬ 
 cal relations of rocks that contain organic remains, 
 their connection with the genera and species of 
 animals and vegetables which now inhabit our globe, 
 or the proofs of the existence at some remote period 
 of organic bodies, no traces of which are now to be 
 found in a recent state, was utterly unknown. 
 
 The remains of this description, which exist in 
 the lias, are peculiarly interesting, and belong to 
 a greater number of the higher order of animals than 
 are to be found in almost any other formation. It 
 contains two very remarkable extinct genera of ovi¬ 
 parous quadrupeds. Besides other remains of this 
 
60 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 class, large quantities of the testaceous molluscae, 
 &c. are found. For further information on these 
 subjects, the reader may consult Conybeare and Phil¬ 
 lips’ Outlines of Geology. 
 
 The trap rock in Mickle-wood, and the great va¬ 
 riety in its structure, together with the changes pro¬ 
 duced in the organic remains found in the transition 
 lime-stone, where it comes in contact with the trap, 
 also particularly occupied the attention of Dr. Jen¬ 
 ner. Specimens, illustrating these changes, were the 
 ornaments of his study and of his garden. 
 
 A large collection of specimens from the oolite and 
 the lias was also made by Jenner. He sent many of 
 them to Mr. Hunter, and to his friend Dr. Parry at 
 Bath, who sometimes came to Pyrton to ransack 
 the treasures which are found in the lias at that 
 place. There was another haunt on the opposite 
 side of the river at Westbury, where Jenner was 
 wont to carry on his pursuit. A section of this cliff 
 is given by Mr. Conybeare to illustrate the lower 
 beds of the lias formation. The following is the 
 order of stratification. White lias, blue shale, black 
 shale, green siliceous grit, containing black bones , 
 and known here, and at Aust, by the name of the 
 bone bed; black shale, green grit, greenish marl- 
 stone, red marl-stone, of the new red sand-stone for¬ 
 mation. A letter from Dr. Parry points to these 
 favourite pursuits. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 61 
 
 Dr. Parry to E. Jenner. 
 
 Bath, October 20, 1781. 
 
 My good Friend, 
 
 I should have written to you before, had I not waited 
 to announce to you the sending off of a small cargo of 
 fossils and insects. But I have been altogether unable to 
 procure any thing, or any number of things, from the 
 neighbourhood, of the former kind, which could at all 
 deserve your notice. Of the latter, I shall send you about 
 a hundred specimens, as soon as I can get them properly 
 disposed in a box, so as to bear the carriage. Have you 
 made any additions to any of your collections ? I wish it 
 was it my power to visit you and Pyrton at a season when 
 I could take advantage of the dashing tides. However, I 
 must learn to be content with such things as I have. 
 
 •*- # 
 
 * 
 
62 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 LIFE FROM 1783, TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE a INQUIRY.” 
 
 Many of the early letters of Mr. Hunter, as well 
 as some of those that are to follow, regard the singu¬ 
 lar phenomena connected with the torpidity of ani¬ 
 mals. When they pass into this state, a material 
 change is observable in all their most important 
 functions. The temperature is diminished : the cir¬ 
 culation of the blood becomes slower; while res¬ 
 piration, digestion, and the irritability and sensi¬ 
 bility of the muscular and nervous system, are 
 either suspended or much diminished. Mr. Hunter’s 
 experiments, as well as those which were per¬ 
 formed by Dr. Jenner, throw considerable light 
 on these points of physiology. It was found, for 
 instance, that the temperature of the hedge-hog at 
 the diaphragm, in summer, was 97° Fahrenheit, 
 while the thermometer in the shade was 78°. 
 When the temperature of the air fell to 44°, the 
 animal became torpid and its temperature was re- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 G3 
 
 duced to 48° 5". That of the air having fallen to 
 26°, the heat of the animal was found to be 30°. 
 Facts of this kind satisfactorily prove that there is a 
 great reduction of temperature in the animal during 
 the state of torpidity. The reduction in the velo¬ 
 city of the pulse is, perhaps, still more remarkable; 
 animals whose heart beats more than 100 strokes in 
 the minute, having them lowered to 14 or 15 ; and in 
 some the circulation is not at all to be discovered. 
 It is, nevertheless, a remarkable fact that the blood, 
 though apparently devoid of motion, never coagu¬ 
 lates, nor is it prone to do so, even when the animal 
 is exposed to a degree of cold lower than zero. 
 Spallanzani proved this with regard to the marmot. 
 He likewise proved that the blood drawn from the 
 same animal was very readily frozen when exposed 
 to a temperature higher than that of the lungs. It 
 thus appears that there is even in this living death 
 a principal of vitality which resists the ordinary 
 laws of matter. 
 
 The function of respiration in some animals seems 
 to cease altogether. They can exist in the exhaust¬ 
 ed receiver of an air-pump, or in a medium, which in 
 a very short time would extinguish life if they were 
 not in a state of torpidity. To ascertain whether di¬ 
 gestion was carried on under such circumstances, 
 both Mr. Hunter and Dr. Jenner introduced food 
 into the stomach of lizards and hedge-hogs, as they 
 were about to become torpid, and on subsequent ex¬ 
 amination it was found unchanged. As the ordi- 
 
(54 
 
 LIFE OF OR. JENNEIt. 
 
 nary internal stimuli do not affect torpid animals, 
 so they are alike insensible to most of the external 
 agencies. They may be wounded, thrown about 
 with violence, and even be subjected to the pene¬ 
 trating influence of the electric fluid, and yet remain 
 insensible; but what these powerful agents could 
 not effect, may be accomplished by the vivifying 
 energy of heat. It gradually unlocks the secret 
 springs of life, and when the animal is, at the same 
 time, exposed to light and air, all the suspended 
 functions are speedily restored. 
 
 Besides carrying on experiments illustrative of 
 these points, in conjunction with Mr. Hunter, he let 
 no opportunity slip of prosecuting other branches of 
 Natural History, and of procuring subjects for Mr. 
 Hunter s Museum. Mr. Hunter was particularly 
 desirous of obtaining a bustard; this is the largest 
 of the British birds : it is likewise, the rarest. Two 
 letters refer to subjects of this kind, as well as to 
 Jenner’s inquiries respecting the natural history of 
 the cuckoo. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 D ear Jenner, 
 
 I am very much obliged to you for your attention to 
 me. I will very readily give three guineas for the Bus¬ 
 tard, therefore give such orders as you think fit. I re¬ 
 quest the whole history of cuckoos this summer from you. 
 I have bought a house in Leicester Fields, and shall move 
 this summer, when I shall be able to pick out some things 
 for you. Give my compliments to Clinch, and I hope to 
 
LIFE OF D1L JENNER. 
 
 65 
 
 see him before he sets out for Newfoundland ; if I do not, 
 let him think of the white hares, to tame a buck and 
 doe, and send them to me. Let me know in your next 
 what you are doing. I hope to see you in London about 
 two years hence, when I shall be able to show you some¬ 
 thing. 
 
 I am, dear Jenner, 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 When the bustard arrives I will write to you. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I have received the bustard safe, as also the bones. 
 Your friend Mr. IJazeland has been very kind, for which 
 I have wrote to him and thanked him; but when you see 
 him, or write to him, express the same to him, as an in¬ 
 direct thank is better than a thousand direct ones. Are 
 hedge-hogs in great plenty ? I should like to have a few. 
 You must pursue the cuckoo this summer. 
 
 I am employed building, moving, &c. I wish this sum¬ 
 mer was well over. When I am fitted up I hope you will 
 come and see me. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 April 9& d . John Hunter. 
 
 Their correspondence sometimes took a different 
 turn, and questions of an abstract nature were dis¬ 
 cussed between them. ’Whoever has read any of 
 Mr. Hunter’s works must have discerned, amid the 
 plain and straightforward information which they 
 contain, a considerable tendency to abstruse, or even 
 metaphysical reasoning. This is the usual bias of 
 
 F 
 
66 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNEll. 
 
 minds gifted with powers like his ; and had his 
 early education enabled him to draw from collateral 
 sciences such proofs and illustrations of his concep¬ 
 tions as they might have afforded, his genius, great 
 as it was, would have acquired a solidity and an ex¬ 
 tension which would have raised him still higher as 
 a medical philosopher. 
 
 I do not know on what occasion the subsequent 
 letter was written. From the context I should infer 
 that it was suggested by one of those interesting 
 occurrences which are now and then met with, 
 where an individual, who was born blind, has by 
 some means been restored to sight, and is just 
 beginning to acquire ideas of colours; or of an 
 individual who laboured under some extraordinary 
 peculiarity of vision; but, however the case may 
 be, the letter is written with great power and 
 energy. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I thank you for your last letter. I want you to pur¬ 
 sue the inquiry considerably further ; and to give you an 
 idea of what I mean, I will first premise, that there are in 
 nature but three colours, viz. red , blue , and yellow , all the 
 others being combinations of these three. 
 
 First, present him with these three colours singly, and 
 see what he calls them ; then altogether, (not mixed) and 
 see how far they correspond with his first ideas of them : 
 when that is ascertained, then begin to mix them; for 
 instance, a blue and yellow, (which makes a green,) see 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 67 
 
 what he calls that; then a yellow and red, (which makes 
 a scarlet,) next a blue and red, (which make a purple.) 
 
 Now to explain the intention of these experiments. 
 Suppose he has a perfect idea only of one colour, and 
 although you mix that colour ever so much, yet he sees 
 none of the other, but only that colour in the mixture. 
 Suppose all the three colours when seen singly, or unmixed, 
 (with him) are blue; mix blue with red, (making a pur¬ 
 ple,) he will only see the blue, the red not being visible to 
 him : and so on of the others, according as he sees them. 
 Suppose that a simple colour makes no impression; but a 
 compound one does, viz. green, (which is composed of blue 
 and yellow :) then mix blue and red in all proportions, to 
 see what the colour is. Then mix vellow and blue in all 
 proportions, and see what colour these are : if he sees no 
 green in any of them, then mix all the three colours in 
 various proportions, and see what colours those make. 
 When all the colours are mixed in various proportions, 
 and the whole is a green, perhaps, of different shades, 
 according to the quantity of blue and yellow, then you 
 may fairly conclude, that it is the mixture of the blue and 
 the yellow which produces it ; the red never making any 
 impression. If there is any other simple compound that he 
 sees, as scarlet, which is yellow and the Modena red ; or 
 a purple, which is blue and red ; see if when those two 
 are predominent in the mixture, (although there are all 
 the three colours in the mixture) that the compound be¬ 
 comes the visible colour. 
 
 The drawing of the scull has been made ever since you 
 desired it; but I had forgot it. I have a cast for you of 
 the aneurismal varix described by Dr. Hunter. How shall 
 I send both ? Let me know. 
 
 Ever your much obliged 
 
 J. Hunter. 
 
68 
 
 LIFE OF 1)R. JENNER. 
 
 While Jenner was obeying the injunctions of 
 Mr. Hunter, by performing the experiments which 
 he pointed out to him, he continued to busy himself 
 with ardour in forwarding useful knowledge on all 
 professional subjects. We have already seen how 
 wide a range his mind had taken, but it extended 
 also to objects which are with difficulty followed in 
 a situation such as his. Among these may be men¬ 
 tioned pharmaceutical chemistry. Some of the 
 processes recommended for the preparation of seve¬ 
 ral of the most powerful medicines, he found to be 
 less perfect than could have been desired. This was 
 particularly the case with the emetic tartar then 
 commonly used. He had been often foiled and dis¬ 
 appointed in practice, by the uncertainty of the 
 action of this very useful medicine, arising from the 
 imperfection of its preparation. He therefore insti¬ 
 tuted some experiments for the purpose of obtaining 
 one -more regular in its strength, and consequently 
 more uniform in its operation. The process which 
 he ultimately adopted for this purpose is contained 
 in a letter addressed to Mr. Hunter, which was read 
 before the Society for the Improvement of Medical 
 Knowledge, and is published in the first volume of 
 their Transactions. Much intercourse had, however, 
 previously taken place between him and Mr. Hunter 
 on the subject. The facetiae, of the following induce 
 me to print it. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 69 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I am puffing off your tartar, as the tartar of all tar¬ 
 tars, and have given it to several physicians to make trial, 
 but have had no account yet of the success. Mad you not 
 better let a bookseller have it to sell, as Glass of Oxford 
 did his magnesia? Let it be called Jenner’s Tartar Eme¬ 
 tic, or any body’s else you please. If that mode would do, 
 I will speak to some, viz. Newbery,* &c. You are very sly, 
 although you think I cannot see it: you very modestly ask 
 for a thermometer ; I will send one, but take care that those 
 
 d-d clumsy fingers do not break it also. I should be 
 
 glad to have a true and particular account of the cuckoo, 
 and as far as possible under your own eye. To put all 
 matters out of dispute, if the cuckoo’s eggs were taken out 
 of the hedge-sparrow’s nest in which they were laid, and 
 put into another by human hands, there could be no suppo¬ 
 sition that the parent cuckoos would feed, or take any care 
 of them. I also want some young ones. I had a series 
 from you, but a moth got in among 4hem, and plucked 
 them. 
 
 Let me hear from you when you can. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 J. Hunter. 
 
 In the year 1783, Montgolfier attracted the at¬ 
 tention of scientific men, by announcing the result 
 of his first experiment in aerostation. The mind of 
 Jenner was excited by the event, and lie resolved to 
 exhibit to his gazing neighbours in the vale an illus¬ 
 tration of this new species of aerial navigation, as it 
 
70 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 was then called. He accordingly constructed a 
 balloon : it was filled with hydrogen gas, according 
 to the plan of M. Charles, in the hall of the castle 
 at Berkeley. It rose majestically, and winged its 
 flight over the hilly barrier which bounds the vale, 
 and descended near a place called Symond’s 
 Hall. 
 
 It was filled again at Kingscote, and a second 
 time let loose to take its flight <e through fields of 
 ether.’’—Affixed to it were the following lines by his 
 friend Gardner. 
 
 LINES AFFIXED TO AN A IK-BALLOON. 
 
 Stranger, whoe’er thou art, whose gazing eye 
 Is fixed with wonder on this novel scene. 
 
 Ignoble on the ground behold me lie, 
 
 And kiss, indignant kiss, the level green. 
 
 From Chloe’s hand launched forth in fields of air, 
 
 Swift as the, bolt of Heav’n I took my flight; 
 
 Child of the wind, I flutter’d here and there, 
 
 Till clouds obscur’d me from the gazer’s sight. 
 
 Long while held on my daring rapid course, 
 
 I travers’d worlds where eagles never flew, 
 
 With strengthen’d wing, and undiminish’d force, 
 
 Far from the keenest ken of mortal view. 
 
 But fate, alas ! to check my tow’ring pride, 
 
 At length has laid me at thy feet thus low ; 
 
 Let not thy pity be to me denied, 
 
 But on my fate one tender sigh bestow. 
 
LIFE OF DU. JENNEll. 
 
 71 
 
 Art thou to mad ambition now a slave; 
 
 Or dost thou hope in higher walks to shine ? 
 
 Tutor’d by me, thy dear contentment save, 
 
 Or prophesy thy future fate by mine. 
 
 If yet a youth, the moral lesson hear ; 
 
 For, oh ! believe thou canst not know too soon 
 
 A truth (which added years will make more clear) 
 
 44 That vain ambition is—an Air-Balloon!” 
 
 Hurt not my form; ’twere sacrilege to wound 
 A form by Chloe’s hand so sacred made; 
 
 Let not that cruel wretch on earth be found, 
 
 That dares, that impious dares, my sides invade. 
 
 My flight I took from Kingscote’s happy plain, 
 
 A daring wand’rer through the ethereal sky; 
 
 Then, gentle friend, pray take me back again, 
 Perhaps, once more, another course to try. 
 
 The history of this invention affords one among 
 the many proofs of the near approaches that may 
 be made by different individuals to the truth, without 
 reaching it. The possibility of floating heavy bo¬ 
 dies in the atmosphere had been very well ascer¬ 
 tained, but no one till the time of Montgolfier had 
 hit upon the right method of doing it. Mr. Cavallo, 
 of London, seems to have fully comprehended the 
 principle, and nothing but the absence of one little 
 precaution in conducting his experiments, prevented 
 him from acquiring the credit of the discovery. He 
 attempted to fill bags of paper with inflammable air, 
 
* 
 
 72 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 but he forgot that this substance was permeable to the 
 gas. Had he employed varnished silk of sufficient 
 dimensions, or any composition of a similar nature, 
 he could not have failed of success. 
 
 In the commencement of the year 1786, Jenner’s 
 life was put to extreme hazard by exposure to a 
 great degree of cold. I shall give the recital in his 
 own words. 
 
 “January 3d, 1786.—I was under the necessity of 
 going from hence (Berkeley) to Kingscote. The air 
 felt more intensely cold than I ever remember to have 
 experienced it. The ground was deeply covered 
 with snow, and it blew quite a hurricane, accom¬ 
 panied with continual snow. Being well clothed, I 
 did not find the cold make much impression upon 
 me till I ascended the hills, and then I began to feel 
 myself benumbed. There was no possibility of 
 keeping the snow from driving under my hat, so 
 that half my face and my neck was, for a long time, 
 wrapt in ice. There was no retreating, and I had 
 still two miles to go, the greatest part of the way 
 over the highest downs in the country. As the 
 sense of external cold increased, the heat about the 
 stomach seemed to increase. I had the same sensa¬ 
 tion as if I had drank a considerable quantity of 
 wine or brandy ; and my spirits rose in proportion 
 to this sensation. 
 
 “ 1 felt, as if it were, like one intoxicated, and 
 could not forbear singing, &c. My hands at last grew 
 extremely painful, and this distressed my spirits in 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 73 
 
 some degree. When I came to the house I was un¬ 
 able to dismount without assistance. I was almost 
 senseless; but I had just recollection and power 
 enough left to prevent the servants from bringing 
 me to a fire. I was carried to the stable first, and 
 from thence was gradually introduced to a warmer 
 atmosphere. I could bear no greater heat than that 
 of the stable for some time. Rubbing my hands in 
 snow took off the pain very quickly. The parts 
 which had been most benumbed, felt for some time 
 afterwards as if they had been slightly burnt. My 
 horse lost part of the cuticle and hair at the upper 
 part of the neck, and also from his ears. I had not 
 the least inclination to take wine, or any kind of 
 refreshment.” 
 
 “ One man perished a few miles from Kingscote, at 
 the same time, and from the same cause.” 
 
 In the spring of 1787, he was in London. A 
 letter to Sir Joseph Banks relates to a promise 
 which he made at that time, and contains also an 
 account of some experiments on the effect of animal 
 manure on vegetation. 
 
 E. Jenner to Sir Josem: Banks. 
 
 Sie, Berkeley , 1787. 
 
 When I had the honour of waiting on you in London, 
 in the spring, I promised to send you an account of the dog 
 and fox ; but the gentleman from whom I received it not 
 sending it so soon as I expected, occasioned this long 
 delay. His account is as follows: 
 
74 
 
 LIFE OF Dlt. JENNER. 
 
 “ I could not before this day get such intelligence as 
 could be relied on, respecting the dog-fox and terrier 
 bitch, which I have taken the first opportunity of trans¬ 
 mitting to you. The bitch did not seem very desirous of 
 receiving the fox at his first approaching her; but after 
 a little amorous dalliance she soon came to. They copu¬ 
 lated three times in the course of the day, and each time 
 continued together between ten minutes and a quarter of 
 an hour. This happened sometime in the month of July. 
 It did not appear in consequence of this union that the 
 bitch showed any signs of pregnancy.” 
 
 Notwithstanding the above, almost every sportsman as¬ 
 serts that foxes and dogs will produce an offspring. But 
 I shall use every endeavour to set the matters clear, by 
 experiments with these animals. 
 
 I recollect that I promised to send you an account of 
 some experiments made on vegetables with animal manure. 
 I wish they were more worthy your observation. A per¬ 
 son engaged in business cannot conduct these matters as he 
 would wish ; his pursuits are too often interrupted. But 
 though they do not go far enough to determine whether 
 animal manure will produce lasting good effects on vege¬ 
 tables, they prove that a superabundance of this substance 
 is destructive to vegetable life. I shall copy the notes as 
 they stand on my journal. 
 
 February 10th, 1780.—A small quantity of the serum 
 of human blood was poured over about a square foot of 
 grass on a grass-plat. Three sprinklings were given at the 
 distance of a fortnight each, and the whole of the quantity 
 applied was the serum contained in forty ounces of blood. 
 
 April 1st.—The effects it has produced on the vegetation 
 of the grass is astonishing. It is beautifully green and 
 thick, and has sprung up several inches, while the sur- 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JEN NEK. 
 
 75 
 
 rounding grass has but just begun to shoot, and looks of a 
 yellowish green. 
 
 May, 1781.—-Some mustard seed was strewed over thin 
 layers of wool, in three different tea saucers. 
 
 The wool in No. 1 was moistened with water. 
 
 No. 2, with the serum of blood. 
 
 No. 3, with the coagulated part of the blood 
 mixed with the serum. 
 
 The seeds in No. 1 sprang up soon. 
 
 In No. 2 and 3, they swelled a little, but did not push 
 out their radicle, grew mouldy and died. 
 
 This experiment was repeated with equal parts of serum 
 and water. A few of the seeds just showed the radicle and 
 then died. 
 
 It was again repeated with one part serum and two parts 
 water ; these shot and flourished very well. 
 
 A considerable quantity of blood mixed with a little wood 
 ashes and powdered chalk, was applied round the roots of 
 some polyanthus plants. The plants soon assumed a dif¬ 
 ferent appearance from their neighbours. The leaves were 
 more luxuriant and green. But about the time when the 
 flower-stems (which were uncommonly vigorous) were push¬ 
 ed up to half their usual height, they suddenly withered 
 away and died. 
 
 April 21st, 1782.—Two young peach trees were ma¬ 
 nured with animal substances. About eight pounds, or 
 perhaps more, as it was not weighed, were applied to the 
 roots of each tree. They were in a sickly state, and had a 
 very small number of blossoms. Two trees adjoining were 
 very similar in appearance. The manured trees are dis¬ 
 tinguished thus, No. 1—2. The unmanured, No. 3—4. 
 
 May 30th.—From the unusual inclemency of the weather 
 during the whole spring, the peach trees in general are 
 greatly injured, and many of them appear to be destroyed. 
 
76 
 
 LIFE OF OIL JENNER. 
 
 Yet the manure above-mentioned has produced a wonder¬ 
 ful effect. 
 
 No. 1 and 2 appear vigorous, and seem to have regained 
 their health, while No. 3 and 4 look sickly, and have push¬ 
 ed out only weak and tender shoots. 
 
 With a view of ascertaining in some measure what quan¬ 
 tity of animal substance might be applied to a plant with 
 woody roots to its advantage or disadvantage, the following 
 experiments were made. 
 
 April 20th, 1782.—I took four young currant trees of 
 the same age, and nearly as possible of an equal growth 
 and appearance. They were planted in large garden pots 
 of an equal size, in the following different substances. 
 
 No. 1. was planted in the coagulated part of fresh blood, 
 the surface of the pot only being covered with garden 
 mould. 
 
 No. 2. was planted in equal parts of blood and common 
 garden mould mixed together, and the surface being co¬ 
 vered with plain mould. 
 
 No. 3. was planted in common garden mould, without a 
 mixture of any other substance; but this plant will, from 
 time to time, be moistened with the serum of blood, mark¬ 
 ing the quantity made use of each time. 
 
 No. 4. was planted in garden mould, and is to remain as 
 a standard without the addition of any animal substance, to 
 point out the difference of vegetation. 
 
 The four pots were placed under an east wall in the open 
 air. 
 
 April 26.—A pint of serum was poured on No. 3. 
 
 May 3.—The serum in the same quantity applied again. 
 
 June 6.—No. 1. dead. 
 
 No. 2. nearly so. 
 
 No. 3. sickly—though it vegetates in a small 
 degree. 
 
 No. 4. healthy. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 77 
 
 July 20.—No. 3. recovered—shoots, and looks healthy. 
 
 By a letter from Mr. Blagden, I am informed my letter 
 to Mr. Hunter on the Natural History of the cuckoo is or¬ 
 dered for publication in the Philosophical Transactions. I 
 shall pursue the subject during the summer, and hope to 
 have the honour of presenting you with another paper in 
 the autumn, and also on the exciting cause of emigration in 
 
 a O 
 
 birds. 
 
 I am. Sir, &c. 
 
 E. Jennkk. 
 
 The reply of Sir Joseph proves that at this time 
 the paper on the cuckoo had been before the Royal 
 Society, but it was returned to Jenner in order to 
 enable him to record some additional facts which he 
 had ascertained. 
 
 Sir Joseph Banks to E. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Soho Square, July 1th, 1787. 
 
 I beg you to accept my thanks for your obliging favour, 
 respecting the fox and bitch, and the experiments on the 
 effect of manure upon plants, which interest me a good 
 deal. 
 
 In Consequence of your having discovered that the young 
 cuckoo, and not the parent bird, removes the eggs and 
 young from the nest in which it is deposited, the council 
 thought it best to give you a full scope for altering it as 
 you shall choose. Another year we shall be glad to receive 
 it again, and print it. Your other papers I hope you will 
 proceed with when your leisure allows you opportunity. 
 
 
78 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 Mr. Hunter has given us a most excellent paper on the 
 genus of whales. I have no doubt that he will send you a 
 copy, when it is printed, which will soon happen. That 
 genus so difficult to naturalists, because so seldom to be met 
 with, remained to Hunter as a rich field, which he was al¬ 
 most the first to cultivate, and indeed it has produced him 
 a valuable harvest, and I have no doubt but that the mi¬ 
 grations of birds will attend the same to you, as no author 
 has yet treated it to advantage. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient and 
 Very humble Servant, 
 
 Joseph Banks. 
 
 The paper on the cuckoo was finally read on the 
 13th of March, 1788, and printed in the Transac¬ 
 tions of that year. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner, 1788. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 1 have been going to write to you some time past, but 
 business and a very severe indisposition for these three weeks 
 past has prevented me. 
 
 Your paper has been read, passed the council and is in 
 print, for I had a proof sheet this day, and I have ordered 
 50 copies, 25 for you and 25 for myself, to give to friends. 
 I spoke to both Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Blagden about 
 your wish : Sir Joseph has not the least objection, and will 
 give us all his assistance; but he thinks the paper had bet¬ 
 ter be first printed and delivered, and let the people rest a 
 little upon it,—-for he says there are many who can hardly 
 
 
79 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 believe it wholly: this will put off the certificate till the 
 beginning of the next winter, when we shall hang you up. 
 I have received a box with a Wapping landlady and two 
 lizards. Mrs. Hunter’s and my own compliments to Mrs. 
 Jenner. 
 
 I am dear Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 The result of the investigations respecting the 
 cuckoo, begun at the request of Mr. Hunter, was 
 presented through him to the Royal Society. As 
 the Transactions are not in every one’s hands, and 
 the paper itself appears not to be very generally 
 known, I think that some account of it may not 
 be unacceptable in this place. A great deal of 
 care was bestowed both in collecting the facts, and 
 in reporting them with fidelity and accuracy. From 
 one copy of the paper, which I have found in MS. 
 it appears that a scrupulousness was observed in 
 both these respects, which does the greatest honour 
 to the observer. 
 
 The peculiar economy of the cuckoo in commit¬ 
 ting her offspring to the care of a foster-parent, had 
 long excited the attention and wonder of ornitholo¬ 
 gists, "and many reasons had, at different times, been 
 assigned for the signal departure from the common 
 impulses which prompt the feathered tribe to watch 
 over the developement of their offspring and provide 
 for their nourishment and support. The cuckoo 
 in these points is peculiarly unnatural. She does 
 
80 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 not prepare a place where her young may be 
 brought forth, nor does she regard them when they 
 come into being. There is a double evil involved 
 in her neglect; she is not only an improvident 
 mother herself, but she renders others so likewise. 
 When she furtively deposits her egg in the nest of 
 another bird, it is done not that her offspring may 
 be a sharer of the care of the foster-parent, but that 
 it may engross it entirely to the total destruction of 
 its own natural offspring. A perversion of all the 
 maternal instincts is a most remarkable result of this 
 vicarious incubation. 
 
 The hedge-sparrow, or other birds whose nests 
 have been visited by the cuckoo, actually sometimes 
 eject their own eggs to make room for the new 
 guest: but it occasionally happens that this is not 
 done ; the eggs are not disturbed, and the process 
 of hatching is allowed to go on regularly, and the 
 young sparrows and the cuckoo emerge from the 
 shell about the same time. This event, when it is 
 permitted to happen, does not at all improve the con¬ 
 dition of the former ; on the contrary, it only exposes 
 them to greater sufferings. The size of the egg of 
 the cuckoo does not vary much from that of the 
 bird in whose nest it is deposited. When the 
 young sparrow, therefore, and the intruder first 
 come to life, they are pretty much on an equality ; but 
 unhappily for the foster-brethren, this equality does 
 not last long : the cuckoo’s growth rapidly outstrips 
 that of his companions, and he immediately exer- 
 
 ■ 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 81 
 
 cises his new powers with abundant selfishness and 
 cruelty. By a singular configuration of his own 
 body he contrives to lodge his companions, one by one, 
 upon his back, and then scrambling up the sides of 
 the nest, he suddenly throws them from their seat, 
 and completely ejects them from their own home to 
 become food for worms. There is reason to believe 
 that the unnatural parent is often an unmoved wit¬ 
 ness of this atrocity. Her whole care and affection 
 are absorbed by the intruder, and her own flesh and 
 blood literally turned out to perish. It sometimes, 
 though very rarely happens, that two cuckoos ’ eggs 
 are deposited in the same nest. When this occurs, 
 and they are both hatched together, a bitter feud 
 soon arises. These animals, it seems, show no 
 more regard to their own kindred than they do to 
 the stranger. A battle of this kind is here des¬ 
 cribed. 
 
 “June 27, 1787.—Two cuckoos and a hedge- 
 sparrow were hatched in the same nest this morning; 
 one hedge-sparrow’s egg remained unhatched. In a 
 few hours afterwards a contest began between the 
 cuckoos for the possession of the nest, which con¬ 
 tinued undetermined till the next afternoon ; when 
 one of them, which was somewhat superior in size, 
 turned out the other, together with the young hedge- 
 sparrow, and the unhatched egg. This contest was 
 very remarkable. The combatants alternately ap¬ 
 peared to have the advantage, as each carried the 
 other several times nearly to the top of the nest, and 
 
 G 
 
 * 
 
82 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 then sunk down again oppressed by the weight of 
 its burden, till at length, after various efforts, the 
 strongest prevailed, and was afterwards brought up 
 by the hedge-sparrows.” 
 
 The reasons of these strange doings next arrested 
 Jenner’s attention. How happened it, he inquired, 
 that the cuckoo neither builds a nest, incubates, nor 
 rears its young? 
 
 The Honourable Daines Barrington and Dr. Dar¬ 
 win have both mentioned an instance in which the 
 cuckoo did perform these functions. The first was 
 witnessed by the Bev. W. Stafford, in Blossopdale, 
 Derbyshire; the second by Mr. Wilmot, at Morley, 
 in the same county. 
 
 These examples seem to be well authenticated, but 
 they certainly are extremely rare and still leave the 
 questions, enumerated above, fit subjects of curiosity. 
 
 There is nothing in the structure of the cuckoo 
 which incapacitates it either from building a nest, 
 or incubating, or procuring food for its young. All 
 naturalists previous to Jenner were inclined to as¬ 
 cribe the peculiarity in the economy of the cuckoo 
 to causes of this kind. It was imagined that the 
 large stomach, which is only protected by a thin 
 covering, rendered the pressure attendant upon this 
 office incompatible with its health. This theory was 
 adopted without due examination. There are many 
 birds that incubate, whose stomachs are quite as ca¬ 
 pacious and as little protected as that of the cuckoo ; 
 and moreover, the stomach of all nestlings, which 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNElt. 
 
 83 
 
 is always much distended with food, is the point on 
 which the weight of the body is mainly supported 
 while it continues in the nest. It sometimes happens 
 too that the young cuckoo, from an accidental cir¬ 
 cumstance, performs the office of a sitting bird. Jen- 
 ner saw an example of this kind in 1786. He found 
 a hedge-sparrow s nest containing a cuckoo, appa¬ 
 rently about a fortnight old; on lifting up the bird, 
 he observed under it two unhatched eggs. On break¬ 
 ing one it was found to contain a living foetus. 
 These eggs must have been laid some time after 
 the cuckoo was hatched. It completely filled 
 the nest, and by reason of this peculiar incident, it 
 was, in fact, sitting on the eggs of the hedge-sparrow. 
 
 Facts, such as these just enumerated, satisfied 
 Jenner that the causes usually assigned were not 
 adequate to explain the peculiarities in the habits 
 of the cuckoo. Fie therefore, with his characteristic 
 modesty, proposes this solution. May they not, 
 he observes, be owing to the following circum¬ 
 stances? namely, the short residence this bird is 
 allowed to make in this country, where it is destined 
 to propagate its species, and the call that nature has 
 upon it, during that short residence, to produce a 
 numerous progeny. The cuckoo’s first appearance 
 here is about the middle of April. Its egg is not 
 ready for incubation till some weeks after its arrival. 
 A fortnight is taken up by the sitting bird in hatch¬ 
 ing the egg. The young bird generally continues 
 three weeks in the nest before it flies, and the foster- 
 
84 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 parents feed it more than five weeks after this pe¬ 
 riod ; so that if a cuckoo should be ready with an 
 egg much sooner than the time pointed out, not a 
 single nestling, even one of the oldest, would be fit 
 to provide for itself, before its parent would be in¬ 
 stinctively directed to seek a new residence, and be 
 thus compelled to abandon its young ; for the old 
 cuckoos take their final leave of this country the 
 first week in July. 
 
 Had they remained as long as other migrating 
 birds, (such as the swift and the nightingale,) which 
 produce, and rear a single set of young ones, foster- 
 parents evidently would have been unnecessary. It 
 is not known how many eggs the cuckoo generally 
 lays, but that they do lay a great number is very 
 probable, as appears by dissection of the ovaries. 
 
 There is no precise time for the disappearance of 
 the young cuckoos. They seem to go off in succes¬ 
 sion, as soon as they are capable of taking care of 
 themselves. But this is by no means so early as 
 their growth and the fulness of their plumage would 
 seem to indicate. Dr. Jenner has frequently seen a 
 young one so large that the little fostering hedge- 
 sparrow has found it necessary to perch itself upon 
 its back on half extended wing, in order to obtain 
 elevation enough to put the food into its mouth. 
 
 The same impulse which prompts the cuckoo to 
 deposit her egg in the nest of another bird, directs 
 the young one also to secure the entire possession of 
 it to herself. There would be neither room nor food 
 
LIFE OF DU. JENNEIl. 
 
 85 
 
 for any other inhabitant, and she is quite as rigorous 
 in enforcing this law in regard to her own kindred, 
 as she is in respect to those of a different species. 
 
 This very elegant and satisfactory paper, of which 
 a brief account is now presented to the reader, has 
 ever been looked upon as a specimen of accurate and 
 successful investigation. It explained the habits of 
 the cuckoo with much clearness, and has afforded to 
 every subsequent naturalist a plain, convincing, and 
 instructive account of a subject which, till that time, 
 had been involved in the greatest obscurity. 
 
 His nephew Henry became his apprentice in 1783. 
 Jenner was then in extensive practice, and the for¬ 
 mer tells me his situation was no sinecure. Besides 
 attending to the numberless duties of a strictly pro¬ 
 fessional nature he found in the other pursuits of 
 his uncle many calls upon his time which he was 
 obliged to answer. One of his occupations was to 
 pay a daily morning visit to the nests which con¬ 
 tained the young cuckoos. This generally required 
 a ramble of four or five miles in the neighbourhood, 
 and, although Henry had a most inquisitive mind, 
 and was himself particularly given to the study of 
 natural history, he often found his task somewhat 
 tiresome, and would have been perfectly satisfied 
 now and then to permit the hedge-sparrow and the 
 cuckoos to adjust their affairs without any interference 
 on his part. He had at last, however, the happi¬ 
 ness to see the object of his journeys successfully ac¬ 
 complished. The reports which he daily brought to 
 
86 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 his uncle were duly examined, and their accuracy 
 ascertained. The points of chief moment having 
 been elucidated, the time came for arranging the 
 observations and preparing the paper for the Royal 
 Society, for which it was intended. 
 
 “ Come, Henry, our work is coming to a close,’’ 
 he said, “ I have now drawn up the paper, read it, 
 and find all the faults you can. 5 ’ In such kind and 
 familiar language did he encourage his pupil in 
 his studies, and showed him that his humble efforts 
 in promoting the object of the inquiry were justly 
 felt, and duly acknowledged. 
 
 The cuckoos’ nests were chiefly at Clapton, a 
 small estate belonging to Mrs. Hooper, Jenner’s 
 aunt, where, as has been said, he spent much of his 
 time when he was a boy. But he laid all his friends 
 under contribution to him while carrying on his 
 pursuits. Some he employed in adding articles to 
 his museum ; others in watching the habits of 
 plants and animals when he himself could not attend. 
 
 It was chiefly at Sannighar, a property belonging 
 to Lord Berkeley, but in the occupation of Mr. 
 Pearce, that he carried on his inquiries respecting 
 the migration of birds. There he marked the 
 swallows and the swifts, and Mr. Pearce watch¬ 
 ed for their re-appearance and communicated with 
 Jenner. 
 
 On the sixth of March, 1788, an event of great 
 moment to him took place. He was on that day 
 united in marriage to Miss Catharine Kingscote, a 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 87 
 
 lady on whom his affections had been long fixed, 
 and in whose counsel and sympathy he found 
 his surest solace in many of the most trying scenes 
 of his future life. She was elegant in her manners, 
 accomplished in her mind, and possessed an under¬ 
 standing of great vigour. She had been an invalid 
 for a considerable time before her marriage, and 
 she never at any time, after her early years, enjoyed 
 robust health. The family of the Kingscotes is one 
 of the most ancient and respectable in this county; 
 and it has received additional distinction from their 
 personal merits as well as from their alliances with 
 eminent individuals. Anthony Kingscote, Esq. was 
 a kinsman of the great Sir Matthew Hale, and be¬ 
 came his guardian after the death of his parents; 
 and the affinity contracted by the union with Jen- 
 ner will not reflect less lustre on their name. 
 
 His eldest son Edward was born on the 24th of 
 January, 1789 .* This is alluded to in a letter 
 which I subjoin as a specimen of his style of corres¬ 
 pondence with one of his earliest and best beloved 
 friends. 
 
 It is long; but it contains so much interesting 
 domestic intelligence, and exhibits such a picture of 
 the kindness and benevolence of the writer s mind, 
 that I will not withhold from others what has af¬ 
 forded me so much gratification in the perusal. 
 
 * Mr. John Hunter was this child’s godfather. 
 
88 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 E. Jenner to the Rev. John Clinch, Newfoundland. 
 
 Berkeley, 1th February , 1789 . 
 
 My Deafest Frtend, 
 
 Youi rebuke on account of my not answering the long 
 and affectionate letter I received from you in the autumn 
 is far milder than I deserve ; you whip me with a feather 
 when the severest lash might with all justice be applied as 
 a punishment due to me. Not a single excuse have I to 
 offer, and I must beg you to accept my best thanks for 
 your extreme lenity. It is a maxim universally admitted 
 that of all the ill habits a man may fall into, indolence is 
 the most difficult to get rid of. I for one am a sad exam¬ 
 ple of the truth of this position, and this very sin, (for I 
 will not call it by a milder name) has got me into more 
 scrapes than all the rest put together. You, my dear 
 Clinch, may bless your stars that you have not an atom of 
 it in your composition. It was this spiteful demon that 
 bid me defer, and defer it till every ship was sailed that 
 could give one a chance of conveying a letter: a thousand 
 and a thousand times my heart smote me for it, and I 
 seem at this time as if I never should do the like again ; 
 yet conscious that I am still under the dominion of indo¬ 
 lence, it would be imprudent in me to make a rash vow. 
 I should not think of troubling you with a preface of such 
 a length, but it is my intention to let the letter bear an 
 equal proportion. You will find it disjointed and uncon¬ 
 catenated , containing a variety of subjects ; and you must 
 not be surprised to find me pass hastily from one to another, 
 as I shall at my leisure take up the paper and set down 
 matters as they occur to my recollection. As it is upper¬ 
 most in my thoughts I must in the first place tell you 
 that I have a son. My dear Catharine has lain in about a 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 89 
 
 fortnight. The child, though small, appears to be remark¬ 
 ably healthy; and I ardently hope there may as much 
 affection subsist between the young Edward Jenners as 
 between their fathers : there will be no room for more. 
 Do not you think one of these days to send him to Eng¬ 
 land for his education ? I should be happy in taking him 
 entirely under my own inspection, and would do by him 
 exactly the same as if he were my own. I hear by the 
 captain, you and Mrs. Clinch keep him under no kind of 
 restraint, but indulge him with a full gratification of all 
 his wants and wishes. Let me intreat you both to take 
 care what you are about:—remember the path of life is 
 full of thorns , and if you keep him upon velvet till the 
 day arrives when he must begin to feel their points, think 
 how much more poignant must be his feelings. On this 
 subject one might enlarge, but what I have said I trust 
 will be sufficient to awaken every proper sentiment. I 
 shall only just add that severity to children I utterly ab¬ 
 hor, and my observation leads me to consider it as being 
 more injurious to them than the contrary extreme; but 
 either one or the other is so hurtful to the mind that we 
 feel its baneful effects to the very latest period of our lives. 
 
 I sincerely lament your having been again beset by that 
 dreadful fever the typhus, and as sincerely congratulate you 
 on your recovery. There is no laying down, I believe, any 
 general mode of treatment in this disease. A man must be 
 guided by his own genius ; indeed, without a good portion 
 of this,- a physician must ever cut a poor figure ; and if he 
 should be a man of fine feelings, he must often be subject 
 to unpleasant sensations within himself. Something new is 
 for ever presenting itself—neither books, lectures, nor the 
 longest experience are sufficient to store his mind with the 
 undescribable something a man of our profession should 
 possess. It not unfrequently happens that at the onset of 
 
90 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 typhus, the patient becomes affected with extreme nausea, 
 and oftentimes vomiting; this was my own case in the dread¬ 
 ful fever I suffered in the year —86. Taking up the common 
 idea that nature Avas wishing to throw something off the sto¬ 
 mach I took emetic tartar, and increased by this means the 
 malady ; for I did not cease vomiting ten minutes for se¬ 
 veral days. Last April, after taking cold, I felt exactly 
 the same symptoms coming on ; the same confusion in my 
 head, and the same distressful prostration of strength. 
 Being pre-determined, if ever the like should happen, to 
 treat it in a very different way, instead of increasing the 
 nausea, I took something immediately to give a check to it. 
 First, I swallowed a glass of wine, and at once felt all the 
 symptoms give way. I then got on horse-back, but before 
 I had gone two miles the effects of the wine were at an 
 end, and I Avas forced to support myself by leaning on my 
 horse’s neck. I then got a glass of brandy, and in five 
 minutes was quite well; my head, stomach, and muscles, all 
 acting or ready for acting very properly. I had five miles 
 to ride home, and by the time I could reach it, the debility 
 was as great as ever. I constantly observed that my head¬ 
 ache, sickness, and Aveakened muscular action, all came on 
 and went off’ (after the use of the cordials) at the same time. 
 I went at once to bed, and took a pretty large dose of laud¬ 
 anum Avith some spiritus vitrioli dulcis : this, like the bran- 
 dy, gave immediate ease. I went to sleep, and awrnke quite 
 well. I am particular in reciting this case to you, knowing 
 that your constitution subjects you to fevers of this kind ; 
 but I am Avell aware that the attack is so different in differ¬ 
 ent habits that the mode of treatment here mentioned can¬ 
 not be generally adopted. I wish the term putrid applied 
 to this fever could be discarded, for I really think it leads 
 the practitioner into errors. I do not recollect ever seeing 
 a case that arose from the vapour of putrid animal sub- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER, 
 
 91 
 
 stances, nor do I think that putrefaction, in the worst of 
 cases, ever takes place before death, either in the fluids or so¬ 
 lids.—If mortifications come on in consequence of too lan¬ 
 guid a circulation, or any thing else, these may be the effect 
 and not the cause. The giving antiseptics, as they are 
 called, with a view of preventing one’s carcase from becom¬ 
 ing putrid while alive, is too ridiculous. The worst of it is, 
 that these fevers, at first, often commence with symptoms 
 evidently inflammatory, and for a long time before extreme 
 debility comes on, the disease appears to be of a mixed na¬ 
 ture. It is at this period that I find spirit us vitrioli dul- 
 cis so useful; that is, when on the one hand the antimonial 
 plan cannot be admitted, and, on the other hand, the 
 bark plan. And I may add, that I have seen good ef¬ 
 fects arise from the use of antimony and spiritus vitrioli dul- 
 cis given together at a time when inflammatory symptoms 
 seem to preclude the use of the latter given by itself. 
 
 George has at length left us, to take leave of his 
 friends elsewhere before he departs for your snowy shores. 
 Your offer was in every respect so liberal that it would 
 have been unjust in me to have said any thing to have 
 damped his ardour for catching at so good an oppor¬ 
 tunity of improving his fortune. It was only in my 
 power to improve his education ; and the progress he 
 made during the time he staid here was extremely rapid. 
 You will find him a youth of extraordinary talents: 
 his penetration and discernment not limited to his pro¬ 
 fession -only, but general. As a medical character we 
 shall one day or another see him shine ;—as a natural 
 historian he already ranks extremely high ; and, as he 
 is extremely industrious and active, he will doubtless 
 bring to light many things that have lain hid in dark¬ 
 ness about your island from the beginning of time. 
 During his absence, Henry and myself must fag on as 
 
92 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 well as we can. I am sorry to say Henry’s health is not 
 in so good a state as I could wish it; nor do I know 
 what his complaint arises from. But before I say any 
 thing of Henry let me just tell you that what I have 
 said of George is according to my judgment, the just 
 outline of his character, and not an eulogy made up of 
 falsehood. Henry is much as you left him, the same sim¬ 
 ple, inoffensive lad, and indeed, I think as boyish almost 
 as ever; and though his mind is stored with ideas that 
 do him the greatest credit, yet his general appearance 
 and manner is so very Jiftecnish , that a poor mor¬ 
 tal on the bed of sickness will hardly look up to him 
 with that eye of confidence and hope that might safely be 
 placed in him. For it is by appearances, my dear friend, 
 not from a real knowledge of things, that the world (at 
 least the major part of them) form a judgment. A look 
 of significance, a peculiar habit, and a very scanty ac¬ 
 quaintance with the human machine, will make a man pass 
 current for a great physician. This you and I know to 
 bean unfortunate fact; while, without these auxiliaries, 
 a man with the knowledge of the hull and college concen¬ 
 trated will be looked upon as a mere pretender. ’Tis al¬ 
 most midnight; and from the confused manner in which 
 I write, it is certainly time to give my thoughts a respite 
 till “ Nature’s great restorer sleep” shall give them fresh 
 vigour. 
 
 To return, How is your head ? 1 fear but so so. 
 
 I am still of opinion that the complaint you have so 
 long experienced arises from the blood-vessels, carrying 
 blood to the head, overacting their part; you should cer¬ 
 tainly try every means to lessen this morbid determination. 
 Your feet and legs should be kept as warm as conveniently 
 may be, for when the vessels of the head are too full, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 93 
 
 the vessels of other parts are generally too empty; and 
 this occasions coldness. I don’t see how heat can arise 
 from any other cause than increased flow of blood upon a 
 part. For example, the degree of heat in the highest state of 
 inflammation is never more than the heat of the blood about 
 the heart. This I have repeatedly ascertained by experi¬ 
 ment. I fear you are too free with the use of tobacco ; 
 can’t you have resolution enough to give it up ? Spirits, 
 even diluted as you drink them, I think, are bad; and so are 
 liquors containing much fixed air, and consequently spruce 
 beer. ’Tis hard to say what you can substitute if you re¬ 
 linquish those things ; but you should make a thousand 
 innocent experiments on your constitution, and see if this 
 distressing complaint is owing to any error in your mode 
 of living. How far the state of your stomach is connected 
 with it should be studiously made out You know it has 
 long been my creed that stomach is the governor of the 
 whole machine, the mind as well as the body. The seat 
 of action is certainly in the brain; but the stomach gives 
 the word of command, and tells it how it shall act. I have 
 taken up a notion, that every one of the large arteries 
 may, in consequence of the stomach being affected in a 
 peculiar way, take upon itself an action quite independent 
 of the heart, except in its number of pulsations. This 
 subject is too wide for the confined plan of a letter ; and 
 I shall therefore touch it very briefly. The blood-vessels 
 are, you know, all connected with nerves; and conse¬ 
 quently, irritable. You will think it odd in me to assert 
 such a thing; but I really believe that most of the dis¬ 
 eases human nature is liable to arise from these nerves 
 being affected, and consequently subjecting the blood¬ 
 vessels to a diseased action. The skin may be affected by 
 certain applications, and these may produce the same 
 
94 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEIl. 
 
 effects as if they were applied to the stomach : cold, for 
 example. I mention this because I have called the stomach 
 the ruling principle: but the skin and stomach have a 
 peculiar connection one with the other. If you will turn 
 your thoughts to the subject a multitude of illustrations 
 will arise, to make you sensible of the truth of the obser¬ 
 vation respecting diseases arising from improper action in f 
 the blood-vessels; or, to simplify the idea, from too large 
 a quantity being thrown upon one part, while another 
 part is deprived of its due quantity. Don’t you find that 
 when one part is too hot (remember I have said that heat 
 depends entirely upon an increased quantity of blood in 
 a part) that another part is too cold ? When the face is 
 flushed with heat, the feet and hands are generally freezing 
 with cold; and what does this flushing arise from but 
 from the arteries of the face feeling a stimulus ? and this 
 quite independent of the heart itself being acted upon ; 
 for we often find that while this appearance exists, the 
 heart is beating slowly. I have selected this appearance 
 because it is one of the most familiar. 
 
 But in a word, what disease is there, either acute or 
 chronic, that does not arise from these irregular dashes (if 
 I may use the expression) of blood up^n different parts of 
 the body ? This question I shall leave you to answer; 
 and at the same time quit the subject, which I fear is here 
 spoken of with too little perspicuity for you to compre¬ 
 hend. 
 
 One little hint arising from it I must not omit; and that 
 is, if your feet are in the least disposed to be cold, that you 
 use a tepid bath (about 100 degrees) for ten minutes every 
 night. Plunge in both legs as well as your feet. This 
 reminds me of the thermometer, which I hope you have 
 received long ago ; for though I did not write to you I 
 
LIFE OF DE. JEN NEE. 
 
 95 
 
 was not so bad as not to write to London about it: this 
 I did immediately on receiving your letter. 
 
 Mrs. Jenner begs Mrs. Clinch to accept her thanks for 
 her civilities, to which I beg leave to add mine. The 
 cranberries are, as usual, excellent and I paint my mouth 
 with them frequently. But, alas! the Parson’s fish! 
 George will tell you all about it. I have been week after 
 week waiting to go to town, where I thought to have 
 picked up something worth sending to you; but I now 
 begin to fear that the ship will sail ere I shall be able to 
 go. But you know you are too often in my thoughts to 
 be forgotten. Pray send me the catalogue of your books 
 that I may know what medical works may at any time be 
 useful to you. But must this monstrous piece of water for 
 ever stand betwixt us ? are we to have no intercourse but 
 with pens and ink ? Among your numerous callings is 
 there not one that would enable you to find ample succour 
 for your family, breathing at the same time the balmy air 
 of your native Isle ? 
 
 With an earnest request that you would seriously 
 ponder over these questions I shall conclude this long- 
 epistle : I don’t urge your speedily relinquishing the situ¬ 
 ation you are placed in ; but only to have it in contempla¬ 
 tion to be, one day or another, my companion as well as 
 friend. 
 
 Till this hour arrives, and to the latest period of your 
 existence, may every earthly comfort be your portion. No 
 one more ardently wishes happiness to you and yours, than 
 your ever 
 
 Faithful and affectionate friend, 
 
 Edward Jenner. 
 
 To the Rev. John Clinch, 
 
 Newfoundland. 
 
96 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 The gentleman t0 w hom this was addressed had 
 been Jenner’s schoolfellow : they afterwards studied 
 together under Mr. Hunter’s eye, and contracted for 
 each other the warmest and most sincere friendship. 
 Clinch, being destined for a distant colony, took 
 orders as a clergyman, and when he settled at 
 Trinity in Newfoundland, he combined the practice 
 of medicine with the exercise of his sacred func¬ 
 tions. 
 
 A pleasing account of Jenner’s domestic happi¬ 
 ness, and of his contentment in his sequestered situ¬ 
 ation, is found in a communication to his friend 
 Gardner. To explain the latter part of it, I may 
 remark that Gardner, during the early portion of 
 his life was a wine and spirit merchant; and Jenner’s 
 cellar was usually supplied from his store. 
 
 E. Jenner to E. Gardner. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 When I consider what miserable weather we have had 
 for some time past, I can readily forgive your not coming 
 to see me. You know I sat half an hour with your father 
 to-day in his closet. It was (if I mistake not) the third 
 time of my calling at your house without the pleasure of 
 finding you at home. I thought your father seemed to be 
 quite forsaken by his usual vivacity, and that the infirmi¬ 
 ties of our nature were beginning to squeeze him too hard. 
 
 My place of residence, though unfinished, is extremely 
 comfortable; and I can with truth assure you the last year 
 of my life, dating it from the month of March, has been the 
 happiest beyond all comparison I ever experienced : and 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 97 
 
 I will take upon me to aver (nay I would swear it) that 
 if you could be lucky enough to connect yourself with a 
 woman of such a disposition as kind fortune has, at last, 
 given to me, you will find a vast addition to your stock of 
 happiness. 
 
 You have rallied me lately on a change of sentiment 
 with regard to a rural life. There were no fair grounds 
 for it, for I feel my mind as cottagish as ever; and when 
 you see my habitation finished, you will allow me to be 
 quite as retired and countryfied as yourself. Whether a 
 man sits on a. sofa or a bench, dines off a plate or a 
 trencher, it does not, according to my ideas, make much 
 difference. Still I think his mind may delight in the 
 very opposite to that which mankind in general run after. 
 
 My chain of philosophy is hastily broken by the intru¬ 
 sion of a busy thought; and indeed it is rather lucky, 
 as I took up my pen for that purpose. It was to tell 
 you that my brandy is out, and my cellar getting dry. 1 
 must still trespass upon your patience in sending me such 
 small quantities of malt, but as yet I have no materials 
 for brewing put up. Send the brandy according to quality. 
 If it is apt (as we say) send a large hamper; if not, send 
 some for present use only. Where is my bill ? If you 
 don’t send it soon, it may be worse for you. I expect to 
 go through your turnpike to-morrow, where I shall pro¬ 
 bably drop this scrawl; for I fear my time will be so 
 taken up that I can’t see you. 
 
 Mrs. J. jogs my elbow to say she wishes to hear a duet; 
 and to give her compliments to you. 
 
 Adieu! Yours ever very sincerely, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 The correspondence with Mr. Hunter was main¬ 
 tained, but the declining health of that gentleman 
 
 ii 
 
98 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 rendered his communications less frequent. One of 
 them regards a curious pathological fact, which Jen- 
 ner had observed concerning the dislodgement of hy¬ 
 datids from the kidneys. Dr. Jenner continued, not¬ 
 withstanding Mr. Hunter’s scepticism, to believe that 
 the oil of turpentine was the agent of their removal. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I have just received the favour of yours. I have just 
 now forgot the case of the hydatids; but if there was any 
 thing that struck me, I dare say it was laid by. They are 
 frequently in the kidneys, but I should doubt your oil of 
 turpentine having any merit in bringing them away. My 
 reason for supposing them animals is because they move 
 after they have been extracted. I have taken them out of 
 the head or brain of a sheep, and they have contracted in 
 different parts of them when put into warm water. I should 
 be glad to employ you if I knew in what; but if any thing 
 comes across my imagination, I will think of you. The 
 measly pork are hydatids. 
 
 I am afraid of your friend Mrs. L. There is a hard tu¬ 
 mour that almost fills the pelvis, most probably the uterus. 
 How does Mrs. Jenner do? do you bring her to London ? 
 What family have you got ? My compliments to Mrs. 
 Jenner, and believe me to be, dear Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient, and 
 
 Most humble servant, 
 
 December 8lh, 1790. John Hunter. 
 
 This letter is interesting on two accounts. It 
 alludes to the care with which all documents of any 
 
99 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 moment were ‘ laid by,’ and preserved by Mr. Hun¬ 
 ter. It was his habit to have such portions of the 
 communications of his correspondents transcribed as 
 contained any new information. His collections of 
 this kind must, therefore, have been highly interest¬ 
 ing and very voluminous, but I have some reason to 
 fear that they have all perished. The other point 
 to which I refer, concerns Dr. Jenner’s inquiries on 
 the subject of hydatids. The natural history of these 
 bodies, and their influence in producing disorganiza¬ 
 tions of the most formidable kind, began about this 
 period to attract much of his attention. It led him 
 likewise to investigate with great care the healthy 
 functions and diseased conditions of the lymphatic 
 system. To gain information on these points, he 
 had recourse to comparative anatomy and pathology ; 
 and derived from the inferior animals most satis¬ 
 factory evidence of the accuracy of the opinions he 
 had been led to adopt. 
 
 The important illustrations of the origin and pro¬ 
 gress of diseases to be drawn from these sources con¬ 
 tinued to occupy his mind at different intervals 
 throughout all the remaining years of his life. Some 
 of his early opinions were communicated to Dr. Bed- 
 does, in order to explain the formation of tubercles in 
 the lungs: and were published by that physician in 
 his work on factitious airs. At a subsequent period 
 they became the subject of much intercourse and cor¬ 
 respondence between Dr. Jenner and myself. This 
 is not the place to dwell at large on the doctrines 
 
 H 2 
 
100 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 connected with it. His opinions will be found in two 
 works which I published in the years 1819 and 1822. 
 Some of the views disclosed in these works were taken 
 by the best physiologists and pathologists of former 
 days, but in consequence of the overwhelming in¬ 
 terest which was attached to other parts of the ani¬ 
 mal economy, they were permitted to fall into ne¬ 
 glect. They will doubtless, however, revive, and 
 Dr. Jenner’s claims as a pathologist will be admitted, 
 for though he was not the first , he certainly was an 
 original inquirer in this field ; he having been quite 
 unacquainted with the writings of which I speak. 
 Like his great master. Hunter, he was more given 
 to trust to observation than to literary research. Be¬ 
 sides, the publications were in some measure of a 
 fugitive nature, consisting chiefly of short disserta¬ 
 tions : and had not Haller deemed them worthy of a 
 place in his collections, they would probably have 
 sunk into oblivion. 
 
 The successful experiments of Ruysch on the san¬ 
 guiferous system led physiologists to pay almost 
 exclusive attention to that part of the animal econo¬ 
 my. Thus the excitement which had arisen from 
 the discovery of the lymphatics was allowed to sub¬ 
 side, and all the functions of the body, whether in a 
 healthy or diseased state, were entirely ascribed to 
 some modification of sanguiferous action, to the 
 almost total exclusion of other agents. At a subse¬ 
 quent period Mr. Hunter's own writings contributed 
 not a little to produce a similar result. It is, never- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 101 
 
 theless, certain that he attempted to guard against 
 an error of this kind, though his followers did not 
 always perceive it, and have employed the authority 
 of his name to support opinions which he has expli¬ 
 citly disowned.i 
 
 The origin of the many changes of structure that 
 affect organized beings, has ever been a subject of 
 interest, because it, in truth, includes many of the 
 most serious “ ills that the flesh is heir to.” Tuber¬ 
 culous disorganizations, in one shape or other, de¬ 
 stroy an immense proportion of the inhabitants of 
 these islands : and the number of kindred changes 
 of structure that appear in the shape of tumours of 
 various denominations, producing either deformity 
 or death, invest this branch of pathology with a de¬ 
 gree of importance second to none. This was the 
 opinion of Jenner, and he laboured with unceasing 
 perseverance to throw light upon the subject, ear¬ 
 nestly hoping that accurate knowledge on the origin 
 and progress of this class of diseases would lead to 
 more successful means of treating them. 
 
 It has been the custom to ascribe them all to in¬ 
 flammatory action. There is great reason to fear 
 that this general term has been too indiscriminately 
 used, -and that the ideas attached to it are very 
 far from being precise. The opinion seems to have 
 arisen from examining changes of structure in an 
 advanced period, when the original distinction of 
 parts is lost, instead of watching them throughout 
 their progressive stages, when the real condition of 
 
102 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 the structures can be traced. Errors of this kind 
 can scarcely be avoided if we confine our researches 
 to human pathology. There we only see the disease 
 in its last stage, and, it may be, invert the order of 
 the phenomena, putting down for a cause what pos¬ 
 sibly was a consequence. 
 
 This conviction induced Dr. Jenner to seek infor¬ 
 mation elsewhere. He examined very carefully the 
 diseases of the inferior animals, and was enabled to 
 prove that the usual course assigned to them was by 
 no means correct. He found, especially in that class 
 of diseases of which we are speaking, that the pri¬ 
 mary state did not denote any thing akin to inflam¬ 
 mation ; that the changes were in the first instance 
 obviously connected not so much with the blood-ves¬ 
 sels, as with another part of the system. 
 
 The Hydatids, of which naturalists now enumerate 
 several -species, afforded to him the means of explain¬ 
 ing many morbid phenomena. These bodies are ge¬ 
 nerated in almost every texture, and are themselves 
 liable to changes which totally alter their original 
 character, and give rise to diseases most formidable 
 in appearance and fatal in their nature. By far the 
 greater number of encysted tumours, whether found 
 within the abdomen or elsewhere, have had an origin 
 of this kind. The demonstration of this fact can 
 only be obtained by tracing the progress of these 
 bodies in different animals through all their stages. 
 The information derived from examinations of this 
 kind casts a bright and steady light over some of 
 
LIFE OF DR, JENNER. 
 
 103 
 
 the most obscure parts of human pathology; and has 
 enabled us to explain the formation and growth of 
 morbid masses, which could not be accounted for, 
 rationally, in any other way. 
 
 The kindly intercourse which had so long sub¬ 
 sisted between Jenner and Mr. Hunter was now 
 soon to cease for ever; and I believe not more than 
 three or four letters were interchanged subsequently 
 to this time. One of them playfully upbraids Jen¬ 
 ner for not coming to town. The reason of it is 
 detected in another.— 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 What are your about ? I have not heard of you, nor 
 from you for this long time. You must certainly be about 
 some mischief that keeps you so quiet. Let me know 
 what you are doing, or else I will blow you, and have you 
 brought to town as a criminal. 
 
 Yours, &c. 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 Mr. Hunter to E. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I was in hopes of having seen you in London long 
 before now; but I have been informed that Mrs. Jenner 
 has been extremely ill. When you come I hope you will 
 bring her with you : we will take all the care we can of 
 her. 
 
 Now that the hedge-hogs are gone to sleep, I could wish 
 you would get some of them for me ; and put them in a 
 
104 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 box with very loose and coarse straw, so that they might 
 have air, and not tumble about on each other. I want to 
 open a few. When you catch them, do not put them into 
 a warm place to make them lively: the more stupid the 
 better they will carry and live. 
 
 Ever yours, 
 
 John Hunter. 
 
 December 1(k/i, 1791. 
 
 Mr. Hunter’s last letter to Jenner was dated on 
 the 12th of August, 1793, a little more than two 
 months before he suddenly expired in St. George’s 
 hospital. As it refers entirely to a private consul¬ 
 tation, I forbear to print it; and shall only observe, 
 that it is written with his usual power and vigour. 
 
 It will easily be believed that Jenner was deeply 
 affected by the loss of such a friend, although his 
 knowledge of the disease under which he believed 
 Mr. Hunter to have long laboured had too well 
 prepared him for such an event. An account of the 
 appearances found on examining the body was 
 transmitted by Sir Everard Home to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir Everakd Home to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Leicester Square , February 18 th, 1794. 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I have sent you by the Major the numbers due to you 
 from the Royal Society. I am well assured that you were 
 sincerely afflicted at the death of your old and most valua- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 105 
 
 ble friend, whose death, although we all looked for it, was 
 more sudden than could have been imagined. It is singu¬ 
 lar that the circumstance you mentioned to me, and was 
 always afraid to touch upon with Mr. Hunter, should 
 have been a particular part of his own complaints, as the 
 coronary arteries of the heart were considerably ossified. 
 
 As I am about to publish a life of Mr. Hunter, which 
 will contain both the symptoms of the disease, and the dis¬ 
 section, I shall not say more about it at present; it will 
 be prefixed to the work on inflammation, and we hope to 
 have it printed by the end of next month. 
 
 I cannot say that I have met with the ossification of 
 these arteries so frequently as other alterations of struc¬ 
 ture in the heart, but this case is very much in favour of 
 your theory. 
 
 * * * * * * * 
 
 The fatigues of general practice having become 
 irksome to Jenner he resolved to abandon one branch 
 of it, and to confine himself to medicine. With that 
 view he obtained in 1792 a degree of Doctor of 
 Physic from St. Andrew’s. I cordially wish that all 
 the honours of that ancient University had been as 
 well bestowed. 
 
 Towards the conclusion of 1794, he was attacked 
 with typhus fever, which nearly proved fatal. He 
 was visited by Dr. Parry from Bath, and Dr. Hicks 
 from Bristol; but his constant attendant was his 
 nephew George C. Jenner. 
 
 He has himself left a very striking picture of his 
 own sufferings, as well as those of his family, at this 
 time. 
 
106 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER, 
 
 Doctor Jenner to W. F. Shrapnell, Esq. 
 
 Dear Shrapnell, 
 
 Having no farther use for the small remnant of brain 
 the grim-visaged typhus has left me than to employ it in 
 this way among my friends, it would be highly improper 
 in me to withhold an answer to your obliging favour, for a 
 single post. 
 
 Indeed, my good friend, I have been a terrible sufferer 
 since you were at Berkeley, at which time I never ex¬ 
 perienced such health, my stomach and skin being in such 
 a state from late autumnal bathing, that I scarcely felt the 
 cold you were all complaining of. But who in the front of 
 the battle shall say his breast shall not be pierced by the 
 sword of the enemy ? I little thought there was so much 
 malignancy in the disease that cut off the poor dear boy ; 
 as it was clearly generated in his constitution, and not 
 communicated. 
 
 You shall hear the history of our calamities. First fell 
 Henry’s wife and sister. From the early use of bark, 
 they both appeared to recover; but the former, after going 
 about her ordinary business for some days, had a dreadful 
 relapse, which nearly destroyed her. It was during my 
 attendance on this case that the venomed arrow wounded 
 me: I felt it in the form of a nausea, as if I had eaten 
 some indigestible substance, for several days, without the 
 system being in the least affected ; and had it not been for 
 a dreary, wearisome ride over mountains of ice, without 
 being able to come at succour, no mischief might have en¬ 
 sued ; for I have long been assured that infection may be 
 received and again expelled from the constitution, if no 
 debilitating power should arise to call it into action. Like 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEll. 
 
 107 
 
 Mrs. Jenner’s fever, at an early period there was a clear 
 intermission for four days; but, doctor-like, not a single 
 grain of bark, or any thing else, did I take during this 
 period. On the 8th day after the first seizure it again set 
 in, in good earnest, and continued one-and-twenty days ! 
 Great were the efforts of those who kindly and humanely 
 attended me. Dr. Parry was with me from Bath five 
 times, Dr. Hicks and Dr. Ludlow as many, and my friend 
 George was never absent from my bed-side. Thank Hea¬ 
 ven ! these efforts were crowned with success, and I am now 
 enjoying that happy state, an uninterrupted convalescence ; 
 yet still so feeble that I think a great matter has been 
 achieved when I quit my bed for an hour or two, and hob¬ 
 ble across my chamber. My medicine is the Cascarilla 
 bark ; all other barks disordering me much. I sleep well, 
 and my appetite is good, too good ! for what is human 
 reason, when opposed to the fury of an empty stomach ? 
 But to return to that mansion of melancholy, Henry’s. 
 His infant girl has now the fever; a servant maid in the 
 house is dying with it; and, to complete this tragical nar¬ 
 rative, about five days ago fell poor Henry himself. His 
 symptoms, at present, are such as one might expect; vio¬ 
 lent pain in the head, vertigo, debility, transient shiver- 
 ings, &c. 
 
 George is the only person among us that keeps his legs. 
 His report of his brother is rather pleasant this evening; 
 his pulse being sunk from 125 to 100. The stench from 
 the poof girl is so great as to fill the house with putrid va¬ 
 pour ; and I shall remove him this morning by means of a 
 sedan-chair to a cottage near my own house. Happier 
 hours are, I hope, on the wing for us; and that you will, 
 ere long, receive from me more agreeable communications. 
 Poor Cooks ! I sincerely lament his fate. You have lost 
 
108 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 such a friend as will not be easily found again. Do you 
 recollect a pithy line in Young on the subject of making 
 friends ? 
 
 “ But friends how mortal! dangerous the desire!” 
 
 I heartily wish you well through the ensuing campaign. 
 If your swords are ever to be unsheathed, it will be now. 
 
 H- - is, and ever was, a vain hypocritical-. I 
 
 have lived, Sir, in this wicked world, man and boy, these 
 five-and-forty years, and no act of mine during that space 
 ever pleased me more than that of driving the monster from 
 this place ; but alas ! the immoralities he inculcated have 
 taken too deep a root for even the arm of an Hercules ever 
 to pluck up. To dissipate sadness, and fill up my leisure 
 hours, I have been collecting my scattered thoughts on the 
 subject of the migration of birds, having long promised a 
 paper to the Royal Society. Can you furnish me with any 
 facts respecting this matter that I do not possess ? Make 
 my respects to Mrs. Shrapnell, Colonel Wall, and any 
 officer of the battalion I have the honour of being ac¬ 
 quainted with, and 
 
 Believe me yours, most sincerely, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 The effects of this illness continued for a consider¬ 
 able time. The feelings of the neighbourhood may 
 be gathered from some expressions of one of his old 
 associates, the Rev. Nathaniel Thornbury, of Ave- 
 ning, a village about fifteen miles distant from 
 Berkeley. He was a learned and somewhat eccen¬ 
 tric man, fond of natural history, and a shrewd ob¬ 
 server. He makes mention of a fact which Jenner 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 109 
 
 has employed in elucidating his doctrine of the cause 
 of the migration of birds. 
 
 The Rev. Nathaniel Thornbury, to Dr. 
 
 Jenner. 
 
 Averting , March 22, 1795. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I sincerely congratulate you on your recovery, and let 
 me add, the surrounding neighbourhood also. When such 
 an individual as you migrates to a better planet, (for surely 
 this, as friend Yorick says, is a very scurvy and disastrous 
 one,) the languishing invalid, whose existence you have 
 lengthened, or whose pangs you have alleviated, drops a 
 mournful tear. 
 
 Nonentities, like myself, steal from the world, and not a 
 stone tells where we lie. Horace’s “ in seipso totus teres 
 atque rotundus,” is a brief compendium of my present 
 system, which I hereby reduce to the small compass of a 
 ring posy. As I find it improves my aversion to the race 
 to see the yahoos now and then in large groups, I am at 
 this moment setting out for the great Hyrcanian forest, 
 namely Town, to speculate and growl for a few days, and 
 then return to my own den. 
 
 I write all this in pure simplicity of heart, well knowing 
 your discretion, as being also one of us, a cynick in cuore 
 with the il volto sciolto. 
 
 The thieves were Dutch ones. I have in your last week’s 
 journal been pushing quart and tierce with one of your 
 English ones, for “ he that robs me,” &c.—not but that the 
 yahoo had literally robbed me by conveying away at dif¬ 
 ferent times certain ratios of hay, in which he was detect¬ 
 ed. The anecdote you inquire after is briefly as follows. 
 Scheveling is a fishing village, on the coast of Holland, 
 about two miles from the Hague. An individual of the 
 
110 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 place, on whose veracity I think I can rely, informed me 
 that he observed his pigeons, in a morning when the weather 
 was fine, stretch across the ocean in a direction due west, 
 and return in the evening. In the craws or crops of several, 
 on killing them, vetches were found. As to their picking 
 up vetches in Holland, the thing is wholly impossible. 
 Quia, because there are none to pick up. The opposite 
 coasts indeed of Norfolk and Suffolk afford a plentiful sup¬ 
 ply. You will make the necessary inferences, and conclude 
 accordingly; but, no conclusion you can possibly make, 
 were you to range the whole field of Scibile and Ens, can 
 be more undoubted and certain, than the conclusion of the 
 present, that 
 
 I am, dear Sir, 
 
 Very truly, very sincerely, yours, 
 
 Nathaniel Thoknbury. 
 
 I am not aware of any incident worth recording 
 that befel him or his family, till towards the end of 
 the year 1795, when a fleet of transports under 
 Admiral Christian, destined for the West Indies, was 
 wrecked on the coast near Weymouth. Dr. Jenner’s 
 nephew, Stephen, was on board the Catherine. This 
 young officer was on the staff of General Aber- 
 cromby. A most lively, yet appalling account of this 
 disaster is given in two letters by Mr. Shrapnell, 
 who on the melancholy occasion exerted himself in 
 collecting the stiffened corpses of many of his friends 
 and companions, that lay scattered in terrific confu¬ 
 sion along the beach; but he shall speak for him¬ 
 self. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Ill 
 
 W. F. Shrapnell, Esq. to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Weymouth , November 22, 1795. 
 
 My Dear Friend, 
 
 Although heartily exhausted with fatigue, I cannot 
 avoid telling vou that I have every reason to believe my 
 friend Stephen was unfortunately lost in the Catherine trans¬ 
 port. I volunteered the command of a party of forty men 
 of our regiment, to bury the dead, in hopes of finding his 
 body. I have been three days officiating in the melancholy 
 ceremony. I could not distinguish his features, but from 
 size and some resemblance I have lodged in coffins two 
 bodies which I thought resembled him. I will faithfully 
 see them interred, with the bodies of fourteen other officers, 
 with all military honours. Our officers have exerted them¬ 
 selves very much. The labour I and my party have gone 
 through, I look back upon with astonishment, but almost 
 think it miraculous. The cause supported us. We had 
 every day six miles to walk on the bank of pebbles, one 
 mile an hour before we could reach the bodies, and then 
 they lay scattered on the same bank for two miles further. 
 I believe we have buried about 230, but cannot immedi¬ 
 ately say, as I am much wearied, and have a good way to 
 send to my sergeants for the account. Forgive me if I do 
 not say any thing particular this time. To-morrow I shall 
 again go to the spot with carriages to bring the officers 
 here in coffins to be buried, and on Tuesday the melan¬ 
 choly ceremony will be performed with all military ho¬ 
 nours. 
 
 Mrs. Burns is very well, and in better spirits than we 
 
112 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 could have imagined. I have now in my pocket some of 
 her husband’s hair for her. I will save some off the body 
 I have taken for Stephen’s for you, but it is cropped short. 
 
 Adieu, 
 
 Your ever sincere 
 
 W. F. Shrafnell. 
 
 W. F. Shrafnell, Esq. to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Weymouth, November 26, 1795. 
 
 My dear Friend, 
 
 I this evening received your answer to my first letter, 
 by which I find my first suggestion was too true, and that 
 my friend Stephen is in reality no more. I persevered at 
 the head of forty men for four days, searching for his body, 
 and interring the soldiers and seamen cast on shore. It 
 would fill your susceptible mind with too much anxiety, 
 w r as I to attempt a description of a small view of the horrid 
 scene. I selected the bodies of seventeen officers and nine 
 women, who were all interred yesterday in the churchyard 
 of Wyke Regis, with military honours; a solemn and awful 
 sight to survivors. 
 
 I selected a body much like my friend in size, height, 
 and, as I thought, features, and preserved it with the 
 bodies of two others, which I thought resembled him also. 
 They were brought to the Wyke yesterday as above. I 
 gave poor Mrs. Burns the satisfaction that I had identi¬ 
 fied the body of her husband. His marks were so particu¬ 
 lar that nobody could be deceived. 
 
 I also found the body of Captain Creighton, Lieutenant 
 Sutherland, and Lieutenant Kerr. These we are all sure 
 of. I have now been sitting an hour with Mrs. Burns, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 113 
 
 and making what inquiry I could to satisfy your request. 
 She says that none were sensible of their danger until 
 within five minutes of the ship’s striking ; that lieutenant 
 Jenner was that morning dressed earlier than usual, and 
 provided (in his turn) breakfast for the mess of officers: 
 that he did not seem to be alarmed, but went on deck to 
 see which point the wind lay, and immediately came down 
 into the cabin and said in a joking manner, it is now all 
 over with us, for we have not an inch of canvass left. His 
 cot and sleeping place were so much disturbed by the 
 rocking of the ship, that he retired to put his things to 
 rights, or to lie down. Soon after this the mate of the 
 ship looked down into the cabin, and cried out, “ gentlemen, 
 save yourselves if you can.” Mr. and Mrs. Burns were 
 not dressed, but on the alarm, went on deck with Lieute¬ 
 nant Jenner and Staines, the captain, &c. The ship rocked 
 a good deal, and an immense wave immediately separated 
 Mrs. B. from her husband, and knocked her and the ship’s 
 captain down again into the cabin. The captain recovered 
 himself immediately, and went on deck. In about a mi- 
 nute she attempted to follow him, and with difficulty got 
 up and looked on the deck, where no person remained. 
 The ship then struck, and she was hurried a second time 
 into the cabin, surrounded with cracking timbers, and com¬ 
 pletely enclosed. She imagined her husband and Mr. 
 Jenner had leaped on shore, and attempted a third time in 
 vain to save herself. 
 
 She -then resigned herself to the will of Heaven, expect¬ 
 ing no other than immediate death, and on her knees, half 
 covered with water, and the ship momentarily breaking 
 to pieces, awaited the fatal event. How she was pre¬ 
 served she cannot account. She supposes the wreck must 
 have broken the cabin open, and left a breach wide enough 
 to let her through. A wave threw her someway from the 
 
 I 
 
114 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ship, and being perceived by a man at a distance, he saved 
 her at the hazard of his life. She could not be made sen¬ 
 sible but her husband must have been saved before her. 
 The fact is that the first time the ship struck every per¬ 
 son on deck was washed overboard, and no more seen 
 alive. At this time my unfortunate friend shared the fate 
 of his companions. 
 
 I have no doubt but a better chance would have been 
 presented if the unfortunate sufferers had been able to 
 remain with the ship, as she was driven very far on the 
 land. I saw the next day the whole stern windows of the 
 Catherine, but in a few hours they were broken up for 
 the iron, by the inhuman plunderers in the neighbour¬ 
 hood. The other parts of the ship were dashed to atoms. 
 
 I am, 
 
 Your very sincere friend and humble servant, 
 
 W. F. Shrapnell. 
 
 An account of this calamity was published by 
 Mrs. Charlotte Smith, a lady well known in the li¬ 
 terary world. Dr. Jenner, in allusion to her then 
 intended work, observes in a letter to Mr. Shrapnell, 
 “ Her pathetic pen will do every thing one could 
 wish with respect to the narrative. Mr. Gardner 
 has been so much engaged with a pamphlet of his 
 own that I did not intend to interrupt him till that 
 was finished; so that no one can feel hurt at Mrs 
 
 • 
 
 Smith’s taking the matter up; and for my own 
 part I am much consoled at the idea.’ ’ 
 
 It will be seen by another part of this work how 
 much Dr. Jenner’s mind was, in the course of this 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 115 
 
 year, occupied with that great subject which engaged 
 so much of his time and attention during the rest 
 of his life. He had in the spring performed his 
 first inoculation of the variolce vaccince and was 
 preparing to bring the astonishing result of his in¬ 
 vestigations before the public. 
 
 It was in this year, likewise, that he commenced 
 his occasional visits to Cheltenham. A letter from 
 his friend Clinch notices this circumstance, as well 
 as his discovery of vaccination. 
 
 The Rev. J. Clinch to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Trinity, Dec. 1, 1796. 
 
 My dear Friend, 
 
 Your kind, friendly, and much-esteemed favours of 
 the 5th and 11th of August last, acknowledging the receipt 
 of my draft on the Society, I have the pleasure to inform 
 you, came safe to hand. I rejoice to hear that your good 
 lady, my worthy and reverend friend, and Mr. Davies 
 were in a better state of health than they had for some 
 time past enjoyed, and I hope your next will announce a 
 perfect re-establishment of that blessing to those much- 
 esteemed friends. As you said nothing of the Rev. Wm. 
 Jenner I flatter myself he was likewise on the mending 
 hand. I was happy to hear that your situation at Chel¬ 
 tenham was both agreeable and salutary to you and your 
 good lady in point of health, and I sincerely trust that 
 your other inducements for making that spot your summer 
 resort are in some degree answerable to your expectations. 
 
 I remark what you say of my dear, dear boy; and al¬ 
 though I cannot at present form any notions, or give im- 
 
 I 2 
 
116 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 piicit credit to all that philosophers may say, (probably 
 owing to my not having a single spark of philosophy in 
 my composition) respecting the early education of youth, 
 I shall nevertheless, from a full conviction that my Berke¬ 
 ley friends will do every thing for him for the best, always 
 agree with them in the measures most proper to be pursued 
 for his present and future advantage.—You never have, 
 and I trust, my dearest friend, you never will, experience a 
 similar separation. Whenever (and the idea often recurs 
 to my mind) I take a retrospect of the length of time that 
 has already elapsed, and the unavoidable occurrences which 
 have for so long a period as nearly ten years prevented me 
 from visiting those whom I love and esteem on the other side 
 the wide Atlantic—you will readily suppose that my sen¬ 
 sations are, at those times, the most poignant and distress¬ 
 ing. Could I behold even the smallest glimmer of hope, 
 that a change for the better in the present convulsed state 
 of Europe was likely soon to take place, I should be par¬ 
 ticularly happy; but as I see no grounds for cherishing 
 so forlorn a hope, the only alternative I have remaining is, 
 that of relinquishing my wished-for intentions of visiting 
 my native shores during the present posture of public 
 affairs. 
 
 I am obliged to you for what you say respecting your 
 late discovery. Why not send me a sketch of your idea 
 in print ? I wish you could think of something that would 
 repair the organs of my sensorium, as they still continue 
 in a very impaired state. 
 
 I have not had an opportunity of seeing any new pub¬ 
 lication in the medical way since I left England. 
 
 As I conceive you have long ere this received the par¬ 
 ticulars of our late sudden and unexpected alarm, occasioned 
 by the arrival of Citizen Richery, and the powerful squa¬ 
 dron under his command having visited this country in 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 117 
 
 the month of September last; and as I would not wish to 
 hurt your feelings on that occasion I shall decline giving 
 you a particular account of our distressed situation during 
 the time they continued to lord it over us. I was twice 
 obliged to remove my family and part of my effects to places 
 of greater safety, that the whole, had they been disposed 
 to pay us a visit, might not have fallen a sacrifice to the 
 fury of the enemy; but I am happy to say we came off 
 much better than could be expected, and have now the 
 pleasure to inform you that we are once more in the pos¬ 
 session of peace and tranquillity; but it will be some time 
 before order and regularity is again restored at our de¬ 
 serted cottage. I cannot divest myself of the disagreeable 
 apprehension that as the spring approaches we shall have 
 to experience a renewal of our former troubles. However, 
 we must hope for the best. 
 
 Just before the French made their appearance on this 
 coast, my friend George and self had agreed to meet at 
 St. John’s ; but our plan was soon disconcerted: and in¬ 
 deed the whole of my family have been greatly disappointed 
 in the pleasure of his company at Trinity, by those un¬ 
 welcome visitors. I heard from him some time ago, at 
 which time I have the pleasure to inform you he was in 
 good health. Your several requests I have sent to him, 
 and from him you will receive a circumstantial account 
 of his situation. 
 
 * * * ****** 
 
 In the course of the year 1797 Jenner had nearly 
 arranged every thing for the publication of his In¬ 
 quiry. An incident connected with that event is 
 recorded in the following extract from a letter from 
 his venerable friend and preceptor the late Dr. Hard- 
 
118 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 wicke, of Sodbury. The sentiments expressed are 
 alike honourable to the master and the pupil. “ Re¬ 
 tired as 1 have long since been from the arduous 
 task of y profession, and as it were from the world, 
 and full of years, I cannot be ambitious of being 
 brought forward to the public eye; at the same 
 time I confess that I shall feel myself flattered to be 
 noted by a man of your professional character, who 
 was formerly (I am proud to say) my pupil. 
 
 That every undertaking of your life may be at¬ 
 tended with the success to which you are justly 
 entitled by your indefatigable labours to serve man¬ 
 kind is my ardent wish.’ 5 
 
 It may be well, before entering on the next great 
 event to which this extract refers, and which so 
 deeply concerned Jenner himself and his fellow- 
 creatures, to take a brief retrospect of the period 
 which has passed in review before us. 
 
 We have seen him in circumstances not the most 
 congenial to intellectual efforts, not only actively 
 fulfilling his duty as a professional man, but with 
 great success and perseverance cultivating collateral 
 branches of knowledge, and pushing his inquiries 
 into regions which had formerly been but little ex¬ 
 plored. 
 
 In conjunction with Mr. Hunter he carried on 
 experiments illustrative of the structure and func¬ 
 tions of animals. With much industry and inge¬ 
 nuity he explained one of the most unaccountable 
 problems in ornithology ; he ascertained the laws 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 119 
 
 which regulate the migration of birds ; he 
 made considerable advances in geology, and in the 
 knowledge of organic remains ; he amended several 
 pharmaceutical processes ; he was an accurate ana¬ 
 tomist, and pathologist; he explained the cause of 
 one of the most painful affections of the heart, and 
 advanced far in his investigations respecting the 
 diseases of the lymphatic system, and the most 
 numerous and extensive disorganizations to which 
 animals are liable. 
 
 This sketch regards chiefly his character as a me¬ 
 dical philosopher. It touches not those other quali¬ 
 ties which entitle him to distinction. Had he done 
 no more than what has just been specified he might 
 justly have claimed an elevated station among his 
 professional brethren; and had he been permitted to 
 pursue to their full extent the various researches 
 which he had commenced I am persuaded that 
 there are few of our profession, in any age, who 
 would have surpassed him as a promoter of useful 
 knowledge. Many of his physiological and patholo¬ 
 gical views are still very imperfectly understood. 
 When their full import is felt it will doubtless be 
 acknowledged that he possessed a genius than which 
 few nfore enlightened, or yet more humble, ever 
 adorned the science of medicine. 
 
 It is time that justice should be rendered to him 
 in this matter: he had acquired the most substantial 
 title to respect as a medical philosopher, and to af¬ 
 fection and veneration as a man, on grounds quite 
 
120 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 distinct from those which will carry his loved and 
 honoured name to the latest age. 
 
 He did not labour for personal objects ; he was 
 careless, therefore, of his intellectual offspring, and 
 often permitted others to appropriate what belonged 
 to himself. He never ostentatiously put forth his 
 claims to public distinction, and it has on that 
 account been supposed by many that he had none 
 to advance. Sir Isaac Newton was well nigh de¬ 
 prived of the merit of his discovery of fluxions by a 
 corresponding state of mind: his friends stepped 
 forward and secured to him the renown which was 
 his due. Those who knew Dr. Jenner have a simi¬ 
 lar duty to perform ; and to prove that, all impor¬ 
 tant as have been the results of vaccination, he had 
 other pretensions which ought not to be overlooked 
 in any just estimate of his character. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 121 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF VACCINATION. 
 
 In order fully to unfold the progress of this dis¬ 
 covery, and to develope the history of Dr. Jenner’s 
 mind, whilst meditating upon the probable issue of 
 his investigations and carrying them on to their 
 final accomplishment, we must cast our eye back for 
 a season over that part of his life which has been 
 already recorded. Little has been said about vacci¬ 
 nation, because it seemed desirable that the various 
 facts and incidents respecting it should be collected 
 together in the shape of a continuous narrative, un¬ 
 broken by details which do not immediately relate 
 to that interesting subject. It has been stated that 
 his attention was drawn forcibly to the nature of 
 cow-pox whilst he was yet a youth. This event 
 was brought about in the following manner.—He 
 was pursuing his professional education in the house 
 of his master at Sodbury: a young country-wo¬ 
 man came to seek advice ; the subject of small¬ 
 pox was mentioned in her presence; she imme- 
 
122 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 diately observed, “ I cannot take that disease, 
 for I have had cow-pox.” This incident* rivet- 
 ted the attention of Jenner. It was the first 
 time that the popular notion, which was not at 
 all uncommon in the district, had been brought 
 home to him with force and influence. Most hap¬ 
 pily the impression which was then made was never 
 effaced. Young as he was, and insufficiently ac¬ 
 quainted with any of the laws of physiology or pa¬ 
 thology, he dwelt with deep interest on the commu¬ 
 nication which had been casually made known to 
 him by a peasant, and partly foresaw the vast conse¬ 
 quences which were involved in so remarkable a 
 phenomenon. He was the more stimulated to me¬ 
 ditations of this sort by frequent opportunities of 
 witnessing the ravages of small-pox ; and by retain¬ 
 ing the most vivid and painful recollections of the 
 severe discipline which he himself had not long be- 
 
 * An incident analogous to that above recorded is mentioned 
 in one of Dr. Jenner’s note-books of 1799, in the following 
 words :— 
 
 “ I know of no direct allusion to the disease in any ancient 
 author, yet the following seems not very distantly to bear upon 
 it. When the Duchess of Cleveland was taunted by her com¬ 
 panions, Moll Davis (Lady Mary Davis) and others, that she 
 might soon have to deplore the loss of that beauty which was 
 then her boast, the small-pox at that time raging in London, she 
 made a reply to this effect; that she had no fear about the 
 matter, for she had had a disorder which would prevent her 
 from ever catching the small-pox. This was lately communi¬ 
 cated by a gentleman in this county, but unfortunately he 
 could not recollect from what author he gained this intelligence.” 
 
123 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNEK. 
 
 fore passed through, preparatory to his inoculation 
 for that disease. “ There was,” to use his own 
 words, “ bleeding till the blood was thin ; purging 
 till the body was wasted to a skeleton ; and starving 
 on vegetable diet to keep it so.” The possibility of 
 averting such evils could not arise in a mind like 
 Jenner’s without possessing it fully; and he re¬ 
 solved to let no opportunity escape of acquiring 
 knowledge on so important a subject. How judi¬ 
 ciously, how perseveringly, how successfully, he ful¬ 
 filled this early resolution will be seen as we follow 
 him through his various examinations and experi¬ 
 ments. 
 
 The suggestions of inexperienced minds are some¬ 
 times treated with less respect than they merit. 
 Probably, considering the average distribution of 
 intellect and talent among mankind, this caution is 
 becoming and prudent. But we have examples 
 enough in many different departments of knowledge 
 to prove that wisdom and genius in their purest 
 and best estate do, at times, consent to dwell in 
 youthful breasts. 
 
 Newton had unfolded his doctrine of light and 
 colours before he was twenty : Bacon wrote his 
 “ Temporis Partus Maximus’’ before he attained 
 that age : Montesquieu had sketched his “ Spirit of 
 Laws’’ at an equally early period of life ; and Jen- 
 ner, when he was still younger, contemplated the 
 possibility of removing from among the list of hu¬ 
 man diseases one of the most mortal that ever 
 
124 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 scourged our race. The hope of doing this great 
 good never deserted him, though he met with many 
 discouragements; his notions having been treated 
 with scorn and ridicule by some, and with indiffer¬ 
 ence by almost all. 
 
 As has already been stated, Jenner went, in 1770, 
 to prosecute his studies under Mr. Hunter. Among 
 other subjects of interest which he carried with him 
 from the country, and which he repeatedly mention¬ 
 ed to his teacher, was that of cow-pox. Mr. Hunter 
 never damped the ardour of a pupil, by suggest¬ 
 ing doubts or difficulties: on the contrary, as was 
 usual with him on all occasions when the matter in 
 hand admitted of being brought to the test of expe¬ 
 riment, he advised that trial should be made, and 
 that accuracy and faithfulness should guide the in¬ 
 vestigation. In cases of this kind he would say “ Don’t 
 think, but try ; be patient, be accurate.” In lan¬ 
 guage such as this he incited all who came within 
 the sphere of his influence to cultivate their art; and 
 his own example most fully accorded with his precept. 
 It does not appear that his mind was ever so fully 
 impressed with the probable consequences of the 
 successful elucidation of the subject of cow-pox as 
 Jenner’s was. This, perhaps, is not to be wondered 
 at, considering the extent of his occupations, and 
 the great number of original and important pursuits 
 which fully engrossed his attention. He certainly, 
 however, made known Jenner’s opinions, and the 
 traditions in Gloucestershire, both in his lectures, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 125 
 
 and to his friends in conversation ; and other lectur¬ 
 ers, on his authority, mentioned them to their pupils. 
 
 It was constantly Jenner’s habit, from the time 
 that his mind was first awakened on the subject, to 
 endeavour to stimulate all his professional friends 
 and acquaintances to apply themselves to its investi¬ 
 gation, because it was interesting as a branch of 
 natural history, and moreover promised to bring 
 with it knowledge most valuable to man. The state 
 of feeling of those medical men in the district where 
 he resided, who had heard of the reported virtues of 
 the cow-pox, and who had also occasionally met 
 with occurrences which seemed to corroborate the 
 popular rumour, will have told the reader the sort 
 of difficulties that Jenner met with, and will like¬ 
 wise prove that it required a mind possessed of all 
 the firmness of purpose which he enjoyed, to induce 
 him to persevere in his pursuits. <e We have all 
 heard (they would observe) of what you mention, 
 and we have even seen examples which certainly 
 do give some sort of countenance to the notion to 
 which you allude; but we have also known cases of 
 a perfectly different nature,—many who were report¬ 
 ed to have had the cow-pox, having subsequently 
 caught the small-pox. The supposed prophylactic 
 powers probably, therefore, depend upon some pecu¬ 
 liarity in the constitution of the individual who has 
 escaped the small-pox ; and not on any efficacy of 
 that disorder which they may have received from 
 the cow. In short, the evidence is altogether so 
 
126 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 inconclusive and unsatisfactory that we put no value 
 on it, and cannot think that it will lead to any thing 
 but uncertainty and disappointment.’’ Observations 
 such as these Jenner encountered from the com¬ 
 mencement of his inquiries. They were often re¬ 
 peated while he was carrying them on, and some of 
 them were even brought forward to weaken his 
 claims to honour and gratitude, after he had refuted 
 all objections by his perseverance, and by his con¬ 
 summate address and patience had divested the 
 question of all its difficulties and obscurities, and 
 given to vague, inapplicable, and useless rumour, the 
 certainty and precision of scientific knowledge. 
 
 It was not till some years after his return from 
 London that he had an opportunity of examining 
 into the truth of the traditions respecting cow-pox. 
 This was about the year 1775, and corresponds with 
 the period specified by him in his tract on the Origin 
 of Vaccine Inoculation. There is an apparent di¬ 
 versity in the account there given of the period at 
 which his attention was excited to the subject, and 
 that which has been delivered above. The differ¬ 
 ence, however, is extremely slight, and arises more 
 from the absence of some of the minute facts which 
 I have mentioned as characteristic of the first dawn¬ 
 ing of the inquiry in his own mind, antecedent to 
 the actual prosecution of it by distinct and personal 
 observations, than from any real discrepancy in the 
 statements. 
 
 In his brief account of the Origin of Vaccine Ino- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JJENNER. 
 
 127 
 
 culation, he evidently did not consider the details, 
 which it has been thought proper here to give, neces¬ 
 sary at that time to be laid before the public. He was 
 not so much describing the history of his own mind, 
 as the history of his efforts, as a medical man, in 
 the investigation which then occupied so much of 
 the public attention. 
 
 I am fully entitled to say this from repeated per¬ 
 sonal communications with Dr. Jenner, from the 
 concurrent testimony of many of his friends, and 
 from the internal evidence which the statement dis¬ 
 closes. He could not have mentioned the cow-pox 
 in London in 1770, had it not been a subject of 
 meditation with him before that time. Moreover, 
 in one of his last conversations with an intimate 
 friend, but a few months before his death, he in 
 a particular manner specified the occurrence at 
 Sodbury, and spoke the story of the subsequent 
 progress of his mind in a manner so engaging, so 
 simple, and so humble, that it made an impres¬ 
 sion never to be effaced. 
 
 It was not till 1780 that he was enabled, after 
 much study and inquiry, to unravel many of the 
 perplexing obscurities and contradictions with which 
 the question was enveloped, and which had impressed 
 those who knew the traditions of the country with 
 the opinion that it defied all accurate and satisfac¬ 
 tory elucidation. In the month of May of the year 
 just mentioned, he first disclosed his hopes and his 
 fears respecting the great object of his pursuit, to 
 
128 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 his friend Edward Gardner. By this time Jenner’s 
 mind had caught a glimpse of the reputation which 
 awaited him, but it was still clouded by doubts and 
 difficulties. He then seemed to feel that it might, 
 in God’s good providence, be his lot to stand be¬ 
 tween the living and the dead, and that through 
 him a plague might be stayed. On the other side, 
 the dread of disappointment, and the probability of 
 failing to accomplish his purpose, restrained that 
 eagerness which otherwise would have prompted 
 him prematurely to publish the result of his inqui¬ 
 ries, and thereby, probably, by conveying insufficient 
 knowledge, blight for ever his favourite hope. 
 
 He was riding with Gardner, on the road between 
 Gloucester and Bristol, near Newport, when the con¬ 
 versation passed of which I have made mention. He 
 went over the natural history of cow-pox ; stated his 
 opinion as to the origin of this affection from the heel 
 of the horse ; specified the different sorts of disease 
 which attacked the milkers when they handled in¬ 
 fected cows ; dwelt upon that variety which afforded 
 protection against small-pox ; and with deep and 
 anxious emotion mentioned his hope of being able to 
 propagate that variety from one human being to ano¬ 
 ther, till he had disseminated the practice all over 
 the globe, to the total extinction of small-pox. The 
 conversation was concluded by Jenner in words to 
 the following effect:—“ Gardner, I have entrusted a 
 most important matter to you, w hich I firmly believe 
 will prove of essential benefit to the human race. I 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 129 
 
 know vou, and should not wish what I have stated 
 to be brought into conversation ; for should any thing 
 untoward turn up in my experiments I should be 
 made, particularly by my medical brethren, the sub¬ 
 ject of ridicule—for I am the mark they all shoot 
 at.” 
 
 This caution respecting concealment sprung from 
 no selfish or unworthy motive: it was a suggestion 
 which came into his mind at the moment of making 
 the communication to his friend, and arose entirely 
 from the little sympathy which he had experienced 
 in his previous efforts to excite his professional bre¬ 
 thren to co-operate with him, or to treat the matter 
 which so much engaged his own feelings with the 
 consideration it so well deserved. He by no means 
 continued to act on the principle of concealment. Far 
 otherwise; for it will presently appear that vacci¬ 
 nation was often the subject of his own correspond¬ 
 ence, and also that of his friends. 
 
 Some of the facts which I have presented on the 
 authority of Mr. Gardner were given by him in evi¬ 
 dence before a Committee of the House of Commons, 
 when a most extraordinary and preposterous attempt 
 was made to strip Dr. Jenner of his well-earned re¬ 
 putation, and to deprive him of his not less merited 
 reward. 
 
 While deliberating on the subject of vaccine ino¬ 
 culation he made some experiments regarding the 
 nature of swine-pox (as it is vulgarly called). From 
 facts elsewhere detailed it has been found reason- 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 able to conclude that this disease, as well as the 
 common variolas and the variolae vaccinae, had one 
 common origin and were, in fact, varieties of the 
 same affection. The circumstance which I am now 
 to mention affords a strong corroboration, and more¬ 
 over forms a striking incident in the history which I 
 am endeavouring to unfold. 
 
 In November 1789, he inoculated his eldest son 
 Edward, who was then about one year and a half old, 
 with swine-pox matter. The progress of the disease 
 seemed similar to that which arises from the inser¬ 
 tion of true small-pox matter when the disease is very 
 slight. He sickened on the 8th day : a few pustules 
 appeared ; they were late and slow in their progress, 
 and small. Variolous matter was carefully inserted 
 into his arms at five or six different periods, without 
 the slightest inflammation being excited in the part. 
 
 On Thursday, April 7th, 1791, variolous matter 
 was again inserted by two small incisions through the 
 cutis. 9th, Evidently inflamed. 10th, An efflores¬ 
 cence of the size of a shilling spread round the infe¬ 
 rior wound. 11th, The incision assumed a kind of 
 erysipelatous elevation : the efflorescence much in¬ 
 creased. 12th, These appearances much advanced. 
 13th, A vesicle, containing a brownish fluid, and trans¬ 
 parent, about the size of a large split pea on the su¬ 
 perior incision, the inferior about twice as big ; the 
 surrounding parts affected with erysipelas. The ery¬ 
 sipelas extended to the shoulder, and then pretty 
 
131 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 quickly went off. The child showed no signs of in¬ 
 disposition the whole time. 
 
 March 1792. E. Jenner was again inoculated : 
 the matter was taken from a child that caught the 
 disease in the natural way, and had it pretty full. It 
 was inserted fresh from the pustule. The same even¬ 
 ing an inflammation appeared round the incision, 
 which, at the end of twenty hours, increased to the 
 diameter of a sixpence, and some fluid had already 
 been collected on the lips of the scratch, which the 
 child had rubbed off. 
 
 Many years elapsed before he had an opportunity 
 of completing his projected experiments in vaccina¬ 
 tion, and he encountered numerous difficulties in car¬ 
 rying on the preliminary part of his inquiry. In the 
 first place, he had found from his own observation, 
 as well as from that of other medical gentlemen in 
 the county, that what was commonly called cow-pox, 
 was not a certain preventive of small-pox. This fact 
 damped, but did not extinguish, his ardour. By 
 prosecuting his investigation a little farther, this 
 difficulty was obviated. He discovered that cows 
 were subject to a variety of spontaneous eruptions 
 on their teats; that they ail were capable of com¬ 
 municating sores to the hands of the milkers; 
 and that whatever sore was so produced, was call¬ 
 ed, in the dairy, cow-pox. This was satisfactory 
 information and removed one great difficulty, and 
 suggested a distinction between these diseases,— 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 one being called by him the true, the other the spu¬ 
 rious, cow-pox ; the former possessing a specific power 
 over the constitution, the other not. This impedi¬ 
 ment was scarcely removed before another of more 
 formidable aspect arose. He learned that there were 
 well authenticated instances to prove that when the 
 true cow-pox broke out among the cattle at a dairy, 
 and was communicated to the milkers, even they had 
 subsequently had small-pox. Tidings of this kind, 
 which seemed to render farther investigation useless, 
 checked for a season his fond hopes; but resistance and 
 difficulty only augmented his energy, and he resumed 
 his labours with redoubled zeal. The result was most 
 happy, and enabled him to take that great step in the 
 progress of his inquiry, without which none of its an¬ 
 ticipated advantages could have been realized. 
 
 On the former occasion he discovered that there 
 were two distinct affections, both vulgarly denomi¬ 
 nated cow-pox; that one gave protection against small¬ 
 pox, that the other did not: but when he found that 
 what he concluded to be the true cow-pox itself could 
 not be depended on, he felt much perplexed. Most 
 men would, at this stage, have abandoned the inves¬ 
 tigation in despair. It was not so with Jenner. He 
 conceived that in such cases there must be some as¬ 
 certainable cause for the deviation from the ordinary 
 effects of the disease. It occurred to him that the 
 virus of the cow-pox itself might have undergone 
 some change whereby its specific virtues were lost; 
 that, in its deteriorated state, it may have been capa- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 133 
 
 ble of producing a local disease upon the hand of the 
 milker, but no such influence upon the constitution 
 as is requisite to render the individual unsusceptible 
 of variolous contagion; so that the same cow might 
 one day communicate a genuine and efficacious pre¬ 
 ventive, and the next, nothing but a local affection 
 which could exert no beneficial influence whatever 
 on the constitution. This most ingenious and forci¬ 
 ble reasoning, supported by analogies drawn from the 
 well-known properties of the virus of small-pox itself, 
 received an ample confirmation from experience, and 
 was the basis on which some of the fundamental rules 
 for the practice of vaccination were founded. It was 
 ascertained that it was only in a certain state of the 
 pustule that virus was afforded capable of imparting 
 to the constitution its protecting power ; that matter 
 taken after this period might excite a local disease, 
 but not of such a sort as to render the individual 
 proof against the effects of variolous contagion. 
 
 Having proceeded thus far, all doubts respect¬ 
 ing the propriety of attempting to propagate the 
 cow-pox by means of inoculation were at an end. 
 The causes of failure in the casual dissemination of 
 the disease were ascertained, and his chief care was 
 to avoid them in attempting to propagate it by ar¬ 
 tificial means. A long period elapsed before he had 
 an opportunity of putting his theory to the test of 
 experiment; but he continued to collect information 
 from all quarters. He carried, in 1788, a drawing 
 of the casual disease, as seen on the hands of the 
 
134 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 milkers, to London and showed it to Sir E. Home 
 and others. The subject was occasionally canvassed 
 among the medical men there: it was (as has been 
 already noticed) mentioned in lectures; and Dr. 
 Adams thought fit to draw the attention of his bre¬ 
 thren to it in one of his publications. Mr. Cline, 
 in reference to this fact, has the following remark 
 in one of his letters to Dr. Jenner:— 
 
 “ I am very glad to learn that you are prosecuting 
 your inquiries on the cow-pox, for it is a most in¬ 
 teresting and curious subject. All that Adams had 
 heard of the disease was from me.”* 
 
 But this is not all: Dr. Jenner not only wrote and 
 spoke about the subject himself, but he encouraged 
 his friends to do so likewise. I present a striking 
 proof of the liberality of his mind in this respect, in 
 the subjoined extract of a letter from Dr. Haygarth, 
 written in answer to one from Dr. Worthington, an 
 intimate friend of Jenner. 
 
 “ Your account of the cow-pox is indeed very mar¬ 
 vellous : being so strange a history, and so contra¬ 
 dictory to all past observations on this subject, very 
 
 ✓ 
 
 clear and full evidence will be required to render it 
 credible. 
 
 “ You say that this whole rare phenomenon is soon 
 to be published ; but do not mention whether by 
 yourself or some other medical friend. In either case, 
 I trust that no reliance will be placed upon vulgar 
 stories.” 
 
 St. Mary Axe, London, August 11th, 1796, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 135 
 
 <e The author should admit nothing but what he has 
 proved by his own personal observation, both in the 
 brute and human species. It would be useless to 
 specify the doubts which must be satisfied upon this 
 subject before rational belief can be obtained. 
 
 “ If a physician should adopt such a doctrine, and 
 much more, if he should publish it upon inadequate 
 evidence, his character would materially suffer in the 
 public opinion of his knowledge and discernment.”* 
 
 The subject of small-pox had in a particular man¬ 
 ner engaged the attention of Dr. Haygarth, and he 
 had published a work intended to promote the ex¬ 
 termination of that disease. The opinion expressed 
 by this eminent and learned physician is such as 
 would have been delivered by most persons in his 
 situation, who were not fully apprised of the strong 
 evidence which had been accumulated in favour of 
 the virtues of cow-pox. 
 
 The facts concerning the origin of this affection 
 were investigated with as much patience, and passed 
 through as severe a scrutiny as any of those which re¬ 
 garded the nature of the disease itself. Jenner was 
 quite as communicative, also, on the one subject as on 
 the other. His nephew George Jenner, in the year 
 1787, went into the stable with him to look at a 
 horse with diseased heels.—“ There,” said he, point¬ 
 ing to the horse’s heels, “ is the source of small-pox. 
 I have much to say on that subject, which I hope in 
 
 * Chester, April 15th, 1794. 
 
136 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 due time to give to the world.’’ Again, writing to 
 a friend some years after this period (1794), he ob¬ 
 serves :— 
 
 “ Our friend-, at our last meeting, treated 
 
 my discovery of the origin of the cow-pox as chime¬ 
 rical. Farther investigation has convinced me of 
 the truth of my assertion, beyond the possibility of 
 a denial. Domestication of animals has certainly 
 proved a prolific source of diseases among men. But 
 I must not anticipate: you shall have a paper. ’* 
 
 Subsequently to this letter, and before the publi¬ 
 cation of his Inquiry in 1798, he made many expe¬ 
 riments in order to demonstrate the connection be¬ 
 tween the grease and the cow-pox; but difficulties 
 of a nature not easily overcome interfered with his 
 success. Not long after this period he enjoyed the 
 sublime gratification of seeing a more important part 
 of his doctrine completely substantiated; and the 
 probability, therefore, of rendering his labours subser¬ 
 vient to the most beneficent, the most interesting of 
 all human objects, placed beyond a doubt. Hitherto 
 he had only observed the casual disease, and inves¬ 
 tigated its laws : it yet remained to be proved whe¬ 
 ther it was possible to propagate the affection by 
 artificial inoculation from one human being to ano¬ 
 ther ; and thereby, at will, communicate security to 
 all who were liable to small-pox. An opportunity 
 occurred on the 14th of May, 1796, of instituting 
 
 * Berkeley, 1704. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 137 
 
 this experiment. Matter was taken from the hand 
 of Sarah Nelmes who had been infected by her mas¬ 
 ter’s cows, and inserted by two superficial incisions 
 into the arms of James Phipps, a healthy boy of 
 about eight years old. He went through the disease 
 apparently in a regular and satisfactory manner; 
 but the most agitating part of the trial still remained 
 to be performed. It was needful to ascertain whe¬ 
 ther he was secure from the contagion of small-pox. 
 This point, so full of anxiety to Dr. Jenner, was 
 fairly put to issue on the first of the following July. 
 Variolous matter, immediately taken from a pustule, 
 was carefully inserted by several incisions, but no 
 disease followed. He communicated the event to 
 his friend Gardner, in the following letter. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 As I promised to let you know how I proceeded in my 
 inquiry into the nature of that singular disease the Cow- 
 Pox, and being fully satisfied how much you feel interested 
 in its success, you will be gratified in hearing that I have 
 at length accomplished what I have been so long waiting 
 for, the passing of the Vaccine Virus from one human be¬ 
 ing to another by the ordinary mode of inoculation. 
 
 A boy of the name of Phipps* was inoculated in the arm 
 
 I 
 
 * The 14th of May is an annual festival in Berlin to comme¬ 
 morate the day on which Jenner made this experiment; and at 
 the meeting of the medical men, held for this laudable purpose 
 in 1819, the official returns made by vaccinators from the differ¬ 
 ent departments gave an account of 307,596 persons vaccinated 
 in 1817 in the Prussian dominions, which did not include 
 
138 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER, 
 
 from a pustule on the hand of a young woman who was 
 infected by her master’s cows. Having never seen the dis¬ 
 ease but in its casual way before; that is, when communi¬ 
 cated from the cow to the hand of the milker, I was asto¬ 
 nished at the close resemblance of the pustules, in some of 
 their stages, to the variolous pustules. But now listen to 
 the most delightful part of my story. The boy has since 
 been inoculated for the small pox which, as I ventured to 
 predict, produced no effect. I shall now pursue my expe¬ 
 riments with redoubled ardour. 
 
 Believe me yours, very sincerely, 
 
 Berkeley, July 19, 1796. Edward Jenner. 
 
 Were I to fix upon any period in the life of this 
 admirable man that was more full than another 
 of deep and intense emotion, more elevated by 
 anxious and benevolent hopes, more absorbed with 
 generous and ardent wishes for the complete success 
 of a scheme fraught with great and disinterested be¬ 
 nefit to his fellow men, I would mention that portion 
 of it which we have now been contemplating. The 
 situation in which he then stood seldom had a paral¬ 
 lel in the history of our race. No invention ever 
 
 the total number; as from several of the departments the 
 returns for that year had not yet arrived. This number, far 
 exceeding the births that can have taken place during that 
 time, shows a great advancement towards making the practice 
 universal; and when this is once accomplished, the list of annual 
 vaccinations, compared with the births and burials, will precisely 
 indicate the state of the country in regard to the liability of its 
 inhabitants to take the small pox.”—See Cross on the Varioloid 
 Epidemic at Norwich. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 139 
 
 before promised to have such an immediate and ex¬ 
 tensive influence upon the lives of his fellow-crea¬ 
 tures ; no discovery elaborated by the patience, or 
 skill, or science of man was ever calculated, in any 
 comparable degree, to produce such consequences as 
 that which at this period centred in the heart of 
 Jenner. It was a heart above all others capable of 
 rejoicing in the possession of such a secret. This 
 was not, like most of the results of human labours, 
 more rich in the prospect of future advantage than 
 in present good. He, at that period, had it in his 
 power to impart knowledge the advantages of 
 which might be rendered as manifest and palpable 
 as they were universal. It is pleasing to know that 
 the state of his mind corresponded with the solemnity 
 and magnitude of the occasion. There was a great 
 struggle within him how to conduct himself. His 
 natural benevolence would have stirred him up to 
 act with some degree of precipitancy, to give to the 
 world all that he had learned on the matter before 
 his knowledge was complete, because he felt that 
 the death of every one who became a victim to 
 small-pox might almost be said to have been caused 
 through his neglect. But in this, certainly one of 
 the most trying emergencies that ever occurred in 
 the life of any man, he was enabled to conduct him¬ 
 self with all the prudence, all the generosity and 
 caution that befitted an individual to whom such 
 high things were committed. He was not led away 
 by selfish feelings, neither was he elated by pride nor 
 
140 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 vain glory, nor hurried beyond propriety by over¬ 
 eagerness and zeal: he maintained the humility, the 
 simplicity, and the disinterestedness of his character 
 on this, as on every other occasion. It was his cus¬ 
 tom at this time to meditate much as he rambled 
 in the meadows under the castle at Berkeley. He 
 has left us a picture of his feelings, at this period, full 
 of interest and full of piety:— 
 
 “ While the vaccine discovery was progressive the 
 joy I felt at the prospect before me of being the instru¬ 
 ment destined to take away from the world one of 
 its greatest calamities, blended with the fond hope 
 of enjoying independence and domestic peace and 
 happiness, was often so excessive that, in pursuing 
 my favourite subject among the meadows, I have 
 sometimes found myself in a kind of reverie. It is 
 pleasant to me to recollect that these reflections 
 always ended in devout acknowledgments to that 
 Being from whom this and all other mercies flow.” 
 
 From the period just mentioned till the spring 
 of 1798, Dr. Jenner s researches were intercepted by 
 the disappearance of cow-pox from the dairies. It 
 again showed itself, and he had an opportunity of 
 pursuing his inquiries. He repeated his inocula¬ 
 tions with the utmost care, and then prepared his 
 work for the press. It was his intention that it 
 should have first appeared before the public in the 
 Transactions of the Iloyal Society; but this design 
 was abandoned, and the work appeared as a separate 
 publication. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 141 
 
 Before bringing it out he was extremely desirous 
 of proving, by direct experiment, the truth of his opi¬ 
 nion as to the origin of cow-pox, which at that time 
 only rested upon circumstantial evidence. Being 
 foiled in his hopes of seeing more of that disease in 
 its casual form in the dairies he made many efforts, 
 in 1797, to generate it from the heel of the horse. In 
 reference to these experiments he wrote, on the 2d 
 of August of that year, to a friend in the following 
 terms:— 
 
 “ The simple experiment of applying the matter from 
 the heel of the horse, in its proper state, to the nip¬ 
 ples of the cows, when they are in a proper state to 
 he infected by it, is not so easily made as at first sight 
 may be imagined ; after waiting with impatience for 
 months in my own neighbourhood, without effect, I 
 sent a messenger to Bristol, in vain, to procure the 
 true virus. I even procured a young horse, kept 
 him constantly in the stable, and fed him with beans 
 in order to make his heels swell, but to no pur¬ 
 pose. By the time the Pamphlet goes to a second 
 edition, I hope to be able to give some decisive ex¬ 
 periments.” 
 
 Notwithstanding the patience and accuracy of 
 his researches, and the very interesting results to 
 which they led, he continued, before he gave them 
 to the public, to deliberate on his projected work 
 with the most solemn and anxious care. This ma¬ 
 ture and laudable consideration is manifest in every 
 sentence of the treatise, and it as much redounds to 
 
142 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 his honour as a philosopher as it does to his modesty 
 as a man. Knowing, as we do, the magnificent re¬ 
 sults that have arisen from that small work, beyond 
 all doubt the most extensively beneficial that science 
 ever contributed for the welfare of man, it may be 
 interesting to the reader to learn the manner in 
 which the author, in his private correspondence with 
 his friends, sometimes wrote about it. 
 
 “ I have shown a copy of my intended paper on the 
 cow-pox to our friend Worthington, who has been 
 pleased to express his approbation of it, and to re¬ 
 commend my publishing it as a pamphlet instead of 
 sending it to the Royal Society.’’* 
 
 The gentleman mentioned in the above extract 
 was not the only one to whom he submitted the 
 manuscript. His friends Gardner and Hicks were 
 also often consulted about it; and, finally, before it 
 was sent to the press it was accurately and faith¬ 
 fully scrutinized by a select number of his particular 
 associates, at Rudhall near Ross in Herefordshire, 
 the seat of Thomas Westfaling, Esq. They all felt 
 deeply interested in the investigation ; they all saw 
 that a matter of so much moment ought to be can¬ 
 vassed with the greatest care; for the dearest in¬ 
 terest of their fellow-creatures, as well as of their own 
 affectionately loved friend, was involved in it. The 
 party present on this occasion were Mr. Westfaling, 
 Hr. Worthington, Mr. Paytherus, and Mr. H. Hicks. 
 
 These gentlemen listened to ail the details with 
 
 * June 1797. 
 
LIFE OF DR JENNER. 
 
 143 
 
 jealous ears; they sat in judgment on the work, 
 and did honestly and kindly acquit them of their 
 duty. Their judgment approved ; their most bene¬ 
 volent feelings were gratified; and it only remained 
 for them to applaud their friend, who then stood 
 before them in a situation more truly interesting 
 than they could express, and to urge him on his path 
 by encouraging him in his purpose of opening, for 
 the benefit of all, that stream of life and health 
 which he had been permitted to discover. 
 
 It was a special honour to have been associated 
 with Jenner on such an occasion. The mind, in 
 dwelling upon occurrences of this kind, naturally 
 seeks for parallels in the histories of the lives of 
 eminent men in other times. But the situation of 
 Jenner scarcely admits of illustrations of this sort: 
 he seemed to hold in his hand one of the “ gates of 
 death,” and to him it seemed to be given to close it. 
 
 When Columbus, by his judicious study of cosmo¬ 
 graphy, anticipated the discovery of another hemi¬ 
 sphere ; when Newton beheld the host of heaven 
 yielding up the secret of their movements to his 
 patient and sublime researches ; when Bacon, in the 
 well-founded reliance on his almost superhuman 
 powers, took a flight over the heads of men and with 
 perfect confidence looked forward to a far distant 
 age for the blossom and the fruit of that intellectual 
 seed which he had so abundantly scattered,—the 
 inward gratification derived from the consciousness 
 that truth and wisdom were to be imparted through 
 
144 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 them to their fellow-mortals, and that the ultimate 
 result would be felt in beneficial consequences to 
 every class of society, doubtless imparted a joy and 
 satisfaction to their souls of the most gratifying des¬ 
 cription. When Harvey, too, by the successful issue 
 of his labours had accomplished the most remarkable 
 discovery that up to his time had been made in me¬ 
 dicine, and thereby enjoyed the happiness of know¬ 
 ing that improvements in all the practical parts of 
 his profession must reward his perseverance and 
 make up for the neglect and injustice of his con¬ 
 temporaries, we cannot doubt that he experienced 
 that inward peace and happiness which his jealous 
 detractors could not intermeddle with. 
 
 But if discoveries are to be estimated by their 
 power of ministering to the benefit of man, which of 
 all those that have most distinguished their authors 
 can be compared with that of which we are now 
 treating ? 
 
 I cannot allude to the event commemorated above 
 without bespeaking the reader’s patience, while I 
 dwell for a short time on the character of one of the 
 gentlemen who was present at this interesting deli¬ 
 beration. Of the others I cannot write here; for, 
 as they are still among us, truth itself might wear 
 an appearance of flattery distasteful, I am sure, to 
 their nature, and foreign to mine. But, unhappily 
 for all those who knew him, this restraint does not 
 apply to Thomas Westfaling. He expired suddenly 
 at Bath in 1815; and though I may now speak of 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 145 
 
 him as my heart dictates, I am unable to say what 
 is worthy of him. As the friend and adviser of 
 Jenner his character will not be uninteresting to 
 any; but as the friend and lover of every thing 
 good he has claims to the consideration of all. For 
 myself, I should be unworthy of the office which 
 I now attempt to execute were I not to indulge in 
 paying a passing tribute of love and veneration to 
 a character which bore conspicuously the marks of 
 rare intellectual endowments and most generous and 
 engaging virtues, and was in an especial manner 
 endeared to myself by many acts of kindred sym¬ 
 pathy and friendship during a most trying period of 
 my own life. 
 
 All matters having been duly arranged the In¬ 
 quiry was published about the end of June, 1798. 
 The dedication to his friend Dr. Parry of Bath 
 bears date the 21st of that month. The work was 
 printed in the quarto form and very little exceeded 
 seventy pages. 
 
 The first few paragraphs unfold the author’s opi¬ 
 nions respecting the influence that the artificial and 
 luxurious habits of civilized life may have had in 
 rendering man liable to disease ; and in pursuing 
 the same train of reasoning he is led to believe that 
 the domestication of animals, not originally intended 
 for our associates, may have inflicted upon our race 
 maladies of various kinds and multiplied the num¬ 
 ber of our ills. 
 
146 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNEll. 
 
 These notions are with much simplicity and ele¬ 
 gance stated in the following sentences :— 
 
 44 The deviation of man from the state in which he 
 was originally placed by nature seems to have proved 
 to him a prolific source of diseases. From the love 
 of splendour, from the indulgences of luxury, and 
 from his fondness for amusement he has familiarised 
 himself with a great number of animals, which may 
 not originally have been intended for his associates.” 
 
 44 The wolf, disarmed of ferocity, is now pillowed 
 in the lady’s lap.* The cat, the little tiger of our 
 island whose natural home is the forest, is equally 
 domesticated, and caressed. The cow, the hog, the 
 sheep, and the horse are all, for a variety of pur¬ 
 poses, brought under his care and dominion/’ 
 
 44 There is a disease to which the horse, from his 
 state of domestication, is frequently subject: the far¬ 
 riers have termed it the grease. It is an inflam¬ 
 mation and swelling in the heel from which issues 
 matter possessing properties of a very peculiar kind 
 that seems capable of generating a disease in the 
 human body (after it has undergone the modification 
 that I shall presently speak of) which bears so strong 
 a resemblance to the small-pox that I think it highly 
 probable it may be the source of that disease.” 
 
 Together with this statement of the author’s opi¬ 
 nion respecting the origin and nature of the disease 
 
 * The late Mr. John Hunter proved by experiments that the 
 dog is the wolf in a degenerated state. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 147 
 
 the Inquiry contained twenty-three cases, detailed 
 at length, illustrative of the progress of the infec¬ 
 tion. The first sixteen cases were examples of the ca¬ 
 sual disease; the rest were the result of inoculation. 
 One among the former is of an individual who 
 having been infected from the heel of the horse, 
 afterwards completely resisted small-pox contagion. 
 Among the latter is mentioned the case of his se¬ 
 cond son, Robert Fitzharding Jenner, an infant 
 eleven months old; and of several other child¬ 
 ren who were vaccinated on the 12th of April, 1798, 
 with matter taken from the arm of Hannah Excell. 
 It is particularly specified, “ that Robert Jenner did 
 not receive the infection.” 
 
 I beg the reader to notice this circumstance; for 
 many years afterwards a calumny of a very injurious 
 nature was propagated respecting his abandonment 
 of vaccination, because under danger of an urgent na¬ 
 ture he found it indispensable to have this child 
 inoculated with small-pox. 
 
 The important information contained in the part of 
 the Inquiry just noticed, concluded by some modest 
 and most sagacious remarks regarding alike the main 
 object of the investigation, and others which were in¬ 
 terwoven with it. He considered his assertion “ that 
 the cow-pox protects the human constitution from 
 the infection of small pox ” proved by the facts ad¬ 
 duced. With regard to the opinion that the source 
 of the infection of cow-pox “ is a peculiar morbid 
 matter arising from the heel of the horse” he be- 
 
 i. 2 
 
148 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 lieved that though it had not been completely proved 
 by actual experiments made under his own eye, it 
 nevertheless was supported by evidence sufficiently 
 strong to establish it. 
 
 When the Inquiry was printed he imagined that 
 the matter secreted in the heel of the horse required 
 to be modified by passing through the system of the 
 cow, in order to afford it the peculiar protecting pow¬ 
 ers which it evinced when it appeared in the shape 
 of what is vulgarly called cow-pox on the hands of 
 the milkers. In the infancy of the investigation this 
 was a most natural conclusion; but subsequent trials 
 proved that the equine, matter, which had never un¬ 
 dergone any change from passing through the con¬ 
 stitution of the cow, exhibits all the characters of, 
 and affords all the security which can be obtained 
 from vaccine matter strictly so called. 
 
 The last paragraph of this interesting Inquiry 
 indicates a strain of modest feeling respecting the 
 probable issue of the author’s labours, which cannot 
 now be perused without exciting the utmost respect 
 and admiration. The reader, in the preceding nar¬ 
 rative, has witnessed the painful agitation of his 
 mind while contemplating in secret the mighty aim 
 which filled his soul. He had satisfied himself by 
 direct and careful experiment of the truth of all the 
 main facts, and of course saw clearly that his most 
 sanguine expectations were likely to be completely 
 realized. Under such circumstances the following” 
 
 o 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEli. 
 
 149 
 
 subdued and unpretending sentences are eminently 
 deserving of notice 
 
 “ Thus far have I proceeded in an inquiry found¬ 
 ed, as it must appear, on the basis of experiment in 
 which, however, conjecture has been occasionally ad¬ 
 mitted, in order to present to persons well situated 
 for such discussions objects for a more minute inves¬ 
 tigation. In the mean time I shall myself continue 
 to prosecute this inquiry, encouraged by the hope of 
 its becoming essentially beneficial to mankind.’’ 
 
 Before the publication took place Dr. Jenner had 
 repaired to London for the purpose of exhibiting the 
 cow-pox, and of demonstrating to his professional 
 friends the accuracy of his delineations and the truth 
 of his assertions. 
 
 He left Berkeley with Mrs. Jenner and his 
 daughter on the 24th of April, 1798. They slept 
 the first night at Cirencester; next day they pro¬ 
 ceeded to Benson, and the following afternoon they 
 arrived in Pall-Mall, where they dined with Mrs. 
 Jenner’s relative Mr. Ladbroke. Dr. Jenner re¬ 
 mained in London till the 14t,h of July ; on that 
 day he quitted it, and arrived in Cheltenham the 
 same evening. 
 
 I am thus particular in specifying the dates, which 
 I have ascertained by a reference to his journal, be¬ 
 cause they are connected with a remarkable fact in 
 the history of vaccination. It will scarcely be be¬ 
 lieved, that with all his efforts and those of his 
 friends, he was unable during the period of nearly 
 
150 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 three months that he continued in the metropolis, 
 to procure one person on whom he could exhibit the 
 vaccine disease. I remember he often stated that 
 his patience had been exhausted on that occasion, 
 and that he had actually quitted the capital without 
 having accomplished the object of his journey; but 
 it was not till lately I discovered that he had so 
 much cause for feeling disappointed. The tardi¬ 
 ness and distrust evinced on the present occasion 
 formed a striking contrast to the eagerness and zeal 
 with which persons of all ranks, without knowledge 
 and consideration, rushed to the adoption of a prac¬ 
 tice that was offered to them by unskilful hands, 
 and by which consequences of a most disastrous 
 nature ensued. Of course it was to be expected 
 that a practice, involving such unexpected and un¬ 
 common results, should, on its being first mentioned, 
 excite great doubt and surprise ; but it is never¬ 
 theless a strange circumstance, that the author of 
 that practice, a man known in the highest circles of 
 medical science as worthy of all credit, and as an 
 accurate and enlightened observer, should have been 
 unable, notwithstanding the proofs which his Inquiry 
 contained of the safety and importance of vaccina¬ 
 tion, to prevail on one individual to submit to the 
 operation during his stay in London. 
 
 Some of the virus which he carried with him was 
 consigned to Mr. Cline, who, in the end of July, in¬ 
 serted it by two punctures into the hip of a patient. 
 There is a curious fact connected with this first in- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNElt. 
 
 151 
 
 teresting and successful exhibition of the variolce 
 vaccin(E in London. I mention it because it shows, 
 together with the other circumstances just detailed, 
 the extreme caution with which some of the early 
 trials were conducted. The patient on whom Mr. 
 Cline operated had some affection of the hip joint, 
 and it was thought that the counter-irritation ex¬ 
 cited by the cow-pox might prove beneficial to the 
 disease. This was the reason that the virus was 
 inserted on the hip; and for the same reason it was 
 intended to convert the vaccine pustule into an issue, 
 after it had passed through its proper course. 
 
 I state these facts on the authority of repeated 
 personal communications from Dr. Jenner; they are 
 substantiated by the statements which are recorded 
 in his journal, and are also corroborated by two let¬ 
 ters from Mr. Cline to Dr. Jenner, which I think it 
 right to annex in this place. 
 
 Extracts from Journal of 1798. 
 
 “ That the matter of cow-pox, like the small-pox matter, 
 may be preserved without any diminution in its active qua¬ 
 lities is evinced by the following experiment. 
 
 “ Mr. Cline inoculated a child with matter that had been 
 taken from the pustule on the arm of Hannah Excell (see 
 page 39 pamphlet) when in a limpid ichorous state, and 
 dried by exposure to the air, after being preserved three 
 months on a quill in a seal. The following is the result :— 
 
152 
 
 LITE OF 1)R. JENNER. 
 
 Copy of Mr. Cline’s Letter. 
 
 I 
 
 Lincoln's-Irin Fields , 2 d Aug. 1798. 
 
 “ The cow-pox experiment has succeeded admirably. 
 The child sickened on the seventh day ; and the fever, 
 which was moderate, subsided on the eleventh day. The 
 inflammation extended to about four inches diameter, and 
 then gradually subsided without having been attended 
 with pain, or other inconvenience. The ulcer was not 
 large enough to contain a pea, therefore, I have not 
 converted it into an issue as I intended.* I have since 
 inoculated him with small-pox matter in three places, 
 which were slightly inflamed on the third day, and then 
 subsided. 
 
 <s Dr. Lister, who was formerly physician to the Small-pox 
 Hospital, attended the child with me, and he is convinced 
 that it is not possible to give him the small-pox. 
 
 “ I think the substituting of cow-pox poison for the small¬ 
 pox promises to be one of the greatest improvements that has 
 ever been made in medicine: for it is not only so safe in itself, 
 but also does not endanger others by contagion, in which 
 way the small-pox has done infinite mischief. The more 
 I think on the subject the more I am impressed with its 
 importance. 
 
 With great esteem I am, dear Sir, 
 
 Your faithful servant, 
 
 Henry Cline.” 
 
 * This boy was brought to town on account of some disease in 
 the joint of the hip. Mr. C. therefore inoculated near the part, 
 with the view of exciting inflammation, and subsequently of 
 forming an issue. E. J. 
 
 \ 
 
LIFE OF Dll. .TENNER. 
 
 153 
 
 “With the intention of proceeding with the experiments, 
 Mr. Cline took matter from the pustule, and with it inocu¬ 
 lated three other children ; but on none of these did it take 
 any effect.” 
 
 “ I have observed that the matter of cow-pox appears to 
 lose its powers of infection after it ceases to be limpid. 
 Probably it might have passed the bounds of perfection 
 when Mr. Cline made his second experiment.” 
 
 Henry Cline, Esq. to Dr. Jf.nner. 
 
 Lincoln's-Inn Fields , 18/4 August , 1798. 
 
 “ My Dear Sir, 
 
 “ Seven days since, I inoculated three children with cow- 
 pox matter, and I have the mortification of finding that 
 the infection has not taken, and I fear I shall be entirely 
 disappointed unless you can contrive to send me some 
 fresh matter. I think it might come in a quill in a letter, 
 or inclosed in a bit of tin-foil, by the same conveyance, or 
 in any other way that may be more convenient. 
 
 With much esteem, I am, dear Sir, 
 
 Your faithful servant, 
 
 Henry Cline.” 
 
 Mr. Cline having failed to propagate the disease 
 from the first case of successful vaccination which 
 occurred in London and Dr. Jenner having at that 
 time no fresh lymph to transmit, it was not in his 
 power to gratify the anxious wishes of the many pro¬ 
 fessional men who now eagerly sought an opportu¬ 
 nity of witnessing the progress of the affection, and 
 of putting its alleged prophylactic powers to the test. 
 It might have been expected that under such cir- 
 
154 
 
 LIFE OF DIt. JENNEll. 
 
 cumstances his brethren would have patiently awaited 
 the result of further observation before they ven¬ 
 tured to question the accuracy of the statements 
 and to impugn the authority of Jenner, sustained as 
 they were by many facts brought forward with mi¬ 
 nute and jealous attention to every thing that was 
 necessary to gain them credit if true, and to secure 
 their speedy refutation if false. There were indeed 
 many, and those too of the most learned and res¬ 
 pectable, who immediately did justice to the merits 
 of Jenner, and cordially and thankfully acknow¬ 
 ledged the many important consequences which were 
 involved in the subject that he had so ably and so 
 modestly brought before them. Others, confident in 
 their own knowledge and trusting too much to the 
 dim light of their own understanding, did not hesi¬ 
 tate on very slender grounds at once to deride the 
 doctrine and condemn the practice. Better things 
 might have been anticipated from the gentlemen 
 who distinguished themselves in this ignoble oppo¬ 
 sition. 
 
 Mr. Cline, perceiving at once from the success of 
 his first trial what incalculable blessings were con¬ 
 nected with the diffusion of the practice, with just 
 and becoming regard for the welfare of Jenner wished 
 his personal advantage to keep pace in some degree 
 with the benefits which he had it in his power to 
 impart to mankind. He therefore immediately ad¬ 
 vised him to quit the country and to take a house 
 in Grosvenor Square, and promised him 10,000/. per 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 155 
 
 annum as the result of his practice. In this opi¬ 
 nion Mr. Cline was supported by the authority of an 
 extremely accurate observer, and a most competent 
 judge of such matters, the late Sir W. Farquhar. 
 All these splendid prospects of wealth and distinction 
 could not move Jenner. His sentiments on this 
 occasion may be gathered from a letter, which he 
 wrote to a friend who had also suggested to him a 
 similar course. 
 
 Cheltenham , September 29 th. 
 
 It is very clear from your representation that there is 
 now an opening in town for any physician whose reputa¬ 
 tion stood fair in the public eye. But here, my dear 
 friend, here is the rub. Shall I, who even in the morn¬ 
 ing of my days sought the lowly and sequestered paths of 
 life, the valley, and not the mountain ; shall I, now my 
 evening is fast approaching, hold myself up as an object 
 for fortune and for fame ?—Admitting it as a certainty 
 that I obtain both, what stock should I add to my little 
 fund of happiness ? 
 
 My fortune, with what flows in from my profession, is 
 sufficient to gratify my wishes; indeed so limited is my 
 ambition and that of my nearest connexions, that were I 
 precluded from future practice I should be enabled to 
 obtain all I want. And as for fame what is it ? a gilded 
 butt, for ever pierced with the arrows of malignancy. 
 The name of John Hunter stamps this observation with 
 the signature of truth. However, this I promise you, that 
 as soon as my engagements here cease, you shall see me in 
 Town.—In my last letter I told you how much I was per¬ 
 plexed; my perplexity really amounts to agitation. On 
 the one hand, unwilling to come to town myself for the 
 
156 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 sake of practice, and on the other, fearful that the practice 
 I have recommended may fall into the hands of those who 
 are incapable of conducting it, I am thrown into a state that 
 was at first not perceptible as likely to happen to me ; for, 
 believe me, I am not callous to all the feelings of those 
 wounds which, from misrepresentation, might fall on my re¬ 
 putation ; on the contrary, no nerves could feel more acute¬ 
 ly; and they now are actually in a tremor from anticipation. 
 
 How very few are capable of conducting physiological 
 experiments ! I am fearful that before we thoroughly un¬ 
 derstand what is cow-pox matter, and what is hot, some 
 confusion may arise ; for Avhich I shall, unjustly, be made 
 answerable. In the first place, instances will occur where 
 those who have truly had the disease shall be subjected to the 
 common process of inoculation, inflammation, vesication, and 
 even pus will appear on the wounded part. The axilla will 
 show that the lymphatics have been active and the system 
 may even, in a very limited degree, feel the consequence. 
 What would the enemies to the improvement of science say 
 to this ? I leave you to answer this question. But the very 
 same thing has happened again and again to those who 
 have had the small-pox ; and do not those (nurses for ex¬ 
 ample) who are much exposed to the contagion of small¬ 
 pox— 
 
 (The remainder of this letter is unfortunately lost.) 
 
 Who can read this prophetic letter without admir¬ 
 ing the sagacity of the writer ? Who can know the 
 sufferings which he actually endured from the very 
 causes he had thus anticipated, and not lament that 
 such a man should have been so injured ? 
 
 I shall close this chapter with a few of the com¬ 
 munications made to him, respecting his first publi- 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 157 
 
 cation, by men of high character and extensive me¬ 
 dical information. These are chiefly valuable as 
 marking their opinions at an early stage of the 
 investigation. 
 
 Dr. Percival to Dr. Jenxer. 
 
 Manchester , Nov. 20th, 1798. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 About a fortnight ago, I received your very obliging 
 letter, accompanying an “ Inquiry into the Causes and Ef¬ 
 fects of the Variola Vaccina.'” This truly valuable work I 
 had before read with much interest, not only on account of 
 the novelty and importance of the subject but as being the 
 production of one whom I highly esteem. To receive it 
 from your hands, therefore, 1 need not assure you was pe¬ 
 culiarly acceptable to me; and I beg to return my best ac¬ 
 knowledgments for this mark of your kind remembrance 
 and attention. 
 
 The facts which you have adduced incontestably prove 
 the existence of the cow-pox and its ready communication 
 to the human species. But a larger induction is yet neces¬ 
 sary to evince that the virus of the variola vaccina renders 
 the person who has been affected with it secure during the 
 whole of life, from-the infection of the small-pox. You 
 have opened, however, a new and most productive region 
 of investigation; and I hope you will continue and enlarge 
 your researches, and incite others to engage in the same 
 laudable pursuit. 
 
 As soon as I had perused your work, several months 
 since, I wrote to my excellent friend Dr. Haygarth (late 
 of Chester, now of Bath) urging him to engage in a cor¬ 
 respondence with you on his favourite and benevolent plan 
 of exterminating the small-pox, of which your discovery 
 
158 
 
 LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 points out a more probable mean than any which has yet 
 been proposed. Permit me to express a wish that you 
 would confer with Dr. PI., either personally or by letter, 
 on this interesting subject. 
 
 Mr. Simmons, an ingenious surgeon of this town, has 
 inoculated a human subject with the ichor issuing from 
 what is termed the grease in horses; but the fluid intro¬ 
 duced, though eight punctures were made, neither occa¬ 
 sioned inflammation nor eruption ; yet the same child was 
 soon afterwards inoculated with success for the small-pox. 
 I showed your letter to Mr. Simmons, who desires me to 
 present his compliments, and to state to you, that he has now 
 engaged a herd of cows, and is busily employed in making 
 such experiments as your publication has suggested. It is 
 very remarkable, that the cow-pox has been hitherto un¬ 
 noticed in Cheshire, which is not less a dairy country than 
 Gloucestershire, and where the office of milking is per¬ 
 formed also by men and maid servants indiscriminately. 
 
 # # * % * # 
 
 Dr. Hicks to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Bristol , October 3d, 1798. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 I thank yon for your friendly letter, the subject of which 
 before I received it has lately been much in my mind. I 
 am in doubt in what form to bring it forward. Dr. Bed- 
 does has solicited me to publish it in a volume which he 
 is about to publish at Christmas under the title of Contri¬ 
 butions to Physical and Medical Knowledge. But, perhaps, 
 it might excite the attention of the public more particularly 
 if it were given to it separately.—What is your opinion ? 
 
 Your book I have taken care to get read by many, as I 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEIi. 
 
 159 
 
 have recommended it to our public library, and to seve¬ 
 ral private societies. It is in general much approved. Dr. 
 Beddoes says it will do you much credit. I do not see 
 that you need hesitate to accept of the invitation given you 
 to inoculate with the cow-pox, convinced as you are that 
 it will secure the person so inoculated from ever being in¬ 
 fected with the small-pox. 
 
 I should be very much obliged to Mr. Shrapnell for his 
 observations on what was vulgarly called the pig-pox. I 
 wish you had been able to have communicated the cow-pox 
 to the cow by means of inoculation from a greasy horse’s 
 heel,—your work would have been then more complete and 
 satisfactory. But, as the inquiry will be prosecuted by 
 you, you will of course make some experiments of that 
 nature. 
 
 * * * -*• ■£ 
 
 From Francis Knight, Esq. to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I hasten to make my best acknowledgment for your kind 
 recollection of me in your late publication, which was left 
 at my house a few days ago while I was absent with a pa¬ 
 tient in Yorkshire. I have read it over with much satis¬ 
 faction; and, from a long residence in the dairy part of 
 Wiltshire as well as in Gloucestershire, know the facts to 
 be well supported ; at least it was a general opinion among 
 the dairy-men that those who had received the cow-pox 
 were not susceptible of the variolous disease. The cow- 
 pox pustule is very familiar to my eye, and I am quite 
 charmed with the delineation of it in your plates. You 
 have opened to the world a very curious field of investiga¬ 
 tion, and it is too interesting a subject to die with the dav. 
 No one can be so well qualified to pursue this subject as 
 
160 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 yourself yet I shall, in a more humble line, seek every 
 opportunity of making experiments that may establish a 
 point of so much importance to the world. 
 
 I am not anxious to know how or what the change is 
 which the animal economy undergoes: it is sufficient for 
 me to have proof that a lighter disease may be uniformly 
 substituted for a greater one. I shall feel infinitely ob¬ 
 liged by any new communications or directions that you 
 may have to make, and in my next Gloucestershire visit shall 
 eagerly seek the opportunity of acknowledging in propria 
 persona how much I think the world indebted to your re¬ 
 searches. Perhaps it may fall in your way to accommo¬ 
 date me with some fresh cow-pox matter. I know some 
 people of fashion who are well disposed to let me make the 
 experiment on some of their children. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Your obliged and faithful 
 Humble servant, 
 
 Francis Knight. 
 
 Cliff or d-street, Sept. 10, 
 
 1798. 
 
 
LIFE OF OK. JENNEK. 
 
 161 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 OPINIONS OF DR. JENNER RESPECTING THE VARIOLA, AND 
 VARIOL.E VACCINE — ILLUSTRATIONS DRAWN FROM THEIR 
 LITERARY AND MEDICAL HISTORY. 
 
 Having now traced the progress of Dr. Jenner’s 
 observations respecting cow-pox it may not be unim¬ 
 portant, with a view to illustrate his opinions, to 
 endeavour to find out if ancient records and tradi¬ 
 tions discover any affinity between that disorder and 
 the small-pox, as it affects the human subject. In¬ 
 dependent of the historical information which such 
 an inquiry must elicit it claims attention from its 
 intimate connexion with those questions which have 
 most agitated the public mind respecting the origin 
 of the cow-pox itself, as well as of its prophylactic 
 virtues.' 
 
 These considerations must be my apology for en¬ 
 tering so much at length into a discussion which to 
 the general reader may appear somewhat tedious. 
 It is moreover my duty to state that this examina¬ 
 tion, undertaken to elucidate an obscure part of the 
 
 M 
 
162 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 most interesting of all pathological subjects, has af¬ 
 forded me the true gratification of finding at every 
 step additional reason to admire the accuracy of Dr. 
 Jenner’s observations, and it has enabled me to bring 
 forward a great weight of unprejudiced and impar¬ 
 tial testimony to support his doctrines. 
 
 He always considered small-pox and cow-pox as 
 modifications of the same distemper ; and that, in 
 employing vaccine lymph, we only made use of means 
 to impregnate the constitution with the disease in 
 its mildest, instead of propagating it in its virulent 
 and contagious form, as is done when small-pox is 
 inoculated. The name which he gave to the former, 
 Variolse Vaccinse, sufficiently and strongly indicates 
 his sentiments on this head. Different individuals 
 have questioned the propriety of this name ; but had 
 they been aware of the facts about to be enume¬ 
 rated they would have seen that none more appro¬ 
 priate could have been adopted. 
 
 Many writers have imagined that the epidemic 
 diseases which affect the human race are peculiar 
 to our species, and have no influence on the inferior 
 animals ; and they have been not less decided in 
 the opinion that the diseases of other animals are not 
 communicable to man. The disclosures which have 
 been made by the history of the Variolse Vaccinse 
 have shown that both these opinions are erroneous : 
 and other proofs of a more convincing nature will, 
 hereafter, be adduced. 
 
 Without laying greater stress upon the following 
 
LIFE OF D1L JENNEIL 
 
 163 
 
 facts than they can reasonably bear, I think it will 
 be admitted that they sustain these propositions :— 
 
 First, that an eruptive disease common both to man 
 and to the inferior animals has been known in dif¬ 
 ferent ages, and in different countries ; and that the 
 descriptions given of this eruptive disease by various 
 writers accord so completely with those acknow¬ 
 ledged to be characteristic of small-pox, as to ren¬ 
 der it highly probable that this disease actually ex¬ 
 isted at a much earlier period than that usually as¬ 
 signed to its origin. 
 
 Secondly, that as there are numberless writers who 
 have described the small-pox in man, so there are 
 others of established name and reputation, who have 
 treated of a similar eruptive and pestilential disease 
 as existing in various countries and in different times 
 among the inferior animals, but especially among 
 cattle ; that to this disease they have unhesitatingly 
 applied the name of Variola; and actually re¬ 
 commended such treatment as experience had proved 
 to be useful when that disease attacks man. 
 
 Should these propositions be established they will 
 go far to prove that the variolse of men and of the 
 inferior animals are essentially and originally the 
 same; and that from their first appearance to the 
 present hour they have existed under various modi¬ 
 fications. I am prepared to expect opposition to the 
 opinion respecting their simultaneous origin ; but 
 whatever sentiments may be entertained on that 
 subject, the facts connected with it are well worthy 
 
164 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 of consideration, and can scarcely fail to give a de¬ 
 cree of confidence in the inoculation for the variolse 
 
 o 
 
 vaccinae which that practice, unfortunately for man¬ 
 kind, has not yet acquired. 
 
 Although it is not, now, usual to refer to the Sa¬ 
 cred volume in matters of medical history I feel 
 that, on the present occasion, I should be unable 
 to deal with this subject as it deserves were I to 
 abstain from taking the strong ground it affords for 
 corroborating events and opinions narrated by his¬ 
 torians and naturalists. In this, therefore, the ear¬ 
 liest historical record in the world we have a dis¬ 
 tinct announcement that there was one eruptive dis¬ 
 ease common to man and to beast. The number of 
 similar instances mentioned in profane writers de¬ 
 monstrates that such phenomena were not peculiar 
 to one era, but have been observed in different ages 
 and countries ever since their first occurrence. 
 
 As every event connected with the origin and 
 progress of small-pox has derived additional interest 
 and importance from the singular phenomena exhi¬ 
 bited in the history and properties of cow-pox, it will 
 be right to examine more minutely into the descrip¬ 
 tions above referred to. 
 
 The reader may be aware that Philo, the learned 
 Jew, wrote, in the first century, a work on the Life 
 of Moses; and on that part of the Book of Exodus 
 which describes the plagues inflicted on the Egyp¬ 
 tians he has introduced a paraphrase or commentary 
 on the words of the inspired historian. That portion 
 
LIFE OF DIE JENNEIl. 
 
 165 
 
 of the commentary which refers to the ninth chapter 
 of Exodus, 9th and 10th verses, delineates the 
 plague of “ boils and blains The Greek words 
 of the Septuagint, synonimous with our translation, 
 “ Boils breaking forth with blains/’ are i'Afcr/ 
 <j>AvKTiSeg dvalisacu, ulcera pustulis ex fervore ebul- 
 lientibus. Philo’s enlarged description runs thus: 
 
 ’'Eneila xovioplog ahpvldiov s^sve^eig, avdpconoig re xa) uAoyoig 
 %woig dyplav xa) dwaAQr) xala Trig fiopag a7tdcn]g eAxwcnv e)p- 
 focgelo, xa) Toe crcu^ala suQvg crvvcodei tocI g et-avOrjcrscrtv, inro'Kvsg 
 eyovla (pAvxlalvag, dg eTmacrsv civ rig dpavdlg vnoxaiopdvag dva^slv, 
 aAyyjSocn rs xoci ■uTEpicudvvlaig, xaToc to stxog, sx r rjg tAxwcrEoog xdi 
 (pAoydxTECiog 'UJis^op.svoi, paAAov ri yjtIov tmv <tw(aoctwv rag ^vxug 
 lx«jw-vov, exlelpv^copcevoi Tocig aviaig. ‘'Ev yap dv Tig bcno xet paArjg 
 dypi vtoScvv <jvvsy\g zAxog 19c ouroclo, twv xald pdAog xa) [xepog discr- 
 7rap[AEVoov, sig pclav xa) tyjv avTYjv \lsav d’Ttoxpiftlvlvov.* 
 
 The late Dr. Willan, in his “ Dissertation on 
 the Antiquity of Small-pox” quotes some of these 
 words of Philo, and he appeals to the passage to 
 prove that it contains a lively and accurate de¬ 
 scription of small-pox. As Philo wrote in the first 
 
 $iAooi>6s too lovSa'wv, &C. Vol. II. pp. 100, 101. ITepi Moxrtcos. 
 Ed. Mangey. “ Coortus repente pulvis in homines et bruta 
 illatus, tetris et incurabilibus pene ulceribus totam cutem obsere- 
 bat. Itaque statim tota corpora, efflorescente passim eruptione, in 
 tumore erant, purulentis scatentia pustulis, quas existimasses 
 subter occulte suffervescentes ebullire : dolore autem et cruciatu, 
 utaequum est, propter exulcerationem et inflammationem oppressi, 
 magis adeo aut certe non minus animis laborabant, angoribus con- 
 fecti. Quippe a capite ad pedes ulcus continuatum cerneres, iis 
 quae per membra et artus sparsa erant, in unam et eandem spe- 
 ciem confusis.” 
 
166 
 
 LIFE OF DIL .TENNER. 
 
 century. Dr. Willan very fairly contends that this 
 disease must have been known as a specific malady 
 in his time. Of the accuracy of Dr. Willan’s opinion 
 respecting the nature of the disease described by 
 Philo no competent judge can doubt; but it is a 
 singular fact that this description did not merely 
 refer to a “ malady known at the time Philo wrote,” 
 but to one known many centuries before. His 
 words apply to the plague of boils and blains, as 
 recorded by Moses. It is, therefore, evident that 
 if Philo’s account be descriptive of the small-pox, 
 it carries back the antiquity of that disease, not 
 to the first century, but to the much more remote 
 period of nearly fifteen hundred years before the 
 Christian era. And it is not unimportant here to 
 remark that the histories and traditions of the East¬ 
 ern nations, particularly the Chinese and Hindoos, 
 refer the commencement of this disease to a corre¬ 
 sponding epoch. 
 
 The interpretation given by Philo, explicit and 
 distinct as it is, derives confirmation from the re¬ 
 marks of the learned Scheuchzer, in his “ Physica 
 Sacra.” I subjoin his version of the Sacred text, 
 with his comments thereon.* 
 
 * “ Et dixit Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, Tollite plenas manus 
 cineris de camino, et spargat ilium Moyses in ccelum coram 
 
 Pliaraone. 
 
 Sitque pulvis super omnem terrain /Egypti, erunt enim in 
 liominibus ac jumentis ulcera et vesicae turgentes in universa 
 terra /Egypt!. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ] 67 
 
 The original Hebrew is said to be still more ex¬ 
 pressive of the eruptive character of the disease ; 
 and, of consequence, goes to strengthen the opinion 
 that that disease was the small-pox. 
 
 Tuieruntque cinerem de camino et steterunt coram Pharaone, 
 et sparsit ilium Moyses in coelum, factaque sunt ulcera vesicarum 
 turgentium in hominibus et jumentis. 
 
 Nec poterant malefici (Magi) stare coram Moyse propter 
 ulcera, qua? in iliis erant, et in omnibus iEgyptiis. 
 
 Altius rursus in graduali poenarum scala scandit justissimus 
 Deus, -^gyptios affligens apostematibus et ulceribus, (Hebraice) 
 ulcere germinante iiiflationes. Non videntur inflationes hae ulce- 
 rosse bubones vel carbunculi pestilentiales, sed tumores inflamma- 
 torii cum vesicis vel pustulis in cute elevatis, sero acri urente 
 plenis; fuit hoc malum, quod in Peste perrarum, commune 
 hominibus et jumentis, molestum potiusquam lethale: nil 
 legimus de strage magna vel hominum vel pecorum : imo vero, 
 quod rursus in Peste rarum, obambulare poterant iEgyptii ; 
 Magi stetisse quidem se videntur coram Pharaone, sed non con- 
 stiterunt, scilicet absque insigni doloris sensu et signo.” 
 
 The following observations of this writer refer to the bubonic 
 plague, and show that the distinction between the above disease 
 and the pestilence is strongly contrasted in the Scriptures. 
 
 “ Commoda heic se offert occasio explanandi specialius diram, 
 qusePestis nomine venit, Luem. Prima fit mentio morbi trucu- 
 lentissimi Pestis, Exod. v. 3. f Et dixerunt, Deus Ebraeorum 
 vocavit nos, licet nobis quajso ut eamus iter trium dierum in de- 
 sertum,-et sacrificemus Domino Deo nostro, ne forte accidat 
 nobis Pestilentia aut Gladius.’ 
 
 Id imprimis urgeo argumentum, quod ex textu citato desumi 
 potest. Allegat Moses in conspectu infensissimi regis pro argu- 
 mento dimissionis obtinendoe persuasorio Pestem, morbum 
 jEgyptiis certe haud ignotum, seque cognitum ac est bellum, 
 malum mundo coaevum. Quis est quecso qui sibi persuadere 
 
168 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Whatever may be thought of this opinion, it is 
 fit to observe that the eruption which constituted 
 the plague of “ boils breaking forth with blains 
 upon man and upon beast throughout all the land of 
 Egypt,” does not appear, from the Sacred text, to 
 have been removed from the sufferers, as some of 
 their other inflictions were, by Divine interposition ; 
 but was left to its natural course, and thus may 
 have been propagated through successive generations 
 of mankind, as we know has been the case with 
 small-pox. 
 
 Let us now endeavour to prove from other autho¬ 
 rities that diseases similar in their nature have 
 affected man and brutes in common from the earliest 
 periods of profane history. 
 
 Though the testimony of Homer, as a poet, is not 
 quite unexceptionable in matters of this kind, it is 
 fully adequate to prove the antiquity of the belief 
 that man may participate in the distempers of the 
 brute creation. 
 
 possit, loqui populi Israelitici procuratorem, imo Dei oratorem 
 extraordinarium, de re prorsus regi et iEgyptiis ignota, quam 
 certe risu explosisset rex a veri Dei cultu, et populi Israelitici 
 petito alienissimus ? 
 
 Imo vero ex propositione oratoris inferre licet, Pestem quam 
 in proscenium ducit, morbum fuisse maxime notum, iEgypti en- 
 demium, et forte tunc vel in iEgypto, velin viciniajam grassan- 
 tem, quandoquidem profectionem populi proponit tanquam reme¬ 
 dium abigendse pesti idoneum. Malum leve quoddam nec cu- 
 rasset Rex, nec proposuisset vel comminatus fuisset Moses. Pro- 
 duci debebat argumentum, quo dari posset supplicationi pondus.” 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEE. 
 
 169 
 
 cc On mules and dogs th’ infection first began; 
 
 And last the vengeful arrows fix’d in man.*” 
 
 The instances of a similar description recorded by 
 the Roman historians are numerous. Livy, in par¬ 
 ticular, mentions many such: some of his accounts 
 are so striking that they must not be omitted in this 
 place. 
 
 Though he makes mention of “ Pestilential,” in a 
 cursory way, in the early annals of Rome, we do not 
 find any worthy of being referred to till the year 290 
 U. C. (Anno ante Christum 464.) -This historian’s 
 words are: “ Grave tempus et forte annus pestilens 
 erat urbi agrisque, nec hominibus magis, quam pe- 
 cori; et auxere vim morbi terrores populationis peco- 
 ribus agrestibusque in urbem acceptis.” He adds, 
 “ Ministeriaque invicem ac contagio ipsa vulgabant 
 morbos.” 
 
 The next great pestilence recorded in Livy occur¬ 
 red in the year U. C. 300. (A. C. 454.) “ Duo simul 
 mala ingentia exorta, fames pestilentiaque, foeda ho- 
 mini, lbeda pecori. Vastati agri sunt: urbs assiduis 
 exhausta funeribus ; multae et clarse lugubres domus.” 
 
 In the year 317 U. C. (A. C. 437.) “ Pestilentia 
 eo anno aliarum rerum otium prsebuit: magna tamen 
 clades in urbe agrisque, promiscue hominum peco- 
 ruinque pernicie, accepta.” 
 
 Of the following year he says, “ Eo anno vis 
 
 * Otp-rjas nets'GTpwTov Ka ^ K^ivas apy&s ’ 
 
 A ’rap ’'ireiT atirotai /SeAos Ix^^vkIs l<pLe)s, 
 BaAA’ - ahl 5e wvpal vtKVWv Kalovlo Sa/xeias, 
 
170 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 morbi levata; neque a penuria frumenti, quia ante 
 visum erat, periculum fuit.” 
 
 In L. 4. c. 30. U. C. 325. (A. C. 429.) we find: 
 “ Defectus alibi aquarum circa torridos fontes rivos- 
 que stragem siti pecorum morientium dedit: scabie 
 alia absumpta : vulgatique contactu in homines morbi, 
 et primo in agrestes ingruerant servitiaque.” 
 
 In the year 354 U. C. (A. C. 400.) “ Tristem hie- 
 mem, sive ex intemperie coeli, raptim mutatione in 
 contrarium facta, sive alia qua de causa, gravis pesti- 
 lensque omnibus animalibus sestas excepit.” 
 
 It would be easy to swell the list of pestilences no¬ 
 ticed by this historian in the course of his work ; the 
 above-mentioned, however, afford ample testimony 
 to the position that epidemic and epizootic distem¬ 
 pers are very intimately connected, if not on many 
 occasions closely allied. 
 
 Again, in the years 434. 3. he gives an account of 
 a pestilence raging extensively and mortally among 
 men and cattle; the latter, he says, were affected 
 with scabies, an eruptive disease, in describing which, 
 Vegetius adds, “ Scabies jumentis periculum gene- 
 rat, contagiosa namque est et transit in plures ; cu¬ 
 te in populis sestuans prurigo pervadit.” 
 
 Of this epidemic Livy goes on to say that the 
 diseases of the cattle were transferred, by contact, to 
 slaves and labourers ; but soon after, the dreadful 
 pestilence fixed itself on the inhabitants of the city 
 itself. 
 
 Of the year 396 A. C. Livy’s summary is :— 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 171 
 
 “ Tristem hiemem gravis pestilensque omnibus anima- 
 libus aestas excepit, insanabili pernicie.” He de¬ 
 scribes the epidemic of the year 277 A. C. thus:—• 
 “ Urbem adfecit pestilentia, pecudes hominesque com- 
 muni strage corripiens ; sed praecipue gravidarum 
 abortibus formidabilis.” 
 
 Another severe epidemic is. described by the same 
 historian, attended with some circumstances well 
 worthy of notice. It raged among horned cattle as 
 well as among men. U. C. 576. (A. C. 178.) “ De¬ 
 
 lectus consuiibus eo difficilior erat, quod pestilentia, 
 quae priore anno in boves ingruerat, eo verteret in 
 hominum morbos. Servitia maxime moriebantur. 
 Eorum strages per omnes vias insepultorum erat;— 
 ne liberorum quidern funeribus Libitina sufficiebat. 
 Cadavera, intacta a canibus ac vulturibus, tabes ab- 
 sumebat; satisque constabat nec illo, nee priore anno, 
 in tanta strage bourn hominumque vulturium usquam 
 visum.” 
 
 Orosius, lib. 4, in the year U. C. 477. gives us 
 this account: “ Gravis pestilentia urbem ac fines ejus 
 invasit; quae, cum omnes, praecipue mulieres pecu- 
 desque corripiens, necatis in utero foetibus, futura 
 prole vacuabat.” That of 482 U. C. also was proba¬ 
 bly a continuation or revival of the former. Oros, 
 lib. 4. 
 
 Dionysius of Halicarnassus, in his “ Roman Anti¬ 
 quities,” furnishes us with, at least, presumptive proofs 
 that, amongst the numerous pestilential epidemics 
 wherewith, from time to time, Rome was visited, an 
 
172 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 eruptive fever of a peculiar kind occasionally showed 
 itself; thus, for instance, in that fatal a 01^05 (pestis) 
 which raged in the reign of Tarquinius Superbus. 
 The historian mentions some of the striking symp¬ 
 toms incidentally, whilst relating the mission of Tar- 
 quin’s two sons, Aruns and Titus, in company with 
 Junius Brutus, to consult the Delphic oracle respect¬ 
 ing the cause and cure of this very alarming plague 
 <e wrep rov Aojjaoy. ’’—“ For there raged over his whole 
 kingdom a certain unusual disease, among girls and 
 boys , under which many died (or many bodies were 
 corrupted , as the Greek also signifies), but the sick¬ 
 ness was most severe and difficult of cure in preg¬ 
 nant women, destroying the mothers, together with 
 their infants, in crowds.” * 
 
 There occurs another still more remarkable de¬ 
 scription of an epidemic pervading the Roman ter¬ 
 ritory, (in the year U. C. 290. and A. C. 464) : 
 it commenced among the inferior animals, and then 
 extended its ravages to man. This circumstance is 
 strongly asserted both by Livy and Dionysius Hali- 
 carnasseus, but the latter states it more minutely 
 and vigorously, thus :—“ The following year, Lu¬ 
 cius Fabius and Pub. Servius Priscus having com¬ 
 menced their government, the Romans did not en- 
 
 * Karetr/crjif/e ydp ns t-rl rfjs eKelvov fiacriXelas ovk elwGuTa vocros els 
 irapdevovs re Kal xa?8as, vcp’ rjs voWa StepOdprj ad-uo.la, -^aXeirtxirdrri 
 re ical Svfflaros els rots icvouaas ywalnas, airois /dpecpeaiv asroicrelvovera 
 rds pvrepas V rads dyopaTs. _ Vide Dionys. Halicar. Antiquit. 
 Rom. Lib. IV. p. 196. —Lutetian, R. Stephan, offic. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JEN NEIL 
 
 173 
 
 gage in any work of a warlike or political nature 
 worth mentioning, as they were grievously affected 
 with a pestilential disease, more severe than ever 
 attacked them before ; it first assailed the horses 
 at pasture, and the herds of cattle ; after these 
 it raged among the flocks of goats and sheep, 
 and destroyed nearly all the quadrupeds ; then it 
 seized on the shepherds and agricultural labourers ; 
 and passing through the entire region, fell upon 
 the city. Indeed, so great was the multitude of 
 attendants and slaves, and poor population destroy¬ 
 ed, that it was not an easy matter to ascertain 
 the number. At first the dying were carried away 
 in heaps on waggons, and those who expired of 
 whom no account at all was taken were thrown 
 into the stream of the river running by. Of the 
 senate, a fourth part was estimated to have pe¬ 
 rished ; amongst whom were the two chiefs, and 
 many of the leading men of the state. 
 
 u This disease began about the kalends of Septem¬ 
 ber, and lasted through that whole year.’’* 
 
 * Though I have given in the text an accurate translation, yet 
 I think the original much more expressive, and therefore tran¬ 
 scribe part of it here. 
 
 'Pto/xcuoi— viro vocrou KaKeoOevles, c&s ovttqo tt porepov, AoifUKrjs, rj to /aev npcvrov 
 iTTirwv re cpopSaSoov Kal /3 owv dyeAais tcrpoarjAdev, an d Se tovtcov els alnoAia Kal 
 nolfxvas KaTe<TKT)ipe, Kal Sie<p8eipev vAlyov 8 elv navla tk reTpanoSa, eneila t<Zv 
 vopLeocv Kal yewpy&v ijtf/aTo, Kal die\6ovaa Sia nacrris rrjs x^pas, els rr)v noAiv 
 
 even ecre- Id. Lib. IX. p. 459. 
 
 In this passage we have a most positive and distinct state¬ 
 ment that this pestilence, of whatever nature or kind it might 
 
174 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 Herodian relates, that in the reign of the emperor 
 Coni modus, a dreadful pestilence attacked the whole 
 of Italy ; but it raged more violently in Rome itself, 
 inasmuch as that city abounded in its own proper 
 population, as well as with a confluence of strangers 
 from all parts of the world; whence followed a 
 great destruction, both of beasts of burden and men 
 
 (f* TToXky] ts Tig <pdopoi eysvslo vnoQuyluiV a/xa xa) uvQpw 7rcov.”) 
 
 The historian, after relating the retreat of the Em¬ 
 peror from Rome, by the advice of his physicians, 
 to Laurentum, to avail himself of the salubrity of its 
 air, and its coolness, adds, “ The disease, however, 
 still advanced to a greater height, attended by a 
 great mortality among men, and all the domesticated 
 animals.” * 
 
 It would not be difficult to increase the catalogue 
 of pestilential diseases affecting both men and beasts 
 at or about the same period ; but as that point has 
 been already sufficiently established, it will be better 
 to bring forward such documents as seem more espe¬ 
 cially to illustrate the history of sinall-pox itself; and 
 then to prove by unquestionable evidence that that 
 
 have been, commenced in the equine and bovine tribes of ani¬ 
 mals ; from them it passed to the goat and sheep kind; then 
 to the shepherds and farm-servants ; and last of all made its 
 way into the capital; having first traversed the whole Roman 
 territory. Livy records the same epizootic and epidemic disease 
 in terms not materially different; and to which I have also 
 referred. 
 
 * Tldvrow re tpdan'rois dvdpooTTOis (Two'lkcvv. — Lib. I. cap. 12. 
 
LIFE OF DR, JENNER. 175 
 
 disease has at various times affected the inferior ani¬ 
 mals. I shall, then, have accomplished the object I 
 proposed in commencing this disquisition; and its 
 connection with Dr. Jenner’s discovery of the Variolae 
 Vaccinae will thus be rendered apparent. 
 
 Perhaps the earliest authentic account of any erup¬ 
 tive disease subsequent to that which is mentioned 
 in Exodus, and commented on by Philo, is that given 
 by Thucydides, in his history of the Peloponnesian 
 war. This truly classical and elegant writer has 
 given a delineation which carries with it all the 
 authority of accuracy and truth. The symptoms 
 which he enumerates resemble very strongly those 
 of small-pox, whilst he is silent on those which cha¬ 
 racterize the true plague, such as buboes, parotids, 
 and carbuncles. It, therefore, is fair to conclude that 
 this latter disease is not that which he witnessed, as 
 it is impossible to believe that a writer who is dis¬ 
 tinguished above most others by the minuteness of 
 his descriptions, should have omitted those above- 
 mentioned, had they existed.. He states that the 
 disease proceeded from Ethiopia, and that it was 
 brought into Athens from the Piraeus. His entire 
 description is peculiarly animated, and gives an ap¬ 
 palling view of the ravages of the disease. As it is 
 too long for insertion here, I shall select that part 
 which points out the manner of attack, and the sub¬ 
 sequent symptoms. 
 
 “ Some persons from no ostensible cause, but on a 
 sudden, being in health, were first seized with violent 
 
176 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 heats of the head, and rednesses and inflammation of 
 the eyes ; and as to the interior (of the head), the faux 
 or throat, and tongue, were immediately bloody (e-jSuj 
 oclpct ?«&»)), and the breath emitted, bad and foetid. 
 Next after these (symptoms) sneezing and hoarseness 
 came on, and in a little while the disease (mvog) de¬ 
 scended into the chest with a violent cough. And 
 when it settled in the stomach (xupSluv) it both turned 
 it, and all ofif-scourings of bile, that have been named 
 by physicians, succeeded; and these with great dis¬ 
 tress, (t u\otmctiplas,) molestia. The greater part were 
 affected with a fruitless hiccup, accompanied with 
 strong spasm ; with some, having immediate interval 
 of ease ; with others, much later. And the body, to 
 the outward touch, was not very hot, neither was it 
 pale, but somewhat red, livid, effloresced with small 
 pustules and botches (=a xetriv)?* 
 
 Such is the description of the incipient and erup¬ 
 tive symptoms of this fatal epidemic: that they are 
 not those which characterize bubonic plague, is, I 
 think, very evident. In the quotation from the ori- 
 
 * Toi)s S’ aAAovs air ou8epias srpocpacreus, aAA’ k^a'upvris, vyieks ovras, 
 'jrpoTov pkv rfjs KecpaAfjs dkppai iffxupal real rcov OipdaApuiv kpvdtfp-ara nal 
 (pAoyuffis kAap/iave, Kal ra kvlos, r? re ipd.pvy £ Kal 77 yAoffffa, eudvs aiparoi^r) 
 rjv, Kal irvevpa droirov Kai SuffwSes ijipier eireira, e£ avrav irrappos Kal fipayxos 
 eireyiyueTO, Kal kv 01 1 iroAA<£ XP° V V Kalkfiaivev ks ra arridr) 6 ttovos, perci 
 /3 rixds lerxvpov- Kal oircre ks rr)i> Kapdlav cTTtjpi^ai, dvkurperpk re avTTjv, 
 Kal airoKadapcreis xoAi^s iraffai, oaai vtto larpdov (ovop.affjj.kvaL elfflv, eirr/effav, 
 Kal avTai peTCi TaXanccoplas peyaKtjs. Auy£ re rois ptv, /.tera ravra 
 AcvipijcravTa, rots 8k, Kal ttoAAcv uerrepov. ical to pkv e£a>9ev airropkvip ffwpa, 
 out' ay av deppov rjv, oil re ^Ac opov, aAA’ unkpvBpov, ireAiSvov, (pAv/cratvats 
 piKpais Kal eAKecriv kfrvdrjKcis. X/. II. C. 49. 
 
LIFE OF OR. JENNER. 
 
 177 
 
 ginal will be found, if I mistake not, as accurate an 
 account of the leading symptoms of variola as could 
 possibly be expected from any historian not medical. 
 The sudden attack, without any obvious exciting 
 cause ; the strong heats of the head; the erythema and 
 inflammation of the eyes ; the state of the pharynx, 
 tongue, and fauces; the particular foetor of the breath; 
 the sneezing, and hoarseness, and violent cough, 
 combined with distress (? rovoj) in the chest; let these 
 be taken in conjunction with the symptoms which 
 succeed, and which denote the eruptive stage of this 
 epidemic fever, (especially as pointed out in the last 
 sentence of the Greek quotation) and we have, if I 
 mistake not, a very lively description of a varioloid 
 disease. 
 
 Another part of Thucydides’ narrative worthy of 
 attention is that wherein he states that even after 
 the disease had continued so long as to have reached 
 its height, “ the body was not wasted, but bore up 
 against the distress beyond all expectation, so that 
 many perished on the ninth or seventh day, having 
 still a degree of strength (t< remaining.” 
 
 Now this we know is often remarkably the case in 
 variolous fever. The historian further states that 
 many who escaped beyond this period of the disease 
 were attacked with a strong ulceration of the bowels, 
 and along with this, a diarrhoea which could not be 
 restrained, by which many were at last destroyed 
 through weakness (a a-devslu). He proceeds to add 
 that, if any one got over the greatest (most severe) 
 
 N 
 
178 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 symptoms, a seizure, in return, upon the extreme 
 parts left its mark there; for it made its attack 
 h; aJSoTa, and upon the extremities of the hands 
 and feet; and many ultimately escaped with the loss 
 of these, and of their eyes also. 
 
 Another remarkable circumstance attendant on 
 this epidemic, as noticed by Thucydides, is the 
 immunity from a second attack of the distemper ; at 
 least from a fatal one, on the part of those who had 
 once got well over it; so fixed was this belief in 
 themselves and others, that they were deemed “ for¬ 
 tunate and happy” The mode of expression adopted 
 by the historian, is at once significant and forcible. 
 
 to 7rposiSsvai re’, xa) <xvto) rjSvj sv tco Qa.p<ru\ecp slvur y«p 
 x ov auTov, coots xa) xrelveiv , oux It: sXaitfiavs. 
 
 Contemporaneous with the pestilential epidemy 
 of Thucydides we find from Herodotus the histo¬ 
 rian, and the epistles of Hippocrates, the father of 
 physic, that a similar disease prevailed in the hosts 
 of Artaxerxes; but whence this pestilence proceed¬ 
 ed does not appear:—that it was very fatal to the 
 army is evinced by Artaxerxes’ very urgent letter 
 for medical assistance, as given in the epistles of the 
 Coan sage, who afterwards made it his boast to the 
 Athenians that he would not lend his aid to cure 
 the enemies of his country. 
 
 Though Hippocrates has not in any part of his 
 works treated expressly on small-pox as a disease, 
 sui generis, yet I think it will be manifest, on an ex¬ 
 amination of some passages in his writings, that he 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNElt. 
 
 179 
 
 was not only acquainted with it, but has absolutely 
 marked the eruption as characterizing a species in 
 his classification of fevers. These he thus enume¬ 
 rates in the sixth book of his Epidemics, article 17. 
 
 Uvpsro), ol fx,sv 8oixvui8ssg rrj X sl P‘‘ ^ vpYjesg. ol Ss ou 8uxvoo8ssg 
 jW-sv, £7r/xva8i8ov1sg 8s. ol 8s o£ssg fsv, r/Crawpsvoi Ss rrjj x si P°i" 
 ol 8s Trspixassg sudscog. ol 8s 8ioc nr avrog /3a> 5 %po/. £rjpo». ol 8s 
 uXp.vpa>8ssg. ol 8e Trs[jL(piyw8ssg I8slv Ssivol. ol 8s zrpog t^v %s7pa 
 vondo8ssg. ol £e s^spv^poh ol 8s 7 rsXiol. ol 8s gfcop^poj. xoii ra aAAa 
 
 TOiOVTOTpOKU . 
 
 “ Some fevers are pungent, (or biting) to the 
 touch ; some are mild; some are not pungent, yet 
 increasing, (or giving out;) some are sharp or 
 acute, but yielding to the hand; some are forth¬ 
 with, (or quickly) very ardent; others altogether, 
 (or throughout) feeble and arid. Some are salt, 
 others pustular, dreadful to behold ; some moist to 
 the hand, (or touch ;) some very red, others livid, 
 some very pale, and others of the same kind.” 
 
 The above may be fairly considered a brief sum¬ 
 mary of the different kinds of fever with which Hip¬ 
 pocrates was acquainted ; but let us hear his com¬ 
 mentator Galen on these very passages; chiefly, 
 however, on that with which we have most concern, 
 and which contains the very remarkable expressions 
 “ pustular, dreadful to behold.” Passing over his 
 comments, judicious as they appear to be, on all 
 those species which precede the salt and pustular, 
 let us confine our attention to them. He (Galen) 
 begins by saying, “ Of these the arid is sufficiently 
 
 N 2 
 
ISO 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 manifest,” (i. e. distinguishable by the touch ;)—“ not 
 so the salt, for salt is not distinguishable by the 
 toucli, but by taste alone. 5 ' But what follows is less 
 clear, where he says, “ others pustular, dreadful to 
 behold ;”—and here we find a different reading. In 
 most of the copies, the words “ to behold,” being 
 placed before “ pustular,” but in a few, the word 
 “ dreadful 5 ’ being inserted after “to behold.” Sabi- 
 nus is the only commentator that I have found who 
 was acquainted with this reading, and he is follow¬ 
 ed by Metrodorus, and all who have come after him 
 
 down to *-, though in a very few copies 
 
 I have found it simply “ others pustular,” without 
 either “ to behold,” or “ dreadful.” 
 
 After exercising his critical acumen in the exami¬ 
 nation of the word 7re/x<pi£; and after offering 
 several senses, he concludes with the question, whe¬ 
 ther the passage should be taken with two ex¬ 
 pressions out of the three, thus tt e^iydoleeg I lie jV. 
 Some, he says, have removed the word ihlv. Others 
 who have not expunged it, have interpreted it 
 either of fevers with <pkuxTaiveu, or of such as put life 
 in danger, (or affect life :) and he thinks it probable, 
 that Hippocrates may be here speaking of fevers of 
 the a otfibg kind; for he says, “as yet, he (Hippo¬ 
 crates) passes over this one sort of fever. Now that 
 it is attended with <p\uxTulmi we have the testi- 
 
 * Galen has not mentioned the name of the author to whom 
 he alludes in this place. 
 
LIFE OE Dll. .TENNER. 
 
 181 
 
 inony of Thucydides, who tells us “ the body to the 
 outward touch was neither very hot, nor very pale; 
 but somewhat red, livid, broke out (or effloresced) 
 with small pustules and ulcers.” Galen, after some 
 discussion of the passage in Hippocrates, then pro¬ 
 ceeds, “ The addition of 4 dreadful to behold ,’ accord¬ 
 ing to the reading of Sabinus s copy, is good, for the 
 7 Ts[x.<piyui)dses are dreadful to look at. I have said 
 this before, and now repeat it: for that they are 
 said to be dreadful to look at with reference to us, 
 if they are affected with (^kuxtuIvm and sXxea) pus¬ 
 tules and ulcers: but with respect to the patients 
 themselves, when they become delirious and fix their 
 eyes on you in a dreadful manner, &c.” At length 
 he sums up, thus, “ Wherefore it is most probable 
 to conclude, that either the fever puffy to the touch, 
 (■jrveviJ,(XTU)$r)g) or that of the a 0^05 kind has been 
 described by the word irepupiywtiris: but if we add 
 the dreadful Seivoi to the term 7 re/x(piyu) 8 ee$ the \oip*wby)$ 
 alone is intended or meant: the difference of which 
 fever, with regard to others is, that the heat is of a 
 putrid nature, as in the a oifog which now prevails, 
 and which has continued for so very long a time. 
 For which reason, those who labour under it do not 
 appear hot and burning to those who touch them, 
 though their inside is violently affected with a sen¬ 
 sation of heat, as Thucydides has said. Galen 
 then cites Thucydides at some length, including 
 the passage formerly cpioted by him : £ ots V b uutm 
 
 <p\uxTcdvc(i ylvovTca, xa) 6 Gux.u8l8r,$ (Actprupfi yptxipcuv otmof. 
 
182 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 “ xoc) to fiev e%ooQsv cfarTopsvu > (Tm^u outs ayav Qsppov yjv , ovts 
 %X cvpov, aXA’ U7r epvQpov, TrsXiSvov, <pXvxTa.lva.ig puxpoug xal 
 eXxsnv s Zi)vQy]xos. v 
 
 It may be to the purpose here to state, that ac¬ 
 cording to Hippocrates, Galen, and the other Greek 
 writers, the terms xotfiog and aoijo-coStj? were applied 
 to all pestilential epidemics of whatever class or 
 kind: as will be best evinced by consulting their 
 works. 
 
 The opinions of the eastern nations, with regard to 
 the high antiquity of small-pox, have been already 
 alluded to. In China it would appear to have been 
 known from time immemorial; or at least so far back 
 as the dynasty Tcheoue, about 1122 years before 
 Christ. The Chinese name for the disease is Tai- 
 tou, which means “ venom from the mother’s 
 breast.” Pere D’Entrecolles, a Jesuit, states that 
 he had read some Chinese books, which notice small¬ 
 pox as existing in the earliest ages. P£re Du Halde, 
 and other Jesuit missionaries, inform us of the ex¬ 
 istence of a Goddess in the Chinese mythology, un¬ 
 der whose superintendence this disease (small-pox) is 
 peculiarly placed : and further, their learned men be¬ 
 lieve that it has existed in China for 3000 years. 
 
 In Hindoostan, if the Brahmins are to be credit¬ 
 ed, the small-pox is of the remotest antiquity. The 
 Brahmins say that the Veda (one of their sacred 
 writings, which they refer back to an era nearly as 
 remote as that of Moses,) contains forms of worship 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 183 
 
 and offerings to a female divinity, whose tutelar care 
 is exercised over small-pox. A particular tribe of 
 these priests lays claim to the knowledge and prac¬ 
 tice of inoculation from time immemorial. 
 
 What weight is to be given to this testimony, in 
 the general argument for the antiquity of small-pox, 
 must be left to individual judgment; I cannot but 
 think, however, that so many concurring traditions 
 and historical statements go nigh to establish a 
 strong probability of the origin I have assigned to 
 small-pox. That a communication subsisted be¬ 
 tween the ancient inhabitants of China and India, 
 on the one hand, and those of Egypt on the other, 
 is evinced, as well from ancient history as from a 
 similarity of religious rites, from names of remark¬ 
 able places, and from existing monuments, emblems 
 of superstition, and temples for the worship of their 
 common idols. 
 
 In connexion with this subject we find that at a 
 later period the elder Pliny adds his testimony to 
 the accumulated evidence of ages that many erup¬ 
 tive diseases were to be traced to Egypt, as their 
 Jons et origo. In speaking of elephantiasis he says 
 “ Egypti peculiare hoc malum,” and in his observa¬ 
 tions onAlichen,” another cuticular disease imported 
 into Italy in the reign of Tiberius Caesar, he makes 
 this remark “ Adveneruntque ex iEgypto genitrice 
 talium vitiorum medici hanc solam operam affe- 
 rentes, magna sua praeda.” 
 
184 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 And of the plague itself he says, “ Qua in re ob¬ 
 servation, a meridianis partibus ad occasum solis 
 pestilentiam semper ire.'’ 
 
 It now remains to endeavour to trace a connexion 
 between the eruptive diseases just described, and 
 those which are known from history to have ex¬ 
 tended their ravages over the world subsequent to 
 the Christian era. During the reigns of more than 
 twenty Roman emperors many descriptions are 
 given, and different symptoms enumerated by histo¬ 
 rians,—of accounts strictly medical we have few or 
 none. Loss of sight in numerous cases, and still 
 more frequently a severe inflammatory affection of 
 the eyes of those attacked, is particularly noticed. 
 This, together with the pustular eruption and the 
 absence of buboes and parotids, would seem to dis¬ 
 tinguish the disease from the pestis inguinaria , or 
 true plague ; and with other symptoms to identify 
 it with small-pox. 
 
 So frequent were the visitations of these epide¬ 
 mics, that mention is made of them in almost every 
 reign from that of Domitian downwards. 
 
 In the eighth year of the joint reign of the Ro¬ 
 man emperors, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, 
 and of the Christian era 170, a most destructive 
 pestilence raged throughout many provinces of the 
 empire: of this Eusebius, in his Chronicle, thus 
 speaks, ‘ e Lues magna provincias occupavit, Roma 
 ex magna parte vexata.” 
 
 This is the same pestilential eruptive fever which 
 
LIFE OF OF. JENNEF. 
 
 185 
 
 Galen witnessed at Rome, and of which he says, (as 
 has been already noticed) that it exactly resem¬ 
 bled the a oipo; at Athens, as described by Thucy¬ 
 dides. 
 
 Of this also Julius Capitolinus (in Lucio Vero) 
 writes—“ Fuit ejus fati ut in eas provincias per 
 quas rediit Roinam usque luem secum deferre vide- 
 retur. Et nata fertur pestilentia in Babylonia, ubi 
 de templo Apollinis ex arcula aurea, quern miles 
 forte inciderat, spiritus pestilens evasit, atque inde 
 Parthos Orbemque complesse.” 
 
 In the third year of the reign of Gallus and Volu- 
 sian, (A. D. 256.) a great “ pestis” afflicted tlie 
 world: it was said to have originated in Ethiopia; 
 thence to have spread over the whole empire, and 
 scarcely to have ceased within a period of ten years. 
 This distemper raged throughout the whole of 
 Egypt during these times, as Eusebius relates (in 
 Chronico).* Africa, too, in its entire extent would 
 appear to have suffered from this pestilential visita¬ 
 tion, as we learn from Pontius in Vita St. Cypriani; 
 and Gregory Nyssenus. 
 
 Cyprian in his pastoral letter to the Christians 
 under his care, enjoins them to show the nature and 
 power of their religious faith, by their brotherly love 
 towards each other, and their good offices to their 
 
 * As I had not access to Eusebius' Chronicon in the original, 
 the passages adduced are from the Ecclesiastical Annals of 
 Baronius.—The same may he observed with respect to some 
 other Greek authorities. 
 
186 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Pagan neighbours and fellow-citizens; and they 
 obeyed his injunctions with the willing minds of 
 martyrs, in assisting and rendering service even to 
 their enemies. 
 
 Cyprian’s address is entitled “ De Mortalitate 
 and in the form of a note to it is given a description 
 of the disease.* 
 
 A. D. 263.—In the ninth year of the Em¬ 
 peror Gallienus, a pestiferous and deadly disease 
 broke out at Alexandria in Egypt, of which Eu¬ 
 sebius gives us some notices from the letters of 
 
 * D. Caecil. Cyprian, de Mortalitate, sive lue mortifera. 
 Vide not. p. 156. fol. Oxon. “ Revera morbus iste epide- 
 micus tam varia et erratica liabuit symptomata ut ad pestis 
 proprie dictae typum minime responderet. Corporis vires solutus 
 in Huxum venter eviscerabat. In faucium vulnera conceptus 
 medullitus ignis exacstuabat. Assiduo vomitu intestina qua- 
 tiebantur, oculi vi sanguinis inardescebant, quorundam pedes 
 vel aliquae membrorum partes contagio morbidae putredinis am- 
 putabantur, debilitabatur incessus, obstruebatur auditus, caecatus 
 fuit aspectus. Teterrima baec lues in Arabia primum nata, 
 deinde in iEgyptum devecta, postmodum in Africam processit, 
 et exinde per occidentalis Romani imperii partes grassabatur ; 
 furore Atheniensis illius, quam describit Thucydides aemulo, 
 itinere consueto, et via quasi praetoria: ait enim Plinius L. 7* 
 c. 50 : Observatum a meridianis partibus ad occasum solis 
 pestilentiam semper ire. 
 
 Imperantibus Gallo et Volusiano hoc malum contigit, testibus 
 Eusebio in Cliron. Oros. 1. 7- et Zonar. Annal. 1. 2. Porro 
 pacis tempore hoc evenisse docet Euseb. 1. 7- c. 22. ex literis 
 Rionys. Alex.” 
 
 This description of the disease is taken from Tertullian. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 187 
 
 Dionysius, then Bishop of Alexandria, written at 
 or about the festival of Easter. “ In such a crowd 
 of miseries as at present overwhelm us, neither at 
 this time nor at any other, nay not even at that 
 period which men deem of all other the most joy¬ 
 ful, does it seem fit that a festival should be cele¬ 
 brated. For now all are full of lamentations; now 
 all weep ; now nought but sorrow and complaints 
 occupy the whole city, on account not only of the 
 multitude of those who have just died, but of those 
 who are dying every day. As it is written of the 
 first-born of the Egyptians, so now also a great cry 
 is sent forth : for there is not a house in which there 
 is not one dead.” 
 
 After forcibly depicting the exemplary conduct 
 of the Christians towards their fellow-sufferers, he 
 contrasts it with that of their Pagan neighbours 
 thus, u But the Gentiles acted contrarywise in 
 every respect; for they forcibly drove out of their 
 houses those who began to show signs of sickness ; 
 they deserted their nearest friends; they cast the 
 half-living into the streets ; they exposed the dead 
 bodies without sepulture to be torn asunder by dogs ; 
 seeking to avert from themselves all participation, or 
 as it were all communion of death; from which, 
 however, it was evident they could not escape, not¬ 
 withstanding all their devices.”* 
 
 * In this, and other similar quotations, the reader is requested 
 to bear in mind that the early writers did not sufficiently dis- 
 
188 
 
 LIFE OF Dlt. JENNER. 
 
 The historian further adds, “ At non tantura 
 iEgyptum hujusmodi adeo immani clade contigit 
 exagitari, verum et aliae orbis regiones aliis diversis 
 atque atrocioribus affectee sunt malis.’’ And again, 
 “ Nam et pestilentia (speaking of the same year) tanta 
 extiterat vel Ronnie, vel in Achaicis urbibus, ut uno 
 die quinque millia hominum pari morbo perirent.’* 
 
 On the authority of Eusebius, we have the fol¬ 
 lowing account of a pestilence attended with erup¬ 
 tions and other symptoms strongly indicative of 
 small-pox. 
 
 It occurred in the 6th year of the Emperor 
 Maximinus, and A. D. 311, and is thus described. 
 “ Pestis deinceps obcrrare coepit; morbi etiam cu- 
 jusdam novi et peregrini (exulceratio qusedam, quae 
 aestus et fervoris proprio nomine anthrax, id est 
 
 criminate between the pestilence, strictly so called, and those 
 pestilential epidemics, combined with eruption, of which so 
 many instances have been recorded. There can, therefore, be 
 little doubt that under the head of pestis and pestilentia both 
 affections have been often confounded; and that the symptoms 
 which are peculiar to each are frequently omitted. In the 
 general argument, then, I am not disposed to lay any stress on 
 those pestilences where eruptions are not mentioned by the 
 historian. When such examples are brought forward, it is 
 chiefly to pseserve the continuity of the narrative. They can¬ 
 not, however, be entirely rejected, inasmuch as symptoms omit¬ 
 ted by one writer, are stated by another as occurring in the 
 same Epidemic. This remark especially applies to eruptions. 
 
 * Euseb. Ecclesiast. Hist. Lib. vii. cap. xxii. 
 
 Baronii Annales Ecclesiastic. Vol. 2. page 582-3. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 189 
 
 carbunculus, appellatur) gravis et violenta impressio, 
 qui per universum corpus pererrans, mortifera his 
 qui eo perturbabantur, injecit pericula. Quinetiam 
 quoniara in oculis potissimum ejus insidebat cru- 
 ciatus, infinites fer£ viros cum conjugibus et liberos 
 caecos reddidit.’’ It is quite evident that the an- 
 thraces, or carbuncles, here spoken of, could not be 
 those which denote the true plague, as in that dis¬ 
 ease they are always local; and besides, the eyes 
 are seldom or never injured.* 
 
 This epidemic continued, or revived, during the 
 subsequent year (A. D. 312), attended with famine: 
 of the effects of both Eusebius has drawn a most 
 appalling representation. He thus expresses him¬ 
 self respecting the disease: “ Pestis autem onrnes 
 domos integras et familias penitus depascebatur, et 
 eos vel maxime, quas fames propter alimentorum 
 
 * The description of this epidemic, or, to speak more correct¬ 
 ly, of an eruptive disease, which accompanied it, is, in the 
 Greek, so strongly indicative of variola, that I am induced to 
 quote it : Aipos S’ dStKijlos tTriaK^irlei, /cat Xoipos €7rt tovtcu' kcx'l tlvos 
 trepov voffripalos , eA/cos St rjv (pepuvvpus rovs irvpcaSous tvttttv, avdga^ 
 irpocrayoptvoptvov, emepopd- t> Kad ’ d\wv pev tpTrwi' twv creopdroev ffcpaXepovs 
 evenoiti tols irenovddai klj-Svvss. 8 pjjV aAAa Kal /ca7a twv ocpdaXpaiv 5ta- 
 (pepovTws eTrnrAeicrTov yivopevov, pvpies ones dvSpas apa ywai*l /cat itatcri, 
 Tnjpovs antipyagelo. 
 
 , Now, if we take this as a true account of the symptoms of the 
 certain other disease above-mentioned, I would simply ask what 
 disease, other than small-pox, that could have been, which, at¬ 
 tended with the pustular eruption ever the whole body, and 
 fixing itself about the eyes, rendered thousands (pvptes) of men, 
 women, and children blind ? 
 
 Consult Euseb. Hist. Ecclesias. Lib. ix. cap. viii. 
 
190 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 affluentiam qua fruebantur, consumere et conficere 
 non poteratand goes on to say, that the magis¬ 
 trates and prefects, and many others who, having 
 power and authority, possessed a superabundance 
 of every thing, as if the famine had designedly 
 spared them that they might perish by the pesti¬ 
 lence, underwent a very severe, and, for the most 
 part, a hurried death. In this way whole families 
 were cut off very rapidly; so that two or three 
 bodies of the dead were carried out from one 
 house for burial at the same time. All places, 
 therefore, by-ways, markets, streets, overflowed 
 with tears, sorrow, and wailings; nor could aught 
 be witnessed save the most piteous lamentations 
 and weeping. During the prevalence of this pesti¬ 
 lential epidemic, the conduct of the Christians was 
 worthy of their high vocation, forming a strong 
 contrast with the demeanour of their heathen coun¬ 
 trymen. 
 
 Eusebius thus simply but strikingly pourtrays 
 it:—“ Quo quidem tempore clara singularis Christi- 
 anorum erga quemque et studii et pii animi indicia 
 apud omnes increbuerint. Nam hi solum in tanto 
 malorum ciunulo suis recte factis, et piis officiis mise- 
 ricordiam declarabant et benignitatem : quorum alii 
 indies singulos mortuorum funeribus et sepulturae (in- 
 finiti enim erant, quibus sepeliendis nemo curam ad- 
 hibuit) diligentem navarunt operam : alii, multitu- 
 dine eorum qui per totam civitatem fame urgebantur 
 in unum coacta, omnibus panes dispertierunt: usque 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 191 
 
 adeo lit hoc prseclarum facinus per omnes homines 
 constanti fama et magna celebritate pervaderet; et 
 singuli Christianorum Deum gloria et laude prsedica- 
 rent, eosque solos et veros Dei cultores re et factis 
 comprobatos faterentur.” 
 
 A. D. 37b and 13 of the Emperor Valens, Baro¬ 
 nins, on the authority of St. Ambrose and Paulin us 
 Nolanus, states that a pestilence raged throughout 
 Europe, attacking both man and beast: <e Lues 
 pariter bourn atque hominum, caeterique pecoris: 
 ut etiam nos, qui bellum non pertulimus, debellatis 
 tamen pares fecerit pestilentia.” Ambrosius com¬ 
 ment. in Luc. lib. 9. cap. 2 1. 
 
 In the year 410 of the Christian era, famine and 
 pestilence prevailed at Rome to so great an extent, 
 that, as Zosimus (according to the version of Baro- 
 nius) expresses it, 44 Omnia plena cadaveribus erant. 
 Cumque non possent extra urbem sepeliri cadavera 
 quod omnem exitum hostes observarent, urbs ipsa 
 mortuorum sepulchrum erat.” Zosimus, lib. 5. 
 
 A plague (pestis ingens) raged at Rome A.D. 467. 
 but no particular account is handed down to us either 
 of symptoms or mortality. Pope Gelasius, in a letter 
 to Andronicus, says, 44 pestilentia tanta subrepsit ut 
 toleranda vix fuerit.” Vide Baron, vol. 6. p. 281. 
 
 In the reign of Zeno (A. D. 484.) pestilence and 
 famine ravaged all the cities of Africa. Id. p. 427. 
 
 Famine and plague distressed Italy in the 13th 
 year of Justinian (A. D. 539.) ; the pestilence, how¬ 
 ever, seems to have been the result of scarcity. The 
 
192 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEll. 
 
 symptoms mentioned are those of inanition and ema¬ 
 ciation—not of plague. # 
 
 Procopius relates that, in the 18th year of Justi¬ 
 nian’s reign (A. D. 544.) a great plague began to 
 rage in the East, for which no remedy was found, 
 except from God, from whom it proceeded, although 
 (he says) “ many arrogant persons vied with each 
 other in commenting on the causes of (its) physiology, 
 all of which were vain and inexplicable, and only 
 deceiving with idle words, for this disease spared 
 neither age, nor sex, nor place ; but whence it had 
 its beginning, and in what manner it destroyed its 
 victims, I will relate. It began in Egypt, at Pelu- 
 sium; hence it took in the whole world, continually 
 advancing; it left no lurking-places, nor did it 
 attack the same persons a second time.” 
 
 Evagrius records the same pestilence described by 
 Procopius in his “ Persic warbut he has added 
 many circumstances, either passed over by Procopius, 
 or differing from his account. This, however, is easily 
 explained, for Evagrius did not commit his recital to 
 writing till fifty years after the first appearance of the 
 epidemic (A. D. 544) to which time the narrative of 
 Procopius applies : since he states that the disease 
 prevailed in Constantinople for only three months, and 
 that in the beginning of it a few died ; but at length, 
 five thousand, and, still oftener, ten thousand were 
 hurried off by it daily; so that many, even of the 
 
 * Procopius de Bello Gotliico, Lib. 2. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 193 
 
 wealthy class, their attendants and servants having 
 already fallen victims, perished rather from want of 
 persons to take care of them than by disease ; and, 
 for the same cause, remained unburied. 
 
 Evagrius assures us that this pestilence raged 
 amongst mankind during fifty-two years, nor were 
 its ravages confined to the East alone but extended 
 throughout the world ; it depopulated some cities en¬ 
 tirely and often returned to the very same places it had 
 before invaded ; and assumed many symptoms differ¬ 
 ent from those which had marked its early progress. 
 
 It began to prevail about two years after the cap¬ 
 ture of Antioch by the Persians under Chosroes, 
 (A. D. 542) in some respects resembling the plague 
 at Athens described by Thucydides, in other respects 
 differing from that. It was, by common report, said 
 to have originated in Ethiopia, and thence diffused 
 itself over the world attacking different places suc¬ 
 cessively, and sparing none of human kind. 
 
 Evagrius says that at the moment of writing his 
 account of the disease, it had invaded Antioch for 
 the fourth time; in this attack it deprived him of a 
 child and grand-child ; he himself having undergone 
 the distemper on its first appearance, fifty-two years 
 before. 
 
 In the year of Christ 558, the 32d of the Em¬ 
 peror Justinian, this fatal pestilence again attacked 
 Constantinople, of which Agathias, as reported by 
 Baronius, thus expresses himself, “ Eodem anno, vere 
 jam ineunte, derepente et iteratb urbem pestilens 
 
 o 
 
194 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 morbus invasit et infinitam sustulit multitudinem: 
 baud tamen prorsus cessavit ex quo tunc primum 
 anno Justiniani Imperii quinto irrepere banc nostram 
 regionem occepit.” * 
 
 On this occasion Justinian thought fit to issue 
 his imperial edict of advice to the people of Con¬ 
 stantinople, calling on them to depart from the 
 iniquity of their ways, and to invoke the pardon of 
 the Almighty. After having pointed out to them 
 various crimes of which they had been guilty the 
 edict concludes thus against the obstinate offender, 
 “ Primum quidem obligatus erit judicio Dei, post 
 haec et nostram indignationem sustinebit.” 
 
 To point out to my reader the difference between 
 many of those epidemics which have been adduced, 
 and the ordinary plague, I shall here trespass some¬ 
 what longer on his indulgence by bringing forward 
 a brief account of that disease as it appeared in Italy 
 in the last year of Justinian, A. D. 565; and there¬ 
 fore contemporaneous in its visitation with the more 
 general and dreadful pestilence just noticed as pre¬ 
 vailing epidemically in one part or other of the em¬ 
 pire during his whole reign. It will show also that 
 the prominent symptoms of the bubonic plague were 
 well known to historians; so far at least as not to 
 be confounded with those which marked many of 
 the other pestilential epidemics, identified as these 
 are, in my judgment, with small-pox. 
 
 * Agathias, lib. 5. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 195 
 
 Paulus Diaconus * thus describes the Pestis ingui- 
 naria:— 
 
 “ In these same times (A. D. 565) a very great 
 pestilence arose in the province of Liguria. For 
 there suddenly appeared certain signs (qusedam sig- 
 nicula,) through the houses, on the doors, vessels, 
 clothes, which, on any attempts to wash them out, be¬ 
 came the more apparent. But, after the completion 
 of the year, little glands (glandulse) like a nut or 
 date began to grow in men’s groins and other more 
 delicate places; these swellings were immediately 
 succeeded by an intolerable heat of fever; so that 
 the sufferer was carried off on the third day. Yet 
 if any one got over the third day he had hopes of 
 living.’’ 
 
 Paulus says nothing farther respecting the symp¬ 
 toms of this disease, but those he has mentioned are 
 fully characteristic of true plague, and distinguish it 
 clearly from an eruptive fever. His detail of its 
 natural and moral effects is eloquently piteous and 
 impressive. 
 
 The historic sketch of pestilential eruptive fevers 
 has brought us to that era to which the first appear¬ 
 ance of small-pox has been usually assigned, namely, 
 A. D. 568 or 569 during the siege of Mecca by the 
 Abyssinian army under Abrahah the viceroy—and 
 his sudden retreat from Arabia is attributed to the 
 breaking out of small-pox among his troops. This 
 
 * See Paul. Diac. de gest. Longobard. lib. 1. eap. 4. 
 
196 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 event is ascribed, in the language of fable, to an 
 assault of pebble-stones thrown from the beaks and 
 talons of great birds on the Abyssinian army ; but 
 there is no necessity to have recourse even to figu¬ 
 rative expression ; since nothing can be more pro¬ 
 bable than that the pestilence, which continued 
 through Justinian’s time, met the Abyssinians at 
 Mecca. In this view of the subject it is quite as 
 probable that the Abyssinians were infected by the 
 Arabians as the Arabians by them; nor is it at all 
 improbable that both might have had the disease in 
 their ranks. Bruce relates that at Masuah on the 
 confines of Abyssinia he met with a MS. account 
 of the war of the Elephant, in which the native 
 author told nearly the same tale as the Arabian 
 writers on the subject, adding, that at that time the 
 small-pox was first observed in Arabia. 
 
 From the time of the cessation of the great and 
 long-continued pestilence during the reign of Justi¬ 
 nian, which in its course depopulated many cities 
 and districts of the empire and extended its ravages 
 through Europe, Asia, and Africa destroying in its 
 course two millions of the human race, the accounts 
 transmitted to us, from the dark ages, of pestilential 
 diseases are so obscured by monkish fables and mira¬ 
 cles that the frequent recurrence and dreadful mor¬ 
 tality of these epidemics are almost the only facts of 
 which we can be certain; the attendant symptoms 
 are scarcely ever stated ; the consequences are some¬ 
 times alluded to, as for instance, disfiguration of 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNElt. 
 
 197 
 
 the person, and loss of limbs occasionally ; but most 
 frequently blimbless; inasmuch as restoration of 
 sight lost, during the pestilence, is often recorded as 
 the miraculous effect of saintly interposition. From 
 this period too (the close of the 6th century) histo¬ 
 rians began to designate the genuine plague by the 
 name of Pestis Inguinaria, or Lues Bubonum ; so 
 that by this appellation a more accurate distinction 
 than had previously obtained was drawn between 
 true plague and other pestilential epidemics. Yet 
 even after the time that the Arabian physicians began 
 to treat expressly, and by name, of the variolous erup¬ 
 tion, their descriptions are not very accurate, nor 
 their histories satisfactory. Of this any one may 
 satisfy himself by consulting Rhazes, as published by 
 Mead in his 1st vol. Paris, 1757, edit. 
 
 If such then be the inaccuracy of the older medi¬ 
 cal writers professedly treating of a specific disease 
 what ground have we to expect that historians and 
 chroniclers shall be more precise in their descriptions 
 of wide-spread epidemics. 
 
 Moore in his history of small-pox, though he com¬ 
 bats the antiquity of that disease in Europe, makes a 
 very just observation respecting the alleged silence 
 of historians on the subject of its appearance. “ The 
 small-pox being included in the term pestilence ex¬ 
 plains satisfactorily why it is not named by the older 
 writers; and also accounts for the very frequent oc¬ 
 currence of the plague in early times. In the old 
 chronicles the plague is recorded to nave visited 
 
198 
 
 LIFE OF OH, JENNEIl. 
 
 France eleven times in the 9th, and six or seven times 
 in the 10th century. Some of these visitations were 
 unquestionably the small-pox and measles. The 
 pestilence of fire, of which horrible descriptions are 
 given, may have been in some instances the small¬ 
 pox. 5 Of the justness and truth of these remarks I 
 have no doubt; even as applied to a period later 
 than the 10th century. Thus, as an instance, I 
 shall transiently adduce one from Baronins who, in 
 speaking of St. Martial’s miraculous powers, attri¬ 
 butes to them the stopping of a pestilence even after 
 he was laid in his grave. Baronius relates it on the 
 authority of a writer of the history of Aquitaine of 
 which some fragments only remain : his words run 
 thus: “ His diebus (A. D. 1029) lues gravissima 
 Semovicinos devoravit, incendens corpora et eocardes- 
 cendo devorans.”—Now, however we may reasonably 
 deny the miracle, we have no reason to question the 
 reality of the pestilential epidemic; or the accuracy 
 of the historian with reference to its general and 
 more obvious character which certainly assimilates 
 it rather with an ardent eruptive fever, such as small 
 pox, than with true plague or lues inguinaria, a name 
 ordinarily given, then and for ages preceding, to the 
 bubonic pestis. 
 
 Accounts of pestilential fevers still more strongly 
 marked in their resemblance to small-pox, and in 
 their essential difference from plague, occur so 
 frequently in the Ecclesiastical Annalists as to 
 weary the reader. But this branch of the subject 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 199 
 
 has been so amply treated of by Dr. YVillan, and his re¬ 
 ferences are so numerous, that 1 think it unnecessary 
 to go into it more at large.* Enough, I believe, has 
 been already said to draw attention to this very in¬ 
 teresting topic. 
 
 Having brought down the history of eruptive pes¬ 
 tilential diseases, as they affected both man and the 
 inferior animals, to that period in which small-pox is 
 on all hands admitted to have been recognized 1 am 
 now to prove by the direct testimony of those who 
 have written expressly on the diseases of cattle, that 
 an epidemic small-pox, described under that specific 
 name, has been often known to have raged amongst 
 them. 
 
 Lancisi, in his treatise De Bonilla peste, par. iii. 
 p. 142, asserts that the disease among the horned 
 cattle which he describes, and which was epidemic 
 in the papal territory in 1713-14, was similar to that 
 which had occurred in Italy, nearly two centuries 
 before (1514) and of which Fracastorius thus writes 
 in Lib. I. de Contagione, cap. 12. “ Referemus 
 
 etiam insolitam anni 1514 contagionem, quae in 
 boves soliun irrepsit. Visa primo circa Foro-julien- 
 sem tractum, mox sensim, et ad Euganeos delata, 
 atque inde in agrum nostrum. Abstinebat prime 
 bos a cibo sine causa ulla manifesta; spectantibus 
 autem in ora eoruin bubulcis, asperitas qusedam ct 
 parvae pustulae percipiebantur in palato et ore toto. 
 Separare protinus infectum oportebat a reliquo ar- 
 
 * See Willan on tlie Atiquity of Small-pox. 
 
200 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 mento, alioquin totum inficiebat. Paulatim labes 
 ilia descendebat in armos, et inde ad pedes ; ac qui- 
 bus ea permutatio fiebat, sanabantur fer& omnes; 
 quibus autem non fiebat, plurima pars peribat.” 
 
 Lancisi, after referring to the above passage in 
 Fracastorius, says, “ It is, therefore, evident that this 
 kind of pestilence was by no means unknown to our 
 ancestors. The name which they gave it I shall now 
 examine into, as I think even this not foreign to our 
 purpose: for, though it be true that names are im¬ 
 posed not by any authority of nature but at men’s 
 pleasure, still such investigations should, by no 
 means, be neglected.” He then proceeds : “ Malls 
 igitur, ut a Gesnero et Aldrovando accepimus, ar- 
 mentorum aegrotatio ilia vocatur, quae cibi fastidio 
 et cessante ruminatione se prodit. Duplex est apud 
 illos Malidis genus, siccum et hnmidum. Illud na- 
 rium atque oris ariditas consequuntur. Istud mucus 
 et fluens ex ore pituita. Quatuor Graeci assignant 
 commemorantque Malidum species, enim aut 
 
 paxlri Graecorum vox est;) vypuv primam vocant, scili¬ 
 cet humidam ; fapoiv alteram, seu siccam ; tertiam 
 ap$p~mv, articularem videlicet ; quartam denique 
 (jnohp^xuTiv, hoc est subcutaneum. Quatuor istas 
 non casu, sed data opera, recensui. Oertum quippe 
 mihi est eas omnes, si ab articulari discedas, in hujus 
 temporis contagione se immiscere. Nam ut nihil de 
 sicca humidaque dicam, quae in dubium revocari 
 nequeunt, cur subcutaneum excludamus ? Nonne il- 
 lam in omnium oculis ponunt et tabe ad cutem deposita 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEK. 
 
 201 
 
 depilatae, et horror pilorum, et armorum, cluniumque 
 tremor, maculis denique et pustulis infecta cutis ? 
 Adeo ut quibusdam in mentem venerit cogitare boves 
 non lue, ut nunc res est, sed ipsis pustulis, quas vari¬ 
 olas vocant, interire.’’ 
 
 Bernardinus Ramazzini, in his Constitut. Epidem. 
 for the year 1690, after having entered at large into 
 the subject so far as it respected the diseases of man, 
 proceeds thus :—“ Vim hujus male moratse consti- 
 tutionis experta quoque sunt cujuscunque generis 
 Animalia, quae in magno nurnero interiere; sicut 
 autem in ea, quam describit Silius Italicus, quae sicca 
 fuit et praefervida vim primi sen sere canes, ut in 
 hac frigida et praehumida, prima clades pecudum 
 fuit, quibus postquam per dies aliquot aegrotassent, 
 veluti per crisim apparebant variolas in capite et 
 collo, ac plerumque ab iisdem excaecabantur, sic 
 quae ex vehementia morbi non perierant, tandem ex 
 inedia contabescebant. Sues quoque turmatim suf- 
 focati moriebantur.” To this account he farther 
 adds, “ Tubercula autem ilia quae in capite, collo, et 
 cruribus pecudum visebantur, revera variolas fuisse 
 licet profecto asserere, quando nec figura, nec colore, 
 nec liquore in illis contento, nec magnitudine, nec 
 modo quo solvebantur post suppurationem, nigra 
 crusta superstite, quicquam a puerorum variolis dis- 
 crepabant.” 
 
 This description of symptoms may be the more 
 strongly relied on, inasmuch as Ramazzini merely 
 narrates what he witnessed then, and at a subse- 
 
202 
 
 LIFE OF DH. JENNER. 
 
 quent period in 171!. Of the year 1691 he ob¬ 
 serves, “ Hand secus quam anno elapso magna fuit 
 animalium strages, ac pecudum prsecipue. ita ut 
 ovillus grex totus pene deletus fuerit.’’ 
 
 I have already observed that the statements of 
 this physician are the more to be relied on because 
 he had no favourite theory to support by them, nay 
 he was even adverse to a prevailing opinion of his 
 Italian brethren that the diseases of cattle were 
 communicable to men ; yet with the integrity which 
 should always scrupulously attend the medical his¬ 
 torian he adds, at the close of his dissertation on 
 the Epidemic Constitution of the year 1691, these 
 remarkable words :—At profecto gravis hcec morbo- 
 rum tempestas omnino desiisset, ni Variolae, quo 
 magis ambientis calor tepescebat, eo ferocius sseviis- 
 sent, cum non solum puellarem aetatem demeterent, 
 sed etiam grandaevos, ac praecipue utero gerentes, 
 quotquot hoc morbo laborarent. De Variolarum 
 natura et causis, cum tot extant doctissimoruin ho- 
 minimi scripta, nil addam nisi quod in hac Variolosa 
 Constitutione, quae circa autumn! finem vim suam 
 magis exercuit, facilius evaserint ii quibus nec de- 
 tractus fuit sanguis, nec ullum administratum reme¬ 
 dium, toto curationis negotio naturae commissoA 
 But it was in the course of the year 1711 that the 
 destructive pestilence, since called Lues Bovilla, 
 raged in Italy, and which Ramazzini has so strongly 
 and so feelingly delineated. His introductory ex¬ 
 pressions would lose so much by translation that I 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 203 
 
 shall present them to my reader in their original 
 form. “ Nemo non novit qiiam inopinate, quam vio- 
 lenter Bubnlum genus dira contagio pervaserit flam- 
 mse ad in star, quse ope nulla hum an a consopiri, 
 nedum restingui potuerit. Hoec primum quidem in 
 Vicentino agro subobscure observari coepit; mox in 
 Patavinum transgressa apertc se prodidit, ac longb 
 lateque elfusa, usque ad ipsa urbis pomseria, tam 
 magnam ac horrendam bourn stragem edidit, ut 
 turn rura turn civitatem moerore ac rnetu coinplerit. 
 Moeret rusticana plebs, imo attonita stupet dum 
 ampla bovilia vacua ac deserta intuetur.” 
 
 His detail of symptoms is also very forcible and 
 clear. 44 The kind of affection which seemed to have 
 declared exterminating war on the whole race of 
 oxen was evidently a malignant, destructive, and 
 (if you will) a pestilential fever commencing with 
 chills, rigor, horripilatio, succeeded quickly by pun¬ 
 gent, violent heat diffused over the whole body, 
 with frequency of pulse, and accompanied by great 
 anxiety and heavy panting, together with stertor, 
 and, in the commencement of the fever, with stupor 
 and a kind of lethargy ; a continual flow of stinking 
 matter from the mouth and nostrils; a most foetid 
 discharge from the bowels, and this at times bloody; 
 loss of appetite and rumination was altogether de¬ 
 stroyed ; on the fifth, or sixth day pustules broke 
 out over the whole body of the animal, and tubercles 
 resembling variola in kind and appearance; death 
 common to all, and in the same manner, about the 
 
204 
 
 LIFE OF DK. JENNER. 
 
 fifth or seventh day; very few escaped, and these 
 rather by chance than the efficacy of any remedies.’’ 
 
 Our author then proceeds to inquire into the 
 epidemic constitution of the air and season, and 
 fully acquits them of having either caused, or con¬ 
 tributed to the production of the disease: he says, 
 “ Aerem itaque et pascua ab hoc crimine, quod hu- 
 jus morbi in causa fuerint, absolvere fas erit.” He 
 goes on to state that “ it now is sufficiently certain, 
 and is related in the 'public acts , that from the crowds 
 of oxen which the traders are in the habit of bring¬ 
 ing from Dalmatia and the neighbouring countries, 
 a single ox separated from the rest, and being found 
 by a herdsman, and brought to the pastures of Count 
 Trajan Borromeo, e pro hospitio, eadem lube qua erat 
 infect us hospites suos fee davit? for having died a few 
 days afterwards, by degrees the whole herd miser¬ 
 ably perished by the same disease, one ox only ex¬ 
 cepted, in the neck of which a seton had been in¬ 
 serted. The same contagion, therefore, creeping 
 by degrees in a short time has pervaded the whole 
 extent of the territory of Padua; and then, at 
 length having crossed the Po, threatens the same 
 destruction to the inhabitants of iEmilia.” 
 
 Ramazzini having thus established the fact of the 
 importation of this eruptive plague among the herds 
 of Lombardy proceeds to account for its wide-spread 
 dissemination by means of its highly contagious na¬ 
 ture. His words are “ Quoniain autem inorbosi 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 205 
 
 seminii ea est indoles, ut facile sobolescat et in immen- 
 sum se propaget, si in subjectuin proprium incidat, 
 non est quod miremur si haec contagio tam longe la- 
 teque sese effuderit.” He then touches on the opi¬ 
 nion entertained, even at the time, that this distem¬ 
 per might, in some shape or other, be propagated to 
 man. “ Num autem hie epidemicus bovini populi 
 morbus humanis corporibus labem aliquarn affricare 
 valeat, ut nonnulli suspicantur , non alienum est dis- 
 quirere.” After having discussed some very inter¬ 
 esting and curious arguments on each side of this 
 question, supported by historical facts, he concludes 
 against the probability of the disease attacking the 
 human subject, and sums up the evidence on his 
 own side with this expression, “ habemus igitur unde 
 spes nostras alamus.” Nevertheless he prudently 
 recommends a strict attention to such measures as 
 were in his opinion calculated not only to prevent the 
 infection from acting on man, but to check its ope¬ 
 ration on the untainted cattle, very judiciously re¬ 
 marking— “ Ubi enim de rnorbo contagioso agitur 
 nunquam satis cavemus, dum cavemus.” 
 
 With respect to the means to be employed in the 
 case of the diseased cattle themselves, he treats more 
 at large : his general plan, however, he expresses in 
 a few words—“ Crediderim itaque in curatione hujus 
 malignse febris ea methodo procedendum quae a bonis 
 medicis servatur in curanda Variolosa puerorum 
 febre.’’ By this short sentence, Ramazzini strong^ 
 
206 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 evinces his opinion of the nature of this bovine pes¬ 
 tilence. 
 
 It is worthy of observation, that the medical writ¬ 
 ers who saw and described the Variolae among cattle, 
 especially Lancisi and Ramazzini, have referred to 
 the Latin poets for illustrations of the disease. Such 
 authority is sufficient to justify any writer of the 
 present day in making use of the language of Virgil, 
 of Ovid, of Lucretius, or of Seneca, to elucidate any 
 statement that he may have advanced. Before pro¬ 
 ducing the quotations themselves, I would beg the 
 reader to remark that as modern physicians have re¬ 
 cognised in the delineations of the poet a real disease 
 which they themselves witnessed, so in like manner 
 the poets assimilate the disease which they paint to 
 that left us by Thucydides, and refer to Egypt as its 
 source, 
 
 “ Nam penitus veniens iEgypti e finibusortus.” 
 
 Such coincidences are too striking not to arrest 
 attention ; in the general argument they can not and 
 ought not to be overlooked; and they go not a little 
 way to strengthen and to confirm the positions we 
 have taken respecting the origin and progress of 
 Variolae. 
 
 Virgil, after a most pathetic description of an epi¬ 
 demic distemper which destroyed the domesticated 
 animals, among which he enumerates oxen, horses, 
 dogs, swine, and sheep, concludes thus:— 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 207 
 
 (( Jamque catervatim dat stragem, atque aggerat ipsis 
 In stabulis turpi dilapsa cadavera tabo : 
 
 Donee humo tegere, ac foveis abscondere discunt. 
 
 Nam neque erat coriis usus : nec viscera quisquam 
 Aut undis abolere potest, aut vincere flamma : 
 
 Nec tondere quidem morbo illuvieque peresa 
 Vellera, nec telas possunt attingere putres. 
 
 Verum etiam invisos si quis tentaret amictus ; 
 
 Ardentes papulae, atque inmundus olentia sudor 
 Membra sequebatur. Nec longo deinde moranti 
 Tempore contactos artus sacer ignis edebat.” * 
 
 Ovid is equally strong in his expressions, though 
 not so minute in his description of symptoms. 
 
 “ Strage canum prima, volucrumque, oviumque, boum- 
 que, 
 
 Inque feris subiti deprensa potentia morbi. 
 
 Concidere infelix validos miratur arator 
 Inter opus tauros; medioque recumbere sulco. 
 
 Lanigeris gregibus, balatus dantibus aegros, 
 
 Sponte sua lanaeque cadunt, et corpora tabent. 
 
 Acer equus quondam, magnae que in pulvere famae, 
 Degenerat palmas, veterumque oblitus honorum, 
 
 Ad praesepe gemit, letho moriturus inerti.” 
 
 “ Omnia languor habet, silvisque, agrisque, viisque 
 Corpora foeda jacent: vitiantur odoribus auras.” 
 
 “ Pervenit ad miseros damno graviore colonos 
 Pestis, et in magnae dominatur mcenibus urbis.” f 
 
 * Vide Georgic. lib. III. sub tin. 
 
 t Metam. lib. VII. 
 
208 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 Ovid proceeds to depict the ravages of this malady 
 when it affected men, almost in the very words that 
 Thucydides has employed in his account of the Athe¬ 
 nian pestilence. But this historian is, as it were, imi¬ 
 tated or paraphrased still more closely in Lucretius’ 
 sixth book “ Be Rerum Natura.” 
 
 “ Nunc, ratio quae sit morbis, aut unde repente 
 Mortiferam possit cladem conflare coorta 
 Morbida vis hominum generi, pecudumque catervis, 
 Expediam. 1 ' 
 
 I shall not follow the poet through the whole of his 
 animated and accurate detail; but select such pro¬ 
 minent symptoms as tend most impressively to cha¬ 
 racterize the disease. 
 
 Principio, caput incensum fervore gerebant, 
 
 Et dupliceis oculos suffusa luce rubentes. 
 
 Sudabant etiam fauces intrinsecus atro 
 Sanguine, et ulceribus vocis via septa coibat, 
 
 Atque animi interpres manabat lingua cruore, 
 
 Debiiitata malis, motu gravis, aspera tactu 
 
 “ Nec nimio cuiquam posses ardore tueri 
 
 Corporis in summo summam fervescere partem : 
 
 Sed potius tepidum manibus proponere tactum, 
 
 Et siinul ulceribus quasi inustis omne rubere 
 Corpus, ut est, per membra sacer cum diditur ignis.” 
 
 “ Quorum siquis, ut est, vit&rat funera lethi 
 Ulceribus tetris, et nigra proluvie alvi; 
 
 Posterius tamen hunc tabes lethumque manebat. 
 
LIFE OF UR. JENNER. 
 
 209 
 
 Aut etiam multus capitis cum saepe dolore 
 Conruptus sanguis plenis ex naribus ibat.” 
 
 44 Horrida pgedore, et pannis cooperta, perire 
 Corporis inluvie: pellis super ossibus una, 
 
 Ulceribus tetris prope jam sordique sepulta. 
 
 Omnia denique sancta Deum delubra replerat 
 Corporibus mors exanimis, onerataque passim 
 Cuncta cadaveribus coelestum templa manebant, 
 Hospitibus loca quae complerant aedituentes.” 
 
 Seneca, the philosopher and poet, enlarging on 
 the circumstances of the Aoi^o? that ravaged Thebes 
 in Boeotia, during the reign of Creon, as described 
 by Sophocles in his 4 (Edipus Tyrannus,’ thus de¬ 
 picts the symptoms of the disease: 
 
 44 O dira novi facies leti! 
 
 Gravior leto !—Piger ignavos 
 Alligat artus languor, et aegro 
 Rubor in vultu, maculaeque caput 
 Sparsere leves ; turn vapor ipsam 
 Corporis arcem flammeus urit 
 Multoque genas sanguine tendit, 
 
 Oculique rigent, et sacer ignis 
 Pascitur artus. Resonant aures 
 Stillatque niger naris aduncae 
 Cruor, et venas rumpit hiantes. 
 
 Intima creber viscera quassat 
 Gemitus stridens.” 
 
 On referring to Goelicke s dissertation “ De 
 Lue Contagiosa Bovillum genus nunc depopulante,” 
 (1730), we find the more common symptoms describ¬ 
 ed very much as they had already been pourtrayed 
 
 v 
 
210 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEE. 
 
 by former writers, such as Lancisi, Lanzoni, Ramaz- 
 zini, and others. From this close resemblance, he 
 draws the necessary inference that the distemper was 
 one and the same throughout the various regions it 
 visited : he thus expresses himself on this topic :— 
 “ Ne quis vero existimet luem nostra inter pecora 
 hodie grassantem alterius forte indolis esse quani 
 qua? bovilia et armenta aliarum regionum de¬ 
 vastavit, agedum, excutiamus tantum principes, 
 quae morbum istum comitatae sunt, circumstantias, 
 atque observatis per extispicia factis comparemus, 
 morbumque per omnia sibi similem esse constabit.” 
 He then subjoins to his enumeration of the more 
 ordinary appearances, “ Observarunt nonnulli linguam 
 admodum inflammatam, in cujus etiam superficie 
 copiosas aphthas conspexerunt. Quaedam istorum 
 pecorum ophthalmia laborarunt. In quibusdam circa 
 ambitum intestini recti ecthymata, carbuneulos vel 
 petechias representantia, in aliis vero vibices esse de- 
 tectas. In aliis toto corpore pustulce emicuere, quibus 
 ruptis ichor tenax et sanguinolentus effluxit.” Cor¬ 
 responding with this last symptom, is a remarkable 
 passage in Lanzoni’s detail: “ In aliquibus pustulas 
 sub cute effloruisse adeo ut nonnulli crediderint 
 variolis boves esse adfectos.’ 5 Goelicke, as well as 
 all the authors whom I have consulted, mentions 
 two other circumstances worth noting ; namely, “ the 
 disease attacked plump, healthy, and strong cattle, 
 in preference to those that were lean and weakly; 
 which latter, when affected, were more likely to 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 211 
 
 survive:” and 44 quamplurimae vaccae gravidse abor- 
 tivere.’’ 
 
 That this virulent and deadly disease was propa¬ 
 gated by contagion or infection there can be no 
 doubt: and indeed even those writers who have been 
 disposed to ascribe its origin to 44 local causes,” or to 
 an 44 epidemic constitution of the atmosphere,” do 
 nevertheless admit its dissemination by contact or 
 proximity.* Goelicke, in his proemium, on the autho¬ 
 rity of a German physician, John Kanoldus, (whose 
 work I have not been able to obtain) derives the 
 origin of the 44 Lues contagiosa,” of which he treats, 
 44 from the confines of Tartary, through Muscovy 
 into Poland, and thence partly towards the North, 
 and partly to the South, this dire pestilence spread 
 itself by degrees, and in that course into Livonia, 
 Curonia, Prussia, Pomerania, Holstein, Holland, 
 and thence to England itself; from England, partly 
 into the Turkish empire, Hungary, Sclavonia, 
 Croatia, and thence into Austria, Moravia, Stiria, 
 Carinthia, Carniola, Bavaria, &c. &c. : it partly 
 penetrated into Italy, and moreover into France, 
 and even Spain, and thence at length again into 
 Germany.” 
 
 It may here be worth while to give Sauvages' 
 character of this disease. He places it in the genus 
 Dysenteria; though this flux of the bov/els is evi- 
 
 * Goelicke remarks, in common with many others, that the 
 cattle who were once affected, and recovered, never again, 
 “nisi rarissimis exemplis,” were subjected to the same disease. 
 
 p 2 
 
212 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 dently only symptomatic; and, at times, altogether 
 absent. 
 
 “ 9. Dysenteria pecorum. Malls humida , Lands'll 
 de peste bovilla. Pestls bovilla, Ramazzini . Lues 
 vaccarum Tubingensis. 
 
 “ Morbus hie totam successive Europam, et demum 
 nuper Galliam devastavit, atque boves eripuit. Hunc 
 observavi apud Helvios, Comitiorum jussui ut obtem- 
 perarem ; boves ibi, in Occitania caprse et verveces 
 infestabantur; oriebatur ab inappetentia, rumina- 
 tionis cessatione, languore, boves passim in campis 
 tristi et demisso capite vagabantur interdum ejulantes, 
 salivantes, dein frigebant auribus, fremebant toto cor- 
 pore, alvi fluxum successive cruentum et torminosum 
 patiebantur, hinc colliquatio, faeces oleosae et mucosae 
 cruentae, paucissimi sanabantur obortis ad nares et 
 caput pustulis crustaceis ; et alopecia subsequente.’’ 
 
 Sauvages, in the genus Pestls, would appear to 
 describe under the species carbunculosa a disease 
 nearly allied to, if not the same with, the pestls bo¬ 
 villa of Ramazzini. 
 
 . “Pestls carbunculosa. Charbon pestllentiel, pestls 
 Indica, Carazzo Gemelli Carreri. Anthrax pest liens 
 Auctorum.” Of this disease he says, “ aggreditur 
 rusticos qui carne vervecum anthrace peremptorum 
 in cibum adhibent; pastores, laniones, lotrices qui 
 eorum cadavera, lanam tractant.’’ 
 
 He then subjoins this question—- e< An morbus ar- 
 dentium, mal dies ardens, qui olim in Gallia pestis 
 instar strages horrendas edidit, fuerit pestis car¬ 
 bunculosa And yet afterwards, in his character of 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 213 
 
 Erysipelas pestilens, he adds, “ Feu S. Antoine, Feu 
 Sacre; segri ardentes ; ignis sacer, Mezeray hist. 
 Franc, anno 1090. Mai des ardens en 1130 sous 
 Louis VII. Mezeray.”—and he farther says, “ An 
 ad erysipelas, an anthracem referenda sit haec epide- 
 mia dubito.” 
 
 Another species of pestis in Sauvages’ Nosology is, 
 from the accounts of various writers on the Lues 
 bovilla, intimately connected with that distemper, 
 indeed it may be said to be identified with it, as oc¬ 
 curring in the same epidemic. He thus defines it: 
 
 “ Pestis Glossanthraec , Ligeri de morbis jumento- 
 rum, domo rustica. 
 
 “ Boves, equos, mulos per Galliam, necnon homines 
 plures Nemausi anno 1732 infecit et jugulavit haec 
 pestis, quae ad linguae radicem anthracem proferebat 
 quo tota sensim lingua intra paucos dies exedebatur, 
 hac vero erosa penitus, jumentum quod hue usque 
 praeter febrem et virium aliqualem prostrationem 
 functiones suas aliquatenus obibat, illico moriebatur.” 
 
 It is here worthy of remark, that Sauvages under 
 the head of “ Cynanche maligna” observes : “ Haec 
 species ante triginta annos epidemica fuit circa Ne- 
 mausem, maxime inter boves ; atque etiam aliquot 
 homines infecit.” 
 
 As we descend nearer to our own time, we meet 
 with increased accuracv of observation in writers 
 of medical and natural history. Thus, in the course 
 of the last century are to be found luminous and 
 instructive accounts of various epizootic diseases: 
 
214 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 among others, Dr. Layard has in the Philosophical 
 Transactions for the year 1780, part 1st, furnished us 
 with an excellent description of an eruptive disease 
 attended with fever, which affected black cattle in 
 England, the progress and symptoms of which he 
 watched with sedulous care, and has given with great 
 discrimination. “ The disease,’’ he says, “ among 
 horned cattle is an eruptive fever of the variolous 
 kind: it bears all the characteristic symptoms, crisis 
 and event of the small-pox ; and whether received by 
 contagion, or by inoculation, has the same appear¬ 
 ances, stages, and determination, except more favour¬ 
 able by inoculation, and with this distinctive and de¬ 
 cisive property, that a beast having once had the 
 sickness, naturally or artificially, never has it a se¬ 
 cond time. 
 
 “ According to the several prejudices of different, 
 countries, various opinions have arisen of the nature 
 of this sickness. Such as are averse to inoculation 
 have obstinately refused to acknowledge it was simi¬ 
 lar to the small~pox in the human body, and have 
 very idly asserted, that the only intention of declar¬ 
 ing this contagion to be a species of small-pox, was 
 purposely, and with no other view than to promote 
 inoculation for the small-pox. Others have as posi¬ 
 tively declared it to be a pestilential putrid fever, 
 owing to a corrupted atmosphere, and arising from 
 infected pastures. But unfortunately for the sup¬ 
 porters of this opinion, while the contagious distem¬ 
 per raged with the utmost violence on the coasts of 
 
215 
 
 LIFE OF Dli. JENNEK. 
 
 Friseland, North and South Holland, Zealand, and 
 Flanders, there was not the least appearance of it on 
 the English coast, from the North Foreland to the 
 Humber, although the coast and climate are the 
 same.” 
 
 This destructive disease so vividly depicted by 
 Dr. Layard’s pen appears to have been first noticed 
 in England, in the year 1745 ; and to have conti¬ 
 nued there through the three succeeding years. 
 The contagion is said to have come from Holland, 
 the horned cattle of which had been previously and 
 were at the time, affected similarly. In a letter 
 from Vicq d’Azyr, dated Paris, August 28th, 1780, 
 to Dr. Layard, respecting the distemper among 
 horned cattle in Picardy and the neighbouring pro¬ 
 vinces during the years 1779,1780, are these words: 
 “ II me paroit comme a vous que c’est toujours la 
 meme maladie qui a regnee depuis 1711, et qu’elle 
 a de grands rapports avec l’eruption varioleuse.” 
 And in his 44 Precis historique ’ of the pestis bovilla 
 as it appeared in Picardy, he says of the diseased 
 cattle: 44 Quelques uns ont eu le cou couvert de bou¬ 
 tons ; et cette terminaison etoit ordinairement heu- 
 reuse.” From the preceding facts it is impossible to 
 doubt that some of the inferior animals, as well as 
 man, have been liable to small-pox in some of its 
 worst forms. The result of Dr. Layard’s experi¬ 
 ments by inoculation has given an interest and a 
 confirmation to this truth, which greatly increases 
 its value. Had the disease which he observed in 
 
216 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. .TENNER. 
 
 cattle been of a mild, instead of a malignant nature; 
 and had he attempted to communicate it to man by 
 inoculation he might, perhaps, have anticipated the 
 great discovery which I am commemorating in the 
 life of Jenner. He has, at all events, proved that the 
 disease was communicable from one animal to ano¬ 
 ther by inoculation, and that it was thereby render¬ 
 ed milder. When Dr. Layard wrote, it was of less 
 importance than it now is to illustrate the con¬ 
 nexion between the diseases of man and the inferior 
 animals : no trials, therefore, were made to ascer¬ 
 tain whether the Variola of man could be communi¬ 
 cated to the brute, or vice versa. The discovery of 
 the Variola Vaccina has fully established the latter 
 point; and although attempts to demonstrate the 
 former have failed in the hands of some, other in¬ 
 vestigators have been more successful. 
 
 M. Viborg, professor of the veterinary college at 
 Copenhagen, says that he succeeded in communi¬ 
 cating the human small-pox to dogs, apes, and 
 swine; he asserts also that it has been proved by 
 experiments at the royal veterinary college at Ber¬ 
 lin, that the cow likewise receives the small-pox by 
 inoculation.* 
 
 * Medical and Physical Journal, Sept. 1802, page 271. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 217 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF VARIOLA, AND OF VARIOLOUS 
 
 INOCULATION. 
 
 I trust that the propositions which the preced¬ 
 ing discussion was intended to elucidate and esta¬ 
 blish have received confirmation. The evidence 
 disclosed by the phenomena of the Variola Vaccina 
 will, I doubt not, be found to corroborate in a very 
 striking manner the historical proofs. To render 
 that evidence still more complete we must trace 
 the Variola , as it has been recognized in man, with 
 somewhat greater minuteness. Having so done, 
 and also given a sketch of the effects of variolous 
 inoculation, the connexion of the whole argument 
 with D'r. .Tenner's discovery will be rendered more 
 apparent. 
 
 In opposition to the views taken of the remote 
 origin and subsequent progress of small-pox it may 
 he argued, as has already been urged by Sydenham, 
 
218 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Freind, Mead, and other celebrated physicians, that 
 as no full or accurate description of small-pox, as a 
 specific disease, has been given either by Hippo¬ 
 crates or Galen, we are fully warranted in conclud¬ 
 ing that no such disease was known to them, or to 
 the ancient world. This appears plausible, at least; . 
 but is by no means convincing—for in addition to 
 the arguments heretofore stated I would now re¬ 
 mark that Aaron, the first acknowledged writer who 
 has treated of small-pox methodically and by name, 
 assigns the same cause for its production as for 
 that of measles, and bubonic plague. Furthermore, 
 Rhazes, who refers to the works of Aaron with high 
 approbation, considers small-pox and measles as one 
 disease ; and expressly declares his belief that it was 
 well known to Galen: indeed, in proof of this he 
 quotes three passages from Galen’s works, in each of 
 which a particular morbid affection or disease is men¬ 
 tioned by Rhazes, which is asserted to be variola or 
 small-pox. He even expresses great surprise that 
 Galen has passed it over in a manner so slight or 
 transient—especially when it must have been of such 
 very frequent occurrence in his day; and when, 
 also, there must have been such weighty reasons for 
 opposing it by remedies, and he, (Galen) so diligent 
 in investigating the causes of other diseases, and in 
 finding out remedies for them. Rhazes, however, 
 adds, as if in full confidence of Galen’s zeal and 
 accuracy: “ But God knows whether he may not 
 have treated of small-pox in some of his books, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEK. 
 
 219 
 
 which have not yet come out in Arabic.” * Yet from 
 this very silence, as they call it, of Galen on this 
 particular subject, Sydenham, and still more strong¬ 
 ly Mead infer his entire ignorance of variolce. Dr. 
 Mead uses this strong language on the occasion : 
 “ Frustra enim sunt, qui uvQpaxas, lirivvxi'tius, et consi- 
 milia in cute e£av%,a7«, variolas nostras esse contend- 
 unt.” “ Ex Arabum igitur medicorum libris peten- 
 da est prim a morbi hujus notitia. Horum facile 
 princeps Rhazes circa annum serae Christianee 900 
 inclaruit.” f 
 
 The explanation of this discrepancy in the opi¬ 
 nions of medical writers on small-pox will, I believe, 
 be found only in the views I have endeavoured to un¬ 
 fold respecting the antiquity of this disease ; whence 
 it will be seen that though the ancients, as well phy¬ 
 sicians as historians and poets, saw and knew it in its 
 various forms and modifications yet from its mode of 
 
 * Vide Rhazes de Variolis et Morbillis apud Mead, Vol. I. 
 
 p. 357. 
 
 t It is worth while here to remark, that in the tract of Rha¬ 
 zes, translated from an Arabic MS. at the express desire of Dr. 
 Mead, and by him published as an appendix to his own treatise 
 on small-pox, the term Variola is that adopted by the transla¬ 
 tor to express the original Greek word or epithet employed by 
 Galen to‘designate the disease, which is pronounced by Rhazes 
 to have been small-pox. The translator of Rhazes’ work into 
 Greek has denominated it nep2 Xojpl/cTjs, the identical epithet 
 used to denote pestilential epidemics among the Greeks from 
 Thucydides, downwards : he uses \oi pto's in his account of the 
 pestilence at Athens. 
 
220 
 
 FIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 attack, its concomitant fever, its malignant and highly 
 contagious nature, but above all its terrific mortality, 
 they blended and confounded it with other desolating 
 pestilential distempers; considering and treating of 
 it as such : yet notwithstanding this error and con¬ 
 fusion, many of them have described some of the 
 characteristic symptoms (the eruptive) of Variola, 
 quite as accurately as more recent authors who have 
 written expressly on that disease as distinct from 
 bubonic plague. We have also much reason to think 
 that the ancients, under the term of Ignis sacer, 
 have frequently depicted the eruption of small-pox; 
 and that the ecclesiastical and monkish chroniclers 
 since the Christian era have, under the same name, 
 or under the designation of pestis, given us accounts 
 of epidemic small-pox. 
 
 After the presumptive, indeed I would almost say 
 the positive, proofs of the existence of small-pox in 
 various cities and districts of Europe anterior to any, 
 even the earliest, period usually assigned to its ap¬ 
 pearance by medical writers of the last two centuries, 
 I should deem it an idle task to dwell much longer 
 in tracing its history through the remaining ages of 
 ignorance and mental darkness; a rapid glance 
 through these times of superstition may suffice. 
 
 The first recorded case of small-pox or Variola, 
 under that peculiar, and now appropriated, name, is 
 probably that of Elfrida daughter of our English 
 Alfred and wife of Baldwin the Bald, Earl of Flan- 
 
LIFE OF DK. JEN NEIL 221 
 
 ders: the date of her illness is generally fixed as 
 A. D. 907 : she recovered. 
 
 The next case to be met with in the monkish annals 
 is that of the same Elfrida’s grandson Baldwin, who 
 was carried off by fatal small-pox in early life A. I). 
 961. Thus more than half a century passed over 
 without any historical notice of Variola, under that 
 special designation, though not a doubt can now be 
 reasonably entertained that the disease had, in the 
 interval, ravaged many parts of Christendom. 
 
 I mention these cases chiefly for the purpose of 
 suggesting to my reader how very little of accurate 
 medical statement he is to look for, or to expect, in 
 the European history of small-pox, even after the 
 disease was fully recognized by the Arabian physi¬ 
 cians as distinct from ordinary or genuine plague. 
 
 It was probably about this period that the name 
 of Variola, with its connate or derivative terms, 
 was adopted by the Latin family of Europe, whilst 
 the Teutonic or Saxon assumed that of pocca, 
 or pock, or little pouch; the former most likely 
 derived either from varus, a pimple, a spot, or 
 from varius, speckled, spotted. But though the 
 disease had thus obtained a more distinctive name 
 than those by which it had been previously de¬ 
 signated, or rather confounded with others, such 
 as Xoipog or xolpixY} among the Greeks ; pedis, pes- 
 tilentia , lues, among Latin writers; still its cha¬ 
 racteristic or peculiar nosological symptoms con- 
 
222 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 tinued ill-defined even among the Arabian physi¬ 
 cians prior to Rhazes, who quotes their authority 
 with his approval. Aaron of Alexandria, in the be¬ 
 ginning of the 7th century ; Bachtishua, physician 
 to the Caliph Almansor, in the 8th century ; John 
 of Messue, at the close of the 8th or beginning of 
 the 9th century ; Isaac Judaeus, in the 9th century; 
 Serapion, at the close of the 9th century,—though 
 they all treat expressly on small-pox, yet their re¬ 
 spective descriptions of the pathognomonic signs are 
 not very accurate or complete, their theories, as to 
 its origin or cause, absurd or ridiculous, and their 
 plan of cure injurious. None of them even hint 
 at its being a new disease, though it must have been 
 in their days a most widely diffused and fatal affec¬ 
 tion. * Aaron assigns as its efficient cause, adust 
 blood , and bile, in common with plague and all other 
 malignant fevers. “ Et generantur omnes (eruptio- 
 nes malignae) ex malo sanguine adusto cum cholera.’’ 
 
 f Isaac the Jew has descanted expressly “ De 
 febre variolarum, quae fere omnibus accidit.” 
 
 X Johannes Serapion treats of it among impost- 
 
 * Consult Rliazis Continents, lib. xviii. cap. 8. 
 
 f Lib. Febrium Isaac Israel, cap. V. 
 
 + In the subsequent abstract of the medical writers on small¬ 
 pox, I have to acknowledge my large obligations to the His¬ 
 tory of Small-pox, by James Moore, Esq., and to Dr. Valentin, 
 of Nancy, in his History of Small-pox. Both of these gentle¬ 
 men entertained the sincerest friendship for the author of vacci¬ 
 nation, and I am sure that they will never consider their labours 
 as misapplied when employed to elucidate his doctrines. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 223 
 
 huines in his work “ De Plegmone, et Almessere 
 (Erysipelas) et Igne Persico, et Variolis.” Yet this 
 same author classes small-pox among fevers in a 
 chapter, “ De cura febris causatse a variolis.*” 
 
 Thus far we do not find that the Arabic writers 
 much excelled their Greek and Latin precursors or 
 contemporaries, either in their theories or delineations 
 of this disease. Indeed Kali Abbas (A. D. 980) has 
 improved somewhat in the descriptive part, and he 
 seems to have had a glimpse of the contagious nature 
 of Variola. 
 
 In the following century Avicenna has given a 
 view of small-pox and measles more clear and dis¬ 
 tinct than any of his predecessors. Fie describes 
 the pustular eruption more accurately, and distin¬ 
 guishes between the confluent and distinct kind ; 
 and seems to consider the measles as different from 
 small-pox, in a degree at least; as he takes notice 
 of the weeping eye and the pneumonic inflammation 
 in the latter disease. Both he pronounces to be 
 very contagious: and he, like Rhazes, observes that 
 small-pox may affect the same individual twice .f 
 Nearly contemporary with Avicenna in Asia, lived 
 Avenzoar in Spain. Fie has added little to the 
 knowledge imparted by his forerunners in the his¬ 
 tory of small-pox. 
 
 Constantinus Africanus flourished towards the 
 end of the 11th century. He was undoubtedly a 
 
 * Lib. Joh. Serapionis in Lat. tradit. Venet. 1558. 
 
 f Avicennae lib. 4. 1. cap. 10. 
 
224 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 learned physician, considering the age of ignorance 
 in which he lived. Though well acquainted with 
 the Arabic he wrote in the Latin language, and 
 settled ultimately in Italy. He treats of small-pox 
 and measles as one disease ; and has not increased 
 our knowledge of either. He, however, revived the 
 knowledge of Greek medicine, and introduced an ac¬ 
 quaintance with that of the Arabians. 
 
 Little additional light is let in on the history or 
 treatment of small-pox from the beginning of the 
 12th to the middle of the 17th century, though we 
 have a long list of medical writers, as Averrhoes 
 and Albucasis, both Arabic physicians, and among 
 the last of that school. 
 
 Next follow Francis de Pedemontium, Arnaud de 
 Villeneuve, and others who treated of small-pox and 
 measles under the title of Anthrax and Carbuncle, 
 conceiving them to be of the same pestiferous na¬ 
 ture, which, as I have already pointed out, was the 
 opinion of the older historians and physicians: these 
 close the 13th century. 
 
 Nearly contemporaneous lived Gilbert, in the 
 reign of our first Edward. His Compendium of Me¬ 
 dicine is the earliest medical production that Eng¬ 
 land can lay claim to; yet his work is not original, 
 with respect to small-pox and measles, since he has 
 copied from the Arabian writers;—as did also his 
 English successor John of Gaddesden, physician to 
 Edward II. He was a servile copyist of the Arabic 
 school, and his only dogma w orth recording with 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 225 
 
 regard to small-pox is “ Aliquando variolae bis homi- 
 nem invadunt.” 
 
 During the 15th century astrology and alchemy 
 occupied so powerfully the minds of the learned that 
 the medical history, symptoms, and treatment of 
 small-pox could not be expected to receive either 
 elucidation or improvement, even from such great 
 names as Fracastorius and Paracelsus. But towards 
 the end of this century, or early in the following 
 one appeared Fernelius, who becoming Professor of 
 Medicine at Paris, may well take his rank as the 
 restorer of that science. Though he was a believer 
 in astrology and magic yet he possessed uncommon 
 talents and brought industrious application to the 
 study and practice of his art, and to the acquisition of 
 natural knowledge. He does not make mention of 
 either small-pox or measles by name, but includes 
 them among pestilences, under the terms of Exan¬ 
 thema and Ecthyma.* 
 
 Fernelius rejected the theories of the Arabian 
 writers on small-pox, and made some approxima¬ 
 tion to the doctrine of the operation of contagious 
 effluvia: his mode of practice in this disease is not 
 exactly known, but his treatment in ardent fevers 
 appears to have been wonderfully judicious, for his 
 time. 
 
 In the 16th century Forestus returned to all the 
 absurd notions of the Arabians respecting the causes 
 
 * Fernelii Opera, lib. ii. 
 Q. 
 
220 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 of “ variola et morbilli; ” and followed the hot and 
 stimulating mode of treatment. 
 
 He observes that the same individual may have 
 the small-pox twice “ id quod verum esse experien- 
 tia rerum magistra testatur: ut et nos in nostro filio, 
 qui bis variolas habuit, licet puer; et in aliis multis 
 aegris observavimus.”* 
 
 It is apparent from what has been said that it 
 was a general belief among the early writers on 
 small-pox that the disease might affect the same 
 individual twice. Dr. Mead, without due inquiry, 
 promulgated an opinion of a different kind, and from 
 his time till within these few years, that opinion was 
 so blindly followed that when small-pox did occur a 
 second time it was set down as chicken-pox, swine¬ 
 pox, or some other eruptive disease. When the 
 friends of vaccination were compelled to prove that 
 the small-pox did occur a second time it was be¬ 
 lieved that they drew on their imagination for such 
 facts. The antivaccinists who made this charge 
 showed themselves as little acquainted with the real 
 history of small-pox as they were with that of cow- 
 pox. One very remarkable example of the kind 
 alluded to, namely, the death of Louis the Fifteenth 
 at the age of sixty-four, from small-pox, after having 
 undergone that disease at the age of fourteen years, 
 made a great sensation throughout Europe. Without 
 loading this work with a long list of medical autho¬ 
 rities I may mention that more than one hundred 
 
 * Petri Foresti Opera, lib. vi. obs. 43. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 227 
 
 and thirty different writers may be named who have 
 recited examples of such an occurrence. 
 
 Mercurialis and Sennertus, in the sixteenth and 
 early part of the seventeenth century, have added 
 but little to the records of small-pox, though they 
 both improved its mode of treatment by recommend¬ 
 ing a cooler regimen; and to abstain from opening 
 the pustules, or otherwise meddling with them. 
 These writers declare that the disease may attack 
 the same person twice. This fact is also asserted 
 of their own knowledge by Willis and Diemerbroek, 
 neither of whom, however, has much increased our 
 historical information respecting this disease. 
 
 During the seventeenth century Kircher, Sylvius, 
 and several other continental writers have treated of 
 small-pox, inventing new theories, or modifying or 
 adopting the old: but it would be worse than idle 
 to follow them in the labyrinths of vain speculation, 
 for Sydenham arose at this time, imbued with the 
 spirit of experimental philosophy which he had 
 learned from the mighty mind of Bacon, the first of 
 men uninspired. 
 
 Sydenham discarded all theories respecting small¬ 
 pox : he separated this disease from measles, with 
 which it had been always blended by authors from 
 the revival of medical learning under the Arabian 
 physicians to his own time: and he gave such 
 an accurate description of symptoms, and adopted 
 such a judicious plan of cure in both diseases that 
 he left little room for .improvement in either, till the 
 
 Q 2 
 
228 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 introduction of inoculation, which so far mitigated 
 small-pox to the individual undergoing that treat¬ 
 ment as almost to have disarmed a fearful pestilence 
 of its terrors. But, though by this salutary practice 
 individual welfare was consulted and, in most in¬ 
 stances, obtained, still the public safety was endan¬ 
 gered, nay more than endangered ; for there cannot 
 be a doubt that, in this way, a loathsome and de¬ 
 structive malady was kept alive and widely spread 
 abroad, in all its baneful activity, among those classes 
 of society who either would not, or could not avail 
 themselves of the disarming power of inoculation. 
 
 The views and treatment of small-pox by Her¬ 
 mann Boerhaave were not far different from those of 
 Sydenham. He (Boerhaave) considered the disease 
 very much as an inflammatory fever; epidemical, 
 however, and alone proceeding from a peculiar con¬ 
 tagion exhaling or thrown out from the bodies of 
 persons infected by, or labouring under, the disease; 
 perhaps it was from a consideration of this kind that 
 he was led to believe that a specific might possibly 
 be found to overcome the matter of this contagion, 
 or to cure the disease when formed. He suggested 
 a combination of antimony and mercury. Could 
 he have looked into futurity, and known by anti¬ 
 cipation the sure preventive since traced out so ad¬ 
 mirably by the unwearied sagacity of Jenner, how 
 must his best feelings have been gratified !* 
 
 * As Boerhaave’s aphorism containing the conjecture here 
 alluded to has been put forward, apparently to lessen the merit 
 
LIFE OF 1)11. JENNER. 
 
 229 
 
 Succeeding writers on the small-pox, as Freind, 
 Mead, and others immediately prior to the intro¬ 
 duction of inoculation, follow very closely the track 
 marked out by Sydenham, and where they have de¬ 
 viated from it have not added to his positions, nor 
 improved on his descriptions. 
 
 of Dr. Jenner in the discovery of vaccination, 1 feel it right as 
 his biographer to remark in this place that JBoerhaave’s pro¬ 
 spective view of an antidote extended, and could only extend, 
 to some pharmaceutical preparation, or physical remedy to be 
 used internally for the purpose of destroying or correcting the 
 virulence of the contagious poison whatever that might be: arid 
 I will further add that by no possible interpretation can his 
 words be made to show the most remote allusion to any external 
 means to be discovered as preventive. I shall now give, in 
 proof of this assertion, the aphorisms which refer to this subject 
 in Boerhaave, merely premising that his view of it led to the 
 combination of mercury and antimony in Sutton’s celebrated 
 powders for small-pox. 
 
 Aphorism 1388. “ Cognito hoc morbi statu (1380 ad 1387) in- 
 dicatio oriri videtur haec primo; ut, stimulo infiammatorio ablato, 
 sanetur status praesens et impediatur ulterior ejus progressus, 
 et proinde caveatur futura suppuratio, gangraena, &c.” 
 
 Aphor. 1389 “ Stimulus videtur auferri posse correctione 
 per specifica ita dicta, vel methodo universali antiphlogistica.” 
 
 Aphor. 1390. “ Correctio specifica niti debet invento remedio 
 opposito illi veneno contagioso, quod tarn parva mole susceptum 
 reliqxia parit ut effecta.” 
 
 Aphor. 1391. “ Quale (1390) invenire posse comparatio his¬ 
 toric antidotorum, et indoles hujus mali, faciunt sperare, et ad 
 indagandum impellit summahinc futura humano generi utilitas.” 
 
 Aphor. 1392. “ In stibio et mercurio, ad magnam penetra- 
 
 bilitatem arte deductis, nec tamen salina acrimonia nimium 
 corrosivis sed bene unitis, ut queeramus, incitat aliquis horum 
 aliquando successus.” 
 
230 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 We have now arrived at that period in the his¬ 
 tory of small-pox when this disease was about to 
 undergo a most salutary modification, through the 
 determined and persevering good sense of an ac¬ 
 complished woman;—I say a woman, for though it 
 is very true that the practice of inoculating or en¬ 
 grafting the small-pox had been published in Eng¬ 
 land so early as 1714 by Dr. Timoni, of Constan¬ 
 tinople ; at Venice, in 1715, by Pylarini; and in the 
 same year in London by Mr. Kennedy, a surgeon, 
 who had been in Turkey, yet it is certainly to the 
 influence and example of Lady Mary Wortley Mon¬ 
 tague we are indebted for its introduction and adop¬ 
 tion in England; and for its consequent diffusion 
 through Christendom. Her ladyship’s first letter to 
 England on the subject is dated 1st April, 1717: and 
 soon after she caused her own son Edward, then a 
 child, to be inoculated at Constantinople by Mr. 
 Maitland, surgeon to the British Ambassador Mr. 
 Wortley, her husband. 
 
 On her return to England in 1722 Lady Mary 
 had her daughter inoculated by the same Mr. Mait¬ 
 land, this child being the first known subject of the 
 new practice in civilized Europe ; the second was a 
 child of Dr. Keith, a London physician, who had wit¬ 
 nessed the progress of inoculated small-pox in Lady 
 M.’s daughter. This was creditable to the Doctor, 
 and must have given a fresh impulse to the practice : 
 yet it made very slow advances, although the then 
 Princess of Wales, with the King’s consent, caused 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 231 
 
 two of her own daughters to be inoculated. It was 
 ascertained that the accounts of success and immu¬ 
 nity at Constantinople were not fully borne out by 
 facts; and in England the inoculated small-pox was 
 found in some cases not to turn out by any means so 
 mild an affection as had been represented by the 
 advocates for the new practice, and it was occa¬ 
 sionally fatal. During the first eight years after its 
 introduction into England the number of persons 
 inoculated amounted to 845 only and, of these, 17 
 died of the disease: nearly as one to fifty. 
 Though this was a greatly diminished mortality 
 compared with that attendant on natural small-pox 
 yet it impeded the progress of inoculation, which 
 had still to encounter violent opposition from many 
 quarters. Some over-zealous men from a religious 
 feeling (as it is to be hoped they thought) opposed the 
 novel practice of inoculation as an attempt, at once 
 impious and unavailing, to counteract the visitations 
 of an all-wise Providence ; asserting that in the case 
 of adults, who assented to the voluntary infliction of 
 a fatal disease on themselves, the crime was that of 
 suicide, but in respect to children it was “ horrid 
 murder of the little unoffending innocents.’’ Even 
 clergymen preached from their pulpits in this style of 
 argument (if so it might be called). Some went so 
 far as to pronounce inoculation an invention of Satan 
 himself—-and its abettors were even charged with 
 sorcery and atheism. These things would scarcely 
 obtain credence were it not that similar arguments 
 
232 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 and assertions have been employed against vaccina¬ 
 tion itself. One sermon, by a reverend rector of Can¬ 
 terbury, is dated so lately as 1753. 
 
 Justice to the learned body of the clergy of that 
 day requires it to be mentioned that many of them, 
 with the Bishop of Worcester (Dr. Maddox) at their 
 head, maintained publicly the innocency of the new 
 practice; nay more, they defended its adoption on 
 the score of Christian duty. The opposition of me¬ 
 dical men was temperate though ill-founded, save in 
 those who said, and said truly, that by inoculation 
 the small-pox, however milder and safer it might 
 be thus rendered to the individual subject of it, 
 must necessarily be more extensively propagated, 
 from its contagious nature, and its fomes kept alive 
 and active for ever. 
 
 These objections carry with them great weight, 
 the last especially: nevertheless the great body of 
 the medical profession was decidedly favourable to 
 inoculation. 
 
 Notwithstanding all this the practice made little 
 progress in England for nearly twenty years ; in¬ 
 deed, about the year 1740 it had almost fallen into 
 neglect, or disuse. In Scotland and Ireland it was 
 still more unsuccessful; and in Germany it could 
 scarcely have been said to have been tried, except 
 at Hanover very partially. 
 
 Such was the hopeless state of the cause of vari¬ 
 olous inoculation in Europe when accounts highly 
 favourable were brought from both Americas, and 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 233 
 
 from the West Indies. In one of these islands (St. 
 Kitt’s) a planter (as is related by Dr. Mead) inocu¬ 
 lated three hundred slaves without the loss of one; 
 in Carolina the loss was stated as one in one 
 hundred; and in South America it was reported 
 as still less. These accounts revived the practice 
 in England; so that in 1746 the Small-pox Hospital 
 in London was founded for the purpose of inocu¬ 
 lating the poor, and of keeping the patients dis¬ 
 tinct from the general population of the city. 
 
 This judicious regulation was afterwards departed 
 from by inoculating all persons who applied at the 
 hospital, and thus the disease in its natural form 
 was disseminated far and wide throughout the com¬ 
 munity. 
 
 It was confidently, though mistakenly, asserted by 
 the advocates for inoculation about this time (1752) 
 that the number of deaths from small-pox, in the 
 bills of mortality, had diminished by one-fifth since 
 the practice of inoculation had been adopted: this 
 statement, however, was erroneous; for, in fact, 
 they exceeded those of any former year ; amounting 
 to 3538, in 1752. In 1754 the College of Phy¬ 
 sicians in London declared their fullest approba¬ 
 tion of the practice of inoculation. Had they ac¬ 
 companied this with a recommendation to keep the 
 infected apart from the non-infected they would 
 have more fully performed their public duty. 
 
 In Scotland the progress of inoculation was so 
 slow that, so late as the year 1765, not more than 
 
234 
 
 LIFE OF Dlt. JENNEK. 
 
 6000 persons had received it: and there the morta¬ 
 lity was as one to seventy-eight, of these persons.* 
 At this time also its advancement on the Con¬ 
 tinent had been very tardy and limited. In Ger¬ 
 many attempts had been early made to introduce 
 inoculation but they did not succeed to any extent, 
 perhaps in consequence of the opposition of Van 
 Swieten and De Haen ; and in France the practice 
 was condemned by the faculty of medicine at Paris. 
 This brought it into disuse for thirty years at least, 
 till M. de la Condamine, and the celebrated minister 
 Turgot (in 1755) espoused the cause with energy 
 and zeal; the nobility, also, led on by the example 
 and countenance of the Duke of Orleans who had 
 caused his own son and daughter to be inoculated, 
 gave effect to the recommendations of the states¬ 
 man, and the man of letters ; and soon the practice 
 spread through France. It was, however, in 1763 
 prohibited by royal authority, in Paris, in conse¬ 
 quence of small-pox having raged as an epidemic 
 in that city attended with such dreadful mortality 
 as to have aroused the notice and fears of the police 
 and of the parliament, who on investigation found 
 that the infection was multiplied and diffused by 
 means of inoculation. This is a melancholy truth ; 
 and at all times formed the most forcible, perhaps 
 the only strong objection to inoculation. 
 
 * See an account of inoculation in Scotland, by A. Monro, M. D. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 235 
 
 It is asserted that in Spain,* where the practice 
 was scarcely ever admitted, small-pox has caused 
 less mortality in proportion to the population than 
 in any other country in Europe. If documents 
 prove this assertion (and I have no doubt of its 
 truth) it had probably been better for mankind 
 that the practice of inoculation had never been 
 adopted, in the partial way it has been, in Europe 
 and without the proper restrictions and the entire 
 seclusion and separation of the infected from the 
 uninfected. 
 
 The Suttonian method, as it has been called after 
 its author Daniel Sutton, was certainly a great im¬ 
 provement both as regarded individual recovery 
 and public safety. In 1768 the Empress Catharine 
 of Russia invited Baron Dimsdale to Petersburg!!; 
 and submitted herself and her son Paul to his treat¬ 
 ment by inoculation. This high example, of course, 
 spread the practice among the Russian nobility, 
 and with it diffused the natural small-pox and all 
 its attendant evils and mortality. So fatal had 
 that disease become in Russia throughout its im¬ 
 mense extent that Sir Alexander Crichton, the im¬ 
 perial physician, states a calculation from which it 
 appears that, previously to the adoption of vacci¬ 
 nation, every seventh child born in Russia died 
 annually of small-pox.f 
 
 * See Moore’s History of Small-pox, p. 287- 
 
 f Moore’s History of Small-pox, p. 286*. 
 
236 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JEN NEK. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 DR,. JENNER’s OPINION RESPECTING THE ORIGIN OF SMALL¬ 
 POX AND COW-POX-ILLUSTRATIONS OF THAT OPINION- 
 
 PROOFS OF ITS ACCURACY. 
 
 We have now brought the history of the Variolas 
 to a period not far distant from that in which the 
 disorder incident to cows began to attract attention 
 in England, from its reputed virtues as a preventive 
 of small-pox ; and have arrived at that point which, 
 I trust, will give an interest to the preceding investi¬ 
 gation that it could not have acquired as a mere his¬ 
 torical disquisition. 
 
 It was quite an unlooked for, and at first almost 
 an incredible thing that a disorder immediately de¬ 
 rived from one of our domestic animals should exert 
 an influence so powerful and so beneficial on the 
 human frame. But if it should appear that the dis¬ 
 ease incident to man and to beasts had one common 
 origin; and that an analogy, close and well-defined, 
 may be traced in their subsequent history and pro¬ 
 gress we shall have obtained evidence to explain 
 
LIFE OF DE. JEM NEE. 
 
 237 
 
 pathological facts which are of the utmost value to 
 mankind. 
 
 From what has been already adduced it is clear 
 that a fatal pestilential eruptive disease, common to 
 man and the inferior animals, has been known from the 
 earliest period of authentic history : that the same, 
 or at least a disease somewhat similar, continues to 
 exist in various regions of the earth, often attended 
 with great mortality : that it appears to have under¬ 
 gone various modifications in respect to virulence ; 
 and to be susceptible, by artificial communication, of 
 still greater modification. 
 
 Should it appear that the views which I have at¬ 
 tempted to illustrate rest upon a solid foundation, 
 they will tend, I would hope, to give a stability to 
 the practice of vaccine inoculation which was not 
 formerly experienced. They will also explain how 
 sheep, or horses, or any other animals may be subject 
 to the disease as well as cows or oxen : that it is not 
 a poison peculiar only to one variety, but may be 
 found and propagated among many.* It need not 
 
 '"To corroborate the preceding views I select the following 
 passage from one of Dr. Jenner’s manuscripts .— et Our domes¬ 
 ticated animals are subject to a variety of eruptive diseases : 
 the horse, the cow, the sheep, the hog, the dog, and many others. 
 Even poultry come in for their share Again, there certainly 
 must be a reason why the term chicken is annexed to a species 
 of pock, which infests the human skin. In the province of Ben¬ 
 gal the poultry are subject to eruptions like the small-pox, 
 which become epidemic and kill them by hundreds. The Euro¬ 
 peans to stop its depredations have even tried the effects of in- 
 
238 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 therefore excite surprise that matter capable of pro¬ 
 ducing the genuine pustules should be found in the 
 horse, as it unquestionably has been in this country 
 and elsewhere; or that the disease should make its 
 appearance among sheep, as it is reported to do in 
 Persia, and in goats in other countries. That the 
 goat also is subject to an eruptive pustular disease, 
 similar in its nature to the Variolse Vaccinse, is proved 
 by the following extract from a letter of Mr. Dun¬ 
 ning, surgeon, of Plymouth-Dock, addressed to Dr. 
 Jenner some time in the year 1804, “ My late cor¬ 
 respondent at Madrid is now in England, and has 
 been lately favoured with the following from Profes¬ 
 sor Hey deck:— 
 
 “ Madrid, March 9th 1804.—I am not able to 
 send you, at present, our observation on the goat- 
 pock subsequent to the 8th of June last, because 
 it is not finished yet; for the king has ordered 
 in September last that all the children in the 
 Foundling-house, and those who are in the Des- 
 amparados should be inoculated with the goat-pock, 
 which did its effects ; we are now employed in the 
 contra-proofs, and after every thing is finished, shall 
 send the whole process to you for the inspection of 
 your medical friends and Dr. Jenner; and as I 
 am at present on another discovery , not less useful 
 
 oculating their chickens. The East Indians have only one name 
 for the small-pox, and this disease, gootry. The origin of the 
 term chicken-pox, then, no longer remains mysterious. Whe¬ 
 ther the poultry in our own island feel the same complaint I do 
 not know.” 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 239 
 
 as the goat-pock, I shall give also an account of 
 its results in my next letter.” Mr. Gunning adds, 
 “ I wrote to the Professor about three weeks ago, 
 told him that his discovery had excited very much 
 the attention of the medical world in England, and 
 more immediately Dr. Jenner’s, and urged him to 
 forward his further observations with all the expe¬ 
 dition in his power, and that I would transmit them 
 to you.” 
 
 I cannot here refrain from again adverting to a 
 fact stated by Sauvages under the head of his Dy~ 
 senteria Pecorum —(the pestis bovilla of Lands! and 
 Ramazzini; and the Lues Vaccarum Tubingen.') 
 “ Morbus hie totam successive Europam, et demum 
 nuper Galliam devastavit, atque boves eripuit. Hunc 
 observavi apud Helvios Comitiorum, boves ibi, in 
 Occitania caprce et verveces infestabantur.” 
 
 As the existence of the Variolse Vaccinse in the 
 dairies of England would seem not to have been of 
 very long duration I think there is good ground for 
 believing that the disease, as originally noticed by 
 Dr. Jenner in Gloucestershire, was the endemic or 
 local remains of the more general or epizootic dis¬ 
 ease which prevailed in many parts of this island, 
 at the period when Dr. Layard wrote. 
 
 This - opinion is strengthened by the following 
 well-authenticated facts. Soon after the publication 
 of Dr. Jenner’s discovery it was found that cow-pox 
 existed in several counties of England—in Devon, 
 Dorset, and Somerset, in Hampshire, Buckingham- 
 
240 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 shire, Middlesex, Wiltshire, Staffordshire, Norfolk, 
 &c. in all, eighteen counties. Accounts were also re¬ 
 ceived of the existence of the Variolae Vaccinae among 
 the cattle of Lombardy, Holstein, and other regions 
 where the pestilential eruptive disease, denominated 
 pestis bovina , had previously raged, as recorded by 
 Ramazzini and other medical writers. At a later 
 period it was also found in Persia, both in cows and 
 sheep, as appears in a letter from Mr. Bruce, Eng¬ 
 lish Resident in Bushire, (11th vol. of the Edin¬ 
 burgh Medical and Surgical Journal, p. 270). It was 
 discovered also by Don F. X. Balmis among the 
 cows of the valley of Atlixco, near the city of Puebla 
 des los Angeles ; in the neighbourhood of Valladolid, 
 de Mechoacan where the Adjutant Antonio Gutierrez 
 found it; in the district of Calabozo in the province of 
 Caraccas, by Don Carlas de Pozo Physician of the 
 residence, and by Humboldt in the Peruvian Andes. 
 
 In the Report of the Central Committee of vacci¬ 
 nation in Paris for the year 1821-22 it is stated 
 that the disease has likewise been found in the vici¬ 
 nity of Clairveaux, by M. Janier Dubry; and to this 
 list Ireland ought to be added on the authority of 
 Dr. Barry, of Cork. From these facts it may very 
 fairly be inferred that the Variolae will hereafter be 
 found among cows in other parts of the world. 
 
 That this disease has already been met with in 
 regions so remote from each other is a proof that it 
 cannot depend on mere local circumstances, either 
 for its origin, or propagation ; and that, like small- 
 
LIFE OF DLL JENNER. 
 
 241 
 
 pox itself, it has pursued its victims through every 
 clime and in every season. I cannot but feel that 
 this circumstance, coupled with the facts already 
 mentioned, adds great weight to the opinion as to 
 the affinity between the two affections. 
 
 This opinion, drawn as it is from an impartial con¬ 
 sideration of well-authenticated historical documents, 
 comes with much force to support the sentiments of 
 Dr. Jenner grounded on his own observations. He 
 always, as has been said, considered small-pox and 
 cow-pox as modifications of the same distemper; 
 and, that in employing vaccine lymph, we only made 
 use of means to impregnate the constitution with 
 the disease in its mildest, instead of propagating it 
 in its virulent and contagious form ; as is done when 
 small-pox is inoculated. Had his views been deli¬ 
 berately examined, and had the consequences to 
 which they clearly lead been kept in mind by the 
 different writers who have distinguished themselves 
 by their zeal in the vaccine controversy, much of 
 their bitterness might have been forborne, and many 
 needless and irritating discussions avoided. The 
 fact having been admitted, as with reason it might 
 have been, that there was such an affinity be¬ 
 tween small-pox and cow-pox, it would have at once 
 appeared reasonable to expect that the same general 
 laws should govern both affections with regard to 
 their prophylactic powers. Thus, if there were dif¬ 
 ferent degrees of security afforded by small-pox 
 against the recurrence of that disease, it was quite 
 
 R 
 
242 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 natural to expect that similar modifications might 
 be found in the protecting virtues of the Variolae Vac- 
 cinae. 
 
 These views are not at all affected by the doctrine 
 which Jenner promulgated respecting the origin of 
 Variolae Vaccinae from the heel of the horse. Although 
 there is now no room for any doubt that the Variolae 
 may be thus derived yet it is probable that the 
 grease, as it is called in the horse’s heel, is only 
 the mode in which the disease commonly exhibits 
 itself in that animal. The following remarks of Dr. 
 Jenner himself will best illustrate this statement. 
 
 “ The skin of the horse is subject to an eruptive 
 disease of a vesicular character, which vesicle con¬ 
 tains a limpid fluid, showing itself most commonly 
 in the heels. The legs first become oedematous; 
 and then fissures are observed. The skin contigu¬ 
 ous to these fissures, when accurately examined, is 
 seen studded with small vesicles surrounded by an 
 areola. These vesicles contain the specific fluid. It 
 is the ill management of the horse in the stable that 
 occasions the malady to appear more frequently in 
 the heel than in other parts; I have detected it 
 connected with a sore on the neck of the horse, and 
 on the thigh of a colt.” 
 
 This doctrine I hold to be substantially true; 
 for it has been established by unquestionable evi¬ 
 dence that matter from the horse does produce a 
 pustule similar in appearance to the vaccine ; 
 and likewise possessing the same protecting 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 243 
 
 power; and that, without having passed through 
 the constitution of the cow. This fact, though it 
 prove the identity of the diseases, does not prove 
 that they both originated in the horse ; but it goes 
 strongly to confirm the view of the simultane- 
 ous origin of the affections in question. When Dr. 
 Jenner published his Inquiry he was not aware of 
 the independence (if I may so speak) of the proper¬ 
 ties of the matter of grease; that is to say, he did 
 not believe that it could excite in the human consti¬ 
 tution an influence like that of vaccine matter, with¬ 
 out previously undergoing certain modifications in 
 the system of the cow. 
 
 It seems certain that there are, at least, four ani¬ 
 mals, namely the horse, the cow, the sheep, and the 
 goat which are affected with a disorder communica¬ 
 ble to man ; and capable of securing him from what 
 appears to be a malignant form of the same disease. 
 It is moreover proved by direct experiment that 
 other animals are capable of receiving the vaccine 
 disease by inoculation; and that matter taken from 
 pustules so produced affords the genuine cow-pox in 
 man. The animals on which these experiments 
 have been tried are the dog, the goat, the she-ass, 
 and the sheep. The fact as regards the dog was 
 ascertained by Dr. Jenner: with respect to the 
 other animals I rest on the authority of Dr. 
 Valentin, of Nancy, who made his experiments in 
 1801-2. 
 
 When we place these facts in conjunction with 
 
 , R 2 
 
244 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 those already stated on the authority of professor 
 Viborg, of Copenhagen, it is impossible not to find 
 strong corroboration of the doctrine of the similarity 
 of small-pox and cow-pox. Some incidents which 
 occurred at the Small-pox Hospital in London, soon 
 after the publication of Dr. Jenner’s first work, in¬ 
 fallibly lead to the same conclusion. The blunders 
 which unhappily occasioned these incidents had for 
 a time a most injurious effect on vaccination: it 
 will, therefore, be some consolation if we can now 
 extract from them any thing to give confidence in 
 the practice, and to further its dissemination. By a 
 most unfortunate mistake some of the very first 
 trials that were made in the Metropolis were con¬ 
 ducted in the Small-pox Hospital, under the direc¬ 
 tion of the late Dr. Woodville. The place chosen 
 for these trials, as well as the manner in which they 
 were carried on, reflect no credit on the projectors. 
 What might have been anticipated soon took place, 
 the vaccine and variolous virus were commingled, 
 and an eruptive disease was thus produced milder in 
 its nature than ordinary small-pox, but very dif¬ 
 ferent from the benign solitary pustule which cha¬ 
 racterizes the Variolse Vaccinse. Dr. Jenner imme¬ 
 diately detected the error, and its cause ; but the 
 persons who fell into it did not abandon it till 
 they had propagated the evil over many parts of 
 Europe. The consequence was that eruptions, in 
 greater or smaller proportion, followed the inocula¬ 
 tions which were performed with the vitiated virus. 
 
LIFE OF Dlt. JEN NEIL 
 
 245 
 
 I 
 
 But the fact of highest importance, ascertained from 
 these trials, was that even this matter after repeated 
 re-inoculations lost much of its virulence; ceased 
 altogether to produce eruptions; and at length 
 became almost assimilated to the true vaccine 
 character. This will be found recorded in a sub¬ 
 sequent page, in a letter from Dr. Jenner to Lord 
 Egremont. 
 
 Still further to elucidate the preceding observa¬ 
 tions let us advert to some of the facts connected 
 with the natural history of the Variolse Vaccinse. 
 Though they have not appeared recently in a fatal 
 or malignant form among the cattle, it is certain 
 that they sometimes proved a severe and trouble¬ 
 some disease to those who caught it from the cattle, 
 insomuch that an experienced surgeon anticipated 
 little benefit from propagating it by inoculation 
 because as he had seen it among the dairy people, 
 it was almost as severe as the inoculated small¬ 
 pox. As, therefore, the Variolse Vaccinse some¬ 
 times assume the character of small-pox under one 
 of its modifications, so the latter under certain cir¬ 
 cumstances approximates in its nature the mild¬ 
 ness of the former. After a series of inoculations 
 with true variolous matter it has often been ob¬ 
 served that the severity of the symptoms and the 
 number of the pustules gradually diminish till 
 only one is to be seen, at the point of insertion; 
 and that this pustule though it may have excited no 
 constitutional indisposition, provided it has regularly 
 
246 
 
 LIFE OF DU, JENNE3L 
 
 gone through its course, protects the individual from 
 subsequent attacks of small-pox. 
 
 This fact did not escape the observation of Dr. 
 Jenner; in reference to which he has remarked in 
 one of his memoranda “ Here then we see the cow- 
 pox and the small-pox acting similar parts : and 
 that in either case the virus may steal, as it were, 
 imperceptibly through the constitution, and give no 
 signal of its presence.” 
 
 As connected with this subject it is not irre¬ 
 levant here to remark that Dr. Adams, physician 
 of the Small-pox Hospital in London, succeeded in 
 
 producing a benign form of variola attended with 
 
 « 
 
 scarcely any eruption of pustules and little or no 
 constitutional affection ; and this species of small¬ 
 pox he considered capable of being rendered fixed 
 and permanent. He selected such patients as came 
 under his care with a mild kind of small-pox, which 
 occasionally showed itself in London. Dr. Adams 
 denominated this the Pearly-pox, from the pearl¬ 
 like appearance of the attendant eruption; the pus¬ 
 tules were few, distinct, and filled with limpid mat¬ 
 ter not unlike that in the cow-pox vesicle, to which 
 indeed, according to him, this variolous pustule 
 bore no distant resemblance. The constitutional 
 symptoms, he also says, were very trifling, and he 
 expressly declares it as his decided belief that he 
 had succeeded in giving this innoxious form of 
 small-pox permanence and uniformity. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 247 
 
 The ancient Thessala, too, so celebrated for suc¬ 
 cessful inoculation at Constantinople more than a 
 century ago, was careful in taking the infectious 
 matter of small-pox from such children only as had 
 the disease in a mild, distinct form ; thereby in¬ 
 suring (as she thought, and as is said to have been 
 the case) a similarly safe affection in the person 
 inoculated by her. She also remarked that one 
 regular pustule, proceeding through its natural 
 course uninterruptedly, gave full protection. 
 
 Although Dr. Jenners opinion respecting the 
 origin of cow-pox is comparatively of little moment 
 when contrasted with the important consequences 
 arising from the successful practice of vaccine ino¬ 
 culation itself, it is, nevertheless, necessary whilst 
 investigating his character as a philosopher, to show 
 that even in this, which was considered a wild spe¬ 
 culation, he proceeded with his usual caution and 
 discretion. The fact that the disorder in the cow 
 originated from the horse had not been proved by 
 direct experiment when he published his Inquiry; 
 yet the evidence on which this doctrine rested was 
 so complete as to entitle it to much attention. He 
 himself has thus stated that evidence. 
 
 “ 1st. From its being the fixed opinion of those 
 who have been in the habit of attending to cows 
 infected with this disease, for a great number of 
 years. 
 
 “ 2dly. From its being a popular opinion in this 
 
248 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNEll. 
 
 great dairy-country, and from the cautions the 
 farmer observes when he has a horse with a sore 
 heel. 
 
 “ 3dly. From observing, in almost every instance, 
 that the appearance of the cow-pox at a farm was 
 •preceded by some disease of a horse at the same 
 farm, which produced the discharge of some fluid 
 from the skin. 
 
 “ 4thly. From having attempted, in vain, to give 
 the small-pox to the son of a farrier who had had 
 sores and a fever from dressing a diseased horse. 
 
 “And Sthly. From the peculiar appearance of 
 the pustule, and its disposition to run into an ulcer 
 in the arm of the boy who was inoculated with 
 matter taken from the hand of a man who received 
 the infection from dressing a slight spontaneous 
 sore on a horse’s heel.”* 
 
 Mr. Tanner had the merit of proving the truth 
 of this doctrine : he succeeded in communicating 
 the disease to the cow by inserting some liquid 
 matter taken from the heel of the horse. This 
 
 * I cannot refer to this incident without calling the reader’s 
 attention to the modest and diffident manner in which the 
 author speaks of a fact which was well nigh conclusive as to 
 the truth of his doctrine. A beautiful representation of the 
 pustule in its advanced stage is given in the second plate of 
 the “ Inquiry.” The character of the pustule is so correct as 
 to excite some surprise that it has been so little attended to. 
 If it had, his opinions would, doubtless, have been treated with 
 more respect. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 249 
 
 produced on the teat of the cow a complete vac¬ 
 cine pustule. “ From handling the cow’s teats,” 
 he observes, “ I became infected myself and had 
 two pustules on my hand, which brought on inflam¬ 
 mation and made me unwell for several days. 
 The matter from the cow, and from my own hand 
 proved efficacious in infecting both human subjects 
 and cattle.’’ 
 
 This experiment was in complete contradiction 
 to some which had been instituted by Mr. Coleman 
 at the Veterinary College, London, in November 
 1798, as well as by Mr. Simmons, who published 
 in the same year, “ An Account of some Experi¬ 
 ments on the Origin of the Cow-pox.” 
 
 In the month of April 1800, some observa¬ 
 tions were made by Mr. Lupton, a respectable sur¬ 
 geon of Thame, Oxfordshire, which were commu¬ 
 nicated to Dr. Jenner by Sir Christopher Pegge, 
 and printed in the Medical and Physical Journal of 
 that year, and in a very striking manner tended to 
 confirm Jenner’s opinion. The same thing was still 
 more conclusively established by the work of Dr. 
 Lay, entitled “ Some Observations on the origin of 
 Cow-pox,” and published in 1801. 
 
 It was proved by him that the matter taken from 
 the heel of the horse communicated an efficacious 
 preventive of small-pox to the human subject, 
 without previously passing through the cow. An 
 incident corroborative of this truth occurred to Dr. 
 Sacco, at Milan, in the year 1803. He had taken 
 
250 
 
 LIFE OF OR. JEN NEIL 
 
 up an opinion adverse to that entertained by Jen- 
 ner ; but with the candour which becomes a scien¬ 
 tific inquirer he immediately announced his error, 
 and bore testimony to the accuracy of his friend. 
 
 Milan, le 25 Mars, 1803. 
 
 Monsieur, 
 
 J’etais aepuis long temps occupe a faire des experiences 
 sur le grease pour confirmer votre opinion sur l’origine de 
 la Vaccine. Jusqu’au commencement de cette annee je 
 n’avais jamais pu rien obtenir. La lecture du petit livre de 
 Mr. Loy m’encouragea a repeter une autre suite. L’hiver 
 de cette annee ne pouvait pas etre plus abondante de 
 grease a cause de la quantite de l’eau qu’il avait, et par 
 consequence de la boue dans les chemins: ainsi presque 
 tous les chevaux souffraient le grease. Mon domestique 
 en fut attaque au deux avant-bras par cinq boutons pansant 
 un de mes chevaux qui avait le grease ; il ne m’en a averti 
 que quand les boutons passaient en exsiccation: celui 
 m’encouragea de plus a continuer mes tentatives. J’ai ino- 
 cule plusieurs enfans, plusieurs vaches avec le virus qui 
 sortait du grease a differentes epoques, mais toujours inu- 
 tilement. Un cocher se presenta a l’hospital pour se faire 
 visiter d’une eruption qu’il avait sur les mains. On connait 
 de suite que c’etait vaccine prise en traitant les chevaux, 
 qu’effectivementilpansait. II fut conduit a l’hopital desen- 
 fans trouves ou on fit quelques inoculations: il vint le me me 
 jour chez moi, et je fis neuf inoculations sur autant d’en- 
 fans, et de plus j’ai inocule les pis d’une vache. Trois de 
 ces enfans ont contracte une eruption toute pareille a la 
 Vaccine. La vache n’a point pris. J’ai fait des autres 
 inoculations avec la matiere prise de ces enfans, et c’est 
 
LIFE OF DE. JENNER. 
 
 251 
 
 deja la quatrieme generation que se reproduit avec la 
 meme effet comme le Vaccin. J’ai deja inocule plusienrs 
 de ces individus avec la petite verole, mais sans aucun effet. 
 C’est done bien sur et consente que le grease est cause de la 
 Vaccine , et on pouvait bientot changer denomination en 
 equine , ou en ce que vous crovez mieux. J’ai aussi enfin 
 obtenu avec le virus de grease inocule sur six autres enfans 
 deux boutons tous semblables aux Yaccins. Je continue 
 mes observations. Il-y-a tout pour s’assurer qu’enfin 
 nous aurons du grease le virus pour se mettre a l’abri 
 de la petite verole sans passer aussi par tintermedium de 
 la vache. J’espere que cette nouvelle preuve pourra 6 ter 
 les doutes qu’il-y-avaient encore sur forigine de la Vac¬ 
 cine. Je publierai les resultats de ces experiences sur un 
 code doctrinal de vaccination, au quel j'ajouterai une 
 planche illumine de grease. J’espere que vous aurez 
 re^u les medailles par Mr. Woodville, a qui je me pris la 
 liberte d’addresser le paquet pour vous le faire obtenir 
 avec certitude. Je renouvellais mes remerdmens pour les 
 livres que vous m’avez envoyes, avec les regrets aussi de 
 n’avoir pas re^u aucune de vos lettres. Je comte a cette 
 heure plus de 25 mille inoculations faites par moi seul. 
 
 Je vous prie, mon tres-estimable collegue, de me donner 
 quelque nouvelle avec quelqu’autre enseignenient sur cette 
 matiere; mais sur tout honorez-moi de votre reponse. 
 
 T'res humble serviteur, 
 
 Louis Sacco, Med. Chirure;. 
 
 7 o 
 
 A curious piece of rustic history communicated 
 to Dr. Jenner by Lord St. Asaph corroborates the 
 doctrine respecting the origin of the Varioiae Vac- 
 
 ciriae 
 
252 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEll. 
 
 Lord St. Asaph to Dr. Jennkr. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 When I read, between four and five years ago, your 
 publication respecting the cow-pox there was one point 
 only which appeared to me not sufficiently proved: name¬ 
 ly, that the disease was in its origin that which is known 
 by the name of the grease in horses : and that it was con¬ 
 veyed from the one animal to the other in the manner 
 therein asserted. 
 
 I therefore made some inquiries, in the part of Suffolk 
 where I reside, with a view to discover whether the cow- 
 pox was at all known in a county where the milking of the 
 cows is performed by women only. For this purpose I ap¬ 
 plied to Mr. Harwood of Battisford Hall, a very respect¬ 
 able and experienced farmer; and particularly asked him 
 if he remembered to have had a horse with greasy heels : 
 and if he had remarked any such consequences ensuing 
 from it as those which I then related to him. He assur¬ 
 ed me that he did not recollect any thing of the kind : and 
 further told me that he positively disbelieved the fact which 
 I doubted. 
 
 A few weeks after this conversation he called upon me 
 and informed me that he had very unexpectedly obtained 
 some information on the subject, concerning which I had 
 before questioned him. He then told me that Samuel 
 Nunn and his wife (who had both been servants to him 
 and had quitted his service a few years before, on their 
 marriage) had made him a visit; and that, talking over 
 past occurrences, the wife, in order to ascertain the date of 
 some event by that of another more strongly impressed on 
 her memory, mentioned the time when all the cows had 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 253 
 
 sore udders, and when she herself suffered so much from a 
 violent eruption on her hands and arms, the marks of 
 which were still visible. On hearing this Mr. Harwood 
 (recollecting the questions I had put to him) asked the 
 husband whether he remembered if any horse in his stable 
 had at that time greasy heels. The man replied that he 
 certainly did: and named a particular horse that was so 
 diseased for a long while. Mr. Harwood then inquired 
 whether he ever went to milk the cows. The man’s answer 
 was, “ Why to be sure, sir, that was not my business: but 
 I was then courting my wife ; and sometimes when I had 
 finished my work I went to help her in hers.” 
 
 I have further learned that S. Nunn was not himself 
 infected with the disease which he thus conveyed from the 
 horse to the cows, and that every cow in the dairy, con¬ 
 sisting of upwards of twenty, had it. And this is the only 
 instance that I have been able to discover of cows in my 
 neighbourhood having been thus affected. 
 
 Such is the case which you desired me to transmit to 
 you : and which I have thought that I could not so clearly do 
 in any other manner as by relating to you that in which it 
 came to my knowledge. The details into which I have 
 entered may preclude the necessity of adding any remarks. 
 At least I have endeavoured to render sufficiently obvious 
 to every one, who shall have the patience to peruse my 
 narrative, that the facts were communicated to me by an 
 avowed disbeliever in the truth of your discovery, and ob¬ 
 tained from those who never had heard of Dr. Jenner and 
 of vaccine inoculation: one of whom indeed had had the 
 disease, but without knowing it, or its name. I flatter 
 myself that such ignorance will be in a short time no where 
 to be found: and that in this instance, at least, we shall 
 not “ see nations slowly wise’’ in availing themselves of 
 
254 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 the invaluable advantages of the discovery: nor u meanly 
 just” to the merits of the man who made it. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Berkeley Square, Your obliged and obedient servant, 
 April 25th 1803. St. Asaph. 
 
 Subsequently to the observations above recited 
 many opportunities were afforded of verifying them, 
 insomuch that Dr. Jenner was in the practice of 
 using equine matter with complete success. He sup¬ 
 plied myself and many of his medical friends from this 
 source. He also transmitted it to Edinburgh, where 
 it produced the genuine cow-pox.* A fact similar to 
 that which occurred to Dr. Sacco was observed in 
 Paris in 1812. A coachman who had not had small¬ 
 pox, and who dressed a horse affected with the grease , 
 had a crop of pustules on his hands, which resembled 
 the vaccine. Two children were inoculated from 
 these pustules, and the genuine vaccine was excited 
 in both: from this stock many successive inocula¬ 
 tions were effected, all possessing the proper charac¬ 
 ter. A similar series of inoculations took place from 
 another infant who was infected from one of the 
 scabs taken from the pustules on the hand of the 
 coachman. 
 
 It happened to me to see one case of this kind in 
 the autumn of the year 1817. A young man in 
 this neighbourhood, who had dressed a horse with 
 the grease, had not less than fifty pustules on his 
 
 * See Thompson on the Varioloid Epidemic, p. 316. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 255 
 
 hand and wrists. They exhibited the true character 
 of the Variolas Vaccinae when taken in the casual 
 way. The pustules were too far advanced to permit 
 of any experiments being made with virus taken 
 from them. I cannot refrain from remarking in this 
 place that as the disease, whether caught from the 
 cow or the horse, is much more severe than when 
 communicated by inoculation, so it likewise differs 
 from the last in being sometimes what may be truly 
 called an eruptive disease. Besides the case just 
 specified I know of instances where the disease, 
 when it has been caught from cows in the dairy, 
 has produced pustules more extensively diffused 
 over the body than in the case above-mentioned. 
 
 Whoever has attended to the reasonings in a pre¬ 
 ceding chapter respecting the affinity of the small¬ 
 pox and the Variolse Vaccinae will, it is presumed, 
 find in the facts just enumerated a strong corrobora¬ 
 tion of the opinions there delivered. 
 
256 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VARIOLJEAND VARIOLA VACCINE- 
 
 OBSERVATIONS ON VARIOLOID DISEASES. 
 
 The preceding investigations have, I would hope, 
 thrown some additional light upon the history and 
 character of the Variolae Vaccinse, as well as upon 
 those of small-pox. The analogies which subsist 
 between these two morbid affections have been ren¬ 
 dered apparent ; and their high antiquity, as well 
 as the identity of their origin, has been supported 
 by very probable evidence. My object in collecting 
 this evidence, connected as it is with the labours and 
 opinions of Jenner, was to secure for the practice of 
 vaccination that confidence to which it is so fully 
 entitled. In furtherance of this design I shall now 
 proceed to place small-pox and cow-pox in contrast 
 with each other; and thus to mark wherein the ex¬ 
 cellencies of the latter consist. This cannot be done 
 without in some degree breaking in on the regular 
 order of events, because the comparison would be 
 incomplete unless the whole of the past history of 
 
LIFE OF DII. JENNER. 
 
 257 
 
 vaccination were in some measure brought to bear 
 upon the subject. I will, therefore, first take a rapid 
 view of the mortality attendant on small-pox, and 
 then show by a selection of unquestionable proofs 
 that cow-pox inoculation is perfectly capable, if duly 
 and vigilantly practised, of accomplishing all that its 
 benevolent inventor anticipated. It will thus be 
 seen that vaccination has already subdued small-pox 
 as well in extensive regions as in limited districts; 
 and, therefore, that by proper regulations its protect¬ 
 ing power may be made available to the whole world. 
 
 From authentic documents and accurate calcu¬ 
 lations it has been ascertained that one in fourteen, 
 of all that were born, died of the small-pox. This 
 was the calculation even after inoculation had been 
 introduced. Of persons of all ages taken ill of the 
 small-pox, in the natural way, one in five or six 
 died, whilst of those who had been inoculated one 
 only in fifty died. These conclusions were drawn 
 by Dr. Jurin from an examination of the London 
 bills of mortality for a period of forty-two years. 
 
 In addition to this frightful mortality, alike ob¬ 
 servable in the icy regions of Greenland ; under the 
 burning sun of Asia and Africa; and in the tem¬ 
 perate climates of Europe, I must mention the many 
 evil consequences which resulted from the progress 
 of the disease, even when it did not extirpate its 
 victims. Of those who recovered very many were 
 permanently disfigured, or deprived of eyesight; in 
 others, many diseases such as scrofula, chronic oph¬ 
 thalmia, pulmonary consumption, &c. were called 
 
 s 
 
258 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 forth. Even under the most careful inoculation, and 
 with every mitigation which art can insure, the 
 disease is always troublesome and often dangerous ; 
 and seldom leaves the constitution without imparting 
 a shock from which it, with difficulty, recovers. 
 
 I would hope that future ages may know this 
 dreadful disease only as matter of history ; and feel¬ 
 ing, as I do, that the description of it by a physician 
 may be liable to the suspicion of high colouring I sub¬ 
 join one from the hand of the great and good Sir 
 Matthew Hale. In his fourth letter to one of his 
 grandsons, after admonishing him in his usual so¬ 
 lemn manner regarding the feelings of piety and 
 gratitude which his late illness ought to inspire, 
 he thus proceeds :— 
 
 <e First, therefore, touching your late sickness 
 (small-pox) I would have you remember these par¬ 
 ticulars : 1st, The disease itself in its own nature is 
 now become ordinarily very mortal, especially to 
 those of your age. Look upon even the last year’s 
 general bill of mortality, you will find near two 
 thousand dead of that disease the last year; and, 
 had God not been very merciful to you, you might 
 have been one of that number with as great like¬ 
 lihood as any of them who died of that disease. 
 2d. It was a contagious disease that secluded the 
 access of your nearest relations. 3d. Your sickness 
 surprised you upon a sudden, when you seemed to 
 be in your full strength. 4th. Your sickness ren¬ 
 dered you noisome to yourself and all that were 
 about you; and a spectacle full of deformity, by the 
 
259 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEIL 
 
 excess of your disease beyond most that are sick 
 thereof. 5th. It was a fierce and violent sickness ; 
 it did not only take away the common supplies of 
 nature, as digestion, sleep, strength, but it took 
 away your memory, your understanding, and the 
 very sense of your own condition, or of what might 
 be conducible to your good. All that you could do 
 was only to make your condition more desperate, in 
 case they that were about you had not prevented it, 
 and taken more care for you than you did, or could 
 for yourself. 6th. Your sickness was desperate, in 
 so much that your symptoms and the violence of 
 your distemper were without example; and you 
 were in the very next degree to absolute rottenness, 
 putrefaction, and death itself.” 
 
 The inestimable discovery of the properties of the 
 Variolse Vaccinse has divested this picture of all its 
 horrors. One of these properties is that it is an 
 affection extremely mild in its nature and affords, 
 when it has regularly passed through its stages, as 
 complete immunity from subsequent attacks of 
 small-pox as that disease itself does. By this pro¬ 
 perty all danger either of death or of future ilj 
 effects are removed. But the property, of all others, 
 which peculiarly distinguishes the Variolai Vaccinse 
 from small-pox, and which would enable us to banish 
 this disease entirely, is that they are not communi¬ 
 cable by effluvia. 
 
 The contagious nature of small-pox renders all 
 attempts to mitigate its severity of little avail as 
 regards the interests or the safety of the commu- 
 
 s 
 
 9, 
 
*260 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 nity at large. The practice of inoculation, the 
 greatest improvement ever introduced in the treat¬ 
 ment of small-pox, although beneficial to the indi¬ 
 vidual inoculated, has been detrimental to mankind 
 in general. It has kept up a constant source of 
 noxious infection which has more than overbalanced 
 the advantages of individual security. 
 
 The advantages that have already arisen from the 
 employment of the Variolae Vaccinae, though less ex¬ 
 tensive and complete than they might have been, 
 are nevertheless of a magnitude so truly astonishing 
 as to fill the mind with wonder and admiration. 
 Of the millions of every age, condition, tempera¬ 
 ment, or constitution, who have passed through the 
 disease I doubt if it has proved fatal in one single 
 instance. The alleged fatal cases which occurred 
 under Dr. Woodville at the Small-pox Hospital in 
 London deserve no consideration, as these were ex¬ 
 amples of small-pox, not of cow-pox ; and after the 
 most mature examination I cannot but conclude, 
 with the Commission for vaccination at Milan, “ that 
 if an infant does happen to die even during the 
 course of vaccine inoculation, reason, experience, 
 authority ought to tranquillize us; inasmuch as 
 they sufficiently assure us that a like fate would 
 have befallen without vaccination, which cannot 
 bestow immortality.” 
 
 How different are the sad records of small-pox J 
 It is infinitely more destructive to human life than 
 the plague itself. To designate its ravages, as re¬ 
 gards the whole race of man, the eloquent Conda- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 261 
 
 mine forcibly exclaimed, in his pleading for the 
 adoption of variolous inoculation in France, “ La 
 petite verole nous decime.” It did more, when it 
 attacked a savage or half-civilized people; whole 
 tribes were swept away. The misery of the suf¬ 
 ferers was increased by neglect and desertion; the 
 nearest relatives and the dearest friends fleeing from 
 the infected, as persons doomed by divine wrath to 
 irrevocable death. 
 
 The records of historians and travellers, from the 
 earliest ages to the present hour, teem with dismal 
 details of this kind. In Europe, Asia, and Africa, 
 as well as among the native tribes in North and 
 South America, such awful visitations were very 
 common. In Thibet, the capital was, on an occa¬ 
 sion of this kind, deserted by its inhabitants for 
 three entire years ; nor was it re-peopled till it was 
 supposed to have been “ purged from the pestilence.”* 
 
 In Ceylon its very appearance caused whole vil¬ 
 lages to be abandoned. In the Russian empire 
 small-pox is reported to have been so malignant 
 as to have cut off two millions of inhabitants in a 
 single year.f At Constantinople the small-pox has, 
 in many epidemics, proved fatal to one half of those 
 infected. - 
 
 Dr. Lettsom, of London, calculated that 210,000 
 fall victims to it annually in Europe; Bernouilli 
 believed that not less than fifteen millions of human 
 
 * See Turner’s Embassy. Also, Mackenzie’s Travels in Canada. 
 f See Woodville on Small-pox, p. 292. 
 
262 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 beings are deprived of life by small-pox every 
 twenty-five years, that is, six hundred thousand 
 annually. This dire disease is not only universal 
 in its ravages, but so subtle is its influence and so 
 insidious its attack as to render it impossible to 
 prevent its approach, or to stay its violence, save 
 by the general adoption of vaccination. In the 
 space of seven years it is said to have been im¬ 
 ported more than one hundred times into the 
 British Channel; and in the year 1800, twenty 
 times by the Channel Fleet alone.* 
 
 It has been proved by the records of the Institution 
 for the instruction of the indigent blind that three- 
 fourths of the objectsf relieved had lost their sight 
 by small-pox. I have already remarked that the 
 practice of small-pox inoculation, though it has been 
 salutary to individuals, has been injurious to the com¬ 
 munity. In addition to what has been said on this 
 subject I have to observe that the late Dr. Lettsom 
 delivered in, to the Committee of the House of Com¬ 
 mons, a document formed from the yearly bills of 
 mortality, by which it appears that in forty-two 
 years, between 1667 and 1722, the average num¬ 
 ber of deaths occasioned by small-pox was to the 
 whole number who died as 72 to 1000; but that 
 in forty-two years after inoculation came into full 
 use, namely from the year 1731 to 1772, the pro¬ 
 portion was no less than 89 in 1000. 
 
 Sir Gilbert Blane brought forward a calculation 
 
 * See Ring on Cow-pox, p. 687. + Moore’s Reply, pp. 64, 66. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 263 
 
 made by Dr. Heberden, stating the numbers who 
 died of smali-pox in the last thirty years of the 
 late century as 95 in 1000, while in the first 
 thirty years the proportion was only 70 in 1000. 
 Sir Gilbert adds that this is perhaps much more 
 strongly exemplified in the country than in Lon¬ 
 don : since there were many parts of the country 
 in which, previously to the practice of inocula¬ 
 tion, small-pox was not known during periods of 
 twenty, thirty, or even forty years, so that a great 
 many passed through life without ever having been 
 affected with it in any way : whereas, at present, 
 both from inoculation and from the free and extend¬ 
 ed intercourse between the most distant parts of the 
 united kingdom, an adult person who has not had 
 small-pox is scarcely to be met with or heard of. 
 
 The salutary power of vaccination in controlling 
 this dreadful mortality having been ascertained dif¬ 
 ferent governments adopted different modes of pro¬ 
 moting the practice ; some by authoritative statutes, 
 others by rewards and inducements of various kinds. 
 Sweden and Denmark adopted the first method 
 
 principally ; as did also many of the German States. 
 
 \ 
 
 One of the best ordinances is said to have been that 
 of Austria in 1808. Vaccination was likewise esta¬ 
 blished by law in Westphalia and Saltzburgh. The 
 French government issued similar ordinances for the 
 Lower Rhine, and for Illyria. The colonial govern¬ 
 ments of Spanish America acted on the same princi¬ 
 ple and, so complete was the success, that very soon 
 after the arrival of Balmis’s celebrated expedition 
 
264 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 the small-pox was exterminated in the department 
 of Venezuela. The same zeal was evinced in other 
 parts of South America; and it was calculated in 
 the year 1813 that the population of that extensive, 
 yet thinly-peopled region, had received an annual 
 augmentation of one million of lives, which but for 
 the glorious discovery of Jenner would haye fallen 
 a prey to the small-pox. 
 
 The Juntas under whose direction these benevo¬ 
 lent and judicious measures were carried on made it 
 their business likewise to find out whether the Vari¬ 
 olas Vaccinse existed among the cows in their coun¬ 
 try. After a diligent search they found it in the dis¬ 
 trict of Calobozo, in the Caraccas. 
 
 Our Government in India endeavoured to entice 
 the natives by all the arguments in their power; 
 and it will be seen in another place that several 
 “ pious frauds” were practised by gentlemen con¬ 
 nected with our establishments there to induce the 
 Brahmins to give vaccination their sanction. The 
 native inoculators were tempted by considerations of 
 a different kind : a pecuniary reward, amounting to 
 about five pounds sterling for every one hundred 
 persons vaccinated, having been offered to them. It 
 is to be feared that this allowance excited their cu¬ 
 pidity more than their vigilance and carefulness in 
 the practice it was intended to promote, their great 
 object being to swell the numbers, rather than to give 
 proper attention to the accuracy of their inoculations. 
 
 Vaccination was introduced into Vienna by Dr. De 
 Carro, in May 1799. The effect of it was so great 
 
X 
 
 LIFE OF DU. ,J EX NEK. 265 
 
 that in the year 1804 only two persons died of 
 small-pox in that city, and these two cases were im¬ 
 ported the one from Suabia and the other from a 
 distant village. In the year 1812 it is stated in the 
 Report of the National Vaccine Establishment, on the 
 authority of Drs. De Carro and Sacco, that though 
 the mortality from small-pox was formerly more 
 considerable in proportion to the population in 
 Vienna and in Milan than in London, it had become 
 unknown in the two former cities for several years: 
 Vienna had been free from this pest for five years, 
 and Milan for eight years. 
 
 In a letter which I received from Dr. Sacco, dated 
 at Milan, July 13th, 1824, he confirms the preceding 
 favourable statement. He adds “ that vaccination 
 is carried on very extensively throughout the king¬ 
 dom. Almost all the new-born children are annu¬ 
 ally vaccinated, so that we have now no fear of the 
 small-pox. It is occasionally imported from the 
 neighbouring states of Parma, Piedmont, &c. Such 
 occurrences never fail to prove the efficacy of the 
 preservative, for the disease never becomes epi¬ 
 demic.” The result of the observations and expe¬ 
 rience of this indefatigable and most successful vac¬ 
 cinator is contained in the following sentence, “ If 
 all governments would exert themselves to procure 
 the regular vaccination of the children born in their 
 states small-pox would soon disappear, and with it 
 the new eruption. ’ 
 
 A letter which I received from Dr. De Carro, 
 dated August 26th, 1826, contains the following 
 
268 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 gratifying information :—“ As to the state of vaccL 
 nation in Germany you may say, without entering 
 into tedious particulars, that it is everywhere admi¬ 
 rably conducted ; that Government interferes with¬ 
 out employing violent measures, by requiring, on 
 every occasion, certificates of vaccination, without 
 which no children are admitted into any school; 
 without which they can never have any share in 
 any public institution, nor be admitted to any reli¬ 
 gious sacraments ; and without which even the bu¬ 
 rial is not regular, if they die of the small-pox. 
 
 “ Nothing is so rare among us as a case of small¬ 
 pox after vaccination. I do not believe that six 
 such cases could be ascertained at Vienna: in short, 
 vaccination has been brought to a regular system, 
 from which very few individuals are exempted. I 
 cannot speak so positively for other German States, 
 but I have every reason to believe that it is every¬ 
 where as well conducted as in Austria, without any 
 sort of medical or popular opposition.’’ 
 
 Let us contrast these occurrences with some facts 
 observed on a smaller scale in our own country. In 
 the Royal Military Asylum for the children of sol¬ 
 diers vaccination was introduced by order of Go¬ 
 vernment, at the time of its establishment in the 
 year 1803. This institution, which contains more 
 than eleven hundred children, from the period just 
 mentioned to the year 1811, lost only one child by 
 small-pox, and this casually arose from the child not 
 having been vaccinated, in consequence of its mo¬ 
 ther having declared that it had had the small-pox 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 267 
 
 in infancy. In the Foundling Hospital no death had 
 occurred by small-pox since the introduction of vac¬ 
 cination in 1801. Every public institution, I be¬ 
 lieve, throughout the kingdom, where vaccination 
 has been steadily adopted, will afford results not 
 less satisfactory. If the practice can accomplish 
 such benefits in a crowded city, which is never alto¬ 
 gether free from variolous contagion, what might it 
 not achieve, were it employed as it ought to be ? In 
 a climate infinitely more unfavourable than Eng¬ 
 land, and where small-pox used to rage with dread- 
 fid severity, the disease was extinguished by the ju¬ 
 dicious regulations for the employment of vaccina¬ 
 tion: I allude to Ceylon. Between the years 1802 
 and 1810, under the vigilant direction of Hr. 
 Christie, medical superintendent-general, 128,732 
 persons were regularly vaccinated. The conse¬ 
 quence was that small-pox was unknown in any 
 part of the Island from February 1808 till Octo¬ 
 ber 1809, when it was introduced from Quilon on 
 the Malabar coast. It spread to a few individuals 
 who had not been vaccinated; but by the removal 
 of the infected, and the employment of vaccina¬ 
 tion, the progress of the disease was instantly 
 arrested. 
 
 In the year 1803 the Governments of Sweden 
 and Denmark so effectually enforced the practice 
 of vaccination that small-pox was soon extirpated 
 from these countries. They remained free from 
 it for nearly twenty years. It was introduced 
 into the latter kingdom by a traveller from Ham- 
 
268 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 burgh. * It is said that a considerable number of 
 persons were affected with the varioloid disease, but 
 not one death occurred among them. At Stock¬ 
 holm forty-nine cases of variola appeared, of 
 which seven proved fatal; of those who died none 
 had been vaccinated. In the Swedish provinces 
 sixty cases of small-pox occurred, and thirty-five 
 of varioloid disease; of the former twelve were 
 fatal, of the latter not one died. It is to be hoped 
 that these untoward occurrences will induce both 
 Sweden and Denmark to renew their efforts to 
 diffuse vaccination universally among their people, 
 and again secure for them that immunity from 
 small-pox which they had so long enjoyed. The 
 practicability of saving mankind from the ravages 
 of this disease has been proved by what has occur¬ 
 red in these countries, and in other parts of the 
 world. They have set an example which all na¬ 
 tions ought to follow ; and surely there is no one 
 to which the example should more forcibly speak 
 than to our own favoured land, wherein this most 
 salutary discovery had its origin ; and from which 
 the small-pox should long since have been banished. 
 
 The manner in which vaccination has been con¬ 
 ducted in Anspach in Bavaria has afforded results 
 nearly as favourable as those derived from Den¬ 
 mark and Sweden. One fortieth of the population 
 is vaccinated annually. This number is supposed 
 to include almost all the children that live to the 
 age of six months. 
 
 * See London Medical Repository for February 1826, p. 164. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 269 
 
 In this district, which contains upwards of 
 300,000 inhabitants, only four deaths occurred from 
 small-pox in the year 1809, and from that period up 
 to the end of the year 1818 not one died of that 
 disease. This account is the more striking and 
 satisfactory when it is considered that during the 
 years 1814, 1815, 1816, and 1817, small-pox pre¬ 
 vailed epidemically in every part of the contiguous 
 state of Wirtemburgh. # It ought further to be 
 
 * The decided effects of the salutary regulations enforced in 
 Anspach would seem to have, at length, aroused the attention 
 of the King of Wirtemburgh to a sense of his own interest and 
 of his people’s safety. 
 
 The mortality of the four years already mentioned as occur¬ 
 ring in his kingdom where small-pox raged epidemically, and 
 probably the observation that during the same period the ad¬ 
 joining dominions of Bavaria were almost entirely free from 
 small-pox, (five deaths only having taken place from the casual 
 introduction of that disease, in the course of eleven preceding 
 years) the King of Wirtemburgh at length issued strong enact¬ 
 ments in the year 1818, with a view to promote vaccination. 
 The chief regulations are as follow: u Every child must be 
 vaccinated before it has completed its third year, under a pe¬ 
 nalty annually levied on its parents so long as the omission con¬ 
 tinues; and if the operation fail, it must be repeated every 
 three months until a third trial. No person to be received into 
 any school^ college, or charitable institution ; be bound appren¬ 
 tice to any trade ; or hold any public office, who has not been 
 vaccinated. When small-pox appears, all those liable to take it 
 must be vaccinated without delay ; and, the operation not suc¬ 
 ceeding, it must be repeated every eight days to the third time, 
 under a penalty. The superintendence of vaccination is limited 
 to medical men, each of whom takes charge in a given district; 
 and a fine is levied on all who undertake to vaccinate without 
 
270 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 added that in Anspach the deaths from small-pox 
 in the year 1797, 1798, and 1799 were more than 
 500 annually, and in 1800 they actually rose to 1609. 
 
 In Prussia the deaths from small-pox before the 
 introduction of vaccination were 40,000 annually. 
 In the year 1817 they were under 3000, notwith¬ 
 standing a considerable increase of population by 
 an accession of territory. In the department of 
 Breslaw, containing about 500,000 inhabitants, the 
 small-pox was introduced in nine different places 
 in the course of the year 1818. By insulating all 
 who fell sick, and by the extensive employment of 
 vaccination, the progress of the disease was imme¬ 
 diately arrested; only twenty-eight persons caught 
 it; but of these, six died. * 
 
 Dr. Casper has shown that since the general intro¬ 
 duction of the cow-pox the mortality among children 
 has been very much diminished; and this diminution 
 
 being duly qualified. The name of every child is to be enre- 
 gistered the day after its birth ; and if it die before vaccination, 
 notice must be given. Provision is made for a supply of fresh 
 ichor annually from the cow : and for vaccinating from arm 
 to arm, the parties being recompensed for the time thus taken 
 up. Variolous inoculation is prohibited when small-pox is not 
 present ; and when it is, the practice can only be done by a 
 medical man, and under proper precautions of seclusion, &c., 
 to prevent the disease from spreading: all expenses incident to 
 the isolation and care of variolous patients, whether the disease 
 has been taken by contagion or inoculation, is to be borne by 
 the parents, unless the individual had previously gone through 
 the cow-pox, or been thrice vaccinated without effect.” 
 
 * See Cross on the Variolous Epidemic, pp. 244, 245. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 271 
 
 has not been gained at the expense of an increased 
 mortality from other diseases. 
 
 According to the researches of Black, Liissmileh, 
 and Frank, eight or nine per cent, of the human race 
 were carried off by small-pox. Duvillard endeavoured 
 to show that of 100 persons, only four reached the age 
 of thirty years without having it; that one in seven 
 or eight, who were affected, died ; and that of those 
 who \yere attacked in infancy only two-thirds escaped. 
 
 The effect of vaccination is clear and distinct, and 
 is admirably exhibited in Prussia, which seems to 
 have got the start of most other European kingdoms. 
 In the French empire 12,857 persons died of small-pox 
 in 1818 and 1819, which in a population of fifty-four 
 millions gives one in every 4518; whilst in Prussia, 
 in 1820 and 1821, the deaths from small-pox were 
 3137, which in a population of twenty-three millions, 
 gives one in every 7204. 
 
 In Berlin alone, the average number of deaths for 
 the twenty years immediately preceding the general 
 introduction of vaccination in 1802, was 472—for 
 the twenty years following, it was diminished to 175, 
 although during that period the disease had been 
 several times epidemic. Since the founding of the 
 vaccine establishment in 1812, the annual mortality 
 from small-pox has decreased to fifty ; since 1817 it 
 has been only twelve—and in 1821 and 1822 there 
 was only one death each year. In 1823, during 
 which year Hiifeland considers the small-pox to have 
 been epidemic in Prussia, the cases of that disease in 
 Berlin were 200, and five died ; and he contrasts 
 
272 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 these numbers with those in the last epidemic, be¬ 
 fore the general introduction of the cow-pox, namely 
 in 1801, when 16,000 were affected with small-pox, 
 and of these 1646 died. 
 
 It is a lamentable fact that, notwithstanding these 
 cheering and irresistible proofs of the virtues of vac¬ 
 cination, we should still have to record the dreadful 
 ravages of small-pox in some of the most civilized 
 countries of Europe ; and with shame and sorrow 
 be it said that England stands conspicuous among 
 the number. 
 
 Small-pox was nearly as prevalent in London in 
 the year 1825 as during any of the three great epi¬ 
 demics of the preceding century. The admissions 
 into the hospital were more numerous than in any 
 year since 1796, when, according to the bills of mor¬ 
 tality, 3549 died of small-pox. 
 
 The numbers admitted into the Small-pox Hospital 
 have only been exceeded on two other occasions dur¬ 
 ing the last half-century, namely in the years 1777 
 and 1781, when the deaths, according to the bills of 
 mortality, were 2567, and 3500 respectively. 
 
 In contemplating this very painful statement it 
 is some consolation to know that vaccination, though 
 it had not been permitted to effect all the good that 
 it might have accomplished, has nevertheless been 
 of signal benefit in staying the pestilence. Twelve 
 hundred and ninety-nine persons perished in London, 
 in twelve months ; and that, too, after the means of 
 eradicating this plague had been in the hands of the 
 public for twenty-seven years. The physician, from 
 
LIFE OF D1L JENNER. 
 
 273 
 
 whose report I am quoting these facts, supposes that, 
 frightful as this mortality is, it probably would have 
 amounted (taking into account the increased size of 
 the town) to at least 4000, but for the employment 
 of vaccination. 
 
 The proof that vaccination could do so much 
 must fill every rightly-disposed mind with grief that 
 it had not been so employed as to prevent altoge¬ 
 ther this waste of human life. This feeling is aug¬ 
 mented when we consider that in the year 1824 
 the number of deaths was reduced to 725 ; and in 
 1818 they were only 421. 
 
 In another part of his report Dr. Gregory men¬ 
 tions that, during the last year, 419 persons were 
 admitted into the Small-pox Hospital. Two hundred 
 and sixty-three took the disease in the natural 
 way without previous protection, of whom 107 
 died. Two had it subsequent to variolous inocula¬ 
 tion, of whom one died ; and 147 had small-pox, 
 after real or presumed vaccination, of whom twelve 
 died. 
 
 The latter part of this alarming statement at¬ 
 tracted the notice of Mr. Secretary Peel, who issued 
 orders to the board of the National Vaccine Establish¬ 
 ment to consider the alleged fact of twelve deaths 
 from small-pox after vaccination, as stated in the 
 report of the physician to the Small-pox Hospital. 
 The result of this examination was so satisfactory, 
 as it regards the Variolae Vaccinae, as to leave no 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 cause to doubt that these individuals had not been 
 properly vaccinated.* 
 
 Vaccination seems ever to have been fated to 
 suffer more in character from events within the 
 walls of the Small-pox Hospital than from any 
 other quarter : its atmosphere has always been un¬ 
 friendly to the benign influence of Vaccina; but I 
 trust that the inquiry which has taken place will 
 counteract the ill effects that might have arisen had 
 the statement of the physician remained unexplain¬ 
 ed. I hope it will not be thought out of place if I 
 express an ardent wish that my professional breth¬ 
 ren may be slow to publish fatal or other cases of 
 small-pox after vaccination, until they have good 
 grounds for believing that their patients had regu¬ 
 larly and duly passed through the protecting process; 
 and surely there is no reason to think that this had 
 taken place in any of the fatal instances reported by 
 Dr. Gregory; as a reference to his examination will 
 fully evince. 
 
 It appears that the deaths from sinall-pox in 
 Paris during the last year amounted to 1204. 
 
 In the twelfth arrondissement during October last 
 it was found by M. Devilliers that of 215 deaths 
 in private houses 91 were from small-pox, and 
 
 none of these individuals had been vaccinated. 
 
 • 
 
 See the letter of Sir Henry Halford, Bart, to H. Hobhouse, 
 Esq. Under Secretary of State,—Medical and Physical Journal 
 for May, 1826, pp. 436 and 7. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 275 
 
 Those who had been, associated with impunity with 
 the persons affected by small-pox ; and in th ose 
 establishments where no persons are admitted who 
 have not been vaccinated the small-pox did not 
 occur. 
 
 It appears from the report of the Committee of 
 Vaccination presented to the Minister of the interior 
 of France, in 1811, that from the 4th April 18 34 
 to the end of 1811, the number of individuals vacci¬ 
 nated amounted to 2,300,937. This did not include 
 the numbers vaccinated from the first establishment 
 of the Central Committee, on the 11th May 1800; 
 nor those which have occurred in private practice. 
 The Minister of the interior, in his address introduc¬ 
 tory to the report itself, made the following striking 
 declaration ; he asserted that 1,400,000 children 
 were annually born in the French empire ; that for¬ 
 merly one million passed through the small-pox in 
 that period, of whom 150,000 perished. In the 
 year 1811 there were only 70,000 cases of small¬ 
 pox, and of these 8500 died. Thus, he observes, 
 nearly 150,000 lives are preserved annually to the 
 empire ; and a number at least as large snatched 
 from the evils which follow small-pox. 
 
 From the documents furnished by the Provincial 
 Vaccine Institutions throughout France by order of 
 Government, a report was drawn up soon after this 
 period by M. M. Berthollet, Perce, and Halle (in 
 1812) in which it is affirmed that of 2,673,662 
 persons properly vaccinated in France, only seven 
 
 T 2 
 
276 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 cases of subsequent small-pox appear, i. e. one in 
 381,666; and it is stated that well authenticated 
 instances of secondary small-pox occurring after 
 complete small-pox inoculation are proportionally 
 far more numerous: and this report adds that in 
 Geneva, Rouen, and several other large cities where 
 the Jennerian method was fully adopted, small-pox 
 is no longer known. 
 
 I do not know whether the vaccinations have con¬ 
 tinued to increase in France, but I rather fear that 
 they have not. In 1811, the births are reported at 
 1,196,111. Vaccinations 702,218. The number of 
 persons who had the small-pox is 68,711, of whom 
 were disfigured or injured 4436 ; and died 8377. 
 The report for the years 1821 and 1822 gives the 
 following numbers, births 1,213,082 ; vaccinations 
 681,331 ; persons affected with small-pox 30,480; 
 deaths from small-pox 6538 ; disfigured or injured 
 by it 2432. 
 
 In consequence of the difference of the time, as 
 well as of the number of departments referred to 
 in the preceding reports, it is impossible to deter¬ 
 mine the relative proportion of vaccinations during 
 the two periods ; one fact, however, may be ascer¬ 
 tained which seems to prove that vaccination has 
 rather receded than advanced. In the first men¬ 
 tioned period the vaccinations were to the births 
 as more than 3 to 5, in the last they were only as 
 5 to 9. 
 
 The influence of Variolae Vacinse on population 
 has not yet been so clearly elucidated as the impor- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 277 
 
 tance of the subject demands. It has recently at¬ 
 tracted the attention of the Institute of France, and 
 that learned body requested M. B. de Chateauneuf 
 to inquire into it. He states in his memoir that the 
 mortality in France among children is much less at 
 present than it was in the last century, particularly 
 from the time of birth to the age of five years. Be¬ 
 fore the introduction of vaccination the deaths within 
 this range were in the proportion of 50 in 100. 
 Since the introduction of vaccination the proportion 
 has been reduced to 37 in 100. The number of 
 children vaccinated since 1811, throughout France, 
 has not risen above three-fifths, and in the capital it 
 has only amounted to a seventh* This neglect of 
 the practice fully accounts for the great mortality 
 from small-pox in Paris during the last year. 
 
 This part of the subject cannot be better con¬ 
 cluded than in the words used by the Commission 
 appointed (in 1825) by the Royal Academy of Me¬ 
 dicine of Paris to examine into the state of vacci¬ 
 nation. 
 
 “ Is it reasonable to expect more protection from 
 the vaccine than from small-pox itself? 
 
 “ Let those who doubt the efficaciousness of cow- 
 pox compare the small number of such as are said 
 to have been attacked by small-pox after vaccination, 
 with the important mass of twelve or fifteen millions 
 vaccinated in France within the last five-and-twenty 
 years, and who have altogether escaped from small- 
 
 * See Christian Observer, for January 1826. 
 
278 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 pox; then must the instances of secondary attack 
 appear as slight exceptions to a general rule. But 
 an irrefragable proof of the preservative powers of 
 the vaccine is to be found in the great public esta¬ 
 blishments of France, into which no person is re¬ 
 ceived except such as bring with them a certificate 
 of having had either small-pox or cow-pox. Into 
 these establishments Variola has never made its way, 
 as, for instance, the Polytechnic School, St. Cyr, 
 Facultes de Droit ef de Medecine, the different 
 colleges of Paris, the Pensionnats de St. Denis, de 
 Saint Germain. These different institutions, situ¬ 
 ated for the most part in the very midst of con¬ 
 tagion, what could have preserved them unless vac¬ 
 cination ?” 
 
 It appears to have been proved by the most incon¬ 
 trovertible evidence that the Variolse Vaccinoe, as 
 Dr. Jenner always maintained, are the mild species 
 of small-pox. From this fact it is evident that the 
 same general laws must govern both affections ; and 
 that, if there are different degrees of protection af¬ 
 forded by small-pox itself, similar gradations must 
 be looked for in the protecting power of the Variolae 
 Vaccinae. When Dr. Jenner published his “ Inquiry’’ 
 it had escaped the attention of medical men that 
 small-pox occurred a second time as frequently as 
 it has been proved to do, both by recent experience 
 and past history. This mistake led, perhaps, to a 
 too confident statement of the never-failing efficacy 
 of vaccination ; but after the most mature examina¬ 
 tion it cannot be doubted that this process, when 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 279 
 
 duly gone through, does certainly afford as complete 
 immunity from subsequent attacks of small-pox, as 
 that disease itself can do. Indeed, if I were to be 
 guided by my experience in this district, I would 
 say that cases of failure have been so rare as to jus¬ 
 tify even a stronger statement of the protecting 
 qualities of cow-pox : and it ought ever to be re¬ 
 membered, (in the words of Mr. Bryce*) “ that there 
 are on record more instances of persons suffering 
 severely, nay fatally, from what was considered to 
 be a second attack of small-pox, than from small¬ 
 pox after what has been considered perfect vacci¬ 
 nation.” 
 
 The more the whole of this subject is considered 
 and scrutinized the more needful it will appear to 
 attend to all the minute peculiarities connected with 
 the character of Variola? Vaccina?; and to obtain 
 full assurance that they take place whenever we at¬ 
 tempt to propagate that affection by inoculation. 
 
 These observations are introductory to a short 
 consideration of the occurrences which happened 
 during the varioloid epidemics already alluded to, 
 that have recently prevailed in different parts of 
 Great Britain and on the Continent, and which may 
 be supposed to modify the preceding estimate of the 
 virtues of vaccination. 
 
 It is not my design to enter upon the nosological 
 question which has been agitated in Edinburgh with 
 regard to these diseases. I cannot, however, but 
 feel that the discussion intended to elucidate the 
 
 * See his letter, in Thomson on Varioloid Diseases, p 8d. 
 
280 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 natural and literary history of var'iolous diseases , to¬ 
 gether with the opinions entertained by Dr. Jenner, 
 does forcibly lead to conclusions similar to those 
 which have been so ably stated by Dr. Thomson. 
 
 It is agreed on all hands that the eruptive disease, 
 which appeared in Edinburgh and other parts of 
 Scotland, was produced by the contagion of true 
 small-pox. When it occurred in those who had 
 been vaccinated, it, in general, put on that modified 
 character which is described by Dr. Willan* and, 
 in short, resembled the disease which had been 
 excited by that physician and by Dr. Woodville, when 
 they inoculated with the matter of small-pox and 
 cow-pox at the same time. 
 
 Its variolous origin is further proved by the fol¬ 
 lowing circumstances. The disease was produced 
 in persons previously vaccinated by inoculating 
 with true small-pox matter, and inoculation with 
 matter from the modified disease in many cases 
 produced regular small-pox in those who had not 
 been vaccinated. 
 
 During this epidemic Dr. Thomson saw from June 
 1818, to December 1819, 556 cases. These he 
 distributes into three classes. Of the first, 205 had 
 neither small-pox nor cow-pox previously. Of the 
 second, 41 had gone through the small-pox. Of 
 the third, 310 had been vaccinated. 
 
 Of the first class 50 died, or nearly one in 4. 
 
 Of the 41 of the second class, which he himself 
 
 * See Willan on Vaccine Inoculation, p. 50. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 281 
 
 A 
 
 saw, together with 30 others communicated by 
 friends, in all 71, 3 died; one in 23 nearly. 
 
 Of the third class, one is reported to have died. 
 The account of this case in the Edinburgh Medical 
 and Surgical Journal for 1820 is somewhat different 
 from that given by Dr. Thomson. It is there re¬ 
 presented as an anomalous case, not of small-pox, 
 but of peculiarly aggravated chicken-pox. It is, 
 moreover, right to remark that the proofs of correct 
 vaccination are not stated by Dr. Thomson. 
 
 I shall have another opportunity of stating Dr. 
 Jenner’s opinions on these occurrences; in the 
 mean time the following sentences from Dr. Thom¬ 
 son’s work deserve to be brought forward in this 
 place. e< It has been impossible to see the general 
 mildness of the varioloid epidemic in those who had 
 undergone the process of vaccination, and the se¬ 
 verity, malignity, and fatality of the same disease 
 in the unvaccinated, and not to be convinced of the 
 great and salutary powers of cow-pox in modifying 
 the small-pox in those who were afterwards affected 
 with this disease. Proofs cannot be imagined more 
 convincing and satisfactory of the efficacy of the 
 practice of vaccination and of the incalculable bene¬ 
 fits bestowed upon mankind by its discoverer, than 
 those I have had the pleasure of witnessing.”* 
 
 Events similar to those which took place in 
 Edinburgh happened at Millau near Montpelier in 
 France, in the year 1817. M. Paugens, physician 
 
 * See Thomson on Varioloid Epidemic, pp. 40, 108, 111 . 
 
282 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 there, produced in one child distinct, and in ano¬ 
 ther, confluent small-pox, by inoculating with mat¬ 
 ter taken from eruptions in two other children, which 
 eruptions he believed not to be chicken-pox, as some 
 supposed, but small-pox rendered mild by previous 
 vaccination. But whatever may have been the 
 nature of this epidemic it did not prove fatal to a 
 single individual who had undergone vaccination, 
 though it carried off more than 200 unvaccinated 
 children. According to M. Fonteneille’s account, 
 of 290 persons attacked with this disease at Millau, 
 55 died; almost all who recovered were deeply 
 marked ; and several lost their sight. 
 
 In the fatal epidemic which raged at Norwich in 
 the year 1819, and which has been so accurately 
 and ably described by Mr. Cross, he kept a regular 
 register of the effects produced by the contagion in 
 112 families comprehending 603 persons. Of these, 
 297 had previously had small-pox, all of whom es¬ 
 caped ; 91 had been vaccinated, of whom all, ex¬ 
 cepting 2 who had a mild affection, and one who 
 had chicken-pox, were protected. * 200 who had 
 neither had cow-pox nor small-pox took the latter; 
 and 15 others who were in the same situation re¬ 
 sisted the contagion altogether. It was proved, 
 
 * The protecting power of vaccination is very strongly 
 evinced on a comparison of the event in these 200 cases with 
 that which took place in the 91 vaccinated individuals, all of 
 whom, save two, entirely resisted the variolous contagion to 
 which they were exposed; and which it is evident was of the 
 most virulent kind, from the registered statement of the 200 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 283 
 
 nevertheless, in the same epidemic that in several 
 instances adults caught the small-pox who had at 
 various times resisted the intimate and continued 
 exposure to the contagion of that disease. He men¬ 
 tions two clear cases of regular small-pox, the one 
 after the natural, the other after the inoculated 
 disease. He also met with a few cases of modified 
 small-pox subsequent to small-pox. His corre¬ 
 spondents informed him of many cases of secondary 
 small-pox, three of which are stated to have been 
 fatal. 
 
 With a view to ascertain the protecting power of 
 vaccination Mr. Cross searched for alleged cases of 
 failure in every quarter of the city, and spared no 
 pains in examining all such reports to the bottom. 
 He found, in all, six cases wherein small-pox ran its 
 usual course in persons who had been vaccinated. 
 The progress of the cow-pox had been watched by 
 medical men ; all the cases save one had the usual 
 cicatrix. Of these, two proved fatal; the one, 
 being a confluent disease, on the eleventh day ; the 
 other on the eighth day, the pustules being intermix- 
 
 cases of small-pox occurring in the same families, with whom 
 they were intermixed ; thus given by Mr. Cross :— 
 
 Cases of small-pox, in 112 families. 
 
 Mild. 75' 
 
 Severe . 78 
 
 Confluent . 42 1-46 deaths. 
 
 Petechial . 5 
 
 200 _ 
 
 Vaccinated persons 91, of whom 2 had mild small-pox, one 
 had chicken-pox. No death occurred. 
 
284 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ed with many petechise. His conclusion upon the 
 whole is that such fatal cases ought to have no 
 weight against the practice of vaccination, when it 
 is considered that 530 deaths occurred among a lit¬ 
 tle more than 3000 persons who had not been vac¬ 
 cinated ; whilst of 10,000 who had been vaccinated, 
 and lived in the midst of a contaminated atmos¬ 
 phere, an immense proportion escaped all illness, a 
 very small number only having eruptive complaints. 
 It is also to be observed that regular and fatal 
 small-pox had occasionally been met with in those 
 who formerly had had that disease. 
 
 Facts such as are above recorded, when they are 
 observed on a great scale, necessarily arrest the at¬ 
 tention of medical men as well as of the public. 
 Had Dr. Jenner’s observations been as much re¬ 
 garded as their importance required many of these 
 untoward events might have been foreseen and, 
 possibly, prevented. So early as the year 1799, he 
 had ascertained by the clearest evidence some of 
 those points which, the late fatal epidemics have 
 confirmed. He showed, in the first place, that 
 the constitution cannot by previous infection 
 be rendered totally unsusceptible of the variolous 
 poison. 
 
 In the next place he proved that by inoculating 
 a person who had gone through the cow-pox, with 
 variolous matter, it was possible to excite a local 
 vesication from which virus was^obtained capable 
 of producing a mild, but efficacious, small-pox. He 
 further maintained in his tracton the varieties and 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 285 
 
 modifications of the vaccine pustule, that these vari¬ 
 eties were such as to produce “ every gradation in 
 the state of the pustule from that slight deviation 
 from perfection, which is quite immaterial, up to that 
 point which affords no security at all.” In this 
 paper he republished some of his observations on the 
 characters of the pustules taken from his instructions 
 for vaccine inoculation. He afterwards adds that 
 fluid taken from a spurious vaccine pustule can 
 propagate and perpetuate its like, and, even if it be 
 taken from a genuine pustule in its far-advanced 
 stages, it is capable of producing varieties which 
 will be permanent if we continue to employ it. 
 
 The deviations to which the remarks in this paper 
 chiefly refer are those occasioned by the herpetic 
 state of the skin ; but every deviation, from what¬ 
 ever cause it may have arisen, was considered by 
 him of the greatest moment ; and in all his published 
 works, as well as in every private communication, 
 he never failed to express his deep sense of the im¬ 
 portance of the most scrupulous attention to that 
 subject; and to the last he felt (and, I believe, most 
 truly) that had his admonitions been received as 
 they ought, had the phenomena connected with vac¬ 
 cine inoc-ulation been studied by all who conducted 
 the practice, a large portion of the failures would 
 have been avoided. The following passages pub¬ 
 lished twenty years ago express so forcibly these 
 sentiments that I cannot withhold them ; and now 
 that their author is no more they may perhaps ob¬ 
 tain greater notice than when he was among us. 
 
286 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 “ I shall conclude this paper by observing, that 
 although vaccine inoculation does not inflict a severe 
 disease but, on the contrary, produces a mild affec¬ 
 tion scarcely meriting the term disease , yet, never¬ 
 theless, the inoculator should be extremely careful 
 to obtain a just and clear conception of this important 
 branch of medical science. He should not only be 
 acquainted with the laws and agencies of the vaccine 
 virus on the constitution, but with those of the va¬ 
 riolous also, as they often interfere with each other. 
 A general knowledge of the subject is not sufficient 
 to enable or to warrant a person to practise vaccine 
 inoculation : he should possess a particular know¬ 
 ledge ; and that which I would wish strongly to in¬ 
 culcate, as the great foundation of the whole, is an 
 intimate acquaintance with the character of the true 
 and genuine vaccine pustule. The spurious pustule 
 would then be readily detected, "whatever form it 
 might assume ; and errors known no more.’’ * 
 
 It may not be without its use to connect the 
 events which occurred in recent varioloid epidemics 
 with those which occurred at the commencement of 
 vaccination. In London, at Petworth, Geneva, and 
 Marblehead in the United States, a series of events 
 took place illustrative of the disasters that arose out 
 of inattention to Dr. Jenner’s rules. The matter 
 used at Petworth came originally from the Small¬ 
 pox Hospital. It was employed in fourteen cases: 
 
 * See “ Varieties and Modifications of the Vaccine Pustule.” 
 p. 13. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 287 
 
 variolous eruptions were the result. The disease 
 did not prove fatal in any of the inoculated ; but an 
 elderly woman who attended on them caught the 
 disease and died. Her husband was affected by her, 
 but recovered after severe suffering. In this history 
 we have an epitome of what took place in some of 
 the varioloid epidemics. The vaccine virus sent 
 from London was mingled with that of small-pox. 
 This combination modified the small-pox in those 
 who were inoculated, and produced a comparatively 
 mild disease; but when it was communicated by 
 effluvia to others the variolous affection predomi¬ 
 nated and assumed its worst character. This I take 
 to be quite analogous to what happened when 
 persons previously vaccinated caught the small-pox 
 or varioloid disease. In such it became modified and 
 mild; but in those who had never felt vaccine in¬ 
 fluence it assumed when propagated, whether by ino¬ 
 culation or by effluvia, its most malignant form. 
 
 The disasters at Geneva and Marblehead were 
 of a different kind. They arose from employing 
 spurious matter. The disease excited in both in¬ 
 stances had nothing of the true vaccine character, 
 and afforded no protection to those to whom it was 
 communicated. Who can tell how many of the 
 alleged cases of small-pox after vaccination may not 
 have been of this description ? 
 
 It were easy to add numberless facts to those 
 which have been accumulated in this chapter. But 
 they all speak one language. Let Vaccination be 
 effectively and universally employed and Small-pox 
 
288 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 must disappear; and with it, as Dr. Sacco says, 
 “ the new eruptions.” They are only met with when 
 small-pox has been permitted to show itself because 
 vaccination has either been neglected, or partially 
 and insufficiently performed. 
 
 The experience of the public institutions in Paris 
 and London is quite conclusive on this point. The 
 same fact is equally capable of proof whether we 
 appeal to small districts, or to large kingdoms. 
 There are many country parishes in England from 
 which small-pox has been entirely excluded ever 
 since the general employment of vaccination, even 
 though the disease was prevalent in their immediate 
 vicinity. In such situations both variola and va¬ 
 rioloid eruptions have been unknown. 
 
 Shall not these unquestionable statements arouse 
 the attention of the community i;o secure all the 
 blessings that are placed within its reach ? Small¬ 
 pox inoculation, I believe, is now abandoned by 
 almost every respectable medical man. In the 
 country it has fallen into the hands of the lowest 
 and most illiterate of the people. Surely this ought 
 not to be suffered. If qualifications are required 
 for selling or dispensing medicines, the power to 
 disseminate a poison, whose influence is not and 
 cannot be confined to the individual who receives it, 
 but may carry destruction through a whole district, 
 ought not, certainly, to be left at the disposal of 
 every ignorant person whose prejudice or cupidity 
 may prompt him thus to sport with the lives of his 
 fellow-creatures. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 289 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LIFE, AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE “ INQUIRY,” TO 
 1800 . DISASTERS AT THE SMALL-POX HOSPITAL, AT 
 PETWORTH, &C. 
 
 In endeavouring to elucidate and confirm the 
 opinions of Dr. Jenner, and to demonstrate the salu¬ 
 tary power of vaccination, we have been carried 
 away from his personal history, and been obliged to 
 deviate from the regular succession of events that 
 took place subsequent to the publication of his 
 Inquiry. The first opposition which he encountered, 
 ader this event, came from a quarter that might 
 have caused misgivings in the mind of any one who 
 was not thoroughly convinced that both his facts and 
 reasonings were fitted to stand the test of the sever¬ 
 est scrutiny. The celebrated Dr. Ingenhousz, distin¬ 
 guished both as a man of science and as a physician, 
 came to visit the Marquess of Lansdown at his seat 
 in Wiltshire, soon after the publication of the In¬ 
 quiry. On the 12th of October, 1798, he addressed 
 a long letter to Jenner on the subject of that work. 
 
 V 
 
290 
 
 LIFE OF 1)11. JENNER. 
 
 It is written respectfully, but at the same time with 
 a degree of pomp and authority scarcely even befit¬ 
 ting one who could subscribe himself Physician to 
 the Emperor and King. He had made it his business 
 to inquire among the dairies of Wiltshire, where 
 cow-pox sometimes prevailed, respecting its reported 
 virtues as a preventive of small-pox ; and he got, 
 as might have been expected, such answers as Dr. 
 Jenner had obtained at the commencement of his 
 investigation. Some individuals, who had had what 
 was called cow-pox, were subsequently affected with 
 small-pox; and therefore, he said, all the security 
 which you promise from the inoculation of the for¬ 
 mer is so neutralized by this testimony that you 
 had better confess that you have been in error, and 
 prevent the disappointment which must follow from 
 ungratified expectations. 
 
 Jenner’s discussions with his professional brethren 
 at Alveston had fully enabled him to meet this ob¬ 
 jection ; and the different steps in the investigation, 
 by which he had proved when protection was to be 
 expected and when it was not, had so completely 
 armed his own mind against assaults of this nature 
 that he had nothing to fear in the encounter. The 
 station and character of such a man as Ingenhousz 
 was nevertheless not to be neglected. He had made 
 small-pox his particular study, and had been em¬ 
 ployed in inoculating some of the Imperial family of 
 Vienna as well as of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, 
 with this disease. Jenner pointed out to him in the 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 291 
 
 most becoming manner the source of his misappre¬ 
 hension—that he had met with individuals who had 
 confounded the spurious affection which sometimes 
 appears on the hands of the milkers, and which af¬ 
 fords no security at all, with that genuine and regu¬ 
 lar pustule which, when not disturbed in its course, 
 gives the most perfect exemption from the attacks 
 of small-pox. 
 
 As the early letters on this subject must have a 
 peculiar interest, and will convey a better idea of 
 the state of feeling than any description of mine, I 
 will now, as on other occasions, illustrate my narra¬ 
 tive by reference to documents of that kind. 
 
 Dr. Ingenhousz to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Having read with attention your performance on the 
 Variolas Vaccinae, and being informed by every one who 
 knows you that you enjoy a high and well-deserved repu¬ 
 tation as a man of great learning in your profession, you 
 cannot take it amiss if I take the liberty to communicate 
 to you a fact well deserving your attention, and with which 
 you ought to be made acquainted. I prefer this private 
 method of conveying my information to any other which 
 might expose you to the disagreeable necessity of entering 
 into a public controversy, always disagreeable to a man 
 so liberal-minded and well intentioned as your treatise in¬ 
 dicates you to be. 
 
 As soon as I arrived at the seat of the Marquess of 
 Lansdown, Bowood, near Caine, I thought it my duty to 
 inquire concerning the extraordinary doctrine contained in 
 
 U 2 
 
292 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 your publication, as I knew the cow-pox was well known 
 in this country. The first gentleman to whom I addressed 
 myself was Mr. Alsop, an eminent practitioner at Caine. 
 This gentleman made me acquainted with Mr. Henry 
 Stiles, a respectable farmer at Whitley, near Caine, who, 
 thirty years ago, bought a cow at a fair, which he found 
 to be infected with what he called the cow-pox. This cow 
 soon infected the whole dairy; and he himself, by milking 
 the infected cow, caught the disease which you describe, 
 and that in a very severe way, accompanied with pain, 
 stiffness, and swelling in the axillary glands. Being reco¬ 
 vered from the disease, and all the sores dried, he was ino¬ 
 culated for the small-pox by Mr. Alsop. The disease 
 took place: a great many small-pox came out, and he com¬ 
 municated the infection to his father, who died of it. This 
 being an incontrovertible fact, of which I obtained the 
 knowledge from the very first man to whom I addressed 
 myself, cannot fail to make some impression on your mind, 
 and excite you to inquire farther on the subject, before 
 you venture finally to decide in favour of a doctrine, which 
 may do great mischief should it prove erroneous. 
 
 I heard of several other facts of a similar nature which 
 tend to contradict your doctrine ; but, indeed, it was 
 added that the cow-pox had not been severe enough to ex¬ 
 tinguish the susceptibility to the small-pox. 
 
 The above-mentioned farmer thought that the disease 
 of the cow called cow-pox spreads through a dairy in the 
 way of other contagious diseases. The very offensive 
 stench, which those sick cows give out from the lungs and 
 the udder seems to indicate that the disease spreads by 
 infection, without the interference of the milker’s hands, or 
 the grease of the horse’s feet. 
 
LIFE OF 13R. JENNER. 
 
 293 
 
 Thomas White, an eminent farrier in the neighbourhood 
 of Caine, was of the same opinion. 
 
 By inquiring more minutely on what is asserted in page 
 56-57, you will, I make no doubt, find it erroneous. But 
 I will make no farther observations, as it is far from my 
 wish or my intention to enter into any controversy with a 
 man of whom I have conceived a very high opinion. Let 
 it suffice to have communicated to you, in a friendly way, 
 a fact which may awaken your attention. 
 
 I am, with every possible sentiment of esteem, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your obedient humble servant, 
 
 J. Ingenhousz, Physician to 
 the Emperor and King. 
 
 Bowood Park , 
 
 Oct. mh. 1798. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Dii. Ingenhousz. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I shall ever consider myself as under great obligations to 
 you, for the very liberal manner in which you have commu¬ 
 nicated a fact to me on a subject in which at present I feel 
 myself deeply interested; a subject of so momentous a 
 nature that I am happy to find it has attracted the atten¬ 
 tion of some of the first medical philosophers of the present 
 age, among whom it is no compliment in me to say that I 
 have long classed you. 
 
 It will'doubtless, in the course of time, meet with a full 
 investigation; but as that moves on (and from the nature 
 of the inquiry it must move slowly) I plainly foresee that 
 many doubts will arise respecting the validity of my asser¬ 
 tion, from causes which ought to be examined with the 
 
294 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEK, 
 
 nicest inspection before their convictive force be fully ad¬ 
 mitted. 
 
 Truth, believe me, Sir, in this and every other physiolo¬ 
 gical investigation which has occupied my attention, has 
 ever been the object which I have endeavoured to hold in 
 view. In the publication on the Variolge Vaccinse, I have 
 given little more than a simple detail of facts which came 
 under my own inspection, and to the public I stand pledged 
 for its veracity. In the course of the inquiry, which occu¬ 
 pied no inconsiderable portion of my time and attention, 
 not a single instance occurred of a person’s having the dis¬ 
 ease, either casually or from inoculation, who on subsequent 
 exposure to variolous contagion received the infection of 
 the small-pox, unless that inserted in page 71 may be 
 admitted as an exception. And from the information 
 you have given me, and from what I have obtained from 
 others who have perused the pamphlet, I am induced to 
 suppose that my conjecture respecting the cause of that 
 patient’s insecurity, namely, her having had the disease 
 without any apparent affection of the system, might have 
 been erroneous ; and that the consequences might be more 
 fairly attributable to a cause on which I shall, in my present 
 address to you, feel it my duty to speak explicitly. Should 
 it appear in the present instance that I have been led into 
 error, fond as I may appear of the offspring of my labours, 
 I had rather strangle it at once than suffer it to exist, and 
 do a public injury. At present I have not the most distant 
 doubt that any person, who has once felt the influence of 
 perfect cow-pox matter, would ever be susceptible of that of 
 the small-pox. But on the contrary, I perceive that after a 
 disease has been excited by the matter of cow-pox in an imper¬ 
 fect state, the specific change of the constitution necessary to 
 render the contagion of the smallpox inert is not produced, 
 
LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 295 
 
 and in this point of view, as in most others, there is a close 
 analogy between the propagation of the cow-pox and the 
 small-pox. Therefore I conceive it would be prudent, until 
 further inquiry has thrown every light on the subject 
 which it is capable of receiving, that (like those who were 
 the objects of my experiments) all should be subjected to 
 the test of variolous matter who have been inoculated for 
 the cow-pox. 
 
 (The remainder of this letter is lost.) 
 
 This very mild and satisfactory letter by no means 
 produced the effect that might have been expected 
 on the mind of the imperial physician. 
 
 In the same proportion as Jenner was diffident 
 and conciliatory, he became rude and truly imperi¬ 
 ous ; resisted every explanation that was given ; con¬ 
 tended with increasing obstinacy for the accuracy of 
 his own assertions ; and, of course, became more and 
 more convinced of what he deemed the errors of 
 Jenner. 
 
 It will easily be believed that the reiteration of 
 such sentiments could not fail to be disagreeable to 
 Dr. Jenner. He soon, however, formed a proper es¬ 
 timate of the character of his correspondent. At 
 first he evidently felt a degree of anxiety concerning 
 the result of the conflict with such an opponent; but 
 he met all the attacks with perfect good temper, till 
 the haughtiness and self-sufficiency of his antagonist 
 put an end to all further intercourse. He had sent 
 another long explanatory letter to Dr. Ingenhousz, 
 and proposed, in order to do away all appearance of 
 
296 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 shrinking from an exposure of their correspondence, 
 that this letter should be printed, and be considered 
 as an appendix to the Inquiry. The following let¬ 
 ters refer to this incident:— 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Edw. Gardner. 
 
 Berkeley. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 We wondered at Ingenhousz’s delay in answering my 
 letters, particularly the long one that you inspected. A 
 tempest is generally preceded by a calm. He has in some 
 measure exemplified the remark. I know not what to do 
 with him, and wish for your advice, after you have seen his 
 letter. It is a matter of real moment; a matter on which 
 perhaps much of my future peace may rest—indeed, my 
 existence. I sometimes think that it would be most pru¬ 
 dent to desire him to make public all he knows of the cow- 
 pox ; but would there not, in this measure, be a sort of de¬ 
 fiance that might irritate ? The grand question at present 
 to be determined is this—shall I immediately publish an 
 appendix, or say nothing till every bolt is flung, and then 
 attack my adversaries ? 
 
 This very man, Ingenhousz, knows no more of the real 
 nature of the cow-pox than Master Selwyn does of Greek : 
 yet he is among philosophers what Johnson was among 
 the literati, and, by the way, not unlike him in figure. 
 ’Tis no use to shoot straws at an eagle. When shall I see 
 you ? 
 
 Yours, sincerely, 
 
 E. J. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 297 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Edw. Gardner. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 I fully depend upon meeting you at Eastington to-mor¬ 
 row to sit in council on several subjects of high import. 
 My friends must not desert me now. Brickbats and hostile 
 weapons of every sort are flying thick around me; but 
 with a very little aid, a few friendly opiates seasonably 
 administered, they will do me no injury. 
 
 Ingenhousz has declined my offer of receiving my letter 
 in print—so that must be modelled anew. We must set 
 off by impressing the idea that there will be no end to cavil 
 and controversy until it be defined with precision what is, 
 and what is not cow-pox. 
 
 The true has many imitations by the false on the cow’s 
 udder and nipples; and all is called cozv-pox , whether on 
 the cow or communicated to the human animal. 
 
 My experiments move on—but I have all to do single- 
 handed. Not the least assistance from a quarter where I 
 had the most right to expect it! ! 
 
 Bodily labour I disregard, but pressures of the mind 
 grow too heavy for me. Added to all my other cares, I 
 am touched hard with the reigning epidemic—Impecuni- 
 osity.—Any supplies from the paper-maker ? 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
 Your faithful friend, 
 
 Wednesday morning. E. J. 
 
 You must be more attentive to me than you were during 
 the last Cheltenham recess. 1 believe you came here only 
 once, and then in your way from Bristol. 
 
298 
 
 LIFE OF Dlt. JENNER. 
 
 Dr. Jenner sent also one of his friends who was 
 well acquainted with vaccination to endeavour by 
 personal explanation to remove Dr. Ingenhousz’s 
 misconceptions. An amusing account of that inter¬ 
 view is contained in this letter. 
 
 T. Paytherus, Esq. to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 December 14 tk, 1798. 
 
 Dear Jenner, 
 
 The moment I received your letter I called on Dr. 
 Ingenhousz; he was in the country, but expected in town 
 the next day. Yesterday I called a second time and made 
 an appointment for this morning, in consequence of which 
 I have had an interview with this very interesting character. 
 
 A more determined or a more formidable opponent you 
 need not covet or desire. Unfortunately for your hypo¬ 
 thesis, he made his first inquiry of a Mr. Alsop, of Caine, 
 who immediately named a person who had had the small¬ 
 pox after the cow-pox. This person he was afterwards intro¬ 
 duced to and satisfied himself of the fact. The second ap¬ 
 plication was to Major General Hastings: he also pointed 
 out an instance of the small-pox subsequent to the cow- 
 pox, at Adlestrop. 
 
 Dr. Garthshore has also at Dr. Ingenhousz' 1 s request 
 written to Dr. Pulteney, of Blandford, who in reply has as¬ 
 sured him that the inoculators of his neighbourhood have 
 known many instances of the small-pox happening after 
 the cow-pox. He believes that it does in many instances 
 produce that change in the human constitution as to ren¬ 
 der it unsusceptible of the small-pox, but not with certainty 
 in all cases. He would not hear a word in defence of your 
 opinion respecting its origin. 
 
 He is confident that a spurious small-pox cannot be pro- 
 
LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 299 
 
 duced by what you call putrescent variolous matter, and 
 that whether the matter be kept in a wet sponge, or on 
 cotton, either in a moist or a dry state, it will uniformly 
 produce the small-pox. Yet he confessed in his own prac¬ 
 tice that the dried matter more generally produced a con¬ 
 fluent small-pox. In your last letter to him you speak of 
 the putrescent state of the cow-pox matter, and that the 
 milk might likewise undergo a similar change. To this he 
 objects, and says that milk will become acescent, not 
 putrescent. 
 
 That it should render the habit unsusceptible of small¬ 
 pox, and not of its own specific action, is to him incredible. 
 You tell him in one of your letters that you have heard 
 from Adlestrop, and that the father of the boy or girl now 
 thinks that the small-pox preceded the cow-pox. To 
 think, it seems is to doubt, and he says the ambiguity on 
 the part of the father Confirms the first statement instead 
 of weakening it. His respect for your character has kept 
 him from publishing, and he declines entering into con¬ 
 troversy with you. Had you been a less formidable an¬ 
 tagonist he would have flogged you long since. He 
 spoke very handsomely of you, and desired me to assure 
 you that nothing would have kept him from answering 
 your letters but the desire of satisfying his mind on the 
 subject. He desires that you will not be in haste to pub¬ 
 lish a second time on the cow-pox, but wait till you have 
 collected a sufficient number of facts, and to secure vour 
 ground as you advance. He remarked that you would 
 not be permitted to be judge in your own cause; that you 
 were nbw before the tribunal of the public, and so long 
 as sub judice /is esi, you ought not to risk an opinion. 
 
 Instead of printing his letters to Dr. Ingenhousz in 
 
300 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 the form of an Appendix to the Inquiry , as he 
 had proposed, he determined to give them another 
 shape, and published on the 5th of April, 1799, 
 “ Further Observations on the Variolae Vaccinae.” 
 The reader will see at page 3, a pleasing illustration 
 of the spirit in which all his researches were con¬ 
 ducted. The same sentiment will be found in his 
 private letter to Dr. Ingenhousz. 
 
 “ Ere I proceed let me be permitted to observe 
 that truth in this, and every other physiological 
 inquiry that has occupied my attention, has ever 
 been the first object of my pursuit; and should it 
 appear in the present instance that I have been led 
 into error, fond as I may appear of the offspring of 
 my labours, I had rather see it perish at once than 
 exist and do a public injury.’ 5 
 
 The effect of Mr. Cline’s successful vaccination in - 
 London, after Dr. Jenner had left the metropolis, 
 was strongly manifested by an increased degree of 
 attention on the part of the men of science. Many 
 of the most distinguished, while they gave all due 
 confidence to the statements of Jenner, waited with 
 becoming prudence till additional experience should 
 either confirm or refute the very remarkable pheno¬ 
 mena which they had been called on to consider. 
 
 Others, with little wisdom, precipitately adventur¬ 
 ed into a field of investigation of which they had no 
 knowledge but what they derived from Dr. Jenner 
 himself; and on mere speculation questioned the 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 301 
 
 accuracy of his details, and denied the cogency of 
 his reasoning. 
 
 The gentlemen who distinguished themselves in 
 this manner proceeded at the outset, at least in 
 their intercourse with Dr. Jenner, with much appa¬ 
 rent respect and candour. Their main object seem¬ 
 ed to be to further the advancement of truth ; and 
 to second him in his benevolent purpose. Such un¬ 
 questionably was the feeling with which he re¬ 
 garded their efforts. He welcomed them as valu¬ 
 able coadjutors in his great cause, and he continued 
 to do so till proceedings, the character of which 
 could not be mistaken, compelled him reluctantly to 
 discover qualities that but ill assorted with these 
 anticipations. Were it not that some circumstances 
 of great consequence to himself and to the cause of 
 vaccination were involved in the events which I am 
 now about to mention, I would gladly pass them by 
 without any notice. 
 
 Having concluded his correspondence with Dr. 
 Ingenhousz he soon encountered other opponents. 
 His opinion with respect to the origin of the Variola? 
 Vaccinse in an especial manner drew forth the ani¬ 
 madversions of his contemporaries. It was received 
 with derision by some, and with suspicion and dis¬ 
 trust by almost all. This is not the only instance 
 in which he had the misfortune to shoot above the 
 heads of his brethren ; and to have doctrines treated 
 as conjectural and ridiculous, of the truth of which 
 
302 
 
 LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 he had satisfied himself by rigid and patient inquiry. 
 The whole history of his labours on the subject of 
 vaccination, as already set forth in this work, affords 
 pregnant illustrations of this observation. 
 
 Some grave and learned persons doubted all the as¬ 
 sertions contained in the Inquiry; and, of course, set 
 no value on the reasoning connected with them. 
 Others thought that there was truth in the reported 
 prophylactic virtues of cow-pox, but that Jenner 
 had no more merit than was due to the publisher 
 of a fact long known, though buried in provincial 
 obscurity ; that all the information respecting the 
 laws of this singular affection remained to be dis¬ 
 covered ; and that his opinions on such high mat¬ 
 ters merited little consideration. Thus, under the 
 head of those who refused assent to his positions 
 altogether, or of those who questioned the accuracy 
 of his information and the fidelity of his descriptions, 
 may be arranged all the active detractors, who zea¬ 
 lously bestirred themselves to overthrow Dr. Jenner’s 
 pretensions, either by direct contradiction, or by 
 faithless and insidious efforts to reduce his merits as 
 a discoverer, even while their mouths were filled 
 with ardent professions of gratitude and admiration. 
 
 It will appear in the sequel that vaccination in¬ 
 curred much greater risk from the latter than from 
 the former. The apparent candour of their pro¬ 
 ceedings ; their eagerness and zeal in the cause; 
 and the respectability of their professional character 
 lent an authority to their statements to which they 
 
LIFE OF I)R. JENNER. 303 
 
 were by no means entitled; and moreover gave a 
 temporary countenance to errors both in doctrine 
 and in practice, which doubtless would have proved 
 fatal to vaccination had not Jenner placed it on a 
 foundation that could not be shaken. The ordeal 
 which tried both the firmness and patience of his 
 character, and the accuracy and faithfulness of his 
 most minute details was brought into full and incpii- 
 sitorial activity very soon after the publication of 
 the Inquiry, and to that subject we must now direct 
 our attention. 
 
 Dr. Jenner remained chiefly at Cheltenham and 
 Berkeley from the time of his leaving London in 
 July 1798, till the following February. During this 
 period he was most assiduously employed in collect¬ 
 ing additional information respecting the Variolae 
 Vaccinae ; and in carrying on an extensive corre¬ 
 spondence with medical gentlemen in different parts 
 of the kingdom: but his stock of vaccine matter 
 having become exhausted ; and being disappointed 
 in supplies from the dairies, he could not answer all 
 the demands that were made to him for virus. 
 
 It was not till towards the end of November that 
 he was enabled to procure any. On the 27th of 
 that month he inoculated two of the children of his 
 friend Mr. Hicks, of Eastington, with matter taken 
 the preceding day from a farm at Stonehouse. I 
 dwell on this incident that I may, in the first place, 
 record Mr. Hicks’s confidence in the prophylactic 
 powers of cow-pox, who had the merit of being the 
 
304 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 first gentleman that submitted his own children to the 
 new practice; and, in the next place, to disprove an as¬ 
 sertion subsequently made that the first vaccinations 
 performed by Dr. Jenner, after the publication of his 
 Inquiry, were with virus furnished by Dr. Pearson.* 
 
 The commencement of the intercourse between Dr. 
 Pearson and Dr. Jenner augured a very different 
 progress and termination from those which actually 
 took place. The early letters of the former indicated 
 not less ardour in behalf of vaccination than respect 
 and admiration for its author. Dr. Jenner amply 
 repaid the good-will of his correspondent by the most 
 unreserved communication of all the knowledge 
 which he possessed, concerned merely for the disse¬ 
 mination of truth, and regardless of all personal con¬ 
 siderations. 
 
 Soon after the subject had attracted public atten¬ 
 tion Dr. Pearson rendered service to the cause 
 of vaccination by establishing an extensive corre¬ 
 spondence with medical men in different parts of the 
 kingdom, by which he was enabled to prove that 
 cow-pox was much more widely epizootic than had 
 been at first believed; and that all the local tra¬ 
 ditions fully confirmed Dr. Jenner’s positions. 
 
 * The first personage of rank who broke through the chains 
 of prejudice, and had her only child vaccinated, was the Lady 
 Frances Morton (now Lady Ducie.) The Countess of Berkeley 
 equally surmounted every prepossession in favour of the old 
 practice, and at the commencement, as well as at every subse¬ 
 quent period, ardently recommended and adopted the new. 
 
305 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 It is painful to be compelled to state that the 
 feelings avowed to Dr. Jenner at this period ill ac¬ 
 corded with the attempts which were afterwards 
 made to overthrow his undoubted, and previously 
 admitted, claims as a discoverer. On the 8th of 
 November, 1798, and just on the eve of the publi¬ 
 cation of his pamphlet, Dr. Pearson wrote a letter 
 to Dr. Jenner which, among other matter, contained 
 the following expressions: “ Your name will live 
 in the memory of mankind as long as men possess 
 gratitude for services, and respect for benefactors; 
 and if I can but get matter I am much mistaken if 
 I do not make you live for ever.” 
 
 About the middle of November Dr. Pearson’s 
 pamphlet was published. This circumstance was 
 thus announced to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Dr. Pearson to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 Unexpectedly my pamphlet made its public appearance 
 a day or two ago. I am sorry to trouble you to say 
 by what conveyance I can send you a copy, and to what 
 place ? If you have any commissions to execute in Lon¬ 
 don you may as well have a parcel made up, and I will 
 see it forwarded. 
 
 I observe several errors since printing, partly mine and 
 partly those of the printer; but I know other authors 
 discover similar errors, and that readers do not perceive 
 them. 
 
 You cannot imagine how fastidious the people are with 
 
 x 
 
306 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 regard to this business of the cow-pox. One says it is very 
 filthy and nasty to derive it from the sore heel of horses ! 
 Another, O my God, we shall introduce the diseases of ani¬ 
 mals among us, and we have too many already of our own ! 
 A third sapient set say it is a strange odd kind of business, 
 and they know not what to think of it! All this I hear 
 very quietly, and recollect that a still more unfavourable 
 reception was experienced by the inoculation for the small¬ 
 pox. 
 
 I wish you could secure for me matter for inoculation, 
 because, depend upon it, a thousand inaccurate but im¬ 
 posing cases will be published against the specific nature 
 of the disease by persons who want to send their names 
 abroad about any thing, and who will think yourself and 
 me fair game. By way of se defendendo we must inocu¬ 
 late. I have thought it right to publish the evidence as 
 sent to me, and also my own reasoning, because I know 
 you are too good a philosopher to be offended at the inves¬ 
 tigation of truth, although the conclusions may be different 
 from your own. I think, too, your principal facts will be 
 the better established than if it had happened that I had 
 uniformly acceded to all your doctrine. 
 
 I am, with Mrs. P.’s best compliments to Mrs. 
 
 Jenner and yourself, 
 
 Your faithful Servant, 
 
 G. Pearson. 
 
 Leicester Square , Nov. 13th, 1798. 
 
 “ NOS TOMA natamus!!” 
 
 Dr. Pearson and other medical gentlemen went on 
 speculating, and doubting, and deciding on Dr. Jen- 
 ner’s doctrines without ever having seen at the time 
 
307 
 
 LIFE OF Oil. JENNER. 
 
 an example of cow-pox, or having given due consi¬ 
 deration to his arguments in favour of the opinion as 
 to the origin of the disease. Matters continued in 
 this state till about the 20th of January 1799, when 
 it was discovered that the cow-pox existed in a dairy 
 in Gray’s-inn-lane, London. This occurrence was 
 made known to Dr. Jenner by Dr. Woodville. 
 
 Dr. Woodville to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Ely Place, Jan. 25, 1799- 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 * * # * # 
 
 On Sunday last I was informed that the cow-pox had 
 broke out among Mr. Harrison’s cows in Gray’s-inn-lane. 
 The next day I took Mr. Tanner with me to examine 
 them; and as he declared it to be the genuine disease, I 
 that day inoculated six persons with the matter that he 
 procured from a cow which appeared to be the most severely 
 affected with this pustular complaint. On Wednesday I 
 called again at the cow-house to make farther inquiries, 
 when I was very much pleased to find two or three of the 
 milkers were infected with the disease ; one of whom exhi¬ 
 bited a more beautiful specimen of the disease than that 
 which you have represented in the first plate. From this 
 person I charged a lancet with the matter which appeared 
 different from that taken from the cow, as that of the 
 former was purely lymphatic, and the latter of a purulent 
 form. With this lymphatic matter I immediately inocu¬ 
 lated two men at the hospital. 
 
 Finding now there could be no doubt of the disease I 
 
 o 
 
 the same day called upon Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Pearson, 
 Dr. Willan, &e. to inform them of the circumstance; and 
 
308 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 these gentlemen, together with Lord Somerville, Sir Wil¬ 
 liam Watson, and Mr. Coleman, met me the following day 
 at the cow-keeper’s, where your book was produced ; and 
 upon comparing your figure with the disease it was allowed 
 by all to be a very faithful representation, and every gen¬ 
 tleman seemed highly gratified at seeing so good an exam¬ 
 ple of the cow-pox. From this place we proceeded to the hos¬ 
 pital where I inoculated six patients, so that the whole num¬ 
 ber inoculated by me with the cow-pox matter amounts to 
 fourteen. 
 
 # # * * * 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Dr. Woodville. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 I am extremely obliged to you for your letter, and most 
 sincerely wish circumstances would admit of my being at 
 your elbow while you conduct your experiments on the in¬ 
 teresting subject before you. 
 
 I answer your letter by return of post to suggest (what 
 perhaps is needless) the immediate propriety of inoculating 
 those who may resist the action of the cow-pox matter, and 
 may have been exposed to variolous contagion at the hos¬ 
 pital. After the description you have given there can be 
 no doubt I think that the disease among the cows in Gray’s- 
 inn-lane is the true, and not a species of the spurious cow- 
 pox. In the account of the appearance on the milker’s 
 hand the report of my friend Tanner merits great confi¬ 
 dence. Whether to the cold season of the year or to what 
 other cause it can be ascribed I know not, but out of six 
 patients that I lately inoculated two of them only were in¬ 
 fected. An inflammation was excited in the arms of all, 
 and in some of those, whose constitutions would not feel it, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 309 
 
 it did not die away for more than a week, and even went on 
 so as to leave a little scab behind. 
 
 It has not happened so, generally. However, once in 
 the course of the last summer I was foiled in a similar 
 way. Three or four servants at a farm were carefully 
 inoculated with matter fresh from a cow :—they all re¬ 
 sisted it, but in the course of the season all of them were 
 infected by milking the cows. As every case of cow-pox is 
 to be considered as a case of inoculation I mention these 
 facts to you, that it may be considered whether some mode 
 more certain of infecting the subject than that at present 
 in use with variolous matter may not be thought of. 
 
 It would imitate the casual mode more closely were we 
 first by scratch or puncture to create a little scab, and 
 then, removing it, apply the virus on the abraded part. 
 
 I am shortly going to publish an appendix to my late 
 pamphlet (which, by the way, I hope you received, as I 
 directed it to be sent to you before I left London) to men¬ 
 tion the precaution of destroying the pustule and the gene¬ 
 ral sources of spurious cow-pox, &c. &c. 
 
 I shall also point out the result of one of the cases where 
 caustic was used soon after the symptoms of infection appear¬ 
 ed (see page 41). This I shall concisely relate to you now. 
 About six weeks ago I inoculated M. James (see page 40) 
 with fresh small-pox matter, and at the same time exposed 
 her to the effluvia of a patient. The appearances of the 
 arm were just the same as if she never had had either 
 small-pox or cow-pox : and on the eighth day I expected, 
 from the appearances, she would be ill. She was a little 
 hotter than usual during the night but slept well, and it 
 was supposed that a rash appeared for the space of a few 
 hours about the wrists. I inserted matter from her arm 
 into two other subjects, a boy, and woman of fifty. The 
 
310 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 boy had about half a dozen pustules, two or three of which 
 were fairly characterized. Their appearance was preceded 
 by a pretty general rash. The woman, though she felt an 
 indisposition, had not a single pustule. A person near 
 sixty years of age, who had in the early period of her life 
 been exposed to the contagion of the small-pox and resisted 
 it, fully exposed herself now to this infection. She sick¬ 
 ened in consequence and had three pustules, one of which 
 became a perfect small-pox pustule. It would be unfair 
 to draw positive conclusions from such scanty precedents, 
 but yet they lead one to hope that a mild variety of the 
 small-pox might thus be actually created. 
 
 ***** 
 
 The result of the trials mentioned in Dr. Wood- 
 ville’s letter, and of others performed under like 
 circumstances, had well nigh proved fatal to the 
 infant cause of vaccination. They were all institut- 
 edat the Small-pox Hospital in London ; and many 
 of the patients, besides being exposed to a variolous 
 atmosphere, actually had small-pox matter inserted 
 into the arm on the third and fifth days after vacci¬ 
 nation : and strange to say, this was deemed a fair 
 trial of the virtues of cow-pox. Every one at all 
 acquainted with the influence of small-pox conta¬ 
 gion might have anticipated what actually occur¬ 
 red. Dr. Jenner had positively asserted that pus¬ 
 tules do not belong to the cow-pox, as he had never 
 seen them produced by genuine vaccine matter. 
 Dr. Woodville, on the contrary, reported that three- 
 fifths of the patients whom he had inoculated with 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 311 
 
 vaccine matter had pustules not to be distinguished 
 from variolous ones. A statement of this kind, from 
 such a quarter, so much at variance with what had 
 been anticipated, excited the strongest feelings of 
 disappointment among the principal medical men 
 in London ; and, of course, for a season threw con¬ 
 siderable doubts on Dr. Jenner’s accuracy. He 
 from the commencement suspected the real cause 
 of this deviation; but he was willing to give the 
 gentlemen who began the experiments in London 
 the benefit of every supposition that might tend to 
 acquit them of the blunder which they had actually 
 made. Fie thought it possible that there might be 
 some peculiarity either in the constitution of the 
 individual vaccinated, or something in the nature of 
 the virus itself that might occasion the eruptions : 
 but after admitting these suppositions he could not 
 help hinting to one of the gentlemen concerned, in 
 the earliest letter he addressed to him on the subject, 
 that he could not divest himself of the suspicion that 
 the London cow-pox was somehow or other compounded 
 with small pox. When he became fully acquainted 
 with the manner of conducting the practice in the 
 Small-pox Hospital # this suspicion amounted to 
 
 * The following anecdote, illustrative of the manner of con¬ 
 ducting vaccination at the Small-pox Hospital, has been commu¬ 
 nicated to me by a gentleman on whose authority I can rely. 
 A medical gentleman who was particularly forward on the oc¬ 
 casion, but who was not very well acquainted with the charac¬ 
 ters either of small-pox or of cow-pox, applied to Mr. Wachsel, 
 
312 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 certainty; and at a later period he had the hardi¬ 
 hood to declare to Dr. Woodville that the matter 
 had absolutely been contaminated in the Hospital. 
 The word contaminated was very distasteful to the 
 Doctor, although it was the only one that was really 
 expressive of the fact and was certainly not used 
 in an offensive sense by Dr. Jenner. The disasters 
 which arose from this contamination might well 
 have justified a stronger expression on his part. It 
 is impossible now to deny the fact that this impure 
 matter was really disseminated over many parts of 
 England, and also on the Continent, in place of that 
 of the true Variolae Vaccinse. It was the practice of 
 Drs. Pearson and Woodville to take matter from the 
 patients Avho had eruptions, and with it to inoculate 
 others. This curious fact was communicated to 
 Dr. Jenner by Dr. Pearson. 
 
 the apothecary, for leave to charge some threads with vaccine 
 virus, professedly to distribute them to his medical correspon¬ 
 dents throughout the island. Mr. Wachsel chanced to he 
 called out of the apartment; during his absence the doctor 
 selected a patient, and was busily engaged in charging his 
 threads. Mr. Wachsel observed on his return that he had fixed 
 on a patient who had a general sprinkling of small-pox 
 pustules, and inquired whether he intended to furnish his 
 friends with the virus of small-pox as well as of cow-pox ? He 
 replied <f with the virus of cow-pox only.” “ Then, Sir,” said 
 Mr. Wachsel, “you know not what you are doing, you are 
 taking the virus of small pox.” The threads thus charged, but 
 for Mr. Wachsel’s vigilance, would have been distributed as 
 vaccine virus !! ! 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 313 
 
 Dr. Pearson to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Leicester Square , February 1 5th, 1799- 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 *- * # # * 
 
 Our apprehensions are now almost entirely dissipated of 
 danger from inflammation around the inoculated parts. In 
 my patients it has been inconsiderable indeed, not amount¬ 
 ing to inflammation, being merely what I would call erythe¬ 
 matous, or the same kind of affection as in scarlatina. I 
 have inoculated two infants of fourteen days old: one of 
 them did not take the disease the first time but did the 
 second time, but the constitution was not apparently disor¬ 
 dered, and there was less redness around the pustules, which 
 were large and conical, than even in the small-pox. I 
 therefore inoculated it yesterday in the presence of Dr. 
 Woodville a third time, from a patient in the same room 
 ill of the cow-pox with eruptions on the body to the amount 
 of two or three hundred. You will be astonished at our 
 talking of eruptions, but it now appears in Dr. Wood- 
 ville’s cases that as many have eruptions on the body as 
 have them only in the parts inoculated. 
 
 I inoculated a child about fourteen months of age with 
 matter from one of Dr. Woodville’s patients in one arm, 
 and in the other with matter from the cow.: To my asto¬ 
 nishment the disorder proceeded exactly as the inoculated 
 small-pox'. On the ninth day convulsive fits came on, and 
 vomiting occurred^ with other pretty violent symptoms, 
 which alarmed me and made me very uneasy. The erup¬ 
 tions appearing on the body in great number, all became 
 tranquil. A few only suppurated; the rest died away 
 
314 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 sooner than the suppurated. I could not persuade myself 
 but that there was some mistake, and that Dr. Woodville’s 
 lancet, which I used, had variolous matter upon it. I 
 called him to see the patient. He assured me the lancet 
 having been lately ground had not been used, and that 
 the patient from whom he took the matter had but two or 
 three, and those not like the small-pox. He had no doubt 
 that my patient, notwithstanding the numerous eruptions, 
 had nothing but the cow-pox. And to-day, at the hospital, 
 a patient appears to be likely to have as many eruptions as 
 my patient. I shall ascertain this fact by inoculating pa¬ 
 tients with the matter of the eruptions. As I am to write 
 to-day Dr. Woodville will not send his letter for some 
 days, in order to report the further progress. I have sent 
 you a bit of thread with matter upon it in this letter. The 
 stiff part will denote the part imbued with the infectious 
 fluid. It is from Dr. Woodville. 
 
 It appears that the more severe the previous symptoms 
 the greater the crop of eruptions : and I think the sooner 
 the disease takes place the more eruptions appear. 
 
 In some cases the patients have been ill only two days, 
 but in one case six days :—I mean ill with the constitutional 
 affection. For the most part there are very few suppu¬ 
 rated pustules. All the symptoms are relieved on the 
 eruptions taking place. 
 
 Some of my patients made no complaint at all, nor till 
 asked did I hear of even pain of the armpits or rather of 
 the shoulder. 
 
 On the whole, Dr. Woodville and myself conclude that 
 the inoculated cow-pox, as far as we have seen in at least 
 fifty cases, is a slighter disease than the inoculated variola, 
 and that it is not probable there is any danger to life 
 from it. 
 
LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 315 
 
 On telling Dr. Woodville that I had been anxious about 
 your publishing the use of the caustic, he replied u that 
 would have damned the whole business.” 
 
 Be assured that if the practice cannot be introduced with¬ 
 out the caustic, or call it by any other name, it will never 
 succeed with the public. I cannot yet tell whether all my 
 patients have had sufficient affection of the constitution. 
 There has not been time for a second inoculation and with 
 variolous matter. Some of the patients had undergone the 
 small-pox. 
 
 Dr. Parr’s letter you shall see in town merely to satisfy 
 you, but it contains nothing that is relative beside what I 
 extracted from it. I must tell you that Dr. Parr has writ¬ 
 ten to me to say that although he “ is not yet convinced 
 he is staggered, and begins to doubt.” We shall have to 
 experience soon a number of gnat bites. If the practice is 
 likely to go forward it will excite opposition. What ob¬ 
 ligation society owes to those worthy and liberal men who 
 favour the public with their a priori opinions, having never 
 seen the disease, and not even understanding the argu¬ 
 ments ! ! Tantaene animis coelestibus irae ! 
 
 I trust we shall establish facts enough to prove whether 
 cow-pox inoculation extinguishes that of the variola or not. 
 We have got able, candid, and worthy men on our side, 
 and proceeding as we have all done, circumspectly, I do 
 not feel any dread from the opponents who have yet taken 
 the field. 
 
 Mrs. P.’s best compliments to Mrs. Jenner. 
 
 Dear sir, yours, 
 
 G. Pearson. 
 
316 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 It is somewhat inconsistent with the habits of 
 wise men to apply such expressions as are last 
 quoted to a series of experiments unexampled for 
 the absence of all the precautions necessary to give 
 them effect: and now that the danger which was 
 threatened has been obviated we may be permitted 
 to smile J at the ability, candour, and circumspection 
 evinced in the management of this new and delicate 
 process. It will hereafter appear, when we come to 
 consider the cases at Petworth, that the matter 
 which was issued by Dr. Pearson produced pustules 
 similar to those that were seen at the Small-pox 
 Hospital. This, however, did not happen with all 
 the virus so sent out. Dr. Jenner received some of 
 it in the early part of March 1799, and used it 
 successfully. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Dr. Pearson. 
 
 Berkeley , March 13 th, 1799 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I received your letter while I was writing to Dr. Wood- 
 ville, and requested him to transmit to you the result of 
 the inoculation with the London virus. I hope he did 
 not fail to execute my wishes. Twelve patients have 
 since been inoculated with matter produced by this 
 virus. They all took the infection. This is the ninth 
 day, and they appear a little ill—no eruptions yet. The 
 character of the arm is just that of cow-pox, except that 
 I do not see the disposition in the pustule to ulcerate as 
 in some of the former cases. I am the more induced to 
 believe this to lie the genuine cow-pox from the following 
 circumstance. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 317 
 
 One of the boys inoculated, sickened the preceding day 
 with the measles, which went through its course. Yet 
 the pustule advanced with the same regularity as if the mea¬ 
 sles had not been present. Now this would not have been 
 the case, I presume, had variolous matter been inserted 
 into the skin under similar circumstances. No cow-pox yet 
 in the country ! Should it appear within a particular dis- , 
 trict I shall undoubtedly know it. It cannot now be long 
 before I shall see you in town; at least I can speak with 
 as great a certainty of being soon there as a medical 
 man can. 
 
 I hear of a child covered over with pustules at the 
 Small-pox Hospital. What are they ? 
 
 I am glad to find that the disposition for forming erup¬ 
 tions among your patients does not increase, as you tell 
 me that none of your last inoculated patients had any, 
 and that Mr. Rolplfis children went through the disease 
 without them. Tanner I find could not succeed in giving 
 the cow-pox to the veterinary cow in a direct way, that is, 
 by inserting the virus into a sound part of the nipple, in 
 the same way as all the experiments have hitherto been 
 conducted to confute my notions with the matter of 
 grease ; but when he found a part of the nipple that was 
 previously affected with a sore, and applied the matter 
 there, it took effect immediately. With best respects to 
 Mrs. Pearson, 
 
 I remain, dear sir, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 Drs. Pearson and Woodville continued to exert 
 themselves with great assiduity to diffuse the prac¬ 
 tice of vaccination. They issued a printed circular 
 
318 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 letter containing an account of their practice at the 
 Small-pox Hospital, and inclosing a bit of thread 
 imbued with the cow-pox virus. Sixty persons had 
 at that time been put to the variolous test without 
 receiving the infection. At this period, one of these 
 gentlemen gave himself a great degree of prominence 
 
 t 
 
 in the important question which now agitated the 
 medical world, by placing himself in a situation that 
 he was not entitled to fill; and which, of right, be¬ 
 longed to another. The developement of this design 
 was cautiously unfolded; and had not Dr. Jenner’s 
 friends been more vigilant than himself it certainly 
 would have succeeded to a greater extent than it 
 did. His nephew Mr. George Jenner who was 
 then in London, wrote an account of what was 
 going on, and very properly warned his uncle of the 
 injury that might be done to his fame if he did not 
 appear there in person to vindicate his claims. Mr. 
 Jenner’s letter is so descriptive of the state of mat¬ 
 ters at this time that I deem it right to subjoin it. 
 
 G. C. Jenner to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Norfolk Street, March 1 \th, 1799. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 After what Mr. Paytherus has written to you it \yill 
 be needless for me to say any thing to urge the necessity 
 of your coming to town to wear the laurels you have 
 gained, or to prevent their being placed on the brows of 
 another. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNElt. 
 
 319 
 
 I shall only state a few facts 1 have got possession of 
 since I wrote to you last. Dr. Pearson is going to send 
 circular letters to the medical gentlemen to let them know 
 that he will supply them with cow-pox matter upon their 
 application to him, by which means he will be the chief 
 person known in the business, and consequently deprive 
 you of that merit, or at least a great share of it, which is 
 so justly your due. Doctor P. gave a public lecture on 
 the cow-pox on Saturday last. Farmer Tanner was there. 
 Doctor Pearson adopted your opinions, except with regard 
 to the probability of the diseases originating in horses’ 
 heels. He spoke of some unsatisfactory experiments having 
 been made by inoculating from the greasy heels; but when 
 we consider how difficult it was to communicate the disease 
 from one cow to another by inoculation we are not to 
 wonder at the still greater difficulty in communicating it 
 from the horse to the cow. The farmer says Dr. Pearson 
 was wrong in some part of his lecture, which he took 
 the liberty to tell him. 
 
 Mr. Paytherus is much disappointed not to receive 
 any letter from you by this day’s post, but hopes you may 
 be coming up to-day and therefore did not write. All 
 your friends agree that now is your time to establish your 
 fame and fortune ; but if you delay taking a personal 
 active part any longer the opportunity will be lost for 
 ever. If Dr. Pearson does not intend to endeavour to give 
 the merit to himself why should he quibble about the 
 name you gave the disease ? The eruption he calls the 
 vaccinous eruption. 
 
 Your affectionate nephew, 
 
 G. C. Jexner. 
 
 Mr. Paytherus has just told me that a copy of Doctor 
 Pearson’s letter was exhibited yesterday at Sir Joseph 
 
320 
 
 LIFE OF DR, JENNER. 
 
 Banks’s. When I get a sight of it I will send you an 
 account of it. 
 
 Dr. Jenner in allusion to this letter writes thus to 
 his friend Gardner. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Edw. Gardner. 
 
 Berkeley , Wednesday , 1799. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 A letter I have j ust received from G. Jenner informs me 
 that Dr. Pearson on Saturday last gave a public lecture on 
 the cow-pox, and that it was publicly exhibited at Sir J. 
 Banks’s on Sunday evening. He has also given out that 
 he will furnish any gentlemen at a distance "with the virus. 
 
 As this is probably done with the view of showing him¬ 
 self as the first man in the concern, should not some neatly- 
 drawn paragraphs appear from time to time in the public 
 prints, by no means reflecting on the conduct of P. but 
 just to keep the idea publicly alive that P. was not the au¬ 
 thor of the discovery—I mean cow-pox inoculation. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 E. J. 
 
 Dr. Jenner now began seriously to feel the weight 
 of that responsibility which rested on him from the 
 publication of his “ Inquiry .” He had the deepest 
 cause to lament the precipitancy of some of his pro¬ 
 fessional brethren. They rejected his statements 
 without even attempting to understand him, and 
 permitted prejudices to stand in the way of evidence 
 the most conclusive. He had especial reason to feel 
 much dissatisfaction in the result of some of the 
 
LIFE OF DR, JENNER. 321 
 
 trials which were made in London, and consequent¬ 
 ly could not be assured that his own character and 
 what he certainly valued much more (the success of 
 vaccination) might not have sustained a serious 
 shock. He was, moreover, assailed by many adver¬ 
 saries in his own district, some of whom, it is to be 
 feared, were moved by considerations not of the 
 purest nature. The following letter, whilst it affords 
 a pleasing illustration of his well-founded confidence 
 in the accuracy and power of his own knowledge, 
 nevertheless shows his lively sensibility to every 
 attack that threatened to obstruct his favourite 
 cause, the cause of humanity and truth. 
 
 Du. Jenner to Mr. Edward Gardner. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 There never was a period in my existence when my 
 situation called so loudly for the assistance of my literary 
 friends as the present. Though my bark will, with flying 
 colours, reach the shore at last, yet it is now in a storm. 
 
 I am beset on all sides with snarling fellows, and so 
 ignorant withal that they know no more of the disease 
 they write about than the animals which generate it. 
 The last philippic that has appeared comes from Bristol, 
 and is communicated by Dr. Sims of London. Sims gives 
 comments on it in harsh and unjustifiable language. It 
 is impossible for me, single-handed, to combat all my ad¬ 
 versaries. 
 
 Standing, as I do, before so awful a tribunal, my friends 
 will volunteer their counsel and immediately appear 
 in court. 
 
322 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 My intended pamphlet has only been looked over in 
 a cursory way. Every sentence must be again revised and 
 
 weighed in the nicest balance that human intellect can in- 
 
 © 
 
 vent. The eyes of the philosophic and medical critic, pre¬ 
 judiced most bitterly against the hypothesis, will pene¬ 
 trate its inmost recesses, and discover the minutest flaw 
 were it suffered to be present. Language I put out of the 
 question : the matter is what 1 allude to. 
 
 Give me as much of your company as you can, and 
 as speedily. 
 
 Yours, very faithfully, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 Thursday , March Hh, 1799- 
 
 On the 21st of this month Dr. Jenner availed 
 himself of the advice of his friends and left Berke¬ 
 ley for London, where he took up his residence in 
 Norfolk-street. On the 23d he had an interview 
 with Dr. Woodville who informed him that he had 
 vaccinated upwards of 200 patients. To show how 
 little the real character of cow-pox, as described by 
 Dr. Jenner, accorded with what was said to have oc¬ 
 curred in London, this physician, at the interview 
 in question, actually mentioned that the cow-pox had 
 been communicated by effluvia ; and that the pa¬ 
 tient had it in the confluent way. Dr. Jenner’s re¬ 
 mark on this marvellous occurrence was simply, 
 “ Might not the disease have been the confluent 
 small-pox communicated by Dr. Woodville, as he is 
 always full of the infection ?” 
 
 Dr. Jenner remained in London till the I 4th of 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 323 
 
 June: during his stay he had frequent intercourse 
 with most of the other medical men of eminence re¬ 
 sident in the metropolis. As the events which oc¬ 
 curred at the Small-pox Hospital were so different 
 from what he had experienced, he was very desirous 
 of procuring fresh cow-pox virus from the country. 
 For this purpose he sent to Gloucestershire ; and, 
 by great exertions on the part of Mr. Robert Tanner, 
 he procured some from North Nibley. A portion of 
 this he gave to Mr. Knight on the 12th of April. 
 
 The “ Reports” of Dr. Woodville were at this 
 time in the press. This work was published in June, 
 and seemed to carry with it most formidable objec¬ 
 tions to some of Dr. Jenner’s main positions. It was 
 concluded that the vaccine disease was not derived 
 from the horse. It was also contended that the cow- 
 pox was occasionally an eruptive disease of great 
 severity; that “ three or four cases out of 500 had 
 been in considerable danger; and that one child had 
 actually died under the effects of the disease.” The 
 other conclusions which he drew were that the mat¬ 
 ter of the vaccine disease has generally produced 
 fewer pustules than that of small-pox, and less in¬ 
 disposition. Notwithstanding this admission, his 
 “Reports” were eminently calculated to repress the 
 ardent expectations that had been excited in favour 
 of vaccination ; for he thus proceeds, after mention¬ 
 ing the supposed fatal case of cow-pox : “ Now if it 
 be admitted that one of five hundred will die of the 
 noculated cow-pox I confess I should not be dis- 
 
 y 2 
 
324 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 posed to introduce this disease into the Inoculation 
 Hospital, because out of the last 5000 cases of va¬ 
 riolous inoculation the number of deaths has not ex¬ 
 ceeded 1 in 600. * 
 
 Dr. Jenner had the consolation of knowing that 
 this alarming statement, published by the authority 
 of the physician to the Small-pox Hospital, was not 
 confirmed by the experience of other very competent 
 judges. With the matter which had been sent from 
 London on the 15th of February from Dr. Wood- 
 ville he inoculated his grand-nephew Stephen Jen¬ 
 ner, and a boy of the name of Hill about four years 
 of age. The progress of the disorder in both is de¬ 
 scribed in his second pamphlet, published a few 
 weeks before that of Dr. Woodville. 
 
 There were in each a few small spots on the arm; 
 and, in the first, on the face ; but they disappeared 
 in a day or two, and caused no inconvenience to 
 the patient. These children were afterwards fully 
 exposed to small-pox contagion without effect.— 
 With matter taken from the arm of the boy Hill 
 Dr. Jenner next inoculated two of the children of his 
 friend Mr. Hicks, of Eastington, and at the same 
 time sixteen others. They all took the infection, 
 but no pustules appeared. With matter taken from 
 this source his nephew Henry Jenner vaccinated 
 successfully a child of twenty hours old. The same 
 stock supplied Dr. Marshall with virus for his inocu- 
 
 * See “ Reports,” p. 151. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 325 
 
 lations, which commenced with two of his own chil¬ 
 dren, on the 22d of March. Between that day and 
 the 26th of April he employed it on 107 persons. 
 “ In only one or two of the cases,” he observes, “ have 
 any other eruptions appeared than those around the 
 spot where the matter was inserted.”* 
 
 Still farther to investigate the subject, and to de¬ 
 termine whether there was any peculiarity in the 
 matter found in the London dairies which tended to 
 produce eruptions, Dr. Jenner, whilst he was in town, 
 procured some genuine cow-pox virus at Mr. Clark's 
 farm at Kentish-town. This he immediately dis¬ 
 patched into Gloucestershire by his friend Mr. Tan¬ 
 ner. With this virus Dr. Marshall resumed his 
 inoculations. In his second letter f to Dr. Jenner 
 
 * See the letter in Dr. Jenner’s “ Continuation of Facts and 
 Observations,” p. 14. 
 
 t This second letter which is printed at p. 16, unfortunately 
 had not the date attached to it: but the original, which is at 
 this instant in my possession, bears date “ Eastington, Septem¬ 
 ber the 8th, 1799.” 1 am happy in being able to supply this 
 
 omission, because it affords me an opportunity of vindicating 
 Dr. Jenner from a very harsh criticism published in Dr. Wood- 
 ville’s observations on the cow-pox, in July 1800. By con¬ 
 founding the time at which the last letter was written, with the 
 date of the hrst. Dr. Woodville makes it seem that Dr. Marshall 
 could not have performed any of the vaccinations which he re¬ 
 corded with the matter sent by Dr. Jenner from the cow at 
 Kentish-town; inasmuch as he did not even obtain that matter 
 till after the date of that letter, “ which is said to contain an 
 account of its eifects by inoculation.”—See Woodville’s “Ob¬ 
 servations on the Cow-pox,” p.jO.—Now it happens, unfor- 
 
326 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 he mentions that he had employed it in 127 cases. 
 The following sentences, in reference to Dr. Wood- 
 ville’s assertions, deserve notice. “ In Dr. Wood- 
 ville’s publication on the cow-pox I notice an 
 extraordinary fact. He says that the generality of 
 his patients had pustules. It certainly appears ex¬ 
 tremely extraordinary that in all my cases there 
 never was but one pustule which appeared on a pa¬ 
 tient’s elbow on the inoculated arm, and maturated. 
 It appeared exactly like that on the incised part.” 
 
 The result of Dr. Marshall’s first series of inocu¬ 
 lations was communicated by Dr. Jenner to Dr. 
 Woodville. But this gentleman was not disposed to 
 admit that any error had taken place in his own 
 practice. His statements, however, of the eruptive 
 nature of cow-pox began to be less peremptory, as 
 will be seen from the following extract of a letter 
 dated on the 22d August, 1799. 
 
 tunately for Dr. Woodville’s position, that the second letter 
 has no date at all; and it is as much distinguished from the 
 first as capital letters, inverted commas, and subject matter can 
 make it. At the time the first letter was written (namely, 
 April 25th, 1799) Dr. M. had vaccinated 107 persons : when the 
 second was written the number amounted to 423 : of whom it 
 is mentioned in the postscript that 127 were infected with the 
 matter from the Kentish-town cow. With all these most pal¬ 
 pable distinctions it is not a little remarkable that Dr. Wood¬ 
 ville should have written as if there had been but one letter of 
 Dr. Marshall’s, and that the first; forgetting entirely that the 
 second bore internal evidence of having been written many 
 months after the former. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 327 
 
 “ The cow-pox inoculations certainly go on very 
 successfully here, but we cannot, like Dr. Marshall, 
 boast that our cases have never been attended with 
 eruptions. Since Mr. Knight inoculated the Duke 
 of Clarence’s children he has had a case in which 
 the pustules were sufficiently numerous to excite no 
 small alarm for the safety of the patient, and though 
 the disease at the hospital has not lately put on a 
 formidable aspect it still continues occasionally to 
 produce pustules. 
 
 I am sorry to be obliged to observe that Dr. 
 Woodville, in mentioning this severe eruptive case 
 in the practice of Mr. Knight, showed less regard to 
 accuracy than the occasion required. Mr. Knight, 
 who was at that time inspector general of military 
 hospitals, was more instrumental than any other 
 professional gentleman in diffusing the benefits of the 
 new practice among the higher orders in London. 
 In addition to the children of many of the nobility 
 he was called on to vaccinate two of the children of 
 the Duke of Clarence, at Bushy. Dr. .Tenner wrote 
 to Mr. Knight on receiving Dr. Woodville’s letter. 
 
 o o 
 
 Mr. Knight’s reply was quite satisfactory. 
 
 F. Knight, Esq. to Dr. Jennek. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 Aug. mh , 1799- 
 
 The cow-pox must have its prejudices and misrepre¬ 
 sentations. Dr. Woodville’s report does not apply to the 
 
328 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEK. 
 
 recruit, but to a case that I had at Mortlake, where I had 
 a "country-house. You shall have the detail of it, and will 
 then judge how much it attaches to the cow-pox. It was 
 the small-pox, but never occasioned a momentary alarm 
 for the safety of the patient. You shall have the detail of 
 it, for it is not a little interesting. 
 
 With a lancet armed from one of the Duke of Clarence’s 
 family I inoculated a young girl about ten years of age. 
 It showed no signs of early infection and on the fifth day 
 I was going to insert fresh matter, when 1 felt a little ele¬ 
 vated pimple in the part, but without the least inflamma¬ 
 tion. It continued uncommonly sluggish, and after four¬ 
 teen days scarcely formed a vesication as big as a small 
 pea, which had no indented mark in the centre, nor any 
 surrounding inflammation. 
 
 About this period she became feverish, and had the 
 usual symptoms of approaching small-pox, which broke out 
 two or three days afterwards. I was at this time obliged 
 to quit Mortlake on account of my preparations for the 
 Continent, and taking Mrs. Knight into Gloucestershire; 
 but anxious to know the event of this case, and how far 
 the appearance of the arm agreed with the progress of 
 eruption, I employed a very clever regimental assistant 
 to go down in my absence, and report the particulars 
 to me. 
 
 It was on the eighth day of the eruption that he saw 
 her. The pustules were numerous, distinct, and maturated 
 into surrounding inflammation. Those on the face were on 
 the turn. Where the vaccine matter was inserted, near 
 three weeks before, there was a large circular pustule con- 
 taming lymph , with a crust of a dark blue cast inclining to 
 black, indented in the middle, and the edges elevated above 
 the skin. He says it had the exact appearance of the ino¬ 
 culated cow-pox on the ninth day, (but he certainly must 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 329 
 
 mistake,) except the surrounding erysipelatous inflamma¬ 
 tion ; as in this case there was only an inflamed line round 
 the bottom of the pustule, in which there was one small 
 pock elevated and maturated. 
 
 The appearance of this girl’s arm was so singular from 
 the beginning, and betrayed such marks of suspended 
 action, that I noticed it to those about her; and, conceiving 
 that it was mere sluggishness of habit, I ordered her to 
 have some wine and to live better. The small-pox had 
 prevailed greatly in the village, but she was not known to 
 have been in the way of it. Her disease was certainly the 
 small-pox, and as certain is it that I inoculated her with a 
 lancet armed from one of the children at Bushy ' but 
 from whatever source the small-pox sprang, it kept no pace 
 with the pustule on the arm ; which lingering as it was in 
 its local action, never betrayed the least similitude to the 
 small-pox pustule. Pray let me have your sentiments on 
 the case. 
 
 Notwithstanding the prejudices which were ex¬ 
 cited against cow-pox by the report of its being 
 an eruptive disease, it continued to gain ground. 
 Many distinguished individuals, in different parts of 
 the kingdom, eagerly availed themselves of the pro¬ 
 mised benefit of the practice, and exerted them¬ 
 selves to diffuse it as widely as possible. It is a 
 gratifying thing to be able to remark that the ladies 
 of England were conspicuous in this work. Lady 
 Peyton, sister of Lord Rous, must be ranked among 
 the first who, by personal efforts, stimulated the 
 professional gentlemen in her neighbourhood to 
 adopt vaccination ; and she herself subsequently 
 
330 
 
 LIFE OF OR, JENNER. 
 
 became one of the most energetic and successful ol 
 vaccinators. 
 
 This is not the only instance in which Dr. Jenner 
 received most efficient and valuable assistance from 
 individuals who did not belong to the profession. 
 Indeed it will presently appear that the cause of 
 vaccination would have been most materially in¬ 
 jured if the good sense, and fair-dealing, and resolu¬ 
 tion of those to whom I refer, had not enabled him 
 to withstand, and finally to overthrow the opposi¬ 
 tion which he encountered in other quarters. I 
 have already mentioned Henry Hicks as his friend 
 and counsellor: I have also mentioned how sedu¬ 
 lously he promoted vaccination by first submitting 
 his own children to it, and then diffusing it in his 
 neighbourhood : I have now to attempt to comme¬ 
 morate his services in another line. He made him¬ 
 self perfectly acquainted with all the details of cow- 
 pox inoculation ; and about this time he brought 
 this knowledge into practice. He commenced a 
 series of inoculations ; and evinced an accuracy and 
 fidelity which would have done honour to the most 
 enlightened physician. To show that this is no ex¬ 
 aggerated praise I will mention that in a letter to 
 Dr. Jenner, dated the second of August, he commu¬ 
 nicated an observation which at a subsequent pe¬ 
 riod was also noticed by Mr. Bryce, of Edinburgh, 
 and which led that gentleman to propose the only 
 thing like an improvement in the practice of vacci¬ 
 nation that was not suggested by Dr. Jenner him- 
 
LIFE OF DE. JENNEE. 
 
 331 
 
 self. In two of the persons whom Mr. Hicks had 
 vaccinated he found that “ the arms came on so 
 slowly that on the sixth day the pustules were not 
 more forward than they generally are on the third 
 or fourth : added to which, there appeared so much 
 irregularity in them that I thought it better to show 
 their arms to Mr. Darke.” Two days afterwards 
 Mr. Hicks determined to re-vaccinate them. The 
 result he communicated in the following words: 
 <s The second inoculation seemed to make immense 
 strides to overtake the first; and, what is wonder¬ 
 ful, the first pustules began to change their charac¬ 
 ter and put on the true vaccine appearance.” He 
 also made another remark which proves how quickly 
 he detected every peculiarity in the progress of the 
 affection. He adds, “ I must not forget to tell you 
 that Chamberlain’s child, before the inoculation, had 
 some eruptions on its arm and back, and as the vac¬ 
 cine pustule came on, these pustules assumed the 
 exact vaccine character, and became perfect cow- 
 pox pustules. ’ It is due to Mr. Hicks to declare 
 that there is more original and satisfactory informa¬ 
 tion to be derived from his remarks than from those 
 of all the individuals who had written on the subject, 
 from the time of the publication of Dr. Jenner’s 
 Inquiry. 
 
 Another gentleman, who had become acquainted 
 with Dr. Jenner at Cheltenham and had obtained 
 in conversation with him a knowledge of the subject 
 of cow-pox, felt so deep an interest in its success 
 
332 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 that he not only occupied himself in investigating 
 the history of the casual disease, but likewise in pro¬ 
 pagating it by inoculation. The gentleman to whom 
 
 I allude is William Fermor, Esq. of Tusmore, in 
 
 > 
 
 Oxfordshire. By diligent inquiry he discovered 
 that the cow-pox was occasionally epizootic in his 
 own neighbourhood ; and in a little work which he 
 published in May 1800, he detailed several cases 
 of individuals who had caught the infection from 
 the cow ; and who had subsequently resisted small¬ 
 pox by inoculation and exposure in every way. 
 Not satisfied with this very valuable information he 
 resolved to have a series of cow-pox inoculations 
 instituted under his own eye. As he was not 
 himself a medical man he was assisted on this 
 occasion by the Rev. George Jenner, the nephew 
 of the Doctor. He carried the matter with him 
 from Berkeley, and the experiments were conduct¬ 
 ed with the concurrence and under the inspec¬ 
 tion of many of the most learned professors of 
 Oxford, and the most distinguished medical men in 
 the neighbourhood. Among these may be particu¬ 
 larly mentioned Sir Christopher Pegge, Drs. Wall, 
 and Williams, and Mr. Grosvenor. In a short 
 time 326 persons were vaccinated, of all ages from 
 two months to sixty-nine years. Of these 173 
 were subsequently inoculated with small-pox, but 
 never felt its influence.* 
 
 * A very interesting correspondence was carried on, for some 
 time, between Mr. Fermor and Dr. Jenner on the subject of 
 
LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 333 
 
 Whilst things were thus proceeding in England 
 the knowledge of Dr. Jenner’s surprising discovery 
 was exciting the deepest interest wherever it was 
 heard of on the Continent. The unhappy war which 
 then raged prevented direct intercourse with France 
 and many other parts. The “ Inquiry ” nevertheless 
 found its way, in the course of this year, (1799) to 
 Geneva, Hanover, and Vienna. In the first-mention¬ 
 ed place Drs. Odier and Peschier collected all the 
 information that could be obtained on the subject, 
 and communicated it to the scientific world through 
 the medium of the Bibliotheque Britannique. In 
 Vienna, the cause of vaccination was taken up by 
 Dr. De Carro with a zeal commensurate to its im¬ 
 portance, and fostered and disseminated with a 
 degree of wisdom and energy which has not been 
 exceeded on the part of any of the eminent in¬ 
 dividuals who have advocated or advanced it. An¬ 
 other opportunity will soon occur for recording his 
 great and most beneficial efforts in diffusing vac¬ 
 cination over a great part of Europe, and finally, 
 through Turkey into our possessions in Asia. 
 
 vaccination, a subject to which (as has been said) Mr. F. paid 
 close and judicious attention. In one of his early letters in¬ 
 viting Dr.'Jenner to his seat in Oxfordshire he playfully says 
 of one of the chief antivaccinists, first premising that he had 
 had, during a late tour, “ various conversations with medical 
 men on the subject of the cow-pox/’ “ I told Dr. Moseley that 
 in his assertion against it he had acted the part of the devil’s 
 advocate at a canonization, who was to say all the harm he 
 could against the saint in order that his life might be thorough¬ 
 ly scrutinized, and his merits appear the more conspicuous,” 
 
334 
 
 LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 \t this time it is more proper to dwell for a season 
 on his own personal relations to Dr. Jenner. They 
 never had the happiness of meeting, but I believe 
 that I do not hazard an unfounded statement when 
 I express my conviction that few or none of Dr. 
 .Tenner’s friends had formed a more correct estimate 
 of his character, more truly loved the purity and 
 benevolence of his moral feeling, or more deeply 
 venerated his surpassing genius, than he of whom 
 I now speak. His first letter to Dr. Jenner is dated 
 at Vienna, on the 14th of September, 1799. It is 
 altogether so interesting, and describes in so satis¬ 
 factory a manner the very first inoculations for cow- 
 pox on the Continent, that I think it proper to sub¬ 
 join it here. 
 
 Dr. De Carro to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, Vienna , 147/r Sept. 1799. 
 
 Although I have not the honour to be known’ to you I 
 hope that you will excuse the liberty I take of addressing 
 myself to you, convinced that you are sensible of the uti¬ 
 lity that men, pursuing the same inquiries, should as much 
 as possible communicate together. 
 
 Before I proceed I must assure you that among the 
 innumerable admirers of your discovery, none feels more 
 the importance of it, and is ready to do more to propagate 
 its benefits, than I am. As soon as I heard of it I 
 wrote to London to have your work, and desired a medical 
 friend of mine to procure me some vaccine matter from a 
 good source. He sent me two threads that came from Dr. 
 Pearson, with some accounts of that gentleman’s successes 
 in the brilliant road which you have opened. The first 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 335 
 
 subject I found for inoculation was the son of a physician 
 of this town, in whom it produced two pustules, of which 
 I need give you no other description than to tell you that 
 they were so perfectly similar to the second and third 
 plate of your work that one might have thought that that 
 child’s arms had been the model from which your engraver 
 had drawn them. Encouraged by the mildness of the 
 disease I did not hesitate to inoculate from the fresh 
 matter of that child my eldest boy, and ten days afterwards 
 my second boy from the arm of his brother. In my two 
 children the disease and the appearance of the pustules 
 were precisely similar to your description and engravings. 
 
 Three months afterwards these three children have been 
 inoculated with variolous matter, without any effect what¬ 
 ever, except, in one of them, a pustule on the inoculated 
 part, but without further effect on the system. 
 
 I have kept a quantity of matter with which the sleeves 
 of their shirts were impregnated, sufficient for any number 
 of other inoculations, paying the greatest attention not to 
 collect the matter but when the pustules were in their 
 state of greatest activity, viz. before they became ulcerated, 
 as it happened by the scratching of my children, which I 
 never could prevent. Though your discovery had pro¬ 
 duced a great sensation among our medical people your 
 work was not known at Vienna before I took the pleasure 
 of spreading it; therefore I did not find any subject for 
 inoculation till I had inoculated my children again with 
 variolic matter. In the month of July I inoculated two 
 children with threads taken from these shirts, and in one 
 of them alone the virus took effect; but the distance at 
 which that child lived from town, and some neglect on the 
 part of his parents, prevented me from gathering fresh 
 matter from his inoculation. In the month of September 
 I diluted with some warm water some vaccine matter which 
 was in great plenty upon the shirts; and inoculated, in the 
 
33 G 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 usual way, the daughter of a man whose example might 
 have been followed by many, and it produced no effect 
 whatever. On the 9th instant I have inoculated two twins 
 of three years old, and yesterday, according to appearances, 
 four punctures were so dry as to make me hope for success. 
 However, as I had not contented myself with punctures 
 on each child I have likewise inserted threads in the 
 epidermis, and they looked yesterday still inflamed and 
 red; at least the lips of the wound were not closed nor 
 crusty ; therefore I do not give up all hope of success. 
 If these two children fail I am determined not to inoculate 
 any more till I get fresh matter from England, for fear of 
 discouraging such parents who are inclined to lay them¬ 
 selves under obligations to you. I am in daily expec¬ 
 tation of that matter which comes from Dr. Pearson and 
 Mr. Coleman of the veterinary school in London. How¬ 
 ever, as I wish to proceed with all the precaution which 
 the introduction of a new method requires, I should take 
 it as an infinite favour if you would be so good as to send 
 me some of your genuine vaccine matter (from cows, if 
 possible) which would give a great deal of confidence to the 
 public of Vienna, as coming from the father of the dis¬ 
 covery. If my request does not appear indiscreet to you 
 you have nothing else to do than to send it to London to 
 any person who would take the trouble of remitting it to 
 Lord Grenville’s office, at the direction of Mr. Stratton , 
 Secretary of Legation , at the Right Hon. Lord Minto’s, Vi¬ 
 enna ; to be sent by the first messenger with a note for 
 me. It is perhaps necessary that I should tell you who 
 is the person who takes this liberty with you. I am fj"om 
 Geneva; I have studied and taken my degrees at Edin¬ 
 burgh, and practise medicine at Vienna, since six years. 
 
 Though you have given some directions about the 
 manner of preserving vaccine matter be so good as to 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 337 
 
 write me a few words upon the method which your experi¬ 
 ence has taught you to be the best. This is so much more 
 necessary as it does not appear that cows in any part of 
 the great Austrian Monarchy are subject to that disease; 
 and even if they were I should not be bold enough to 
 inoculate with their matter, as it appears that more vete¬ 
 rinary knowledge than I have is necessary to distinguish 
 the various diseases of cows. I have sent threads to 
 Geneva, where inoculations have been immediately tried, 
 but I do not know yet their result. 
 
 I have the honour to be with the highest respect, 
 Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient 
 and much obliged humble Servant, 
 
 J. De Carro, M. D. 
 
 Rauherstein, No. 983. 
 
 A Vienne, en Autriche. 
 
 P. S.-—This morning the two pustules of the twins 
 above mentioned were so much elevated that no doubt 
 could be entertained of the success. I continue, however, 
 in my request.* 
 
 After the inoculation of his own children, and other 
 individuals. Dr. De Carro transmitted threads embued 
 with the vaccine matter to Geneva, but they did not 
 succeed. * He then sent others, which were impreg¬ 
 nated from the arm of Count Mottet. This gentle- 
 
 * In perusing this, and other letters of Dr. De Carro, it 
 will be remembered that though he writes English, in general, 
 accurately, yet it is not to be expected that his style shall be, 
 at all times, free from foreign idiom. 
 
 
338 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. .TENNER. 
 
 man had previously had small pox, and he submitted 
 to vaccination merely as an experiment, in order to 
 settle the question whether it was possible to have 
 cow-pox after small-pox. The matter from this 
 source was conveyed from Vienna to Geneva by Dr. 
 Peschier, who had been a witness of Dr. De Carro’s 
 previous vaccinations. This matter was immedi¬ 
 ately employed both at Geneva and at Colombier. 
 Unfortunately all the persons subsequently had 
 small-pox either in the natural way, or by inocula¬ 
 tion. Of the former several died. This calamity, 
 so inauspicious to the progress of vaccination, could 
 only have occurred in the commencement of the 
 practice when the true character of the vaccine pus¬ 
 tule was imperfectly understood, and the knowledge 
 necessary to conduct so delicate a process had not 
 been acquired. The matter, in fact, taken from 
 Count Mottet was not the vaccine, and the disease 
 which it excited in the arms of the children at 
 Geneva had certainly none of the properties of the 
 genuine disease. Had the gentlemen who conduct¬ 
 ed these inoculations been fully aware of Dr. Jen- 
 ner’s instructions they would not have exposed those 
 children to variolous infection, after having observed 
 the irregularity of the progress and character of the 
 pustules on their arms, which, from first to last, were 
 spurious in their nature. 
 
 These untoward events did not materially ob¬ 
 struct the progress of vaccination in Geneva. Be¬ 
 fore the end of January 1801, fifteen hundred 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 339 
 
 persons were successfully vaccinated. Dr. Odier 
 much distinguished himself by his exertions on this 
 occasion. He drew up a memoir on the inoculation 
 of the Variolae Vaccinse, by order of the Minister of 
 the Interior in France, which was sent to all the 
 officers of health in the department. 
 
 With this memoir was also distributed a paper 
 of “ advice to fathers and mothers,” eloquently and 
 affectionately recommending vaccination, and offer¬ 
 ing it gratuitously to all who were not in a condition 
 to pay. This paper was delivered to the parents, by 
 the clergymen, when they brought their children to 
 receive the rite of baptism. It was signed by the 
 physicians Vieusseux, Odier, Vignier, Manget, Veil- 
 lard, Coindet, De La Rive, Peschier, and the surgeons 
 Jurine, Fine, Maunoir. 
 
 Dr. De Carro’s vaccinations commenced in the 
 month of May 1799- A short time afterwards, the 
 practice was introduced at Hanover by Dr. Ball- 
 horn and M. Stromeyer. The former gentleman 
 translated Dr. Jenner’s first work into German. 
 This was communicated to Dr. Jenner in the Latin 
 language by the learned Hanoverian physician in a 
 letter dated on the 5th of November, 1799. 
 
 The eruptions, which attended many of the early 
 cases of vaccination in London, were unfortunately 
 also propagated in different parts of the country, 
 
 ! where the contaminated matter had been distributed 
 by Dr. Pearson. 
 
 It will now be necessary to return to the pro- 
 
 z 2 
 
340 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ceedings of this gentleman, both as they regarded the 
 nature of the vaccine disease itself and the measures 
 which he contrived for its dissemination. Among 
 other professional gentlemen who used this con¬ 
 taminated matter was Mr. Andre, surgeon at Pet- 
 worth. Fourteen persons were inoculated with it; 
 and all had variolous-like eruptions, some being 
 loaded with heavy burdens. 
 
 Lord Egremont, who had always felt a peculiar 
 zeal for the success of vaccination, was surprised and 
 dismayed by such untoward circumstances occurring 
 in his neighbourhood. Had his lordship acted as 
 some professional men did the prejudices which had 
 already been awakened both against Dr. Jennerand 
 cow-pox would have been much strengthened. With 
 the dignity and prudence becoming a nobleman of 
 such exalted rank he did not permit his mind to be 
 swayed till he had taken proper measures to obtain 
 information respecting these anomalies, from Dr. 
 Jenner himself. His Lordship wrote him a long 
 letter on this occasion, giving an ample detail of the 
 occurrences at Petworth. Dr. Jenner* replied in 
 this very interesting manner. 
 
 * He also received an account from his friend the Reverend 
 Mr. Ferryman, who was then at Petworth. This gentleman on 
 seeing the eruptions did not hesitate to say that the disease was 
 not the cow-pox, but the small-pox. In consequence of this 
 Lord Egremont most humanely had all the patients conveyed to 
 his own house to prevent the disorder from spreading. Not¬ 
 withstanding this precaution, two persons caught the disease; 
 of whom one died. See Mr. Ferryman’s letter in Ring’s Trea¬ 
 tise on Cow-pox, page 90- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNETt. 
 
 341 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Lord Egremont. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I am extremely obliged to your Lordship for your kind¬ 
 ness in giving me so fully the account of the late inocula¬ 
 tion at Petworth ; a subject which, before, I did not clearly 
 understand; and which, of course, had given me much 
 vexation. I will just briefly lay before you part of the his¬ 
 tory of the cow-pox inoculation since my experiments were 
 first publicly made known; which may tend in some mea¬ 
 sure to explain in what manner pustules may be produced. 
 
 About a twelvemonth ago Dr. Woodville, physician to 
 the Small-pox Hospital, procured some virus from a cow at 
 one of the London milk farms, and inoculated with it se¬ 
 veral patients at the Small-pox Hospital. Fearful that the 
 infection was not advancing properly in some of their arms 
 he inoculated them (some on the 3d, others on the 5th 
 day afterwards) with small-pox matter. Both inoculations 
 took effect; and thus, in my opinion , a foundation was laid 
 for much subsequent error and confusion; for the virus 
 thus generated became the source of future inoculations, 
 not only in the hospital but in London, and many parts of 
 the country. 
 
 Hearing a murmur among medical people that the cow- 
 pox was not the simple disease I had described, but that in 
 many instances it produced as many eruptions and was at¬ 
 tended with as much severity as the small-pox, I went to 
 town with the view of inquiring into the cause of this devi¬ 
 ation. Dr. Woodville at once invited me to the Small-pox 
 Hospital, and very ingenuously told me the whole of his 
 proceedings. The inoculated patients were shown to me, 
 and though some were without eruptions and exhibited 
 the appearance of the true cow-pox, others were very full 
 of them, and I could not discern any difference between 
 them and the perfect small-pox. I therefore did not he- 
 
342 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 sitate to tell the Doctor that it clearly appeared to me that 
 the small-pox had crept into the constitution with the cow- 
 pox ; that I did not consider them as two distinct dis¬ 
 eases, but as varieties only of the same disease; and 
 therefore they might co-exist in the same constitution, 
 and that thus a mixed disease had been produced. I 
 communicated also the same sentiment to Dr. Pearson 
 who was then, and had been, busily employed not only in 
 inoculating from this source, but in dispersing threads 
 embued in the virus to various places in our own coun¬ 
 try, and to many parts of the Continent. Foreseeing 
 what was likely to ensue from these hasty measures I 
 remonstrated against them, but was not listened to. In 
 many places where the threads were sent a disease like 
 a mild small-pox frequently appeared; yet, curious to re¬ 
 late, the matter, after it had been used six or seven months, 
 gave up the variolous character entirely, and assumed the 
 vaccine; the pustules declined more and more, and at 
 length became extinct. I made some experiments myself 
 with this matter, and saw a few pustules on my first pa¬ 
 tients ; but in my subsequent inoculations there were none. 
 From what I once saw at the hospital I had reason to 
 think that some of these threads sent out were not only 
 stained with small-pox matter from the contamination 
 spoken of, but that they had sometimes a dip in a real 
 small-pox arm; as the patients were all mingled together at 
 the hospital, and stood with their arms bare, ready to 
 afford matter one among another. Without making any 
 further trials with matter from the cow managed in ano¬ 
 ther way Dr. W. published a volume containing the re¬ 
 sult of his practice, which certainly damped the spirits of 
 many who had from my representation taken up a high 
 opinion of the cow-pock inoculation. A thought now 
 struck me that, if possible, it would be proper to procure 
 
LIFE OF Oil. JENNElt. 
 
 343 
 
 matter from a London cow, and compare its effects with 
 that generated in the country. 
 
 Unwilling to determine in a hurry, I procured matter 
 from a London cow, conceiving it possible that the animal 
 in this situation might generate matter possessing qualities 
 differing in some measure from that which is more in a 
 state of nature in our meadows here : but the result con¬ 
 vinced me that the virus was the same, as 500 people were 
 inoculated from this source without the appearance of any 
 pustules. But this history, my lord, does not tell you by 
 what means the pustules appeared at Petworth:—but it 
 informs you how errors may arise, and how they may be 
 persisted in. There is another source which I fear will be 
 too common. Lancets are often carried in the pocket of 
 a surgeon with small-pox dried upon them, for the pur¬ 
 pose of inoculation. A gentleman some time ago sent a 
 lancet here to have it charged, as it is called, with cow-pox 
 matter : perceiving it stained at the point with some dried 
 fluid, it was sent back ; when he immediately recollected 
 that his lancet was prepared with the matter of the small¬ 
 pox. What confusion might have happened from this; 
 and how narrowly we escaped it ! For it was but an equal 
 chance probably, that, had the lancet been used, a direct 
 small-pox might have been produced; for the chance was 
 equal whether it produced one disease or the other. 
 
 It may be necessary to observe, it is improbable that a 
 mixture of the two matters used in this way would have 
 produced a mixed disease, as two different diseased actions 
 cannot go forward in one and the same part at the same 
 time, so that the disease would have been either the per¬ 
 fect cow-pox or the perfect small-pox. 
 
 The matter which was made use of, I hear, came from 
 Dr. Pearson; and doubtless Mr. Iveate will have candour, 
 and, I hope, industry enough to trace the error to its 
 
344 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 source. That there was an error somewhere, of which Mr. 
 Keate became the innocent cause, is a fact that I think 
 will not admit of controversy. I have sometimes seen, 
 perhaps in one case in a hundred, a few scattered pimples 
 about the body, and sometimes rashes: but these have 
 arisen from the inflammation and irritation of the arm, for 
 it is very well known that many acrid substances applied 
 to the skin, so as to produce local inflammation, will fre¬ 
 quently occasion a similar appearance. 
 
 The cases of the boys your lordship describes infected 
 by the matter I sent, were exactly those of the true cow- 
 pox. Many hundreds of people of all ages were lately ino¬ 
 culated in a part of this county where the clothing manu¬ 
 factory prevailed, but not one of them lost a day’s work, 
 nor had they any pustules. 
 
 The inclosed virus is secured in a way that I imagine it 
 cannot foil to infect, if Mr. Andre will reduce it to a fluid 
 state by moistening it with water on the point of his lancet 
 previous to its insertion. When he has once infected a 
 patient, he may afterwards go on to a certainty, as the 
 fresh fluid matter is more efficacious than that which has 
 been dried. The inclosed is just taken: it has borne a 
 journey across the Atlantic, and been found perfectly good 
 on its arrival. 
 
 * * * # * 
 
 To prove how anxiously he viewed the events 
 which were passing at Petworth, he had scarcely 
 dispatched the preceding letter, before he was in¬ 
 duced to transmit another. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 345 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Lord Egremont. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I am almost ashamed to trouble your lordship again so 
 soon on the subject of the cow-pox, but conceiving myself 
 the general guardian of its inoculation, and my own repu¬ 
 tation as being in some degree involved in the misconduct 
 of others, the more 1 reflect on the late untoward event at 
 Petworth, the more my anxiety increases. A thought has 
 occurred to me, which, if your lordship will allow me to 
 put it into practice, may clear up every doubt which has 
 arisen in the minds of all parties respecting the late disas¬ 
 ter. A comparison might be made on the spot between 
 the inoculation of Mr. Iveate and that of a person more 
 perfectly conversant with the disease. My nephew, Mr. 
 H. Jenner, of whom I have spoken in my publication as 
 assisting me in the pursuit, would, if such a thing should 
 meet with your lordship’s approbation, set off at once for 
 Petworth, and inoculate any number of people that might 
 be willing to submit to it. 
 
 To add to my anxieties, I have heard from Lady C- 
 
 that the small-pox has been given to a domestic of her 
 ladyship’s for the cow-pox. But the matter, I find, was 
 derived from the same source as that which was used in 
 your lordship’s family. 
 
 * # * * * 
 
 It was- not thought, necessary by his Lordship to 
 avail himself of Dr. Jenner’s offer, to send his nephew 
 to Petworth. The gentleman who conducted the 
 first inoculations with the matter furnished from 
 London, also made use of that transmitted by Dr. 
 
346 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 Jenner. The ensuing letter to Mr. Gardner announ¬ 
 ces the result of this comparative trial. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Edward Gardner. 
 
 Dear Gardner, 
 
 December , 1791. 
 
 I am sorry the night was so unpleasant, and that your 
 catarrh was increased by your journey home. I fear you 
 fall too frequently into the common custom of seeking 
 warmth after exposure to cold, which I am sure is a com¬ 
 mon means of both giving catarrh, and increasing the ma¬ 
 lady when present in a slight degree. 
 
 Great news from St. James’s. The King has sent me a 
 very civil message, so you will produce a page to wait upon 
 his majesty and express the obligation. 
 
 From Lord Egremont I have also had a pleasant ac¬ 
 count. The matter I sent his lordship has dissipated all 
 doubts and prejudices, he says, from the minds of the 
 people around him. Forty have been inoculated with the 
 virus, and all had the disease as I describe it. You must 
 observe that fourteen had previously been inoculated with 
 matter from Pearson, and all had variolous-like eruptions. 
 Some were loaded with heavy burdens. But yet we must 
 again review our observations on the pustular subject, for if 
 I should produce them on any one patient, Pearson would 
 triumph; and I must confess I don’t see why cow-pock, 
 though not small-pock pustules should not appear. I have 
 seen one on a woman’s forehead like the pustule on the arm, 
 but smaller, and one on a girl’s wrist. But more of this 
 when we meet; and if you please, as your cold is not well, 
 it shall be put off to Monday. Of this I will write by 
 your messenger and apprize H. H. 
 
LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 347 
 
 I think the surgeon at Petworth who inoculated both 
 sets of patients, mine, if I may call them so, and Pear¬ 
 son’s, should publish immediately the result of the two 
 inoculations. A letter in the newspapers would have a good 
 effect, recommending the country to follow the example 
 of London and Bath in forming general institutions for 
 the gratuitous inoculation of the cow-pox. By this means 
 the small-pox must soon hide its diminished head, and I 
 
 could come forward to P-with a good grace. What 
 
 i triumph it would be if Gloucester would show a dis¬ 
 position to come forward i Trye would be at the head 
 )f the medical department. Do you know any of the 
 eading people there who are not in —-shackles ? 
 
 I believe you will now receive the most material of 
 he journals, &c. I will put any thing else in my pocket 
 in Monday that I can find. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 The preceding letters are not dated ; but I am 
 nabled to prove by entries in his journals that they 
 lust have been sent off some time between the first 
 f December and the twenty-fourth of that month. 
 
 Dr. Jenner was at the time living at Berkeley, 
 aving returned to that place from Cheltenham, with 
 is family, on the fourteenth of October. While he 
 Gained, whether at Cheltenham or Berkeley, he 
 as partly occupied in his professional affairs ; but 
 is correspondence, connected with the subject of vac- 
 nation, had so much increased as to leave him little 
 isure for other employment. He received many 
 >plications for cow-pox matter : and, as has been 
 
348 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 already seen, had a great weight of labour thrown 
 upon him in attempting to rectify mistakes which 
 had been committed by others in the practice of vac¬ 
 cination. He was very careful in preserving the 
 history of the virus that he sent out, and for the 
 most part, likewise, transcribed with his own hane 
 the letters of moment which he wrote at this pe 
 riod. 
 
 In the early part of December this year (1799, 
 he sent vaccine matter both to Berlin and Vienna 
 the first in consequence of an application from the 
 Princess Louisa, of Prussia, communicated to hin 
 by Mrs. Colonel Walker. The second in compliance 
 with the speciai request of Dr. De Carro. 
 
 The application for the Princess Louisa of Russie 
 was replied to in the following letter. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mrs. Walker. 
 
 Dear Madam, 
 
 It would be highly gratifying to me to see the vaccin 
 disease introduced at Berlin in the very respectable wa 
 you mention. I should be very happy to consign th 
 matter to Her Royal Highness the Princess Louisa’s Phj 
 sician witli every direction that could be conveyed throug 
 the medium of a letter, but yet on so important an occs 
 sion, it would be still more gratifying were I to be allowe 
 to appoint a person to Berlin, whom I could with conf 
 dence recommend as perfectly conversant with the cov 
 pox in all its stages. My nephew, Mr. Jenner, who Ik 
 assisted in conducting my experiments on the subject, an 
 who has inoculated considerable numbers, would be ver 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER, 
 
 349 
 
 ready to accept the embassy. But on mentioning this, 
 perhaps I presume too much. My motive is the possi¬ 
 bility of making a mistake. 
 
 In three or four days I shall be able to take some 
 matter from a pustule that is ripening on the arm of 
 a healthy boy. Sad confusion has been made in London, 
 and in some other places, by the use of imperfect matter. 
 Since my pamphlets were written, a vast deal of informa¬ 
 tion has flowed in upon me, which, I am happy to say, all 
 tends to establish the grand point, that the cow-pox per¬ 
 fectly secures the constitution from contagion of the small¬ 
 pox. Five thousand persons have now been inoculated ; 
 the greater part of whom have been exposed to the infec¬ 
 tion of the small-pox by inoculation, and in every other 
 way, without the least effect. 
 
 I shall very shortly republish what I have written on the 
 subject, with an appendix. Whatever may be new or in¬ 
 teresting in the appendix, I will transcribe for the satisfac¬ 
 tion of the Princess, fearing it will not be printed so soon 
 as you would wish to send it. 
 
 With respectful compliments to Colonel Walker, 
 
 I remain, 
 
 Dear Madam, 
 
 Yours, &c. 
 
 E. Jenneu. 
 
 To prove how eagerly persons exerted themselves 
 at this period to communicate to their neighbour¬ 
 hood the advantages of vaccination, I cannot refrain 
 from mentioning the Rev. Mr. Holt, Rector of Fin- 
 mere, near Buckingham. He had in the summer of 
 this year been strongly impressed with the benefits 
 of vaccination from a conversation with Mr. Aber- 
 
350 
 
 LIFE OF DE. .TENNER. 
 
 nethy. This clergyman found no opposition to the 
 introduction of the practice, because the people were 
 not unacquainted with the virtues of cow-pox when 
 caught in the natural way. The results of his 
 experiments were communicated in a letter to Mr. 
 Abernethy, dated Finmere, November 6th, 1799. 
 The last named gentleman forwarded it to the 
 Medical and Physical Journal, and it was printed 
 in the number for December. Dr. Jenner was 
 much gratified with the satisfactory information con¬ 
 tained in it, as well as with the skill and caution 
 evinced by the reverend gentleman, and expressed 
 himself to that effect. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Abernethy. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I thought of being in London long before this time, and 
 to have called in Bedford-Row to have thanked you for 
 your valuable publication and the very polite note that ac¬ 
 companied it, which I received on the eve of my departure 
 from town in the spring. 
 
 I am happy in seeing that through you the cow-pock ino¬ 
 culation has already moved in a channel, which from being 
 adopted, may expedite its general diffusion through this 
 country. I allude to the paper of the Rev. Mr. Holt in 
 the Medical and Physical Journal of the present month. 
 
 I should be extremely^ obliged to you to inform me from 
 what source Mr. H. derived his matter. He speaks of 
 pustules similar to those excited by inoculation, except 
 that they were smaller. I have sometimes (though very 
 rarely) seen a few pimples scattered over the body, which 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 351 
 
 for the most part have disappeared quickly ; but I have 
 sometimes known them remain long enough to show a little 
 fluid at their apex. 1 have attributed them to the inflam¬ 
 mation and irritation of the arm, as many acrid substances 
 applied to the skin, so as to excite these effects, will pro¬ 
 duce similar appearances. They occurred so rarely that I 
 have had no opportunity of investigating the nature of 
 them ; however, if their effluvia (provided in the first in¬ 
 stance they have arisen from pure vaccine virus) should 
 produce similar appearances, we may call the disease the 
 small-pox at once. Indeed I have never considered the 
 cow-pox and small-pox as distinct diseases, but the latter 
 as a variety of the former.* 
 
 Excuse the trouble I give you, and believe me, 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 December 19, 1799- E. J. 
 
 * In a former chapter while illustrating the natural history of 
 the Variolae Vaccinae I mentioned, that they had not appeared 
 recently in a fatal form among the cattle, as they did in the 
 days of Layard, and Ramazzini, and Lancisi. Since that por¬ 
 tion of this work was sent to the press, I ^fiave received a com¬ 
 munication which proves that even now it is sometimes fatal, 
 and occasionally shows itself with some of its most malignant 
 features. I could have wished to have inserted the information 
 which I subjoin when endeavouring to sustain my general ar¬ 
 gument in Chapter Seventh, and several of those which precede. 
 As however that cannot now be done I must place it in its 
 present situation, conscious that it is well worthy of considera¬ 
 tion on its own account; but especially so when it is remembered 
 how strongly it corroborates the testimony of former writers, 
 and sustains the doctrine which I have endeavoured to unfold. 
 
 Mr. Williams, of Dursley, was kind enough to procure for me 
 the following statement; it was drawn up by Mr. Tiley, vete¬ 
 rinary surgeon, who is well acquainted with the disease. It is 
 
352 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 The conduct of one of the earliest and one of the 
 most inveterate of the antivaccinists brought into the 
 
 supposed that the infection was conveyed to the cow that died, 
 by a servant of a farmer named Stratford, who daily dressed a 
 greasy-heeled horse. 
 
 “ The beginning of May 1825, I was sent for to Mr. William 
 Long’s of Clinger, to see a cow that was very ill. It being, as 
 I considered it at first sight, such an extraordinary case that I 
 was at a loss to say what the real complaint was, as I had never 
 seen one so affected before; but on examination I found it to 
 be an aggravated case of cow-pox, and progressively arrived to 
 the state it was then at. On my examining the teats I found 
 several blackish scabs peculiar to the disease; and the whole 
 skin, with the exception of no part of it from the base of the 
 horn to the end of the tail, and to the hoofs, was one continued 
 disease, not of vesicles nor scabs, but a discharge similar to that 
 produced by a blister. Even the nose, and to the very edges of 
 the lips, were affected the same as the other parts of the skin. 
 Every symptom of violent fever was present; no attention 
 having been paid to that previous to my seeing her: she 
 lingered, and died the tenth day after I saw her. In the mean 
 time I was employed to attend the other cows which were 
 affected at the same time, then ten in number ; and the same 
 as I had seen the disease before; but every day brought newly- 
 affected subjects till the whole pack, between forty and fifty, 
 had the disease. The youngest of the cows, from two years 
 old to five, were, more or less, affected about the skin (par¬ 
 tially so) the same as the one that died. Till now I considered 
 this disease in the cow to be topical. Constitutional remedies 
 were employed; and every subject, except the first, recovered. 
 One of Mr. Long’s servants being asked by a neighbour of his 
 to milk a cow for him that was rather obstreperous, which he 
 did, and communicated the disease to the pack, which affected 
 them in a similar manner. The whole of them did well. All 
 the servants of Mr. L. had sore fingers through milking the 
 cows, except one.” 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 353 
 
 field an honest and indefatigable champion, who con¬ 
 tinued faithful to the last, and promoted the cause 
 of vaccination as much by his personal efforts, as by 
 his zeal and ability in overthrowing the arguments 
 of its opponents. Dr. Moseley, physician to Chelsea 
 Hospital, thought fit in a treatise on sugar to bring 
 forward an irrelevant attack on cow-pox, and then 
 gave his professional brethren a specimen of that 
 elegant and classical phraseology which so peculiarly 
 distinguished his subsequent lucubrations. His sta¬ 
 tion, much more than the force of his argument, gave 
 weight to his observations. He wrote in great igno¬ 
 rance of the subject; and with all the bitterness and 
 prejudice that generally attend on ignorance. 
 
 Mr. Ring very successfully exposed and refuted 
 his remarks. The doctor had seen in distant pro¬ 
 spect an awful aggravation of human ills, from an 
 admixture of bestial humours, which the cow mania, 
 as he elegantly termed it, threatened to inflict upon 
 our race. He even predicted an alteration in “ the 
 human form divine,” and that another brood of mi- 
 notaurs would overspread the land— 
 
 “ Semibovemque virum, semivirumque bovem.’’ 
 
 Mr. Ring’s efforts to remove these apprehensions 
 from the mind of the doctor, led to his forming an 
 acquaintance with Dr. Jenner. Mr. Ring’s own 
 opinion on vaccination had at this period been some¬ 
 what modified by the publications of Dr. Pearson 
 
 2 A 
 
354 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 and Woodville. Some time elapsed before these 
 impressions were completely removed. When this 
 took place, and when the full force of Dr. Jenner’s 
 accurate, perspicuous, and satisfactory details were 
 confirmed and illustrated by his own experience, no 
 one more truly appreciated the genius of the author 
 of vaccination, or entertained a deeper feeling of re¬ 
 spect and admiration for the great services which 
 he had rendered to mankind. 
 
 From this time Mr. Ring devoted a great part of 
 his professional life to the cause of vaccination. He 
 investigated every adverse case that he heard of in 
 London: he offered gratuitous vaccination to all who 
 would accept it; and he marshalled the chief medi¬ 
 cal men in London who had satisfied themselves of 
 its efficacy, by procuring their signatures to a testi¬ 
 mony which I subjoin. 
 
 “ Many unfounded reports having been circu¬ 
 lated, which have a tendency to prejudice the public 
 against the inoculation for cow-pox : We the under¬ 
 signed physicians and surgeons think if our duty to 
 declare our opinion that those persons who have had 
 the cow-pox are perfectly secure from the future in¬ 
 fection of the small-pox. We also declare that the 
 inoculated cow-pox is a much milder and safer dis¬ 
 ease than the inoculated small-pox.” 
 
 The above document bears the signatures of 
 thirty-three of the most eminent physicians, and 
 of forty distinguished surgeons of the metropolis, 
 amongst whom are the well-known names of Baillie, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEK. 
 
 355 
 
 Vaughan, now Sir Henry Halford, Cline, Cooper, 
 Abernethy, Lettsom, Willan, Garthshore, Maton, 
 Lynn, Blair, Dundas, Good, John Pearson, James 
 Moore, Saunders, Croft, Garnett, &c. &c. 
 
 The correspondence between Mr. Ring and Dr. 
 Jenner commenced at a time when the eruptions ge¬ 
 nerated at the Small-pox Hospital were the subject 
 of much attention. A few of the letters which 
 passed on this occasion may not be uninteresting 
 here, although Dr. Jenner’s sentiments on the origin 
 of the eruptions have already been disclosed in his 
 letters to Lord Egremont. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Ring. 
 
 Cheltenham , 1 6lh August , 1799. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 The very candid and satisfactory manner in which you 
 have delivered your sentiments on the Variolae Vaccinas, 
 cannot but be gratifying to the public in general, and to 
 my feelings in particular. I write to express my thanks to 
 you. At the same time allow me to make a few observa¬ 
 tions on the origin of the pustules which have appeared 
 under vaccine inoculation, as this occurrence seems to have 
 led you into an erroneous inference. 
 
 You observe that eruptions have appeared among those 
 who have been inoculated in the country as well as in the 
 metropolis, and also that the infection has been communi¬ 
 cated by effluvia even from the inoculated pustule. 
 
 Let me call your attention to the source of the infection 
 you allude to. It was that which was generated at the 
 Small-pox Hospital. From the time 1 first heard that 
 
 2 A 2 
 
356 
 
 LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 pustules similar to the variolous had appeared among the 
 patients inoculated there with the vaccine virus I strongly 
 suspected, from a coincidence of circumstances, that by 
 some imperceptible avenue the variolous virus might have 
 crept into the constitution at the same time. Subsequent 
 occurrences tend strongly to confirm this supposition. 
 My last publication (Further Observations, &c.) was sent 
 out before I could so fully decide on this important point 
 as I can at present. Conceiving the London cow to be 
 more out of a state of nature than the animal fed in the 
 country meadows I could not say positively whether the 
 virus generated by one or the other might not in some 
 measure differ, and therefore was unwilling to decide until 
 this had been ascertained by experiment. Some time in 
 April the cow-pox appeared at one of the great milk farms 
 in the neighbourhood of town. With this virus several 
 patients in the country were immediately inoculated. The 
 result was just the same as in my former experiments; 
 that is, it produced the true cow-pox pustule on the part 
 where it was inserted, but no secondary pustules ; nor has 
 a single pustule appeared in any one instance wherein the 
 matter was taken from this source for the purpose of ino¬ 
 culation, and the cases now amount to more than seventy. 
 From variolated pustules one cannot be surprised to hear 
 that a disease has been communicated by effluvia. By no 
 means that I could devise have I been able to infect a 
 person by the effluvia of the simple cow-pock pustule, al¬ 
 though I have tried several. 
 
 Among others, I have suffered children two or three 
 times in a day to inhale by the mouth and nostrils the 
 effluvia of pustules on the arms of others, when the matter 
 has been in its most active state, and the pustules punc¬ 
 tured in several places to give the matter its fullest eifect. 
 
 There is another fact that strengthens the supposition 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 357 
 
 of the matter’s being contaminated at the Small-pox Hos¬ 
 pital. The variolous appearance among the patients is 
 more and more retiring. Out of the last 110 cases Dr. 
 Woodville remarks only seven had pustules. 
 
 The cow-pox then maintains its ground having nearly 
 destroyed the co-operating effects of the small-pox. 
 
 And this event gives strength to what I have from the 
 commencement of my experiments imagined that the lat¬ 
 ter is a malignant variety of the former; the parental root 
 being the cow-pox. It is a little vexatious to find that so 
 many should take up the subject, and give their decisions 
 to the public without understanding it in the least; but 
 after the castigation that one of these gentlemen has ex¬ 
 perienced from your hands I hope they will in future be 
 more cautious. 
 
 I remain, dear sir, 
 
 with great respect, 
 
 Your much obliged and 
 
 obedient humble servant, 
 Edward Jenner. 
 
 Mr. John Ring to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 After your very polite attention to my former request 
 I am really quite ashamed to be troublesome again so 
 soon, but from fear of losing the matter I spoke so 
 favourably of in my last, from want of a regular suc¬ 
 cession of patients—I had inoculated only two the last 
 time, in both of whom the arm failed to inflame, so that 
 my matter is now extinct. 
 
 I have inclosed a couple of lancets which I should 
 esteem myself much obliged to you if you will arm with 
 matter. I shall in future observe other precautions, and 
 
358 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 preserve dry matter, not trusting so implicitly to the 
 chance of inoculation taking place. 
 
 I am extremely indebted to you for your different com¬ 
 munications. On this subject you will do me the favour 
 to observe a profound silence. I sincerely thank you for 
 your good wishes, but cannot indulge much hope of suc¬ 
 cess, not having the least idea of writing on the subject 
 till within three weeks; and scarce a leisure hour at any 
 one time since. 
 
 If you will allow the Medical Society the honour of en¬ 
 rolling you among its corresponding members I shall be 
 happy to propose you, when the fate of my dissertation 
 is determined. Before that period it would create a sus¬ 
 picion of the author. 
 
 It must be delivered on or before the first of No¬ 
 vember. 
 
 I am, with much respect, 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Yours most sincerely, 
 
 John Ring. 
 
 New-Strret, Ilanover-Square , 
 
 Oct. 25th, 1799. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Ring. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 When I had the pleasure of receiving your letter there 
 was no cow-pox matter here in a fit state to send you. 
 That which is inclosed was taken about four days ago and, 
 if soon made use of, will doubtless prove efficacious. This 
 matter is from the source mentioned at the conclusion of my 
 second pamphlet. It has been passing from one patient to 
 another for upwards of six months, and except in the sin¬ 
 gle instance I have mentioned, I have seen no pustules 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 359 
 
 produced by it: indeed, in that instance, they did not ma¬ 
 turate. 
 
 It was my intention to have filled this sheet with some 
 further observations on this singular disease, but I am called 
 away, and do not like to detain the threads for another 
 post. 
 
 I remain, &c. 
 
 E. J. 
 
 Sept 18 th, 1799. 
 
 Mr. Ring', Surgeon, New Street, 
 
 Hanover-Square, London. 
 
 Towards the end of this year attempts were 
 made in different parts of the kingdom to dif¬ 
 fuse the benefits of cow-pox by forming institutions 
 for gratuitous inoculation, and for affording supplies 
 of lymph to all who might apply for it. The city of 
 Bath, under the suggestion of Mr. Greaser, was 
 among the first to forward such a plan : but in Lon¬ 
 don measures of a very peculiar nature had been 
 adopted to set on foot a similar establishment. They 
 were such as to place Dr. Jenner in a very embar¬ 
 rassing situation, and to give just cause of offence to 
 all who considered what was due to him and to the 
 public. Not long after he had left London (on the 
 14th of June) the gentleman who had promised to 
 confer upon him a never-dying fame began to carry 
 bis purpose into effect. His first step was to form a 
 vaccine board, of which the chief place was allotted 
 to himself, —the inferior departments being also filled 
 up in conformity with his wishes. The board, thus 
 
360 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 constructed, received a degree of countenance wor¬ 
 thy of a metropolitan charity: His Royal Highness 
 the Duke of York having permitted himself to be 
 named as patron. Lord Egremont also consented to 
 hold an office in it. 
 
 Matters having been thus adjusted an account of 
 the proceedings was forwarded to Dr. Jenner, from 
 London, by the most conspicuous agent in this bu¬ 
 siness. The terms in which the communication was 
 made afford a very curious specimen of the writer’s 
 notion of justice and liberality. They also show 
 that he set no small value upon his own labours, and 
 the “ new lights ” which led him astray. 
 
 Du. Pearson to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 London , Dec. 1( )th, 1769- 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I wish ever to be governed in life by the rule of doing 
 justice; and, if I can, acting liberally to my fellow-labour¬ 
 ers. I trust I have acted consistently to you; and, if I 
 have differed in opinion on some points, it was because 
 new lights broke in upon me; but I trust in such instances 
 I, too, acted consistently and was more anxious to bestow 
 commendation than to be studious to point out faults. 
 Agreeably to my principle I now address you to say that 
 we have made some progress in the institution of a charity 
 for inoculating the vaccine pock. I do not know that I can 
 confer any honour on you by proposing you (if I am able) 
 to the directors of our establishment, nor do I well know 
 what to propose to you. It occurs to me that it might 
 not be disagreeable to you to be an extra corresponding 
 
LIFE OF DJI. JENNEIl. 
 
 361 
 
 physician, and I can see no objection to this proposal at our 
 meeting. The medical establishment consists of two phy¬ 
 sicians of the college, two consulting physicians, two sur¬ 
 geons, and three visiting apothecaries. We have got very 
 high patronage, but the institution is not yet completely 
 organized, nor will be so for some time. Hush, Keate, 
 and his nephew, Gunning, Brande, Devaynes, belong to 
 the medical departments. Exactly what Woodville will 
 or can be, on account of his connexion with the Small-pox 
 Hospital, I cannot tell: but he authorizes me to say in a 
 letter from him, “ that he wishes to give his assistance and 
 promote the undertak mg.” 
 
 No expense is to be attached to your situation except a 
 guinea a-year as a subscriber, and indeed I think you ought 
 to be exempt from that, as you cannot send any patients: 
 but you may depute some proxy in town. I confess I was 
 surprised that you neither called nor sent to me for the 
 last two months you were in town. However, if it was 
 because you were so much occupied, I certainly excuse 
 you. I hope you will excuse haste in this letter, but it 
 will serve to assure you that I remain, with great consider¬ 
 ation, 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 G. Pearson. 
 
 Compliments of Mrs. P. and myself to Mrs. Jcnner. 
 
 It will very easily be conceived that this letter, 
 notwithstanding certain suspicions which had been 
 excited concerning the conduct of the author, would 
 occasion considerable surprise in the breast of Dr. 
 Jenner. Mild, and generous, and humble as he was, 
 he could not but express what he felt on the occasion. 
 
362 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 He conveyed a just and dignified reproof to the 
 writer in the following words :— 
 
 Du. Jenner to Dr. Pearson. 
 
 Berkeley , Dec. 17, 1799- 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I received your letter of the 10th instant, and confess 
 I felt surprised at the information it conveys. 
 
 It appears to me somewhat extraordinary that an insti¬ 
 tution formed upon so large a scale, and that has for its 
 object the inoculation of the cow-pox, should have been 
 set on foot and almost completely organized without my 
 receiving the most distant intimation of it. The institu¬ 
 tion itself cannot, of course, but be highly flattering to me, 
 as I am thereby convinced that the importance of the fact 
 I imparted is acknowledged by men of the first abilities. 
 But at the same time allow me to observe that if the vac¬ 
 cine inoculation, from unguarded conduct, should sink into 
 disrepute (and you must admit, Sir, that in more than one 
 instance has its reputation suffered) I alone must bear the 
 odium. To you, or any other of the gentlemen whose 
 names you mention as filling up the medical departments, 
 it cannot possibly attach. 
 
 At the present crisis I feel so sensibly the importance 
 of the business that I shall certainly take an early oppor¬ 
 tunity of being in London. For the present I must beg 
 leave to decline the honour intended me. 
 
 I remain, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient Servant, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 The reply to these remarks was, if possible, still 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 363 
 
 more illustrative of the writer’s mode of conferring 
 honour and immortality. As Dr. Jenner did not, 
 I believe, deem it worthy of an answer I shall not 
 present it to my reader. 
 
 While these transactions were going on Dr. Jen¬ 
 ner was in constant correspondence with Lord Egre- 
 mont. In one of his letters he alludes to the suc¬ 
 cessful inoculations at Petworth with the vaccine 
 matter he himself had furnished ; and likewise to 
 the new institutions which were forming in Bath 
 and London. In reference to the latter he ob¬ 
 serves :— 
 
 “ The new institution in London for vaccine ino¬ 
 culation, considered abstractedly, cannot but be flat¬ 
 tering to my feelings; but many will scarcely be¬ 
 lieve that not the least intimation of the business 
 was given to me until all was organized, and then 
 Dr. Pearson in a letter burst the whole open to my 
 view at once, and kindly offered me the post of 
 extra corresponding physician !” 
 
 Dr. Jenner left Berkeley for London on the 
 twenty-eighth of January, 1800, with his friend Dr. 
 Hicks, by the way of Bath. His object was to for¬ 
 ward the steps which were in progress in that place 
 for diffusing vaccination ; but more especially to 
 give his personal attention to the strange proceed¬ 
 ings which were carrying on in London and its 
 vicinity. Immediately before he left the country he 
 had occasion to reply to some of the statements 
 which had appeared in the periodical journals re- 
 
364 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 specting vaccine eruptions. He published a short 
 letter dated from Berkeley, January 13th, 1800. 
 The last sentence of this letter was to this ef¬ 
 fect. “ Time will develope the mystery before 
 us: at present I very much suspect that where 
 variolous pustules have appeared variolous matter 
 has occasioned them.” Not long after this period 
 he published a continuation of “ Facts and Obser¬ 
 vations relative to the Variolse Vaccinse,’’ in which, 
 with admirable precision and moderation, he entered 
 upon the questions at issue between himself and 
 Drs. Pearson and Woodville. 
 
 In this work he observes that he cannot “ feel 
 disposed to imagine that eruptions similar to those 
 described by Dr. Woodville have ever been pro¬ 
 duced by the pure uncontaminated cow-pock virus; 
 on the contrary, I do suppose that those which the 
 Doctor speaks of originated in the action of vario¬ 
 lous matter which crept into the constitution.’’ 
 Although observations of this kind had been made 
 by Dr. Jenner to Dr. Woodville long before he pub¬ 
 lished his “ Reports,’’ and although they were re¬ 
 peatedly brought before him subsequently, he did 
 not express (whatever he might have felt,) any of 
 the indignation which he permitted himself to dis¬ 
 close when the same facts appeared in print. He 
 did not notice them in his “ Reports,” and continu¬ 
 ed apparently in friendly intercourse with Dr. Jen¬ 
 ner till the publication of the third pamphlet, which 
 contained the observations above quoted. In July 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 305 
 
 1800, Dr. Woodville sent forth his Observations on 
 the cow-pox, which he inscribed in a harsh and 
 angry address to Dr. Jenner. I will not perpetuate 
 the remembrance of his unjustifiable severity on 
 this occasion, by recording his language. It excited 
 no hostile feeling in the breast of Jenner ; and it 
 was freely forgiven when the first opportunity of 
 reconciliation presented itself. 
 
 Dr. Jenner arrived at Adam Street, Adelphi, on 
 the thirty-first of January, 1800. One of the great 
 objects of his journey to London having been to de¬ 
 liberate with Lord Egremont and his other friends 
 respecting the establishment of a Vaccine Institu¬ 
 tion he wrote the following letter to his lordship 
 soon after his arrival. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Lord Egremont. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I am just favoured with your lordship’s letter, and feel 
 extremely obliged to you for the friendship with which 
 you honour me. I should be happy to profit by your 
 lordship’s advice in an affair wherein not only my own fu¬ 
 ture happiness, but that of society, is much involved. Dr. 
 
 P-- has certainly dealt very unhandsomely by me, and 
 
 has convinced me by his conduct that I can never more 
 have any private concerns with him : but before a new 
 arrangement is made for vaccine inoculation, I hope to have 
 the satisfaction of seeing your lordship at Petworth. Mr. 
 L. visits your lordship on Sunday, and I hope to accom¬ 
 pany him. I have looked forward to the honour of an 
 interview which, I trust, will produce a plan from which 
 
366 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 this country may derive the advantages of the new anti¬ 
 dote for the small-pox. 
 
 The new institution was a subject of considerable 
 interest with many individuals of the highest rank, 
 who had acquired a knowledge of the benefits of 
 vaccination, and who, with the most benevolent 
 and praiseworthy feeling, wished to lend the sanc¬ 
 tion of their name and station in diffusing them as 
 widely as possible. In doing this they were cer¬ 
 tainly not aware that the disinterested author of the 
 practice was likely to suffer any wrong ; or that the 
 doctrines which he established, and on which the 
 safety and success of the practice rested, incurred 
 any risk of being misunderstood or perverted either 
 from ignorance or design. In fact, the establish¬ 
 ment, according to its original plan, could not have 
 been carried into execution without impugning these 
 doctrines in a manner the most objectionable in 
 itself and peculiarly offensive to Dr. Jenner. It 
 tended immediately to place in the most conspicuous 
 and commanding situation those who questioned the 
 truth of his statements in the most material points, 
 and who made their own fatal mistakes the ground 
 of difference from him. These things were certain¬ 
 ly not at first understood either by the patron or the 
 president of the institution. His Royal Highness 
 the Duke of York, with his characteristic attention 
 to those under his command, had recommended the 
 practice of vaccination in the army. Being, there¬ 
 fore, well aware of its advantages he did not hesi- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 367 
 
 tate, on application being made, to give the high au¬ 
 thority of his name to an institution ostensibly de¬ 
 signed to promote that practice. Other members of 
 the royal family, the Duke of Clarence more especi¬ 
 ally who had more time to devote to such matters, 
 at a very early period saw through the injustice of 
 the proceedings and very plainly delivered his senti¬ 
 ments on the subject to some of the individuals 
 chiefly concerned. He likewise desired that Dr. 
 Jenner might be introduced to him on his arrival 
 in London. 
 
 This introduction took place early in February. 
 On this occasion Dr. Jenner had the honour of a 
 long conference with his royal highness. That con¬ 
 ference related to the subject of vaccination in gene¬ 
 ral, but was more particularly directed to the means 
 of diffusing the benefits of cow-pox inoculation as 
 widely as possible. Dr. Jenner’s own views on that 
 subject were very clearly conveyed to his Royal 
 Highness ; and they were subsequently communi¬ 
 cated to Lord Egremont. 
 
 PROPOSALS BY DR. JENNER FOR A PUBLIC INSTI¬ 
 TUTION FOR VACCINE INOCULATION. 
 
 (for lord egremont.) 
 
 Having now pursued the inquiry into the nature of the 
 cow-pox to so great an extent as to be able positively to 
 declare that those who have gone through this mild dis¬ 
 ease are rendered perfectly secure from the contagion of 
 the small-pox; and being convinced from numberless in- 
 
3(38 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 stances that the occupations of the mechanic or the la¬ 
 bourer will meet with no interruption during its progress, 
 and the infected and uninfected may mingle together in 
 the most perfect safety, I conceive that an institution for 
 the gratuitous inoculation of the lower classes of society in 
 the metropolis would be attended with the most beneficial 
 consequences, and that it might be so constituted as to 
 diffuse its benefits throughout every part of the British 
 Empire. 
 
 Edw. Jenner. 
 
 London , March 1 6th, 1800. 
 
 In order to diffuse the advantages of the institution for 
 promoting the inoculation of the cow-pox as widely as pos¬ 
 sible, it is proposed: 
 
 1st. That communications be made to the principal 
 medical gentlemen in London and throughout the British 
 Empire, acquainting them with the nature of the Institu¬ 
 tion and soliciting their associating as honorary members. 
 
 2dly. That a Physician be appointed who shall super¬ 
 intend the medical department. 
 
 3dly. That a house be appropriated in some convenient 
 part of this metropolis containing the necessary apartments 
 for a medical attendant, a secretary, porter, &c. Apart¬ 
 ments also for the reception of the patients sent for inocu¬ 
 lation, and for the occasional reception of those who may 
 choose to aid the charity. 
 
 4thly. That virus for inoculating the cow-pox be sent 
 to all such honorary members as may make a proper ap¬ 
 plication for it at the apartments of the Institution, and 
 that none be sent forth without the signature of the super¬ 
 intending Physician as a test of its being genuine. 
 
 5thly. That the virus be accompanied with direc¬ 
 tions for its use, and (to guard against error) with some 
 general observations on the nature of the disease. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 369 
 
 6thly. That the Institution be supported by voluntary 
 contribution. 
 
 7thly. That an annual subscriber of 
 be a Governor. 
 
 8thly. That the Governors meet at the apartments the 
 first day of every month for the inspection of the reports 
 relative to the general progress of the inoculation, &c. &c. 
 
 9thly. That an abstract of the reports be published as 
 often as it may be deemed proper. 
 
 On the 15th of February Dr. Jenner had an op¬ 
 portunity of discussing the subject more fully with 
 his lordship, he having on that day gone to Petworth 
 with his friend Mr. Ladbroke. He remained at this 
 splendid mansion of his noble host till the 24th of 
 the same month. During his stay he was much 
 gratified witli the personal attentions he received, 
 but still more with the ability and zeal displayed by 
 its distinguished owner in making himself acquainted 
 with all the details of vaccination, and by investigat¬ 
 ing the origin of those disastrous occurrences which, 
 for a season, so much obscured its character. 
 
 The trials made under his lordship’s eye with the 
 matter furnished by Dr. Jenner happily removed 
 every doubt as to the accuracy of his description of 
 the disease, nearly two hundred persons having been 
 inoculated before he left Petworth, without one de¬ 
 viation from the ordinary course having taken place. 
 
 On the 25th of this month he received a message 
 from His Royal Highness the Duke of York desiring 
 an interview. That interview took place on the 1st 
 
370 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 of March. Mr. Knight was present. On this oc¬ 
 casion the subject of the vaccine institution was very 
 fully discussed, and received the greatest considera¬ 
 tion from His Royal Highness. From this period 
 up to the 17th a great deal of correspondence took 
 place between the officers of the new institution and 
 the eminent individuals who had promised to patro¬ 
 nize it. The main object of these negotiations was 
 to vindicate the conduct adopted towards Dr. Jenner; 
 to hold out additional offers of conciliation to him; 
 and to prevent, if possible, that secession from the 
 institution which was anticipated by them on the 
 part of the royal Patron, and of the noble President. 
 
 Some of Dr. Jenner’s friends were, at one time, 
 inclined to think that he still might connect himself 
 with the institution on certain arrangements being 
 made. His own temper and feelings always inclined 
 him to make concessions, and he certainly would 
 have done so on this occasion had his personal feel¬ 
 ings been alone concerned; but the conduct of the 
 individuals who framed the institution proved that 
 the cause of vaccination could not be safely com¬ 
 mitted to their hands ; and that an establishment, 
 which had been organized as this was, could not re¬ 
 ceive his sanction without his appearing to abandon 
 those truths which he had advanced respecting the 
 nature of Variolae Vaccinae. No success could attend 
 a coalition of this kind. The misrepresentations 
 which had been published and the blunders which 
 had been committed had already too much endan- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 371 
 
 gered the safety of the new practice; and even a 
 slight consideration of what had been done in these 
 respects could not fail to show the impropriety of 
 requiring Dr. Jenner to give them any countenance 
 by co-operating with persons who still continued to 
 uphold sentiments directly opposite to his own. 
 These reasons, which satisfied his own mind, proved 
 in the end equally influential with his friends ; and 
 Dr, Jenner was informed by Lord Egremont at an 
 interview on the 17th that both his lordship and his 
 Royal Highness the Duke of York had resolved to 
 withdraw from the institution altogether. 
 
 Dr. Jenner’s firmness and prudence in this affair 
 gave unqualified satisfaction to his friends; and 
 supported as he was by the handsome and efficient 
 interposition of Lord Egremont, he was enabled to 
 defeat the ambitious designs of those who sought for 
 high patronage in proceedings of a very questionable 
 nature. It is not my wish to dwell longer on this 
 unpleasant topic: and I have abstained from printing 
 many of the documents from which the preceding 
 facts have been drawn : indeed I would gladly have 
 passed them by altogether had not the character of 
 Dr. Jenner, and still more the character of vacci¬ 
 nation, been materially affected by them. 
 
 It certainly was the feeling of all those elevated 
 personages who wished to assist in forming a vaccine 
 institution that none could be established which 
 did not assign to the author of the discovery that 
 situation of dignity and influence which was due to 
 
 2 b 2 
 
372 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 his merit, and which would enable him to direct the 
 practice with vigour and effect. This feeling was 
 strongly evinced when the Royal Jennerian Society 
 was formed ; and it was also very characteristically 
 expressed at this time by his friend the late muni¬ 
 ficent Mr. Angerstein. He said “ that he would not 
 mind a subscription of one hundred or two hundred 
 pounds in an institution organized by the man who 
 was best competent to set about it, but that he would 
 have nothing to do with one grafted on the present 
 blunders .” 
 
 All Dr. Jenner s medical friends of the first conse¬ 
 quence in London cordially recommended and ap¬ 
 proved of the steps which he took, and although they 
 could not subscribe so largely as Mr. Angerstein, 
 this test of their sincerity was not wanting on their 
 part. 
 
 Dr. Jenner had also the gratification of knowing 
 that those who were most distinguished in the profes¬ 
 sion had no part in these blunders, and that all whose 
 good opinion he most valued really did appreciate 
 both the scientific character of his inquiries, and the 
 splendid practical results to which they led. A letter 
 from a British philosopher, alike eminent for the ex¬ 
 tent and accuracy of his knowledge and the origin¬ 
 ality and depth of his genius, embodying these sen¬ 
 timents forms a striking contrast to the vague and 
 unsatisfactory correspondence which he had with 
 some other of his medical brethren: I therefore 
 gladly introduce it here. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 373 
 
 Dr. Wollaston to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 1800 . 
 
 I return you many thanks for your observations, and 
 with them beg leave to propose one question for your con¬ 
 sideration. 
 
 You have proved to the satisfaction of every candid per¬ 
 son that there is a disease of the very mildest kind com¬ 
 municated by inoculation, which perfectly secures the con¬ 
 stitution from the small-pox. 
 
 You have ascertained that unless great precaution is 
 taken in procuring the fluid for inoculation a disease 
 of a more violent kind, and in no degree beneficial, may 
 be produced. 
 
 You have described the appearance which the fluid for 
 inoculation ought to have, and have named a period (ear¬ 
 lier than in small-pox) beyond which it cannot be depend¬ 
 ed upon, on account of the changes which it may have un¬ 
 dergone; but you have left it for future experience to de¬ 
 termine on what that change depends. 
 
 Query. Does not this change depend on that species of 
 erysipelas which produces the blushing areola ? 
 
 May not this erysipelas supersede the action of the vac¬ 
 cine virus although it be incapable of subduing, but is 
 only superadded to, that of the variolous ? 
 
 The disease produced by degenerated matter appears, 
 conformably to this hypothesis, erysipelatous. 
 
 You may possibly have seen reason to form a different 
 opinion in the course of your practice, or from that of 
 Mr. D. (page 30 of your “ Farther Observations,”) who 
 took matter from an arm in this state. 
 
374 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 If, on the contrary, this conjecture be well founded, 
 how soon can this cause he supposed to operate ? 
 
 Does the areola ever take place earlier than the tenth 
 day, as appears to have been the case, page 26 of your 
 “ Continuation,” &c. ? 
 
 Has a transparent fluid ever produced a wrong disease if 
 taken before the blushing areola began to appear ? 
 
 In submitting these queries for your consideration be¬ 
 lieve me influenced by unfeigned respect for the author of 
 the most valuable communication ever made to the public, 
 and permit me Sir to subscribe myself, 
 
 Your very humble Servant, 
 
 W. H. Wollaston. 
 
 In a former letter Dr. Jenner alluded playfully to 
 “ great news from St. James’s.” This expression re¬ 
 ferred to the King’s gracious permission to him to 
 dedicate the second edition of the “ Inquiry’’ to his 
 Majesty ; and to his reception at the palace. 
 
 On the 7 th of March he went to St. James’s with 
 Lord Berkeley, and presented his treatises on the 
 cow-pock to the King: his Majesty received him 
 very graciously. 
 
 In allusion to this intended ceremony he writes 
 thus to his friend Mr. Shrapnell, who was then at 
 Cranford in attendance on Lady Berkeley. “ Pray 
 acquaint Lord Berkeley I shall be ready to accept 
 his kind offer of accompanying me to St. James’s 
 any day he may appoint in the course of the week 
 after this. The work will then be finished, and clad 
 in crimson. What will you give for a sight of me 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 375 
 
 all in velvet, girt with a sword too ? What a queer 
 creature is a human being ! ” 
 
 Towards the end of this month he also had the 
 honour of a private interview, at Carlton House, 
 with his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. He 
 was introduced by the secretary the late Sir John 
 M‘Mahon, Bart. His Royal Highness on this, as 
 on every other occasion, received him with marked 
 respect; and at future periods showed the interest 
 he felt for the cause of vaccination, by the personal 
 efforts which he was pleased to make for its ad¬ 
 vancement. 
 
 Dr. Jenner’s time in London was very fully oc¬ 
 cupied in visiting his professional friends, and in 
 attending to the daily increasing importance 
 of vaccination. To one of his correspondents, 
 Mr. Shrapnell, at this period he says, “ I have 
 not made half my calls yet in town, although I 
 fag from eleven till four. 5 ’ To the same gentle¬ 
 man he thus expresses himself in reference to the 
 progress of vaccination. “ Pray write without de¬ 
 lay to Tierney, and tell him how rapidly the cow- 
 pox is marching over the metropolis and, indeed, 
 through the whole island. The death of the three 
 children, under inoculation with the small-pox will 
 probably give that practice the Brutus-stab here, and 
 sink for ever the tyrant small-pox. Would Tier¬ 
 ney like to have a little virus, that the cow-pox in¬ 
 oculation may be set going under his own eye at 
 Edinburgh? I should be happy to furnish him. 
 
376 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 Let him know that my new edition mentioning his 
 name, with the appendix, is published. A very lit¬ 
 tle attention would place the practice in its proper 
 light in Edinburgh, a thing devoutly to be wished.” 
 
 Soon after this Dr. Jenner received two letters 
 from Mr., now Sir Matthew Tierney, Bart., which 
 delineates the state of professional feeling at Edin¬ 
 burgh at that time. 
 
 M. J. Tierney, Esq. to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 No. 2, Fisher s Drummond Street , 
 
 Edinburgh, 21 st March , 1800. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 In a letter I lately received from Mr. Shrapnell I with 
 much pleasure find the attention paid to your (I must 
 say valuable) discovery of the vaccine matter. I beg 
 leave to congratulate you on the advantages it is likely 
 to bi’ing to society, and the honour, so justly merited, 
 you received yourself. I presume he informed you of 
 the state in which it is here. Not knowing much of its 
 effects its real value is not yet attended to. Dr. Gregory 
 the Professor of Physic here knew very little about it, 
 and of course did not encourage it. I gave him the sum 
 of my experience on it, and he now seems to entertain more 
 favourable opinions of it. Indeed, he did me the un- 
 wished-for honour of reading my accounts to his class. Since 
 then, the students here seem anxious to see and know the 
 disease better. A Mr. Anderson, a surgeon at Leith, is 
 the only person here who has tried it, and his accounts are 
 strongly favourable. 
 
 From the conviction I have of its advantages I think it a 
 duty I owe to society at large to extend it as much as in 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 377 
 
 my power: and on this account many of my friends here 
 have earnestly solicited me to get some of the matter, not 
 that I expect to have an opportunity of using it myself 
 here, but conceive it may be a second focus from which it 
 may extend itself more and more rapidly. 
 
 As you know how fond of variety all young medical 
 men are, with this intent and as Mr. Shrapnell tells me, 
 you would be so good as to send me some of the matter 
 and, as coming through you, every suspicion of error would 
 be done away, I am the more anxious to have it from you 
 and shall feel much obliged if you send me some as soon 
 as possible. A friend of mine proposes giving in a paper 
 on this disease to the Medical Society, the greater part of 
 which I shall contribute to, not having an opportunity of 
 writing myself. This too may be a further means of ex¬ 
 tending it, as it wants no more but to be known and re¬ 
 ceived by every medical man. I regret very much that 
 during my absence from the regiment many of the men 
 were inoculated, and I have not had an opportunity of at¬ 
 tending to them. It is surprising it is not universally 
 adopted in the army. The advantages from it are self- 
 evident. 
 
 M. J. Tierney, Esq. to Dr. Jennee. 
 
 No. 2, Fisher's Drummond Street , 
 
 Edinburgh , loth April , 1800. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I can with much satisfaction address you now, and am sure 
 the success of the first introduction and the advantages 
 likely in a very short time to result from the vaccine virus 
 here will be the pleasantest acknowledgement for your last 
 kind favor. 
 
378 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 In my former you were informed that it was very little 
 attended to here: but on receiving the matter from you 
 I mentioned it to Dr. Gregory, (Professor of Practice of 
 Physic) and with his usual liberality of mind and to show 
 his confidence in mv former statement, he wished me to 
 inoculate his youngest child who is ten months old, and 
 even teething. I did so, and have now the satisfaction to say 
 the disease has gone through its stages even milder than any 
 I saw before. This is the thirteenth day since inoculation. 
 The inflammation is much reduced, and I have no doubt 
 the puncture will get well without further trouble. No¬ 
 thing was done either in regimen or application to the part. 
 So mild was the constitutional irritation that the Doctor 
 himself could not say whether it may not be occasioned by 
 teething. This you will most readily see is the most ef¬ 
 fectual mode of spreading the disease here, and in fact it lias 
 already had that effect; many persons applying to have 
 their children inoculated with it. Mr. Anderson of Leith, 
 whom I mentioned in my last, is the only person who at¬ 
 tended to the disease. He inoculated, since May last, 150 
 persons in all of whom its progress was much milder than 
 it has been observed to be in England; but he has ob¬ 
 served some curious phenomena in its progress, having had 
 three children at different times under its influence, whose 
 cuticle was abraded in different parts of the body; in one 
 by a prior eruption on the back. He observed pustules to 
 appear on those parts, from which he took matter and pro¬ 
 duced the disease in others with it. In no case where the 
 cuticle was sound did he observe pustules or eruptions. I 
 asked him, naturally , if it was not possible the matter from 
 the puncture might have been applied to these parts in 
 dressing or undressing the child; but he seems to think 
 this could not be the case. He never had occasion to apply 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 379 
 
 the mercurial ointment, and on the whole, his accounts are 
 even more favourable than any others I have heard. He 
 further says (which by the by is a considerable advantage) 
 that the prejudice of the people against the vaccine disease 
 is much less than against the inoculation with small-pox. 
 In this country religious opinions direct the people a great 
 deal. 
 
 Its being received by the Professors here will certainly 
 be a means of spreading it more rapidly, and I flatter 
 myself this is now established. 
 
 * * * * » 
 
 At the formation of the Bath Vaccine Institution 
 Dr. Jenner wrote to his friend Lord Somerville to 
 request his acceptance of its presidentship. His 
 Lordship, who was then in Lisbon, gave his assent in 
 a letter dated 4th March. 
 
 On the 27th of the same month Dr. Jenner went 
 to St. James’s Palace, to the Queen’s drawing-room, 
 when he had the honour of being presented to her 
 Majesty by her chamberlain the Earl of Morton. 
 Her Majesty, on this occasion, asked him many ques¬ 
 tions relative to the progress of cow-pox; and re¬ 
 ceived him with marked attention. 
 
 On the 12th of April Dr. Jenner received, whilst 
 in London, some matter which had been generated 
 on the cow by inoculation with the virus of grease by 
 Mr. T. Tanner. Some part of this matter he trans¬ 
 mitted to Mr. Wachsel, of the Small-pox Hospital. 
 
 On the 15th of the same month his Royal High¬ 
 ness the Duke of York sent a message to Dr. Jenner 
 
380 
 
 LIFE OF OR. JENNER, 
 
 to request him to go to Colchester to vaccinate the 
 85th regiment. He could not himself obey this re¬ 
 quest, but he dispatched his nephew George Jenner, 
 who set off on the 25th. He could scarcely have 
 entered upon an undertaking more annoying to 
 himself or more inauspicious to the character of 
 vaccination than he encountered in his attempts to 
 vaccinate the 85th regiment. He was under the 
 necessity of waiting a considerable time before he 
 could communicate the disease to any one. He 
 found the whole of the regiment, together with 
 the women and children, labouring under the itch. 
 He commenced his inoculations, but they all proved 
 unsuccessful. On the 2nd of May he found that 
 one child had taken the cow-pox, and he adds 
 that “ all the men are cured of the itch, and in two 
 days will be washed and fit for inoculation.” These 
 anticipations proved rather premature, for he ob¬ 
 served on the 13th of May that he could not suc¬ 
 ceed in communicating the true cow-pox to those 
 whose constitutions had been under the influence of 
 the itch. 
 
 It appears to me of moment to allude to these oc¬ 
 currences, because they afford very convincing proofs 
 of the truth of a doctrine which Jenner subsequently 
 adopted and invariably maintained to the last hour 
 of his life, namely, that any cutaneous disease, how¬ 
 ever slight in appearance, was capable of interfering 
 with the regular course of the cow-pox and of pre¬ 
 venting it from exercising its full protecting influence. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 381 
 
 The occurrences at Colchester ought to have great 
 weight, and to induce medical men to pay more 
 attention to his directions on this subject than they 
 have hitherto done. 
 
 Though Dr. Jenner could not himself undertake 
 to vaccinate the regiment at Colchester he went 
 twice to that place to inspect the progress of the 
 practice. 
 
 Although the practice of vaccination encountered 
 no active popular hostility at its commencement, 
 there were, nevertheless, some instances in which 
 prejudice and ignorance led the lower class to mani¬ 
 fest their feelings in a violent and intemperate man¬ 
 ner. Mr. Gooch communicated some curious facts 
 of this kind, and gave evidence, at the same time, 
 of his own zeal, as well as that of his lady, in for¬ 
 warding the practice. 
 
 T. S. Goocir, Esq. to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Holbecks , Had/eigh, Suffolk, 
 April 24th, 1800. 
 
 Having understood from Lady Peyton that you are 
 always pleased to hear any communication on the cow-pox 
 I trouble 'you with a remark or two on what has happened 
 to our patients under that disorder. Mrs. Gooch and my¬ 
 self have inoculated 611 persons with cow-pox virus, and 
 have not had one patient whose arm has been at all sore, 
 so as to require any application to it. 
 
 I see by your last publication you suppose it impossible 
 
382 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 for a person inoculated with the pure uncontaminated cow- 
 pox virus to have pustules ; I beg leave to mention on 
 that subject that we have had six people with evident 
 pustides, from which we might have inoculated. Two of 
 them had pustules on the eye, and four on the inoculated 
 arm near the elbow. We have had a proof of the possibi¬ 
 lity of one person inoculating himself accidentally by rub¬ 
 bing his eye on the arm of another under the disorder; 
 therefore the pustules on the eyes may have been owing to 
 this. We inoculated five persons in one family; two 
 others of this family took it in an extraordinary manner; 
 viz. one by sleeping in the same bed, and rubbing its eye 
 on an infected arm; and the other was inoculated by its 
 brother, a child of five years old, who did it by a scratch 
 of a pin on which he had put matter. 
 
 We had our virus from Mrs. Gooch’s sister, Lady 
 Rous, who had it immediately from you. 
 
 I am happy to inform you that in spite of all ignorant 
 prejudice, and wilful misrepresentations, this wonderful 
 discovery is spreading far and wide in this county. The 
 first people we inoculated in Hadleigh were absolutely 
 pelted, and drove into their houses, if they appeared out; 
 we have now persuaded our apothecary to inoculate the 
 whole town (7 or 800 persons) and our hundred-house is 
 now under inoculation (about 350 persons.) A physician 
 at Ipswich, Dr. Hamilton, has taken it up in a very liberal 
 manner and is extending it very much. I beg pardon for 
 troubling you so much, and am, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient humble servant, 
 
 T. S. Gooch. 
 
 From this time till the period when Dr. .Tenner 
 left London he continued actively engaged in pro- 
 
LTFE OF 1)11. JENNEK. 
 
 383 
 
 moting the cause of vaccination, by conferences 
 with his medical brethren ; by discussions at the 
 medical societies; and by attending those public 
 meetings where it is so usual to forward measures 
 of general interest and utility. His presence on 
 such occasions always afforded an opportunity of 
 introducing the subject of his discovery. The effect 
 of proceedings of this nature is very considerable in 
 this country, where they are generally reported in 
 the newspapers and thus are speedily diffused over 
 the kingdom. He had interviews with many noble¬ 
 men on the subject, and received from them strong 
 marks of attention and respect. Amongst those 
 who took a more especial interest in this matter 
 may be mentioned Lord Hervey and the Bails of 
 Aylesbury and Ossory. He was also consulted by 
 many of them professionally, and was likewise em¬ 
 ployed in vaccinating their children. 
 
 Dr. Jenner left London with his nephew George, 
 and his man Richard, on the twenty-third of .Tune. 
 They slept at Buckingham and arrived the next 
 day at Tusmore, the seat of his friend William Fer- 
 mor. Esq. where he dined. In the evening he went 
 to Oxford. The following day he was introduced 
 to Dr. Marlow, the Vice-Chancellor of the Univer¬ 
 sity. He also had intercourse with Dr. Wall, Che¬ 
 mical Professor; Dr. Williams, Regius Professor of 
 Botany; Sir Christopher Pegge, Reader in Ana¬ 
 tomy ; and Mr. Grosvenor, Surgeon to the Rad- 
 cliffe Infirmary. These gentlemen on this occasion 
 
384 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 signed the following testimonial drawn up by Sir C. 
 Pegge:— 
 
 “ We, whose names are undersigned, are fully 
 satisfied, upon the conviction of our own observation, 
 that the cow-pox is not only an infinitely milder 
 disease than the small-pox but has the advantage of 
 not being contagious, and is an effectual remedy 
 against the small-pox/’ 
 
 He quitted Oxford on the twenty-seventh, and 
 arrived at Berkeley on the same evening. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 385 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION INTO AMERICA, FRANCE, 
 SPAIN, MEDITERRANEAN, CONSTANTINOPLE, BAGDAD, BOM¬ 
 BAY, &C. 
 
 While Dr. Jenner was thus employed his dis¬ 
 covery was making rapid progress throughout the 
 world. Early in the year 1799 his first work reached 
 the shores of North America. 
 
 Dr. Lettsom transmitted a copy of it to Dr. Wa¬ 
 terhouse, Professor of the theory and practice of 
 Physic in the University of Cambridge, Massachu- 
 sets. The tidings of Dr. Jenner’s discovery were 
 received in America very much in the same manner 
 as they had been in other countries. A judicious 
 few at once felt and acknowledged the strength of 
 his facts and their important consequences. Some 
 doubted, ' others abstained from expressing any 
 opinion ; whilst the greater number treated the 
 whole subject with ridicule. Dr, Waterhouse was 
 not slow to estimate the advantages of the discovery. 
 It is my duty, therefore, not merely to record his 
 
 2 c 
 
386 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 services, as the first who made known the blessings 
 of vaccination to his countrymen, but likewise to 
 speak of him as the firm, consistent, and ardent 
 admirer and friend of Jenner. In the year 1800 a 
 correspondence commenced between them which 
 was kept up with increasing interest and attachment 
 till nearly the close of Dr. Jenner’s life. 
 
 As in the New World the ordinary method of 
 making known discoveries, even in medicine, was 
 through the medium of the newspapers. Dr. Water- 
 house published in the Columbian Sentinel of March 
 12th, 1799, a short account of the cow-pox. The 
 article was headed “Something curious in 
 the medical line.” Not long afterwards he 
 brought the subject before the American Academy 
 of Arts and Sciences. The illustrious President of 
 the United States, John Adams, who was likewise 
 President of the Academy, was at the meeting and 
 received the communication in a manner worthy of 
 an individual who had proved himself alike capable 
 of directing the resources of a great and free people, 
 and in promoting the advancement of every useful 
 art and science. 
 
 After several unsuccessful attempts to obtain cow- 
 pox matter from England Dr. Waterhouse at length 
 succeeded in getting some from Dr. Haygarth, of 
 Bath, who forwarded it from Bristol. It was pro¬ 
 cured from Dr. Jenner’s stock by Mr. Greaser. With 
 this matter he inoculated seven of his own children, 
 six of whom went through the disease in the usual 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 387 
 
 manner. In order to confirm the doctrine of its 
 prophylactic powers he resolved to have them inocu¬ 
 lated with small-pox matter in the most public man¬ 
 ner. With this intention he wrote to Dr. Aspinwall, 
 physician to the Small-pox Hospital in the neigh¬ 
 bourhood of Boston, requesting him to perform the 
 experiments. This gentleman assented to the pro¬ 
 posal. Three of the children were sent to the Small¬ 
 pox Hospital. One of them, twelve years old, was 
 selected for the trial. Active sinall-pox matter 
 was inserted by two punctures: an infected thread 
 was likewise drawn through the skin, and the patient 
 then left in the Hospital. On the fourth day there 
 was some slight appearance of infection ; but it died 
 away, and left no traces of its action. 
 
 The successful vaccinations in Dr. Waterhouse’s 
 family soon turned the tide of popular feeling in 
 favour of cow-pox. The zeal of the medical men 
 was excited to an unparalleled degree ; but, unfor¬ 
 tunately, their discretion did not keep pace with it. 
 They disregarded the cautions of Dr. Waterhouse, 
 and paid no attention either to the state of the mat¬ 
 ter with which they inoculated or to the progress of 
 the pustule. It appears, likewise, that the cupidity 
 of persons not of the medical profession was stimu¬ 
 lated on this occasion, and the manner in which they 
 carried on their traffic was alike indicative of their 
 avarice and their ignorance. The followers of this 
 trade obtained the shirt-sleeves of patients which 
 had been stiffened by the purulent discharge from 
 
 2 c 2 
 
388 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEE. 
 
 an ulcer consequent on vaccination. These they cut 
 into strips, and sold about the country as impreg¬ 
 nated with the true vaccine virus. Several hundred 
 persons were actually inoculated with this poison 
 which, in several cases, produced great disturbance 
 in the constitution. These blunders, it is to be 
 feared, were not confined to vagrant quacks, inas¬ 
 much as several medical men were not quite blame¬ 
 less in this respect. 
 
 Soon after these doings the character of vacci¬ 
 nation was much injured from another cause. 
 
 A vessel arrived from London at Marblehead. A 
 common sailor on board was supposed to have cow- 
 pox : matter was accordingly taken from him, and 
 was used extensively. It was soon discovered that 
 small-pox matter had been employed, and that dis¬ 
 ease spread rapidly through the neighbourhood. 
 
 The occurrences at Marblehead led Dr. Water- 
 house to believe that the vaccine virus had degene¬ 
 rated ; he, therefore, sent a very urgent request to 
 Dr. Lettsom, begging him to apply to Dr. Jenner 
 for a fresh supply. He stated that he had gained 
 some credit by following Dr. Jenner’s footsteps; but 
 that having lost his track he turned to him again 
 for directions. He then adds, “ a letter from him, 
 should he allow me to publish it or any part of it, 
 might set this benevolent business a-going again 
 next spring. Could I likewise say to the American 
 public that I had received matter from Dr. Jenner 
 himself, it would have a very good effect indeed.” 
 
LIFE OF D1L JENNER. 
 
 389 
 
 Dr. Jenner complied with both these requests, 
 and the matter which he sent out arrived early in 
 the spring of 1801. The letter which accompanied 
 it contained a long and satisfactory explanation of 
 the deviations from the regular course of the disease, 
 together with some rules for the successful conduct¬ 
 ing of the practice. The letter will be found at 
 length at page 110 of Dr. Waterhouse’s work on 
 Cow-pox, published in 1802. He forwarded some 
 of this matter to the President Jefferson, in whose 
 hands it completely succeeded. This distinguished 
 individual did not think it beneath him to set an 
 example to his fellow-citizens. In the course of 
 July and August he, with his sons-in-law, vacci¬ 
 nated in their own families and in those of their 
 neighbours, nearly two hundred persons. 
 
 Dr. Jenner, while diffusing the Variolae Vaccinse 
 to other parts of the world, did not forget our 
 colony of Newfoundland. He had sent matter, 
 through his nephew George, to his friend Clinch 
 at Trinity. This gentleman used it successfully 
 himself and carried it to St. John’s, where it was 
 extensively employed by Dr. Macurdy. He, in a 
 letter to Admiral Pole dated December 19th, 
 1800, mentioned that the practice, notwithstanding 
 some untoward circumstances which had occurred 
 among those who were first vaccinated at Portugal 
 Cove, was followed up with the greatest success. 
 He sent matter to Ferryland, Placentia, and Ha¬ 
 lifax. 
 
390 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 When the Inquiry was published the intercourse 
 between this country and France was almost en¬ 
 tirely suspended in consequence of the war. The 
 blessings of the discovery were therefore not so soon 
 experienced at Paris as they probably would have 
 been had better times prevailed. 
 
 Vaccination had been pretty extensively practised 
 in remoter cities, and had actually been wafted to 
 the shores of America before it had reached the 
 French capital. I believe the first notice of the 
 subject that appeared in any French writer was 
 contained in the learned and elaborate work of 
 MM. Valentin and Desoteux on the History and 
 Practice of Variolous Inoculation. The discovery 
 of Jenner is mentioned in a note at page 301, where 
 an abstract of some of his opinions is delivered, and 
 the reader is referred to Nos. 69, 70, 71 and 
 72 of the Bibliothbque Britannique for farther ex¬ 
 tracts from the Inquiry. 
 
 Although the work of MM. Valentin and Deso¬ 
 teux occupied in a particular manner the attention 
 of the “ Ecole cle Medicine de Paris,” it does not 
 appear from their report which was presented to the 
 Minister of the Interior, and which was signed by 
 their president Thouret, that the note which al¬ 
 luded to cow-pox inoculation and the great benefits 
 which were promised from that practice, had excited 
 any degree of curiosity. But this indifference did 
 not continue long; for in the following year (1800) 
 a joint committee was named by the National Insti- 
 
LIRE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 391 
 
 tute and the Eeole de Medicine to obtain information 
 on this most interesting subject. About this time 
 Dr. Colladon of Geneva returned from England to 
 the Continent, and carried with him vims to Paris. 
 With this virus trials were made at the Salpetriere 
 under the superintendence of M. Pine!. But they 
 unluckily did not prove successful. 
 
 The committee, however, appointed by the Institute 
 and the School of Medicine had happily anticipated 
 the effects of this disappointment, and provided 
 against them. They had previously dispatched Dr. 
 Aubert to England, with a series of questions drawn 
 up under their authority, in order to elicit precise 
 and accurate intelligence. Before his return the 
 enthusiasm which warmed every philanthropic bo¬ 
 som in this country found its way to the French 
 capital, and roused a spirit of energy and benevo¬ 
 lence which neither the horrors of war nor the agi¬ 
 tations connected with a half-extinguished revolu¬ 
 tion could quench. 
 
 M. Larochefoucault Liancourt, who had himself 
 witnessed in England the happy effects of vaccina¬ 
 tion, laboured with zeal and perseverance to carry 
 them to his countrymen. He commenced a sub¬ 
 scription for establishing an institution for vaccine 
 inoculation in Paris. And among the first in the 
 list of names for this honourable purpose were 
 found those of the Minister of the Interior Lucien 
 Bonaparte, and of M. Froshot the Prefect of the 
 Department of the Seine. 
 
392 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 The subscription was successful; and the house of 
 Dr. Colon, which he had generously offered for the 
 purpose of a vaccinating station, was occupied on the 
 5th of April, 1800. The committee appointed to 
 superintend this establishment forwarded an official 
 communication to London, to the Vaccine Institu¬ 
 tion, for virus with directions for its use ; all that 
 had been formerly sent from Geneva and England 
 having failed. 
 
 During the time that Dr. Aubert was in London 
 he had frequent intercourse with Dr. Jenner, but he 
 sought his information respecting cow-pox chiefly in 
 the Small-pox Hospital. There he imbibed the pre¬ 
 judices which those who carried on vaccination in 
 that place had adopted; and on his return to Paris 
 he published a report which seemed to sanction the 
 opinion that the Variolae Vaccinae were really an 
 eruptive disease. After a short time a true know¬ 
 ledge of the affection was attained in France, and a 
 few successful vaccinations dissipated all doubt and 
 excited a spirit which soon spread a knowledge of the 
 practice to the remotest parts of the kingdom. 
 
 The Prefect of the Department of the Seine 
 founded a central hospital for the practice of vacci¬ 
 nation. At Rheims, Rouen, Amiens, Brussels, Mar¬ 
 seilles, Bourdeaux, &c. &c. associations were formed 
 under the auspices of the Minister of the Interior to 
 promote the same object. 
 
 In the month of January 1800, the Count De la 
 Roque, who then resided in London, translated Dr. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 393 
 
 Jenner’s “ Inquiry ” into French. This translation 
 was forwarded to Paris, where it was published. It 
 was received with so much avidity that three edi¬ 
 tions were sold in less than seven months. These 
 facts were made known to Dr. Jenner by the Count 
 in a letter dated August 5th, who at the same time 
 mentioned that he had likewise translated the second 
 memoir entitled “ Further Observations on the Cow- 
 pock, &c. ’ and was about to send it to France. 
 
 From Paris the practice spread into Spain during 
 the latter part of this year (1800). Don Francesco 
 Piguilem, a physician of Puigerde, obtained some 
 virus which was employed with perfect success in 
 the month of December. An announcement of this 
 fact appeared in the Gazetta Real of Madrid of the 
 6th of January, 1801. The Spanish Government 
 from the first evinced a degree of energy in promot¬ 
 ing the practice of vaccination which did not usually 
 mark its other proceedings. Senor de Condado, who 
 represented his Catholic Majesty at the Cisalpine Re¬ 
 public, had previously sent an account of vaccination 
 to his court; and this court, degraded and corrupted 
 though it was, had at a subsequent period the wis¬ 
 dom to plan and the virtue to execute one of the 
 most benevolent designs that ever shed a lustre 
 around the proceedings of any state or government. 
 
 On the 3rd of May, 1801, an announcement ap¬ 
 peared in the Madrid Gazette of a translation of 
 Dr. Jenner’s “ Inquiry,” and by a letter from Don 
 Lope de Mazarredo to Dr. Jenner dated Rilboa 
 
394 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 October 3rd, 1801, I perceive that the new prac¬ 
 tice had become general throughout the whole coun¬ 
 try. The feelings of respect for the discoverer were 
 strongly manifested in Madrid at this time, he hav¬ 
 ing been elected an honorary member of the Royal 
 Economical Society. The diploma announcing this 
 distinction was not received by him till some years 
 afterwards. 
 
 The rapidly increasing interest attached to the 
 subject of vaccination brought with it a daily addi¬ 
 tion to Dr, Jenner’s labours. The service to which 
 he had devoted himself was that of mankind, and it 
 was chiefly to him, in this stage of his proceedings, 
 that foreigners as well as his countrymen looked for 
 information and guidance. He was not, however, 
 without zealous friends. Among these no one 
 proved himself a more judicious and enlightened 
 champion of vaccination than Mr. Dunning of Ply- 
 moutli-dock. He at this time published his “ Obser¬ 
 vations on the Inoculated Cow-pox.” While prepar¬ 
 ing this treatise he had occasion to write to Dr. 
 Jenner. The correspondence which was thus begun 
 continued with little intermission; and I am certain 
 that few of those with whom he held intercourse en¬ 
 joyed a greater share of his esteem and attachment 
 than did Mr. Dunning. 
 
 During the following year Mr. Dunning, at the 
 instance of the Medical Society of Plymouth, ap¬ 
 plied to Dr. Jenner to sit for his portrait to North- 
 cote. With this flattering request he was induced 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 395 
 
 to comply; and it now adorns their hall. A mez- 
 zotinto engraving was subsequently made from this 
 painting: it wants the peculiar expression of Jen- 
 ner’s countenance, and does not faithfully display 
 his manner ; but, on the whole, it is a better por¬ 
 trait than some which have appeared since. 
 
 Early in July this year a mission of a peculiarly 
 interesting nature took its departure from England, 
 in order to carry the Variolae Vaccinse to Gibraltar 
 and Malta, and from thence to ail the nations bor¬ 
 dering on the Mediterranean. Dr. Marshall, who 
 had so much distinguished himself by his successful 
 vaccinations at Stonehouse, and Dr. John Walker 
 undertook this office. They sailed from Portsmouth 
 on the 1st of July under the sanction of the British 
 Government, and with special letters of recom¬ 
 mendation from his Boval Highness the Duke of 
 York to our military governors on foreign stations. 
 On their arrival at Gibraltar they vaccinated eleven 
 seamen on board his majesty’s ship Endymion ; and 
 all the soldiers of the garrison who had not had the 
 small-pox. A certificate of the latter occurrence 
 was transmitted by the surgeon-major to the com¬ 
 mander-in-chief, the Duke of York. 
 
 The following letter from Dr. Marshall gives so 
 interesting an account of their progress, and is at 
 the same time connected with so many public events 
 of a highly momentous nature, that I cannot forbear 
 presenting it to my readers. 
 
396 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. .TENNER. 
 
 Dr. Marshall to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 Since my last letter to you from hence the progress of 
 the cow-pox inoculation has been rapid, and is now gene¬ 
 rally adopted, I may say without exception, in this Island; 
 the governor has also patronized an institution for the cow- 
 pox or Jennerian inoculation, the rules of which I shall 
 transcribe and send you with this. At Gibraltar, where we 
 made our first essay after leaving England, and where we 
 were received with the greatest attention by the governor 
 General O’Hara, we were gratified with observing the cow- 
 pox proceed in the usual mild, and easy progress to its 
 termination as in England; nor did we perceive that the 
 unusual heat of the climate (in the month of August) in 
 the smallest degree aggravated the symptoms, though the 
 soldiers of the garrison continued their fatiguing duties as 
 customary previous to their inoculation, nor was any alter¬ 
 ation made either in their diet or allowance of wine. The 
 children of the inhabitants also experienced its mild and 
 gentle progress, nor in any one instance were its symptoms 
 in the least aggravated. 
 
 The morning after my arrival, Lord Keith issued the 
 following; general memorandum to the fleet. 
 
 o O 
 
 4 
 
 “ Ii. M. Ship Foudroyant , 
 Gibraltar Bay, Oct. 19 th, 1800. 
 
 “ General Memorandum. 
 
 “ Any soldiers, seamen, or marines in the Fleet, who 
 may not have had the small-pox and wish to avoid that 
 dreadful malady, may by application to Dr. Marshall on 
 board the flag ship, be inoculated with the cow-pox, which, 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 397 
 
 without pain or illness, or requiring particular diet or state 
 of body, or leaving any marks, effectually excludes all pos¬ 
 sibility of the patient’s ever being affected with the small¬ 
 pox. 
 
 <£ By command of the Vice-Admiral, 
 
 (Signed,) 
 
 Philip Beaver. 
 
 To the respective Captains 
 of the FleetT 
 
 Immediately after the issuing of this order its effects 
 were almost rendered nugatory by the dispersion of the 
 fleet to several different rendezvous: of course the prac¬ 
 tice was confined to a few ships in Gibraltar and Tete- 
 ran Bays; however, upon arriving at Minorca, it was in¬ 
 troduced into several other ships of the fleet, and I found 
 the inhabitants eager to avail themselves of it. 
 
 The morning after I arrived at Mahon I inoculated 
 several children, and so anxious was I to give a proof of 
 its efficacy that, on the fourth day after the insertion of 
 the matter of the cow-pox, I inoculated the patient with the 
 variolous matter (taking him into the room, and to the 
 bedside of a patient in the small-pox at its height) in the pre¬ 
 sence of the physicians, surgeons, and principal inhabitants 
 of Mahon. This trial so publicly made, and from which 
 the little vaccinian came off triumphant, firmly established 
 its character in Minorca; and as the small-pox at the time 
 was proceeding with rapidity, patients daily falling victims 
 to its horrid ravages, every one became anxious to partici¬ 
 pate in this most happy discovery, calling down blessings 
 upon the head of its promulger to the world. 
 
 At Malta I again joined my friend Dr. Walker, and as 
 the small-pox had made its appearance on board the Alex- 
 
398 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ander and other ships lying in the harbour when the 
 fleet arrived, several of the seamen of which ships had 
 already died in the disease, the admiral became alarmed 
 in the probability that so dreadful a malady would spread 
 through the whole fleet which, in its then crowded state, 
 would be attended with great hazard to the lives of a 
 number of brave seamen, and ultimately the exertions and 
 services of the fleet in the expedition upon which it is now 
 employed : he therefore immediately issued the following 
 order:— 
 
 [This order is exactly similar to the foregoing.] 
 
 The army under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby 
 being in general landed, he became anxious for their safety 
 upon their returning on board again, as, should the small¬ 
 pox contagion break out in the army, it was probable a 
 great number of brave men might be snatched by its dread¬ 
 ful effects from the service of their country. He therefore 
 gave orders for the general inoculation of the army with 
 the cow-pox; this in some measure was carried into effect, 
 but as their stay here was too limited to permit the inocu¬ 
 lation of the whole, either of the army or navy, Dr. 
 Walker proceeded up with the expedition. 
 
 Since Dr. Walker has left this I have been fully em¬ 
 ployed inoculating the inhabitants of this island,' who 
 through the laudable exertions of the governor Captain 
 Ball have universally adopted the practice; several of our 
 cow-pox patients have been subjected to the test of the 
 small-pox but without effect; and as the small-pox is now in 
 La Valette, the anxiety of the inhabitants to participate 
 in the benefit of the Jennerian inoculation is great indeed. 
 
 The last part of your treatise has been translated into 
 Italian, and is now printing here. The two former parts 
 will also be translated in a few days, as also a short ad- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 399 
 
 dress written by me at the request of the Governor and dis¬ 
 tributed through the island. These I shall do myself the 
 pleasure of sending to you by the first conveyance. The 
 establishment of an institution here for the inoculation, and 
 the name given to it of the Institution for the Jennerian In¬ 
 oculation, will in a small degree serve to show you the 
 high respect and gratitude they feel to you for the benefit 
 they are enjoying from your discovery. The world will 
 speedily follow the example of this little island, and do 
 justice to the man who has conferred the greatest possible 
 benefit upon society. 
 
 From hence, as soon as I have inoculated the troops now 
 here under the orders of General Pigot and with which i 
 am now employed, I intend to proceed to Palermo and 
 Naples, at which places the introduction of the Jennerian 
 inoculation is anxiously expected; from thence I intend 
 doing myself the pleasure of again writing to you, and in 
 the interim I beg to subscribe myself, 
 
 My dear sir, 
 
 Y our obliged friend, 
 
 J. II. Marshall. 
 
 La Valette, January 7 th, 1801. 
 
 Dr. Marshall continued at Malta from December 
 till the ensuing March, during which time (to use 
 the words of Sir Alexander Ball in his certificate to 
 Lord Hawkesbury) he rendered the most essential 
 service to the inhabitants by the introduction of the 
 vaccine inoculation, by which the ravages of the 
 small-pox, so dreadful in this climate, were pre¬ 
 vented. Sir Alexander added “ I further certify 
 
400 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 that he has performed this service, without receiv¬ 
 ing any pecuniary reward from me, as I conceive 
 that the British Government know best how to ap¬ 
 preciate and remunerate his services.” 
 
 Before they left the island Drs. Marshall and 
 Walker, with Drs. Caraccini and Cassar, had the 
 satisfaction of laying the foundation for a vaccine es¬ 
 tablishment, under the patronage of his excellency 
 the governor. 
 
 From Malta Dr. Marshall went to Naples and 
 Palermo, where he resided several months. When 
 he was about to return to England the King of the 
 two Sicilies directed General Acton to deliver him 
 an introductory letter to the Prince Castelcicalaj 
 then Ambassador at the British court, expressive of 
 his majesty’s satisfaction with his successful labours 
 and conduct; and desiring that those sentiments 
 might be communicated to the British Government; 
 and that the prince himself should do all the best 
 offices in his power to Dr. Marshall. 
 
 Copie d’une Lettre du Princf. Castelcicala, a Milord 
 Hawkesbury, du 25 Fevrier, 1802. 
 
 J’ai l’honneur de remettre a votre Excellence copie d’une 
 depeche que Monsieur le Chevalier Acton m’a ecrite par 
 ordre de Sa Majeste Sicilienne. 
 
 Les deux Siciles ont une grande obligation au Docteur 
 Marshall pour y avoir introduit et propage avec le plus 
 grand succes l’inoculation de la vaccine. Votre Excellence 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 401 
 
 sera certainement tres aise que Ton doit cette obligation a 
 une sujet Britannique; j’ose recommander a sa puissant 
 protection une personne aussi digne, et a qui le Roi mon 
 maitre a temoigne d’une maniere non equivoque toute sa sa¬ 
 tisfaction. 
 
 J’ai Thonneur d’etre, &c. 
 
 (Signe) Castelcicala. 
 
 Dr. John Walker proceeded with the expedition 
 under Sir Ralph Abercrombie to Egypt; he vaccin¬ 
 ated all the seamen and soldiers of the expedition, 
 and received both from the admiral, and from the 
 commander-in-chief, very strong testimonies of his 
 zeal and success in the new practice. When we con¬ 
 sider how many great results hung upon the issue 
 of this expedition it is not too much to assert that 
 a practice, which so effectually protected our gallant 
 troops from that dire enemy the small-pox, must have 
 materially contributed to the success of this campaign 
 at once so glorious and so important to England. 
 
 Dr. Marshall returned from his interesting expe¬ 
 dition in January 1802. Some extracts from an ac¬ 
 count of his proceedings, transmitted from Paris on 
 his way home, will be read with satisfaction. 
 
 Dr. Marshall to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Paris , January %6th, 1802. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 Having finished my vaccine tour I am at length arrived 
 at Paris on my way home. You have doubtless received 
 my letters from Gibraltar, Minorca, Malta, Sicily, and 
 
402 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Naples, in which I informed you of the progress made in 
 the extension of the vaccine inoculation. 
 
 I will now just give you, knowing it must be pleasing 
 to its discoverer, an account or rather sketch (for I shall 
 not trouble you with detail) of what I have been doing 
 since my departure from England in his Majesty’s ship the 
 Endymion, in July 1800. 
 
 The first trial was made upon a black, a seaman on board 
 the vessel, with matter sent me by my friend Mr. Ring. It 
 perfectly succeeded, and from his arm several more of the 
 crew were inoculated ; amongst the rest a marine, who on 
 the eighth day of the disease got drunk with spirits, and 
 fell asleep upon the muzzle of one of the guns on the out¬ 
 side of the vessel; in this state, as is supposed, a sudden 
 heel of the ship threw him into the sea, where he must have 
 perished had it not been for the very active exertions of 
 Mr. Valentine the first lieutenant, who, to his honour, re¬ 
 gardless of every thing but the preservation of the life of a 
 fellow-creature, immediately leaped overboard from the 
 mizen chains, not even taking time to strip off his coat, 
 and had the happiness, after a considerable struggle, to 
 bring him on board apparently lifeless, in which state he 
 continued for some time. 
 
 So singular a circumstance occurring at this particular 
 period of the disease naturally excited my attention, and I 
 attentively watched the progress of the vaccine pustule, not 
 knowing what would be the result of such an accident in 
 this stage of the complaint, and I found that for about 
 twenty-four hours, during which time he experienced a 
 slight degree of fever occasioned by the quantity of liquor 
 he had drunk and the means used to recover him, the 
 cow-pox appeared to be stationary; but afterwards went 
 through its regular course as in the others. 
 
 The cow-pox was introduced at Palermo, in the 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 403 
 
 island of Sicily, where the ravages of the small-pox 
 had always been experienced with unusual violence, 
 and in which city eight thousand persons had pe¬ 
 rished the preceding year from that destructive malady 
 alone. 
 
 Here it was also adopted with enthusiastic ardour, and 
 from the very gracious reception with which His Majesty 
 was pleased to receive me, added to the very laudable ex¬ 
 ertions used in its favour by the Government, its practice 
 soon became general; though not before it had undergone 
 every possible test of its preventive powers in resisting the 
 infection of the small-pox both by inoculation with vario¬ 
 lous matter, and by exposure of the cow-pox patients to 
 patients in the confluent small-pox. 
 
 It was not unusual to see in the mornings of the 
 public inoculation at the Hospital a procession of men, 
 women, and children, conducted through the streets by a 
 priest carrying a cross, come to be inoculated. By these 
 popular means it met not with opposition, and the common 
 people expressed themselves certain that it was a blessing 
 sent from Heaven, though discovered by one heretic and 
 practised by another. 
 
 At Naples I found the inclinations of the inhabitants, 
 from the accounts they had received from Palermo, favour¬ 
 able to its practice. 
 
 An Hospital for the inoculation of the Jennerian disease 
 was immediately established, and every endeavour used to 
 extend its benefits through the kingdom. 
 
 * * * # # 
 
 Towards the end of this year (1800) Sir Gilbert 
 Blane, who was one of the Commissioners of the Sick 
 and Hurt, became desirous of introducing the prac- 
 
 2 d 2 
 
404 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 tice into the navy. Earl Spencer, the First Lord of 
 the Admiralty, acquiesced in this design; and an 
 order was issued by his lordship, and instructions 
 were given to the navy-surgeons accordingly. This 
 measure, and the corresponding one previously en¬ 
 forced in the army by the orders of the Commander- 
 in-chief, were certainly the most important that had 
 hitherto been adopted in this country for the pro¬ 
 pagation of cow-pox by public authority. They 
 were important as they regarded the encouragement 
 thus given to the practice of vaccination: but they 
 were still more so as they regarded the efficiency of 
 our naval and military force, the safety of the com¬ 
 munity, and the public expenditure ; the breaking 
 out of small-pox in our fleets and armies having 
 on too many occasions crippled their exertions, de¬ 
 feated the measures of Government, and destroyed 
 many valuable men. 
 
 Dr. Trotter, who was then physician to the fleet, 
 seconded the recommendation of the Admiralty with 
 all that zeal and energy by which he was so 
 much distinguished. He had, indeed, earnestly 
 recommended the measure when vaccination first 
 came before the public; and for this most praise¬ 
 worthy and patriotic exertion he drew down upon 
 himself no small measure of censure from some of his 
 ignorant and inconsiderate contemporaries. He ob¬ 
 serves, in a letter dated Dec. 9th, 1800, “that the 
 Jennerian inoculation will be deservedly recorded as 
 one of the greatest blessings to the navy of Great 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 405 
 
 i 
 
 Britain that was ever extended to it.” This vene¬ 
 rable physician had, at a future period, an opportunity 
 of evincing the sincerity of these sentiments by pre¬ 
 senting to Dr. .Tenner, in conjunction with the other 
 medical officers of the navy, a splendid token of 
 their admiration for the discoverer of the vaccine 
 inoculation, and a proof of their confidence in its 
 prophylactic power. These gentlemen voted a gold 
 medal, which was presented to Dr. Jenner in Fe¬ 
 bruary 1801. The medal represents Apollo as the 
 god of physic introducing a young seaman, recovered 
 from the vaccine inoculation, to Britannia ; who in 
 return extends a civic crown, on which is written 
 JENNER. Above, “ Alba nautis Stella refulsit.” 
 Below, “ 1081.” 
 
 On the reverse an anchor ; over it “ Georgio Tertio 
 rege and under it, “ Spencer duce.” 
 
 This medal was forwarded to Dr. Jenner by Dr 
 Trotter with a letter written with great warmth 
 and eloquence, and not less honourable to the 
 feelings of the writer than just and gratifying to 
 him to whom it was addressed. 
 
 Dr. Trotter to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, - 
 
 You are, perhaps, no stranger to the information of the 
 new inoculation being directed throughout the navy by 
 Admiralty authority. The inquiries which had been in¬ 
 stituted in the Channel for the last seven years had called 
 the attention of the surgeons to guard against the intro- 
 
406 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 duction of the small-pox among seamen, which in more 
 than a hundred instances during that time had been im¬ 
 ported by ships; twenty of these have occurred within the 
 last six months in this fleet only. Amidst subjects so ill 
 prepared for its reception more than the common propor¬ 
 tion of deaths has been the consequence. Such was the 
 tenour of our researches, when Dr. Jenner announced to the 
 world the vaccine inoculation as a preservative against va¬ 
 riolous infection. “ Tandem veneris augur Apollo.'’ 
 
 As far as the new practice has extended among us it 
 has been followed with the usual success, and so mild that 
 the subjects of it have not been considered in the number 
 of sick on the list. 
 
 But the value of conducting the vaccine inoculation with 
 spirit and perseverance throughout the navy may be best 
 estimated by calculating the seamen at 10,000, who are un¬ 
 conscious of having had the small-pox. In this proportion 
 I am justified by the experience of musters in infected 
 ships. How dignified the councils of any nation that by 
 timely precaution shall ward off' so much probable misery ! 
 
 The medical officers have not been passive spectators 
 of an event so singular in the history of animated nature; 
 an event which the philosopher will contemplate with won¬ 
 der, and the friend of his species view with exultation. 
 
 Although secluded by their office from the earliest com¬ 
 munication with the progress of medical science, what 
 relates to the vaccine disease has been earnestly sought 
 after ; and the whole of your opinions and practice have 
 excited uncommon attention amongst us. I am therefore 
 requested to present you, in the name of those gentlemen, 
 with a gold medal and suitable devices; at once express¬ 
 ive oj their sentiments in favour of the new inoculation , 
 and to commemorate its introduction into this department oj 
 public service. With the more pleasure I comply with the 
 wishes of my worthy associates, as I am confident that 
 
JjIFE of dr. jennek. 
 
 407 
 
 no token of respect bestowed on a benefactor of the human 
 race was ever conferred from more honourable or disinter¬ 
 ested motives. It will not be the less acceptable to Dr. 
 Jenner that it comes from a body of officers connected by 
 the exercise of their profession with the most brilliant pe¬ 
 riod of our naval annals. 
 
 As far as their authority has influence they thus offer 
 their warmest support to the cause. The progress of truth 
 is sometimes slow, but always certain. It is not in the 
 nature of medical investigation long to resist the evidence 
 of facts; and it is far less the province of medicine to 
 check the current of charitable feelings, or to circumscribe 
 the duties of benevolence. We must therefore hope that, 
 while the liberal discussion it has undergone shall secure 
 the suffrages of the enlightened mind, the love of offspring 
 will confirm its favourable reception throughout domestic 
 life. 
 
 Accept, Sir, in the name of my naval friends, my hearty 
 congratulations on the honours that await your professional 
 exertions. May the present age have the justice and pub¬ 
 lic spirit to remunerate what posterity will be glad to ap¬ 
 preciate. May the medical faculty have virtue and can¬ 
 dour sufficient to acknowledge the value of your labours. 
 May your example be a model to the rising members of 
 that profession which you adorn ; and may you be blessed 
 with length of days to see your discoveries the means of 
 abridging and preventing disease, pain, and deformity 
 throughout the habitable globe. 
 
 Inclosed I have the honour to transmit a list of the 
 medical gentlemen and their stations in his Majesty’s naval 
 service. I beg, with all personal esteem and regard, to 
 subscribe myself, 
 
 Sir, Yours, &c. 
 
 Plymouth Dock , T. Trottkii 
 
 February 20 th, 1801. 
 
408 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 To Dr. Trotter, from Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I beg you to accept my sincere acknowledgements for 
 the distinguished honour conferred upon me by your pre¬ 
 senting me with a gold medal in the name of the medical 
 officers of his Majesty’s navy. 
 
 Since there is no situation occupied by medical men 
 where the value of the discovery of vaccine inoculation 
 could be more justly appreciated, from no quarter could 
 such a mark of attention for the endeavours I have exert¬ 
 ed in pointing out the means of annihilating the small-pox 
 have been received by me with greater pride, or warmer 
 emotions of gratitude. 
 
 If any thing could enhance the estimation in which I 
 shall ever hold such a mark of distinction, conferred by 
 such respectable characters, it is that it is presented to me 
 by a man who has cultivated the most useful science with 
 so much success: and introduced so many valuable im¬ 
 provements into the navy of Great Britain. 
 
 * * * # # 
 
 Whilst efforts were making to transmit the Variolas 
 Vaccinae to the eastern parts of Europe, as well as 
 into Asia and Africa through the medium of the 
 Mediterranean, exertions of a similar nature were 
 directed by Dr. Jenner to diffuse the antidote to 
 other parts of the globe. He especially wished to 
 impart it to our distant possessions in the East. 
 
 He sent out his different publications, and large 
 supplies of virus by the Queen East Indiaman, but 
 she never reached her destination, having been lost 
 at sea. After this disastrous event he continued to 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 409 
 
 renew his attempts by almost every ship that left 
 our shores, but they all failed. In the mean time 
 most urgent demands were made for vaccine virus, 
 in consequence of the devastations that small-pox 
 was committing, particularly in the island of Ceylon. 
 
 He was twice sent for by Lord Hobart, to the 
 Secretary of State’s office, to deliberate on this 
 emergency. He represented in the strongest terms 
 the necessity of employing means more effectual 
 than sending out dried matter, and pointed them 
 out in the most satisfactory manner. He proposed 
 that on board some ship going to India twenty 
 recruits, or men of any description who had not had 
 the small-pox, should be selected ; and that he 
 should be allowed to appoint a surgeon to attend 
 them perfectly conversant with the vaccine inocula¬ 
 tion. Thus he engaged that the disease should be 
 carried in its most perfect state to any of our settle¬ 
 ments. After some deliberation these reasonable 
 and practicable proposals were rejected. Dr. Jen- 
 ner resolved himself to endeavour to effect what the 
 Government was unwilling to attempt. A vessel 
 properly equipped was all that was necessary to 
 insure the success of his benevolent wishes. He 
 knew that there were persons in this great country 
 who would not be backward in co-operating with 
 him for such a purpose. His design was to raise 
 as speedily as possible, by subscription, sufficient to 
 defray the expenses of the voyage. He wrote to 
 Dr. Lettsom on the subject; and to prove how 
 
410 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 zealously he was affected in this matter, he desired 
 that his own name might be put down for one 
 thousand guineas. 
 
 O 
 
 Before this design could be carried into execution 
 tidings arrived from the East which happily ren¬ 
 dered it unnecessary, Dr. De Carro having suc¬ 
 ceeded in forwarding vaccine matter from Vienna 
 to Constantinople, and from thence to Bombay, in a 
 manner which will be hereafter described. 
 
 Two letters, one from Dr. Underwood of Madras, 
 and the other from Dr. Scott of Bombay, refer to 
 these transactions. 
 
 Dr. Underwood to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Madras , February %8th, 1801. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Permit me to thank you most sincerelv for having kindly 
 sent per Queen your publications on the cow-pox, together 
 with matter. I have been made acquainted with your 
 friendly attention by my friends in London, who mentioned 
 that you intended to send some matter to me overland, in 
 the event of the loss of that sent per Queen. This unfor¬ 
 tunately proves the case, and I lament it most sincerely, 
 and anxiously look for recovering some from you overland. 
 I have read with very great pleasure your remarks on that 
 disease, and feel most particularly anxious to introduce 
 and extend it in the country, under the greatest confidence 
 that it would save many lives. It has been with extreme 
 pleasure that I have hitherto embraced every opportunity 
 of inoculating with the variolous matter, but the loss of a 
 beautiful little patient has humbled me, and I confess I 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 411 
 
 never now take up a lancet for that purpose but with fear 
 and trembling. 
 
 We generally inoculate here in the month of January, 
 and I trust before that time arrives to be in possession of 
 vaccine matter. 
 
 Mr. White of the Royal Establishment, who arrived 
 here the other day, favoured me with a perusal of your 
 book, and a little vaccine which he had taken a few days 
 before he left London: with this I inoculated my son and 
 nephew; but unfortunately both failed, in my opinion 
 from the matter being kept too long. The moment I had 
 made use of the matter I made Dr. Anderson our Phy¬ 
 sician General acquainted with it, and forwarded him the 
 books. He is much pleased with your exertions, and I am 
 sure will do every thing in his power to promote its success. 
 Lamenting extremely this failure I am in careful pursuit 
 of the disease in this part. The other day a cow was 
 brought to me said to have the small-pox, and the natives 
 assure me it is common amongst them, but that this is 
 not the season of the year. On the teat of this cow there 
 appeared one large pustule of a white colour, and several 
 others dry. I took the matter from this, and inoculated 
 four cows on the teats. One of the four had several lumps 
 like glandular obstructions: on the seventh day and on the 
 ninth one pustule, but which was very unfortunately broke 
 before I was sent for. I shall continue the search, and 
 shall have great pleasure in acquainting you of my success. 
 If I am so fortunate however, I would not rely on it, but 
 entreat you will have the goodness to forward me, through 
 Mr. James Curtis, No. 1, Ludgate Hill, vaccine by every 
 opportunity until we are so fortunate as to succeed. Dr. 
 Anderson this day sent me a horse of his which had greasy 
 heels. I inoculated two cows from it, and Mr. White has 
 taken some of the grease round to Calcutta to make the 
 
412 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 same experiment. He is to sail for Calcutta in a day or 
 two. Should it please the Almighty to bless this under¬ 
 taking, and enable us to inoculate for the cow-pock, the 
 natives will very easily be persuaded to make use of it very 
 generally : but as for the small-pox they are decidedly 
 against it with very few exceptions, and it is with the ut¬ 
 most difficulty they will allow matter to be taken from them. 
 May I take the liberty of requesting the matter to be sent 
 out in different ways—betwixt two pieces of polished glass, 
 carefully covered at the edges with wet skin or cotton care¬ 
 fully sealed down in a phial, and probably the glasses 
 that are used for phosphoric matches would do well:— 
 however you will be much the best judge how to forward 
 it. The Court of Directors would most assuredly forward 
 matter by their overland dispatches if proper application 
 was made to them. Sincerely thanking you for your very 
 polite attention, and most ardently wishing you every 
 success in a disease you have introduced with so much 
 honour to yourself and real benefit to mankind, 
 
 I have the honour to be, with sincere regard, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 John Underwood, 
 Surgeon to His Majesty’s Naval 
 Hospital, Madras. 
 
 Dr. Helen us Scott, Bombay, to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I received the letter with the vaccine matter which you 
 were so good as to send me by Colonel Oakes. Before his 
 arrival we were fortunate enough to produce the disease 
 here, and from this place it has spread to almost every 
 part of Hindostan. We have already inoculated between 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 413 
 
 2 and 3000 children in Bombay. It gives me great plea¬ 
 sure to observe that the natives begin to acquire confidence 
 in this practice, as well as knowledge of the true appear¬ 
 ances of the disease. I have no doubt but that every day 
 will increase its reputation among them, and spread to a 
 wider extent the benefit of your happy discovery. Among 
 so many others I have the strongest motives for being 
 thankful to you, for I have three children, born in three 
 successive years, who were the first in India to enjoy the 
 protection of the cow-pox. I set an example in my own 
 family which has been followed by everv European family 
 here, and has or will be followed by every other in India. 
 
 I beg to enclose you a number of our newspapers on 
 this subject. From their dates you will be able to trace 
 the progress of the vaccine disease from Constantinople to 
 its present state in India. We are, I suppose, in the first 
 instance indebted to Dr. De Carro of Vienna for sending 
 it to Constantinople. You will see by the accompanying 
 papers that our intentions have always been right, our 
 opinions sometimes wrong. Upon the whole, the practice 
 is established; and much praise is due to the Government 
 of this country for their liberal views, as well as to the 
 zeal of the faculty in India. 
 
 If I can do any thing for you in this country I beg 
 of you to employ me. 
 
 It gives me pleasure to reflect that my situation, as a 
 member of the Medical Board of this Presidency, has ena¬ 
 bled me to give some assistance in spreading the reputa¬ 
 tion of your discovery. Who must not envy your reflec¬ 
 tions on this subject! 
 
 I beg of you to believe me, with much regard and 
 esteem, 
 
 Your very obedient servant, 
 
 H. Scott. 
 
414 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 By the unwearied labours of Dr. De Carro vac¬ 
 cination had already penetrated a great part of 
 Germany and Poland. From him, likewise, it 
 emanated to Venice, Lombardy, and other parts 
 of Italy. He was now engaged in an enterprise 
 embracing a wider field. During the summer of 
 the year 1800, an English gentleman and lady, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Nesbit, were passing through Germany on 
 their way to the capital of the Ottoman empire. 
 They were going to visit their daughter Lady Elgin, 
 whose husband Lord Elgin was British Ambassador 
 to the Porte. They remained a short time at 
 Vienna, and became acquainted with De Carro 
 then in the height of his vaccine inquiries. He 
 spoke with enthusiasm upon his favourite topic Vac¬ 
 cination. They had left England imperfectly ac¬ 
 quainted with its importance, but his conversation 
 excited so lively an interest that, shortly after their 
 arrival in Constantinople, Lord Elgin sent a request 
 to Dr. De Carro for some vaccine virus. The first 
 subject upon whom it was tried was the infant son 
 of that nobleman. The inoculation was performed 
 on the 6th of September by Dr. White, who after¬ 
 wards fell a victim to his imprudent inoculation of 
 himself with the plague. 
 
 His lordship communicated the result of the trial 
 to Dr. De Carro in the following letter :— 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 415 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Constantinople , Dec. 23 d, 1800. 
 
 Though much hurried at this moment I am happy in 
 being able to acknowledge my obligation to you for the 
 vaccine matter. It took effect on the third trial, and in¬ 
 deed fully answered the favourable account you had given 
 of it. My child was so little ill that I should be at a loss 
 to say how he was affected ; nor could I determine that the 
 infection had taken place, had I not been prepared, by 
 your letter, for the almost imperceptible appearances which 
 were observed. I mean this, in regard to the constitutional 
 complaint: for the affections on the incisions were perfect¬ 
 ly clear. 
 
 My former failures in the operation having induced 
 Dr. Whyte (who officiated) to touch the skin with the 
 lancet in three places, in each of which there was a pustule. 
 The matter from his arm has been applied to several chil¬ 
 dren here with equal success. 
 
 The anatter you last sent, conveyed in a quill and a 
 glass phial, has been given to the captain of an American 
 frigate now here. It has taken most favourably in one of 
 the instances to which he applied it; and he proposes ino¬ 
 culating further from the first patient. 
 
 I shall be happy to write you further on the subject 
 by an early opportunity. Meanwhile I was anxious to 
 say, in this hasty manner, how much I feel indebted for 
 so great a benefit as I have thus received from you ; and 
 am, by your means, the instrument of introducing into 
 this country. 
 
 I have the honour, &c. 
 
 Elgin, 
 
 To Dr. De Carro , 
 
 Vienna. 
 
416 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Doctors Hesse, Pezzone, and Auban, then practising 
 at Constantinople, adopted vaccination with ardour. 
 It was for a while confined to a few' European fami¬ 
 lies ; by degrees, however, it vanquished Maliom- 
 medan prejudices, and was, at last, admitted within 
 the walls of the Seraglio, having found advocates in 
 Dr. Roini, and Lorenzo Noccioti — the physician 
 and surgeon to the Grand Seignior—Roini present¬ 
 ed him with an extract from Dr. De Carro’s obser¬ 
 vations and experiments, translated into the Turkish 
 language. That prince, who had suffered severely 
 from the small-pox, expressed his regret that a disco¬ 
 very, which would have saved him so much pain, had 
 not been made during his early days, and he added 
 a desire that it should be adopted throughout his do¬ 
 minions. Roini vaccinated a child belonging to a 
 servant of the Seraglio, and after a time the Hekim 
 Bacchi, or chief physician, expressed a wish that 
 three of his own children should receive it. Its pro¬ 
 gress was, nevertheless, not very rapid. When Dr. 
 Hesse left Constantinople in 1802 the virus was 
 lost, but it was speedily renewed by Dr. De Carro ; 
 and in 1803 it was calculated that in the different 
 quarters and suburbs of Constantinople between five 
 and six thousand had been vaccinated. 
 
 Lord Elgin and his lady continued most sedu¬ 
 lously to promote the practice. During a tour 
 that they made in 1802 through the islands of the 
 Archipelago they, with the aid of Dr. Scott a phy¬ 
 sician in their suite, carried it to Athens, Argos, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNElt. 
 
 417 
 
 Corinth, and other cities of Greece. The English 
 consul at Salonichi Mr. Charneu, and Dr. La Font, 
 a French physician long resident there, interested 
 themselves heartily in the cause ; and the latter even 
 entertained a hope that it might prove an antidote 
 to the plague. Salonichi was the birth-place of the 
 aged inoculator Thessala, who had, about a century 
 before, attracted so much attention at Constantino¬ 
 ple by her inoculations. The inhabitants of Salo¬ 
 nichi, Turks, Greeks, Armenians, and Franks, re¬ 
 ceived the new practice with so much eagerness 
 that 1130 were vaccinated in the course of eight 
 months. 
 
 Larissa in Thessaly, and Macedonia were equally 
 anxious to partake of the blessing. Dr. Moreschi who 
 had published two works on vaccination, and had 
 introduced it into the Venetian states and a great 
 part of Italy, next directed his efforts to the wes¬ 
 tern side of Greece, and by an opposite geographi¬ 
 cal track carried the practice to the same point. In 
 a spirit of honest exultation, and with feelings en¬ 
 livened by classical associations, he thus trium¬ 
 phantly recounts his success. “ My glasses and 
 threads, impregnated with vaccine, after passing 
 through most of the provinces situated on the Adri¬ 
 atic, having been sent to Drs. Marochia and Miro- 
 wish physicians of Prau, Spalatro and Salona, 
 places renowned in the history of Rome, have gone 
 almost to Athens ; and have reached Theaehi, the 
 famous Ithaca of Ulysses, and Patras in Peloponne- 
 | 2 E 
 
 * 
 
 i 
 
418 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 sus. During the last winter I gave vaccine to seve¬ 
 ral persons of distinction and merchants of this city, 
 (Venice) for their friends and correspondents of Ce- 
 phalonia, Cerigo, and Zante. Persons worthy of 
 credit have assured me that vaccination is practised 
 with success in the islands of the Ionian Sea ; and 
 others, who have returned from Corfu, that the vac¬ 
 cine of that island has passed to Butronto in Mace¬ 
 donia, 
 
 - “ celsam Buthroti ascendimus arcem.” 
 
 No sooner had the account of Dr. Jenner’s disco¬ 
 very reached India than the greatest anxiety was 
 evinced by every professional man there to become 
 possessed of an agent capable of securing the inha¬ 
 bitants from a scourge more dreadful in its effects, 
 in that climate, than in almost any other. Dr. Jen- 
 ner himself felt this so strongly that, after sending 
 virus by almost every conveyance without success, 
 he at last proposed the noble scheme for its certain 
 transport already mentioned. In the mean time the 
 governments at the different Presidencies were not 
 inattentive to this great object. The Honourable 
 Jonathan Duncan, governor of Bombay, early felt 
 the importance of securing the benefit for India as 
 speedily as possible. He therefore wrote on the 21st 
 March, 1801, to Lord Elgin at Constantinople re¬ 
 questing his co-operation in forwarding virus to 
 Bombay, by the way of Bagdad and Bussora. He 
 also sent at the same time to Mr. Harford Jones, 
 
 » 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 419 
 
 (now Sir H. Jones Brydges) resident at Bagdad, to 
 the same purport. On the Sth of September, 1803, 
 Lord Elgin forwarded one quill containing vaccine 
 matter to Governor Duncan, and likewise sent sup¬ 
 plies to Mr. Manesty, at Bussora, with directions to 
 that gentleman to try to reproduce it there, and 
 then to forward it to Bombay. His Lordship had 
 in the preceding year sent virus to him with which 
 his own son was inoculated, but in neither case did 
 it succeed. 
 
 The Medical Board in Bombay likewise evinced 
 their zeal by addressing the Governor on the 4th of 
 August, 1801, and suggested the measures for the 
 conveyance of the virus which were afterwards suc¬ 
 cessful. The Governor sent the letter of the Medical 
 Board to the Court of Directors, earnestly soliciting 
 their assistance. 
 
 After receiving many urgent requests for matter 
 Lord Elgin wrote in January 1802 to the Honour¬ 
 able Arthur Paget, to this effect,— c< I have so many 
 applications for vaccine virus from Bussora, the East 
 Indies, and Ceylon, that I beg you will immediate¬ 
 ly apply to Dr. De Carro, and request him to send 
 some by every courier.” Mr. Harford Jones, too, 
 requested Dr. De Carro to send him the virus, with 
 necessary instructions, direct from Vienna. Many 
 disappointments having arisen from the difficulty of 
 transmitting it in an active state, he employed every 
 expedient that ingenuity or experience could sug¬ 
 gest to obviate them. 
 
 2 E 2 
 
420 LIFE OF 13R. JENNER. 
 
 Various methods had been tried. Impregnated 
 lint, or threads enclosed between plates, or in bottles 
 and in tubes closed up with wax. The practice of 
 imbuing the points of common steel lancets was soon 
 abandoned. To these succeeded lancets of silver, 
 silver gilt, gold and ivory. After a series of trials 
 he gave the preference to ivory, which he considered 
 to be, in all respects, the most secure vehicle for 
 transporting the virus. On lancets of this material 
 it was sent from Breslau to Moscow, where, under 
 the patronage and actual inspection of the Russian 
 Empress, it completely succeeded. 
 
 As that which was destined for Bagdad would be 
 exposed to the accidents of a long journey, in a cli¬ 
 mate heated by a scorching sun, he took special care 
 to protect it as much as possible from external influ¬ 
 ence. He sent some on lancets of silver, silver-gilt, 
 and ivory: he also impregnated some English lint 
 with the vaccine fluid, and enclosed it between 
 glasses ; and when he had properly secured them 
 he dipped them at a wax-chandler’s till they formed 
 a solid ball, which he enclosed in a box filled with 
 shreds of paper. In this state the packet was safely 
 conveyed across the Bosphorus, and passed over the 
 whole line of deserts ; and he had the satisfaction 
 of hearing that, on its arrival on the banks of the 
 Tigris, its contents w^ere still liquid, and succeeded 
 on the first trial. It was received on the 31st of 
 March, 1802. Mr. Harford Jones immediately de¬ 
 livered it into the hands of Dr. Short, who employed 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 421 
 
 it on the 5th of April. It was forwarded by Dr. 
 Short to Mr. Milne, surgeon to the British Consul 
 at Bussora. This gentleman before the 17th of the 
 following June had vaccinated forty persons; among 
 whom were the crews of some vessels departing for 
 Bombay. He also sent it to Bushire, in the Persian 
 Gulf; and to Muscat, a port in the Arabian sea. 
 Before the end of June it reached our establishment 
 at Bombay. 
 
 In this manner was this precious antidote first 
 transmitted to the continent of Asia. While record¬ 
 ing the principal events in this interesting history 
 it ought not to be omitted that the vaccine virus, 
 which served to protect the Eastern part of the 
 world, came not from the English stock, but was 
 derived from the cows of Lombardy. It had been 
 sent from Milan by Dr. Sacco to Vienna; and Dr. 
 De CaiTO was making his first trials with it at the 
 time he received the application from Mr. Jones at 
 Bagdad. These trials having completely succeeded 
 he was enabled to comply with the request in the 
 manner just described. 
 
 The Recovery, the vessel which carried the virus 
 from Bussora to Bombay, left the former place late 
 in May.. She was three weeks on her voyage. 
 
 On her arrival between twenty and thirty sub¬ 
 jects were inoculated, but only one instance of suc¬ 
 cess occurred, and that was in the hands of Dr. 
 
 N 
 
 Helenus Scott. On the 14th of June he inoculated 
 Anna Dusthall, a healthy child about three years 
 
 i 
 
422 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 old, the daughter of a female servant belonging to 
 Captain Ilardie. The progress of her affection was 
 watched with the utmost anxiety; and the medical 
 gentlemen had the happiness to find that it accorded 
 so completely with the description of Dr. Jenner 
 that they felt quite assured that they had, at last, 
 gained possession of their long-wished object, the 
 genuine Variolse Vaccinae. On the eighth day from 
 her inoculation five children were vaccinated, and 
 successfully. A relation of these proceedings was 
 published in the Bombay Courier by Drs. Moir and 
 Scott. This communication is dated on the second 
 of July, 1802. It gives a very interesting account 
 of the momentous event, and makes honourable men¬ 
 tion of all the individuals who had assisted in bring¬ 
 ing it about. Not the least important part of this 
 report was that both the Hindoos and Parsees at 
 Bombay and Surat evinced the utmost desire to have 
 their children inoculated with the “ vaccine dis¬ 
 ease.’’ 
 
 The Medical Board, anxious to diffuse the acqui¬ 
 sition they had made throughout India, forwarded 
 virus to Bengal, Madras, Ceylon, &c. It very soon 
 took effect at Hyderabad and Trincomalee, and was 
 spread with great rapidity from place to place. 
 
 The Government most cordially seconded every 
 effort of the Medical Board. Dr. Desborah, sur¬ 
 geon to the Residency at Poonah, having failed in 
 producing the infection with virus sent to him at 
 different periods. Government humanely directed 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEll. 
 
 423 
 
 that subjects affected with the cow-pox might be 
 sent to secure the introduction of the disease into the 
 capital of the Marhatta empire. A Brahmin was 
 despatched with two children under the infection. 
 He, with one of the children, reached Poonah in six 
 days. 
 
 The exertions of Dr. Anderson at Fort St. George 
 were unceasing. He established an extensive cor¬ 
 respondence with the medical gentlemen at the dif¬ 
 ferent stations, and he circulated the reports which 
 he received from them through the medium of the 
 Madras Gazette. He likewise succeeded in trans¬ 
 mitting the virus in an active state to Bengal. On 
 this event Dr. Fleming, the first member of the 
 Medical Board, addressed a letter to the Governor- 
 General in Council. His Excellency the Marquess 
 Wellesley was pleased to direct that that letter, with 
 its enclosure, should be published for general inform¬ 
 ation. This letter announced the important fact that 
 a boy who had been vaccinated by Captain Ander¬ 
 son, commander of the ship Hunter, on the twelfth 
 of November, on its passage from Madras to Cal¬ 
 cutta, had arrived at that place on the seventeenth 
 with the disease in an active state. Three children 
 were immediately inoculated, and, on the following 
 day, eight others, in all of whom it completely suc¬ 
 ceeded. 
 
 Dr. Fleming then observed “ The settlement 
 being now, as I conceive, in complete possession of 
 the benefit derived to mankind from Dr. Jenner’s 
 
424 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEIl. 
 
 celebrated discovery I take the liberty of sub¬ 
 mitting to your Excellency’s consideration my opi¬ 
 nion on the best mode of preserving the continuance 
 of so great a blessing, and spreading it as rapidly as 
 possible throughout the provinces.” 
 
 He, therefore, recommended that a surgeon of ap¬ 
 proved skill and assiduity should be appointed to the 
 charge of preserving a constant supply of recent ge¬ 
 nuine matter ; that it should be a part of his duty to 
 vaccinate the children of the Natives ; and to instruct 
 the Hindoo and Mohammedan physicians in the 
 proper mode of performing the operation. In order 
 to induce the Natives to adopt vaccination he like- 
 , wise proposed that an address should be published in 
 the Persian, Hindoo, Bengalese, and Sanscrit lan¬ 
 guages, giving a succinct account of the discovery 
 in which the curious and, to the Hindoo, very inter¬ 
 esting circumstance that this wonderful preventive 
 was originally procured from the body of the cow , 
 should be emphatically marked. Next, an expla¬ 
 nation of the essential advantages which vaccination 
 possesses over the small-pox inoculation : and, lastly, 
 an ardent exhortation to the natives to lose no time 
 in availing themselves of this inestimable benefit. 
 This letter bore date November 29th, 1802. 
 
 Shortly afterwards the Governor-General in Coun¬ 
 cil was pleased to order “ That the high approbation 
 of his Excellency in Council be signified to Dr. James 
 Anderson, physician, &c. be. on the establishment of 
 Fort St. George. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 425 
 
 “To Captain Anderson, commander of the ship 
 Hunter; to John Fleming, esq.; and to Messrs. Rus- 
 sells, Hare, and Shoolbred and the other medical 
 gentlemen employed on this important occasion, for 
 their diligence and ability in promoting at this Pre¬ 
 sidency the successful introduction of Dr. Jenner’s 
 discovery. 
 
 “ That Mr. William Russel be appointed to super¬ 
 intend the further promotion of the benefits of Dr. 
 Jenner’s discovery throughout the provinces sub¬ 
 ject to the immediate government of this presidency. 
 And that a notification be prepared and published 
 in the Persian, Hindoo, Bengalese, and Sanscrit lan¬ 
 guages, according to the suggestion of Mr. Fleming.” 
 
 These different measures proved very successful 
 The prejudices of multitudes were in favour of the 
 practice; and the superstitious veneration in which 
 the Hindoos regard the cow contributed greatly to 
 this result. Although the Brahmins for the most 
 part were friendly, they were not uniformly so. In 
 order to gain their approbation two different at¬ 
 tempts were made to prove that their own records 
 contained descriptions of the benign preventive 
 which they were required to sanction. The facts 
 connected with these well-intended devices will be 
 found mentioned in another part of this work. There 
 is great reason to believe that they have recently 
 been misunderstood, and have given rise to the asser¬ 
 tion that the Hindoos were really acquainted with 
 vaccine inoculation in early times, when in fact the 
 
426 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 manuscripts which seemed to support that opinion 
 were modern fabrications; certainly intended to be¬ 
 guile by their apparent antiquity, but never de¬ 
 signed by their authors to be treated as real docu¬ 
 ments on which claims, adverse to those of Dr. Jen- 
 ner, could be founded. 
 
 In Ceylon the inhabitants at first manifested some 
 reluctance to receive vaccination. This reluctance 
 soon gave way, and by the excellent measures 
 adopted by Governor North, under the direction of 
 the Medical Superintendent General, Thomas Chris¬ 
 tie, Esq. it was so speedily diffused that he was 
 enabled to state that two thousand had been vacci¬ 
 nated in the district of Columbo alone, during one 
 month. This gentleman’s account of the introduc¬ 
 tion, progress, and success of vaccination at Ceylon, 
 published after his return to England in the year 
 1811, is an extremely valuable document. It shows 
 how wisely and energetically he carried into effect 
 the arrangements for general vaccination, and proves 
 beyond all doubt that, when it is so used, variolous 
 contagion may be certainly and completely con¬ 
 trolled. In this respect Dr. Jenner always set a 
 high value on the facts which were furnished from 
 Ceylon, and he himself urged Dr. Christie to publish 
 the account I have referred to, believing that it 
 might render essential service to his great object of 
 exterminating small-pox. 
 
 To Sweden and to Ceylon Dr. Jenner was in the 
 habit of pointing when he wished to prove what his 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEIl. 
 
 427 
 
 discovery might accomplish; or when he lamented 
 that fatal obstinacy of his fellow-creatures which, 
 with such examples before them, could induce them 
 to reject blessings within their reach. He had an 
 opportunity during the latter years of his life of en¬ 
 joying much friendly intercourse with Dr. Christie, 
 in Cheltenham; and I am certain that intimate 
 knowledge of that gentleman strengthened the feel¬ 
 ings of respect and regard which his previous con¬ 
 duct had given rise to. 
 
 Should the reader desire further information on 
 these points I would refer him to Dr. Keir’s account 
 of the introduction of the cow-pox into India, pub¬ 
 lished at Bombay in 1803 ; and to the History of 
 Vaccination in Turkey, Greece, and the East Indies, 
 by Dr. De Carro, published in French at Vienna in 
 the year 1804. 
 
 This excellent physician, while labouring with 
 indefatigable zeal to promote the practice of vacci¬ 
 nation in every part of the world, kept up a constant 
 correspondence with its distinguished author. The 
 warmth of his attachment to Dr. Jenner, the energy 
 and ability displayed in collecting information from 
 all quarters, and the eloquent manner with which he 
 communicates information, are so conspicuous that 
 I should feel strongly tempted to lay all his letters 
 before the public, did I not fear that I should there¬ 
 by be prevented from recording as I ought the efforts 
 of other zealous friends of Jenner. But the follow¬ 
 ing extracts so satisfactorily elucidate the preceding 
 
428 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 history that I think they will be more acceptable 
 than any narrative that could be constructed from 
 them. That these may be the more fully understood 
 I prefix part of a letter from Dr. Jenner to this 
 learned physician. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Dr. De Carro. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 March QSth? 1803. 
 
 Since the commencement of our correspondence, great as 
 my satisfaction has been in the perusal of your letters I 
 do not recollect when you have favoured me with one that 
 has afforded me pleasure equal to the last. The regret I 
 have experienced, at finding that every endeavour to send 
 the vaccine virus to India in perfection again and again 
 failed, is scarcely to be described to you ; judge, then, 
 what pleasure you convey in assuring me that my wishes 
 are accomplished. I am confident that had not the oppo¬ 
 nents, in this country, to my ideas of the origin of the 
 disease been so absurdly clamorous (particularly the par 
 nobileJratrum) the Asiatics would long since have enjoyed 
 the blessings of vaccination, and many a victim been 
 rescued from an untimely grave. The decisive experi¬ 
 ments of Dr. Loy on this subject have silenced the tongues 
 of these gentlemen for ever. 
 
 I am happy in seeing this interesting work translated by 
 you, and hope it will travel the world over. 
 
 It is very extraordinary, but certainly a fact, that the 
 plate which I gave in my first publication of the equine 
 pustule (although its origin was detailed) was by almost 
 every reader considered as the vaccine. There are proba¬ 
 bly some varieties in the pustules which arise among 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEJL 
 
 429 
 
 horses. You will observe, by a reference to my publica¬ 
 tion, that the virus in the instance I now allude to was so 
 very active that it infected every person who dressed the 
 horse. 
 
 I am happy to find an opinion taken up by me, and 
 mentioned in my first publication, has so able a supporter 
 as yourself. I thought it highly probable that the small¬ 
 pox might be a malignant variety of the cow-pox. But 
 this idea was scouted by my countrymen, particularly P. 
 and W. * * * * # 
 
 To Dr. De Carro, Vienna. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Vienna, April 22, 1803. 
 
 Nothing more was wanting to make me enjoy fully the 
 satisfaction of having introduced the vaccination in India 
 than to learn it had long been one of your wishes, and that 
 the accomplishment of it by me has given you so much 
 pleasure. I hope to show you soon the astonishing pro¬ 
 gress that it is making in that part of the world. I re¬ 
 ceive daily new and interesting documents from the East, 
 which induce me to delay still for some time the publica¬ 
 tion of the work that I spoke to you of in my last letter. 
 
 If you have felt so much pleasure in hearing that your 
 discovery is known and practised in India, I hope that 
 my late intelligence of the true cow-pox, produced at 
 Milan with the giardoni on Dr. Sacco’s own horse and 
 that of one of his neighbours, has not been less agreeable 
 to you. The first does honour to your heart, the second 
 to your head ; but indeed it is long since I am quite at a 
 loss to determine which of the two is best in you. 
 
 You have lately given a strong proof of your modera¬ 
 tion, by the silence you have kept with your antagonists. 
 
430 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 -’s conduct (I am less acquainted with that of W.) 
 
 borders on insanity. I am extremely glad that you have 
 treated it with the contempt it deserves. On the other 
 side I am happy to see that it has not been left unnoticed, 
 and that your friends have taken upon themselves to show 
 his malevolent and ridiculous designs. 
 
 I do not know whether you are well informed of the 
 great improvement which MM. Ballhorn and Stromeyer 
 have made to the glasses invented by you. They have 
 taught us a simple and easy manner to preserve the vaccine 
 lymph fluid during an indefinite term. The Hanoverian 
 vaccinators take a small bit of English charpie, which you 
 call, I believe, dry lint. The quantity must be, of course, 
 equal to the concavity of the glass. The pustule then is 
 punctured by a circular or half-circular incision with the 
 lancet, so as to open a greater number of the cells forming 
 the vaccine pustule covered with the same pellicle. The 
 lint is applied upon the pustule on the most woolly side, 
 so as to act better as a syphon. It pumps in a very short 
 time a sufficient quantity of vaccine fluid to saturate it as 
 completely as if it had been dipped in a glass of water, 
 particularly if the lint is now and then gently pressed with 
 the point or the back of the lancet. When it is quite full 
 you take it with the lancet, and place it carefully in 
 the cavity of the glass; you put a drop of oil, or a little 
 mucilage upon the internal surface of the glasses ; you 
 make the flat bit of glass slide upon the charpie , so as to 
 exclude the air as much as possible ; you tie the two bits 
 with thread, and seal the edges. To prevent the access of 
 light I commonly fold it in a black paper, and when I was 
 desired to send it to Bagdad, I took the precaution of going 
 to a wax-chandler’s, and surrounded the sealed-up glasses 
 with so much wax as to make balls. With this careful 
 manner it arrived still Jluid on the banks of the Tigris. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 431 
 
 Dr. De Carro to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Vienna , %lst June , 1803. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 My friend Dr. Marcet wrote to me lately that the ac¬ 
 count I have sent to you of Dr. Sacco’s experiments have 
 afforded you great satisfaction. The motive which induces 
 me to write to you to-day is another confirmation of your 
 theory which has taken place in a country where you 
 scarcely expect it from, the more so that it is accompanied 
 with veterinary observations which appear to me very nice 
 and curious. 
 
 Monsieur La Font, a French physician established at 
 Salonica in Macedonia, has been one of the most active 
 vaccinators I know on the continent; his last letter, of the 
 third of June, mentions that he has since last Autumn vac¬ 
 cinated 1130 persons. He first heard of your discovery 
 on the occasion of Lord Elgin travelling in Greece with 
 Dr. Scott; during which journey his lordship and the doc¬ 
 tor took a particular care of propagating vaccination. The 
 English consul at Salonica went to Athens to meet Lord 
 Elgin; there he saw a great number of young Athenians 
 with vaccine pustules. Not a word had yet been heard, at 
 Salonica, of your discovery, and he desired Dr. Scott to 
 give him vaccine matter to put into the hands of Dr. La 
 Font, and Lady Elgin was so kind as to give to the consul 
 a copy of my work, for the instruction of his physician. 
 ’The first Athenian matter did not succeed, but seeing its 
 failure, Dr. La Font applied directly to me, and my ivory 
 lancets produced their effects at the first trial. Since that 
 time I have been in regular correspondence with that physi¬ 
 cian, who appears to me to be possessed of much learning, 
 prudence and activity. 
 
432 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Some time afterwards I sent him a translation of Dr. 
 Loy’s experiments, and desired him to make as many vete¬ 
 rinary observations and experiments as he could. He has 
 some reasons to suppose that the cow-pox reigns in that 
 country, according to the report of several Albanese pea¬ 
 sants. As to the grease (which he calls javart,) he says 
 that the farriers at Salonica know it very well. Dr. La 
 Font began his experiments with the kind of grease which 
 the Macedonian farriers call the variolous. He found a 
 horse which had been attacked with feverish symptoms, 
 that ceased as soon as the eruption appeared. The fore 
 legs were much swelled; the left had four ulcers, one upon 
 the heel, a second some inches higher, a third on the arti¬ 
 culation, a fourth near the breast. The eruption on the 
 legs was, he says, very like the small-pox, but none was to 
 be seen on the other parts of the body. He took matter 
 from the upper ulcer which was of twelve days’ standing. 
 The matter was limpid, but a little yellowish and filament¬ 
 ous, (thready;) first a cow was submitted to this inocula¬ 
 tion, but without success ; secondly, a girl twelve years old, 
 without effect; but this girl had been vaccinated some 
 months before without success, and was suspected to have 
 had the small-pox; thirdly, two boys, one six, the other five 
 years old, were inoculated with the same equine matter; 
 and in both a pustule appeared, which followed the regular 
 course of a vaccine pustule. The colour was less white, 
 and more purple than usual. Those two children had a 
 pretty strong fever, for which some cooling medicines were 
 administered. Those inoculated with matter from them 
 underwent the disease in its usual mild way. 
 
 These particulars, I hope, will silence all those who still 
 doubt of the truth of your doctrine. These observations 
 enhance the merit of your discovery. The means of male- 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEli. 
 
 433 
 
 ing it were every where; yet nobody before you had the 
 least idea of that singular connexion between the grease, 
 the cow-pox, and the small-pox. 
 
 * # # * # 
 
 In pursuing the progress of vaccination into the 
 East we have for a time lost sight of Dr. Jenner’s 
 personal history, and to that subject we now re¬ 
 turn. 
 
 He went to Cheltenham on the I3th of July 
 (1800.) Mrs. Jenner and the children did not ar¬ 
 rive there till the 29th. He remained till the 6th 
 of November, on which day he departed with his 
 family for London. He arrived in Bond-street on 
 the 8th. 
 
 During his stay at Cheltenham he had some little 
 relaxation from the incessant efforts which we have 
 seen him compelled to make. Some of the mistakes 
 in the practice of vaccination had, in part, been ob¬ 
 viated, and he had the satisfaction of knowing that 
 it was diffusing itself in every direction. 
 
 His own personal endeavours were, as hereto¬ 
 fore, laborious. He offered gratuitous inoculation 
 to all the poor who thought fit to apply at stated 
 periods. His benevolent invitations were, in the 
 main, very generally accepted, parents bringing 
 their children in great numbers both from the 
 town and the adjoining parishes. 
 
 I believe it was at this time that the incident I 
 am about to mention occurred. Notwithstanding 
 
 2 F 
 
434 
 
 LIFE OF DIE JENNER. 
 
 his repeated notices of gratuitous aid one parish 
 had hitherto obstinately held back. This year, 
 however, he found the people bringing their chil¬ 
 dren in great numbers. Of course he wished to 
 know by what means they had become converts to 
 the new inoculation. He found that arguments of 
 a very authoritative nature had brought about the 
 change. The small-pox, in the course of the pre¬ 
 ceding year, had been introduced into the parish, 
 and proved extremely fatal; but it was not this 
 circumstance, nor yet the security of those who 
 had been vaccinated in the adjoining parishes, 
 that brought cow-pox inoculation into favour. The 
 cost of coffins for those who were cut off by small¬ 
 pox proved burdensome to the parish; the church¬ 
 wardens, therefore, moved by this argument effect¬ 
 ually exerted their authority and compelled the 
 people to avail themselves of Hr. Jenner’s kind 
 offer. 
 
 His exertions, as usual, in London were inces¬ 
 sant in prosecuting his favourite object. They 
 were, however, interrupted by a considerable attack 
 of illness which, for a short time, confined him to 
 his bed. The disease at its commencement had 
 somewhat of a typhoid character. His former 
 sufferings from a similar disease were never for¬ 
 gotten, and he continued to the end of his days to 
 entertain great apprehensions of any such attacks. 
 
 He was soon enabled to resume his active duties. 
 His vaccinations among the higher ranks were very 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 435 
 
 numerous; and many of the nobility were desirous 
 of having from his own mouth information on the 
 great question which then engrossed so much of the 
 public attention. A party of this kind assembled 
 at the house of Earl Spencer on the twentieth of 
 December. Besides his Lordship and the Countess 
 there were present Lord Lucan, Lord Camden, 
 Lord Macartney, Mr. Grenville, &c. &c. Jenner, 
 whether in conversation or in writing, never failed 
 to treat this or any other subject with great elo¬ 
 quence and perspicuity: his knowledge of it was 
 complete, and his feelings being at the same time 
 deeply engaged, his language assumed a degree of 
 animation and precision highly impressive. 
 
 While engaged in these public acts (for so they 
 may be called) he seized every opportunity of cul¬ 
 tivating his domestic affections, and in promoting 
 or participating in the little amusements and enjoy¬ 
 ments of his children. He took them to see the 
 different sights which London afforded. Among 
 others, the illuminations in honour of the Queen’s 
 birth-day delighted them exceedingly, and his pa¬ 
 rental feelings in sympathizing with the pleasures of 
 his children are expressively recorded by the inser¬ 
 tion of. this trifling incident in his memoranda.— 
 Next day, January the twentieth, he went with his 
 son Edward to place him at school at Mr. Evans’s, 
 in Islington, 
 
436 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 PUBLICATION OF THE ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF VACCINE 
 INOCULATION — INTRODUCTION OF VACCINATION INTO 
 DENMARK, SWEDEN, RUSSIA, &C. &C — DISCOVERY OF THE 
 VARIOLiE VACCINiE IN LOMBARDY, &C. 
 
 About this time Dr. Davids, of Rotterdam, went 
 to Paris for the express purpose of seeing the prac¬ 
 tice of vaccination, and of bringing it into his own 
 country. He was not successful in this attempt; 
 the virus which he carried from Paris having failed 
 he subsequently received some from Boulogne, 
 which proved effectual. These facts he communicated 
 to Dr. Jenner in a letter dated on the first of Ja¬ 
 nuary, 1801. This gentleman also translated and 
 published Dr. Jenner’s Inquiry. 
 
 As Dr. Davids had gone to Paris for instruc¬ 
 tion, so in like manner another foreign physician 
 came from the Continent in order to derive in¬ 
 formation from the great author of vaccination 
 himself. 
 
 Dr. Reumont of Aix-la-Chapelle is the person 
 to whom I allude. He had frequent intercourse 
 with Dr. Jenner, from whom he received great 
 
LIFE OF 1)R. JENNER. 
 
 437 
 
 civilities and every necessary information connected 
 with his object. 
 
 Early in this year Dr. Jenner published his 
 account of the origin of the vaccine inoculation. 
 Among other public bodies to whom he sent this 
 little work he did not forget the National Institute 
 of France. He presented a copy to that learned 
 body accompanied by the letter here inserted. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to the President of the National 
 Institute of France. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 It is impossible for those who delight in science, on 
 whatever part of the globe fortune may have chanced to 
 place them, to contemplate without admiration the ardour 
 with which her paths are cultivated by those illustrious 
 characters who form the National Institute of France. 
 
 Conscious that it is the wish of that society to receive 
 as well as to diffuse knowledge, permit me, Sir, to present 
 you with a few pages containing the History of the Origin 
 of Vaccine Inoculation. 
 
 The speedy adoption at Paris of the plan I had the hap¬ 
 piness to announce for the annihilation of the small-pox, 
 and the strenuous efforts of the French in making it 
 known throughout their dominions, have filled me with 
 
 O J 
 
 sentiments of the highest respect for their talents in ap¬ 
 preciating those discoveries which tend to meliorate the 
 condition of human nature. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 with high consideration, 
 
 Your most obedient humble servant, 
 
 Edward Jenner. 
 
438 
 
 LIFE OF DR, JENNER, 
 
 This civility was acknowledged on the part of the 
 Institute in an official note. 
 
 From the National Institute of Sciences 
 
 and Arts, 
 
 Paris, the 16 Thermidor, 
 
 9 th Year of the French Republic. 
 
 The Office of the National Institute to M. Edward 
 Jenner, M. D. F. R. S, Lond. 
 
 The National Institute in exerting itself to propagate 
 the inoculation of the Vaccine has only fulfilled one of the 
 most important functions which the Constitutional Law of 
 France imposes. 
 
 To gather new truths from whatever quarter they may 
 come, to spread them when they are useful, this is its first 
 duty. It is sufficient to let you know how far your dis¬ 
 covery, which appears to unite those two qualities in the 
 most eminent degree, ought to excite the attention of this 
 society, and the profound esteem it ought to inspire for 
 its author. 
 
 The Institute charges us to make you acquainted with 
 its sentiments, thanking you for the dissertation which 
 you have addressed to it. 
 
 We beg of you at the same time to persuade yourself 
 with the assurance of our particular consideration. 
 
 Coulomb, P‘. 
 
 G. Cuvier, S e . 
 
 * De Lambre. 
 
 I have already mentioned that the true Vaccine 
 virus had been lost in America, and that Dr. Jenner 
 had used every means to send a fresh supply to Dr, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 439 
 
 Waterhouse, which that physician acknowledged 
 in a letter worthy of publication here. It presents 
 a good specimen of the nature of the epistolary cor¬ 
 respondence already alluded to as having long sub¬ 
 sisted between two friends, whose views were so 
 peculiarly directed to one common object, the pro¬ 
 motion of the vaccine practice throughout the 
 world. 
 
 Du. Waterhouse to Du. Jenner. 
 
 Cambridge , April 24>th, 1801. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Being just informed of a ship’s sailing to-morrow for 
 London I have only time to acknowledge the receipt of 
 your most excellent letter: the answer to it must be post¬ 
 poned a week or two longer. With it I received a supply 
 of vaccine matter, which came to hand thirty-eight days 
 after the date of your letter, for which you have my most 
 cordial thanks. I have inoculated with it, and found it 
 good, and here send you the first crop from it. When my 
 good friend Dr. Lettsom has sent me curious melon seeds 
 I have sent him as soon as possible some seed raised from 
 them, that he might see whether our soil, atmosphere, and 
 mode of culture effected any alteration from the original 
 stock. The same I have now done with your Vaccine 
 virus. It was taken on the 9th day, for the pustule 
 afforded none on the 8th. I took the patient into my own 
 house that I might watch the progress of the local affec¬ 
 tion, which I did with the microscope. It is now the tenth 
 day in the morning, and I expect the efflorescence will, in 
 ten or twelve hours more, put on the appearance of your 
 tenth day representation in the coloured engravings. 
 
440 
 
 LIFE OF DIE JENNEll. 
 
 It is impossible for me to express the great satisfaction 
 your letter gave me. The subject was before involved in 
 a mist: your letter was a ray of light, which ray must be 
 reflected for the benefit of the western world. Oh ! that 
 it were possible for this ray to become still more brilliant 
 and even generative at the point of repercussion. 
 
 I entirely agree with you as to the cause of our late 
 failures in inoculation. The case at Geneva, under Dr. 
 Odier, was ours exactly. One inch and a half of infected 
 thread from Dr. Haygarth was the whole stock from whence 
 perhaps %000 persons have been inoculated, but I fear the 
 greatest part of them have been spurious. I here enclose 
 a newspaper containing a communication written in the 
 clouds last December. I will allow you to smile at my 
 mercurial and antimonial process, and likewise at my sex¬ 
 tuple quantity of deteriorated virus! You know not 
 what it is to be perplexed in this business. That prince of 
 physiologists, John Hunter, once told me that £< he loved 
 to be puzzled, for then he was sure he should learn some¬ 
 thing valuable.” Burthensome as it was at the time I do 
 not now regret my perplexity. When I had lost my way, 
 and wandered into the wilds of conjecture, I stood still. I 
 gave out that the winter was an unfavourable season for 
 this new inoculation, and by that means I suspended the 
 practice throughout the country from that period until the 
 arrival of fresh matter and your letter. Now we are going 
 on again, but not with the faith and spirit of the last sea¬ 
 son. Some unlucky cases have damped the ardour of a 
 people who received this new inoculation with a candour, 
 liberality, and even generosity, much to their credit. The 
 first political and literary characters in our nation are still 
 warm advocates for the practice. I have lately received a 
 request from head-quarters to supply the matter, and give 
 the instructions to the regimental surgeons for inoculating 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 441 
 
 the corps of artillerists and engineers stationed at different 
 places on our coast. 
 
 Accept my thanks for the coloured plate. It is indeed 
 a happy expedient, and honours the graphic art. It is 
 thought here to be so important that I am anxious to 
 know if I can with propriety procure more of them. I 
 should wish to possess a couple of dozen to be deposited 
 in the hands of some of our leading practitioners, or clergy¬ 
 men, in different parts of the United States by way of 
 standards. If this could be done I would propose that 
 your artist or bookseller should send them to my book¬ 
 seller, Mr. Mawman in the Poultry, who will pay for 
 them and transmit them to me. Could I procure two or 
 three, delineating the appearances on the skin of-the negro, 
 I would send them into such of our southern states as are 
 blackened by these degraded beings. I have lately had 
 letters from Virginia, respecting matter, instructions, &c. 
 
 I have been informed from a quarter not likely to be 
 deceived, that cows (contrary to my assertion in page 
 22 of my pamphlet) have been known to have the small¬ 
 pox. 
 
 The account is this. At one of our periodical inocu¬ 
 lations, which occurs in New England once in eight or 
 nine years, several persons drove their cows to an hospital 
 near a populous village, in order that their families might 
 have the daily benefit of their milk. These cows were 
 milked by persons in all stages of the small-pox: the con¬ 
 sequence was, the cows had an eruptive disorder on their 
 teats and udders, so like the small-pox pustule, that every 
 one in the hospital, as well as the physician who told me, 
 declared the cows had the small-pox. Since the cow-pox 
 has been talked of this account has been revived and cre¬ 
 dited. Have you found any thing like this in England ? 
 
 I inoculated one of my cows with the Vaccine virus, 
 
442 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNElt. 
 
 and obtained from her a crop of matter on the ninth day, 
 which produced the disease in the human subject to per¬ 
 fection. Is this experiment known among you? As I 
 operated myself there was no avenue opened for deception 
 in the whole experiment. 
 
 I have invariably found that weakly children have been 
 benefited by the vaccine inoculation, and some it has cured 
 of the hooping-cough. 
 
 Could you believe that not a single case of the cow-pox 
 inoculation has yet occurred in Philadelphia? A young 
 physician applied to me a few days since from that for the 
 infection. It seems that the leading physician there 
 pronounces" it too beastly and indelicate for polished so¬ 
 ciety ! It is impossible to think of this without calling 
 to mind Mr. Ring’s solemn appeal to Dr. Moseley respect¬ 
 ing cotes’ milk, beef steaks, and mutton chops. Please to 
 present my best compliments to that gentleman, and tell 
 him that this single stroke of wit, so much in the spirit of 
 our Franklin who always decorated philosophy with a 
 smile, has done me more service than half the publications 
 I have read on the philosophy of vaccination. 
 
 You very politely express a wish for more of my letters 
 on the Vaccine or any other subject. In order to damp 
 this desire and surfeit you at once, I have directed my book¬ 
 seller to send you a whole volume of them, which the 
 partiality of Dr. Lettsom has brought into light. 
 
 I here send you the Massachusets Register for the pre¬ 
 sent year. It may possibly afford you some information 
 as to our literary societies, &c. and may give you some new 
 ideas respecting the present state of a country which was 
 characteristically denominated by the English a century 
 ago “ The Wilderness.” 
 
 I need not, I think, say how highly I should prize the 
 correspondence of Dr.Jenner on any subject; but more es- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 443 
 
 pecially on that for which he is so deservedly celebrated ; 
 and who, according to my understanding, is the only clear , 
 consistent , unconfused writer on the cow-pox that has yet 
 appeared. 
 
 I reiterate my thanks for your kindness, and beg you to 
 ^accept the assurances of high consideration and esteem! 
 
 Benjamin Waterhouse. 
 
 P. S. As the library of this University is by far the 
 largest in the United States, and is the grand deposit of 
 rare and valuable books in this quarter of the world and 
 will long continue so, I cannot resist expressing my wish 
 that a copy of your invaluable work may be deposited there 
 by its author. I presume my motives for wishing this, and 
 hinting it, stand in no need of an apology. By a law of the 
 Commonwealth, an author to secure his copy-right must 
 deposit a copy of his work in this library; and books sent 
 to it come free from duty. This library, museum, and 
 other public rooms are constantly visited by strangers as 
 among the curiosities of the country. When I had the 
 honour of waiting on the Duke of Kent through them, he 
 expressed his surprise at such a collection of books and na¬ 
 tural productions in about thirty years, for the small-pox 
 destroyed the chief of what had been collected since 1638: 
 that is to say, it raged in Boston, and the legislature on 
 that account occupied one of the public rooms in the hall, 
 which contained the library ; when it by some accident 
 took fire and was, one alcove excepted, totally destroyed. 
 Thanks be to Dr. Jenner, such an accident from such a 
 cause can never happen again. 
 
 The ever-active mind of Dr. Jenner was now 
 investigating the history of some of the other disor¬ 
 ders of the inferior animals. Among these was 
 
444 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 the dog-distemper. He found that animal to be 
 very susceptible of the Variolse Vaccinae ; and he 
 believed that after having undergone their influence, 
 it was rendered unsusceptible of the distemper . 
 Several of our great fox-hunters eagerly availed 
 themselves of this hint, and had their hounds vac¬ 
 cinated. This practice is, I believe, not now in 
 use. 
 
 A paper on the dog-distemper was some years 
 afterwards presented to the Medico-Chirurgical 
 Society of London, by Dr. Jenner. This paper, 
 together with an account of two cases of small-pox 
 communicated to the foetus in utero , was printed in 
 the first volume of their transactions in the year 
 1809. 
 
 It has been seen that whilst the practice of vac¬ 
 cination was extending rapidly over the world Dr. 
 Jenner had the mortification to learn that a perfect 
 knowledge of the manner in which it ought to be 
 conducted did not keep pace with it. The conse¬ 
 quence was a very natural degree of disquiet in his 
 mind and great alarm and agitation on the part of 
 the public from cases of alleged failure, which were 
 assiduously circulated in newspapers and magazines, 
 accompanied with all the exaggerations and mis¬ 
 statements that ignorance and prejudice could in¬ 
 vent. 
 
 Dr. Jenner’s method of dealing with rumours of 
 that kind may be gathered from a letter written 
 on such an occasion. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 445 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Boddington. 
 
 London , April 21*7', 1801. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I am extremely obliged to you for your letter which I 
 long waited for with great anxiety ; not an anxiety arising 
 from any fear as to the result of my inquiry, but from a 
 wish to satisfy the minds of those who were thrown into 
 consternation from the reports which prevailed respecting 
 Master Boddington’s case. It was a case. Sir, on which I 
 would willingly have rested all the merits of the vaccine 
 discovery. Your letter and that of the medical gentleman 
 who inserted the variolous matter fully justify me in saying 
 I should have been right, for I never wish for a more per¬ 
 fect specimen of the non-effective powers of the small-pox 
 upon the constitution after the cow-pox, than that you have 
 laid before me. How a gentleman, following a profession 
 the guardian angel of which is fame, should have so com¬ 
 mitted himself as to have called this a case of small-pox 
 after cow-pox, is not only astonishing to me, but must be so 
 to all who know any thing of the animal economy. He 
 should have known that upon the skin of every human 
 being that possesses a more than ordinary share of irrita¬ 
 bility the insertion of the variolous virus (whether the per¬ 
 son has previously had the cow-pox or small-pox) will pro¬ 
 duce either a pustule or a vesicle capable of communicating 
 the small-pox, and frequently attended with extensive in¬ 
 flammation. He should have known, too, that an inflam¬ 
 mation, by whatever artificial means excited upon a de¬ 
 tached part of the skin, is capable not only of exciting some 
 degree of indisposition but also eruptions. Within this 
 fortnight I have seen these appearances from a small blis- 
 
446 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ter on the child of a nobleman here. From the irritation 
 of the blister the eruption became almost universal. 
 
 I remain, dear Sir, 
 
 Your obliged and obedient Servant, 
 
 E. Jennee. 
 
 Dr. Jenner has often been blamed, but I really 
 believe inconsiderately, for encouraging unprofes¬ 
 sional persons to practise vaccination. Every indi¬ 
 vidual in this situation, with whom he had to do, 
 actually studied the subject, and implicitly followed 
 his directions. Not so, many of his professional 
 brethren. They would not condescend to be in¬ 
 structed, and they openly disregarded his rules. Of 
 these one of the most important was violated by the 
 first public body that was formed in London for the 
 purpose of vaccination. They actually printed and 
 distributed a paper stating that the virus may safely 
 be taken from the pustule so late as the thirteenth 
 day !!! 
 
 It certainly would have been desirable to have 
 confined the practice from the beginning to the 
 hands of medical men. It is, nevertheless, true 
 that from the causes just mentioned they fell into 
 greater error, and did thereby much more endanger 
 the character of vaccination than those who, from 
 their general ignorance of medical subjects, might 
 have been considered as more liable to go astray. 
 
 With these exceptions, every thing connected 
 with vaccination was going on prosperously. His 
 communications from remote parts, as well as from 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 447 
 
 different places in our own country, all conveyed the 
 pleasing intelligence of a rapid and satisfactory ex¬ 
 tension of the practice. It continued to excite great 
 interest among the pubhc at large. 
 
 I have mentioned several of the nobility and gen¬ 
 try who distinguished themselves by their zeal. I 
 have now to add to that number the Earl of Car¬ 
 narvon, who about this time gave Dr. Jenner an 
 account of his vaccinations, which had been very ex¬ 
 tensive and successful. 
 
 This was not always the case with those of medi¬ 
 cal men. An incident proving this was communi¬ 
 cated to Dr. Jenner, and he made it known to Lord 
 Egremont, because from its connexion with two 
 public bodies it might materially affect the charac¬ 
 ter of vaccination. The Sick and Hurt Office had 
 sent to the public Institution for Vaccine virus. 
 They were furnished with matter issuing from an 
 ulcer on a child’s arm. The child had been vac¬ 
 cinated sixteen or eighteen days. Dr. Jenner in¬ 
 variably exclaimed against proceedings of this kind. 
 He was even conscious that he himself had, in the 
 outset, been less scrupulous as to the time of taking 
 matter than he ought to have been. His sentiments 
 on these points are thus expressed by himself:— 
 
 I)r. Jenner to Mr. Ring. 
 
 Bond Street , July lsL 1801. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 You have often, I believe, heard me say (and I now re¬ 
 peat it) that it would not in the least surprise me to hear 
 
448 
 
 LIFE OF DK. JENNER. 
 
 that some of those who became my vaccine patients in the 
 early part of my inoculation were infected with the small¬ 
 pox. I had not then learned to discriminate between the 
 efficacy of virus taken at an early, and at a late period of 
 the pustule. Accordingly I have long since requested 
 my nephew, whenever an opportunity offered, to reinocu¬ 
 late those people. I am confident that the cases you men¬ 
 tion will be productive of good consequences, although 
 they must create some temporary uneasiness, and give a 
 little local check to vaccination. They will tend to stamp 
 perfection on what I called <£ the golden rule” which, 
 backed by your persuasive pen, will tend to make practi¬ 
 tioners more careful than ever in their conduct. The 
 
 precepts given out by P-allow an unlimited time 
 
 for taking the Vaccine virus from the pustule. This I 
 have often exclaimed against. It was not long ago that an 
 apothecary wanted to take it from a pustule on the arm of 
 a patient of mine, after the incrustation had begun to form 
 three or four days. 
 
 1 our case would certainly have raised a clamour a year 
 or two ago; but now the phenomena of cow-pox have 
 been so fully examined, and are so well understood, none 
 but the ignorant and illiberal will lay any stress on it for a 
 moment. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 Edward Jenner. 
 
 The golden rule alluded to in this letter regarded 
 the time of taking the Vaccine fluid for the pur¬ 
 pose of inoculation. This Dr. Jenner maintained 
 ought to be done at an early period of its formation, 
 and before the appearance of the areola. The next 
 rule which he insisted on was that the pustule, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 449 
 
 when excited should be permitted to go through all 
 its stages in an uninterrupted manner. If any de¬ 
 viation appeared in its progress he always forbade 
 the employment of virus from such a pustule for 
 farther inoculations. 
 
 These rules, together with the injunctions which 
 he subsequently delivered on the effect of certain 
 diseases of the skin in interfering with the progress 
 and character of the Vaccine pustule, may be con¬ 
 sidered as comprehending the main points to be 
 attended to by those who undertake to conduct the 
 practice of Vaccine inoculation. 
 
 On the 22nd of April he attended a meeting of 
 the Lyceum Medicum Londinense, when he was ad¬ 
 mitted a fellow. This fact is worthy of being men¬ 
 tioned, inasmuch as this society was founded by his 
 friend John Hunter, and Dr. Fordyce. 
 
 As it becomes me to seize every opportunity to 
 prove the accuracy of his observation, and the truth 
 of his doctrines, I may mention some of the remarks 
 which he made at this time touching the influence 
 of cutaneous diseases in modifying the progress of 
 the vaccine pustule. One of the entries in his jour¬ 
 nal is to the following effect: “ Inoculated Lady 
 C. F. a second time. It is very evident that that 
 affection of the skin called red gum, deadens the ef¬ 
 fect of the Vaccine virus. This infant was covered 
 with it when inoculated four days ago. The same 
 thing happened to Mrs. D.’s infant/ 
 
 Dr. Jenner’s conjecture respecting the power of 
 
 2 G 
 
450 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 vaccination in preventing the dog-distemper has 
 been already mentioned. Further to put this opi¬ 
 nion to the test he, together with his nephew Mr. 
 George Jenner, vaccinated in the month of June 
 about twenty of his Majesty’s stag-hounds. On the 
 12th of the same month he vaccinated a child from 
 its own arm. This fact, together with that recorded 
 by Mr. Hicks, proves how completely Dr. Jenner’s 
 mind was possessed of that knowledge which led Mr. 
 Bryce, at a subsequent period, to propose his test of 
 perfect vaccination. 
 
 Dr. Jenner remained in London till the 22d 
 July, on which day he left it with his family and 
 arrived at Cheltenham on the evening of the 23d. 
 He remained there till towards the end of November, 
 when he went for a short time to Berkeley. 
 
 In the summer of this year Dr. Jenner gave some 
 cow-pox matter to Dr. Marcet to be sent to Copen¬ 
 hagen. About two months after, this physician re¬ 
 ceived an interesting account of its success, which 
 he published in the London Medical and Physical 
 Journal. His Majesty the King of Denmark 
 evinced his paternal solicitude for the welfare of his 
 subjects by appointing a committee to collect infor¬ 
 mation concerning vaccine inoculation, and to pro¬ 
 pose such regulations as might be needful for dif¬ 
 fusing it in his dominions. This committee agreed 
 on their report on the 5th of December 1801. It 
 was then laid before his Majesty; when he was 
 pleased to give his approbation to all the proposals 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 451 
 
 of the committee, and commanded the same to be 
 duly enforced. 
 
 Professor Winslow particularly distinguished him¬ 
 self both as a member of this committee and as a 
 sedulous vaccinator. The report was drawn up 
 with great judgment, and laid the foundation for 
 all the judicious and wholesome regulations which 
 for a period of nearly twenty years gave Denmark a 
 total immunity from small-pox. 
 
 From Denmark the practice was disseminated 
 into Sweden, where means not less efficient were 
 adopted for its propagation, and, as has already ap¬ 
 peared, with a corresponding degree of success. 
 
 In the course of this year also the practice of 
 vaccination was introduced into the West India 
 islands with like benefit. 
 
 For the most part this practice was received 
 with greater eagerness on the Continent than in 
 England. Both France and Germany had, never¬ 
 theless, their Moseleys, their Birches and their 
 Rowleys. Ehrmann, of Frankfort, in an especial 
 manner rendered himself conspicuous by the vio¬ 
 lence and extravagance of his opposition to the new 
 practice. A learned divine of the church of Eng¬ 
 land (Massey) who preached a sermon against 
 small-pox inoculation, in London, 1722, announced 
 it as no new art, inasmuch as Job, he asserted, had 
 been inoculated by the devil. Erhmann took ra¬ 
 ther a bolder flight, and attempted to prove from 
 quotations of the prophetical parts of Scripture, and 
 
 2 G 2 
 
452 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 the writings of the fathers of the church, that the 
 Vaccine was nothing less than Antichrist. The 
 harsh and unsparing tone of his writings obtained for 
 him the appellation of the Marat of the Vaccine. 
 
 The progress of vaccination was, however, more 
 impeded by the misjudging zeal and mistakes of its 
 professed supporters than by all the efforts of its 
 most determined opposers. Had the former made 
 themselves well acquainted with the subject, and 
 conducted the process with care and attention, all 
 the attempts of the latter would have been power¬ 
 less. Still, as it was, nothing could effectually stay 
 the course of this wonderful discovery. 
 
 The Cisalpine Republic during the summer of 
 this year gave an authoritative sanction to the 
 practice. Instructions drawn up by Dr. Sacco were 
 disseminated throughout the whole territory; and 
 that gentleman was appointed Director of Vaccina¬ 
 tion. I give his first letter to Dr. Jenner, announ¬ 
 cing these facts, and his discovery of the indige¬ 
 nous Vaccine virus in Lombardy : together with 
 Jenner’s answer. 
 
 Dr. Sacco to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 It is to the Genius of Medicine, to the favourite child of 
 nature that I have the honour to write. The name of 
 Jenner will be always beloved by all posterity. All sen-! 
 sible minds will feel pleased with you. Finally, popula¬ 
 tion, by your incalculable and very interesting discovery, 
 will realize more than another tenth of its increase. We 
 
LIFE OF DIE JENNEIl. 
 
 453 
 
 must be very grateful to you, Sir; you have given the 
 thread by which all others have guided their experiences. 
 I also am one of those who, on the line which you have 
 marked out, have endeavoured to render myself 1 useful to 
 humanity. After long researches I have at last found 
 the virus indigenous in Lombardy; and with this virus 
 there have already been more than eight thousand inocu¬ 
 lations performed with the most happy success. 
 
 Several hundreds of these have since been subjected to 
 the variolous inoculation, and have resisted it. The Cisal¬ 
 pine Government has distinguished itself, and wished to 
 render it general throughout the whole territory of the 
 Republic. It has done me the honour to appoint me 
 Director of the Vaccination, which goes on very pros¬ 
 perously. 
 
 I should have wished, Sir, immediately on the publi¬ 
 cation of my work to have paid a little tribute of gratitude 
 and esteem to a man such as you are, but the circumstances 
 of the war have hindered me. Receive, my very estimable 
 Sir, the homage of one who at a distance follows your 
 steps, and who expects always from his master useful in¬ 
 structions. On this subject there is no English work 
 known in Italy except your first publication and late ob¬ 
 servations. Some other books of old date are known only 
 by extracts. 
 
 I would therefore, Sir, beg of you if you have any thing 
 new to do me the honour to prepare for me a feast : I 
 shall be under the greatest obligations to you for it. You 
 will also do me the greatest pleasure in communicating to 
 me the state of vaccination at present in England. And 
 as 1 must give a report to Government, which will be print¬ 
 ed, I shall then have the satisfaction to announce new and 
 interesting things from the native country of the Vaccine. 
 IIow happy should 1 be to make a journey to England 
 
454 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 that I might become acquainted with my preceptor, and 
 to see all the establishments of that country. I pray to 
 Heaven to inspire my country with the idea of the neces¬ 
 sity of sending some one who may know the great men 
 produced in that happy soil. Circumstances become more 
 favourable every day: let us therefore hope. Honour me, 
 Sir, I beg, with your correspondence, and be sure of my 
 highest esteem. 
 
 You may, Sir, address your answer and any later obser¬ 
 vations to M. Woodville, whom I have requested to send 
 me every thing. I hope you will not be displeased with 
 me if I have not been completely convinced that the grease 
 in the horse has been the cause of the origin of the cow-pox. 
 I have several experiments to the contrary. If you still 
 have some which confirm it I beg of you to communicate 
 them tome, in order that I may do you justice. 
 
 I believe I have explained what inoculators seek, by 
 which, making four or six punctures, the pustules do not 
 all arise in every place. When the absorption in the lym¬ 
 phatics does not take place, they fail: and, on the contrary, 
 when the puncture happens in a small lymphatic vessel, 
 then it is sure that the Vaccine will appear in the skin, 
 although every-where covered with small vessels; there are, 
 however, small interstices in which they are not. 
 
 If the puncture be made in this interstice it fails. One 
 may explain this by almost all the phenomena which have 
 been accounted for before. You see that the glands in ge¬ 
 neral are the most affected. I request you to tell me your 
 opinion on this theory. 
 
 May you live, my dear Sir, a long while for the good of 
 humanity, and for the sake of all those who love you. 
 
 Ik S. I have sent to Mr. Woodville vaccine matter from 
 Lombardy. I have requested him to return me some from 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEK. 
 
 455 
 
 London. Sir, you may also send me some from the coun¬ 
 try. You will oblige me infinitely—the comparison may 
 produce some effect. 
 
 Your very humble servant, 
 
 Louis Sacco. 
 
 Milan , Oct. 1 6th, 1801. 
 
 Dr. J enner to Dr. Sacco, of Milan. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Accept my best acknowledgements for your very kind 
 attention. I am extremely gratified by your goodness in 
 sending me your pamphlet on Vaccine Inoculation, your 
 obliging letter, and above all the virus from the plains of 
 Lombardy. I am confident that wherever the horse and the 
 cow are domesticated together, and the same human being 
 that attends the one, under a peculiar malady of the foot, 
 milks the cow also, that there the disease called the cow- 
 pox may arise. 
 
 Until your communication reached me I was not aware 
 that the new practice had been known in Milan. How 
 much do I rejoice to observe that it is not only known 
 there, but that it has already been conducted so exten¬ 
 sively and so ably. 
 
 * * # * # 
 
 Measures not less influential were adopted in the 
 Prussian dominions. The virus which had been sent 
 by Dr. Jenner to vaccinate the Princess Louisa had 
 proved completely successful. The noble example 
 set by the royal family, in thus giving proof of their 
 confidence in vaccination, was amply repaid by great 
 future benefits to the community. It laid the foun¬ 
 dation for an extensive and effective system of vacci¬ 
 nations, which were carried on under the immediate 
 
456 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 sanction of the King. His Majesty founded a royal 
 Inoculation Institute in Berlin, the care of which 
 was confided to Dr. Bremer, and his benevolent de¬ 
 signs were seconded by this physician with the ut¬ 
 most zeal. He circulated tracts and exhortations 
 to the public, and adopted a plan which had great 
 effect both in increasing the number of vaccina¬ 
 tions, and in enabling him to ascertain that they 
 were properly performed. Assisted by generous in¬ 
 dividuals he collected funds sufficient to have a me¬ 
 dal struck. This medal was given to those who 
 caused their children to be vaccinated at the Royal 
 Institute; not at the time of vaccination, but on the 
 seventh day after, when they appeared to show the 
 progress of the pustule. 
 
 The artists of Berlin cordially lent their aid. 
 The drawing was made by Mr. Freitsch, the King’s 
 painter, and director of the Royal Academy. The 
 die was sunk by the King’s medallists, Loos and 
 Son. The obverse exhibits a child pointing with 
 the fore-finger of his right hand to the spot where 
 vaccination is generally performed on the left arm. 
 In the left hand the child holds a rose ; and there 
 is besides a garland of roses, and a cornucopia. 
 The inscription commemorates Dr. Jenner’s first 
 vaccination in the following words — u Edward 
 Jenner's beneficial discovery of the 14th of May, 
 1796.” 
 
 The reverse states the object of the medal in 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 457 
 
 words to this effect. 44 In remembrance of protec¬ 
 tion afforded.’’ Presented by Dr. Bremer, Berlin, 
 
 1803. 
 
 In Vienna, notwithstanding the unwearied efforts 
 of Dr. De Carro, the Government for a time stood 
 aloof, and actually confounding the vaccine inocu¬ 
 lation with that of small-pox, issued an order for¬ 
 bidding vaccination within the wails of the city. As 
 soon as the essential difference between the two 
 affections was ascertained this order was revoked, 
 and the practice of vaccination was carried on with 
 the greatest energy and activity. Tracts were dis¬ 
 tributed among the people, and individuals, power¬ 
 ful from their rank and their talents, exerted their 
 influence in diffusing the antidote. What Lord 
 Egremont, Mr. Fermor, and others had done in 
 England, was achieved upon a wider scale at Brunn, 
 in Moravia, by Count Francis Hugh de Salm. This 
 truly philanthropic nobleman, having obtained ge¬ 
 nuine Vaccine vims with appropriate directions for 
 its employment, called in to his assistance two phy¬ 
 sicians, and sent a third to be fully instructed in the 
 practice. He likewise held out rewards to the phy¬ 
 sician who should vaccinate the greatest number in 
 that -country ; and himself drew up a popular trea¬ 
 tise on the subject, which he distributed gratuitously 
 to the clergy and schoolmasters of Bohemia and 
 Moravia. Not contented with these generous exer¬ 
 tions in the cause he came to England with a letter 
 
458 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 of introduction from Dr. De Cairo* to visit in per¬ 
 son the illustrious discoverer Jenner, and the other 
 sedulous promoters of vaccination. 
 
 The good people of Brunn continue to comme¬ 
 morate the blessings conferred by the introduction 
 of the Vaccine. They have erected a temple dedi¬ 
 cated to Jenner. Here they annually hold a festival 
 on his birthday. Some years ago they sent him a 
 very interesting and warm-hearted account of their 
 anniversary ; which will be found in another page. 
 
 The practice was introduced into Hungary by 
 Balthasar Nicolas de Bedecovitz, Lord of Kamor, 
 living at Varasdin in Croatia. He caused to be 
 vaccinated on his lands at Stephaniez the children of 
 one hundred and forty-nine families. 
 
 A sister of the late King of Poland, the Countess 
 Zamoiska, who was living at Vienna while Dr. De 
 Carro was carrying on his first vaccinations, desired 
 him to furnish her with virus, which she transmitted 
 to her daughter the Countess Mnieshek. One of 
 this lady’s own children was inoculated with this 
 
 * Extract of a letter from Dr. De Carro to Dr. Jenner, dated 
 Vienna, 30th June, 1801. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Give me leave to recommend to your notice the bearer of this 
 letter. Count de Salm, a friend of mine and a young man of very 
 great merit. The propagation of your discovery in the Austrian 
 Monarchy has been more forwarded by him than by all the im¬ 
 perial faculties of medicine. Open my work at page 91, and 
 you will read part of what this nobleman has done for the two 
 provinces of Moravia and Bohemia. 
 
LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 459 
 
 matter; and from this source was the practice dif¬ 
 fused over Poland. 
 
 The ministers of religion were not slow in their 
 exertions in this cause. The address to “ Fathers 
 and Mothers” drawn up by the faculty at Geneva, 
 and which the officiating clergyman was in the 
 habit of delivering to the parents and sponsors of 
 every child presented to receive the rite of baptism, 
 has been already mentioned. John Michel Korn, 
 the pastor of Brunn Am Geburgh, struck with 
 the mildness of the symptoms of vaccination, gave 
 on the Sunday immediately following his obser¬ 
 vation of them an account of the discovery from his 
 pulpit. The paternal and affecting simplicity of 
 his exhortation so wrought upon the hearts of those 
 who heard him that eighty persons were shortly 
 after vaccinated. On each ensuing Sabbath he re¬ 
 peated his invitation ; and a physician attended to 
 vaccinate any one who came forward at the close of 
 the service. I am determined, said this philanthropist 
 in a letter to Dr. De Carro, to have no more small¬ 
 pox in my parish. 
 
 In October 1801, the Vaccine was sent from 
 Breslau to Moscow, by Dr. Friese. It was trans¬ 
 mitted on some of Dr. De Carro’s ivory points, and 
 on threads. The Russian Court was at that time 
 in the ancient capital, on account of the coronation 
 of the late Emperor Alexander. The Empress 
 Dowager zealously promoted the new practice. She 
 desired that the name of Vaccinoff might be given 
 
460 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 to the first child who received the infection. The 
 young VaccinofF was then conveyed to St. Peters- 
 burgh in one of her Imperial Majesty’s coaches, and 
 placed in the Foundling Hospital, and a provision 
 was settled on her for life. 
 
 Her Imperial Majesty continued to bestow every 
 encouragement on the dissemination of the practice, 
 and it soon became general throughout the Russian 
 dominions. At a subsequent period the Emperor 
 appointed a mission to carry the antidote to the more 
 remote provinces of his empire, with the intention of 
 ultimately reaching China and the whole of the 
 northern parts of Asia. 
 
 On the 10th of August, 1802, the Empress, while 
 residing at Pawlosk, sent a letter to Hr. Jenner 
 signed with her own hand, which together with a 
 valuable diamond ring she forwarded to him through 
 Lord St. Helens, British Ambassador at the Court 
 of Petersburgh. His Lordship on his arrival in 
 England very politely wrote to Hr. Jenner, thinking 
 that he was then in town. Finding that he was at 
 Cheltenham his Lordship wrote a second note to 
 this effect. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Since writing my other letter to you of this date I have 
 learned by the servant whom I sent with it that you are 
 now at Cheltenham. I have to request, therefore, that if 
 you do not purpose returning soon to London, you will 
 have the goodness to commission some person to receive 
 what I have brought you from the Dowager Empress of 
 
FIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 461 
 
 Russia, consisting of a letter, and a small parcel contain¬ 
 ing (I believe) a ring set in diamonds. I shall probably 
 remain in town till the 15th instant. I have the honour 
 to be, with great regard, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 St. Helens. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Lord St. Helens. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I have been honoured with your Lordship’s letters ac¬ 
 quainting me with the distinguished mark of attention 
 conferred upon me by the Empress Dowager of Russia. 
 Sanctions like these, my Lord, from such exalted person¬ 
 ages must necessarily be peculiarly pleasing to my feel¬ 
 ings. They not only benefit me individually, but by blend¬ 
 ing with the general arguments for the universal adoption 
 of vaccine inoculation, the annihilation of that dreadful dis¬ 
 ease the small-pox will be the more quickly accomplished. 
 
 May I request the favour of your Lordship to make 
 known to the Empress the high value I set upon her Ma¬ 
 jesty’s present, and to express my extreme gratitude and 
 thankfulness for her goodness. 
 
 As I shall not be in London for some time to come 
 your Lordship would oblige me in consigning the parcel 
 to the care of Mr. Paytherus, Surgeon, No. 13, Norfolk- 
 Street, in the Strand, who will faithfully transmit it to 
 me. 
 
 I have the honour to be, my Lord, 
 
 Your Lordship’s 
 
 Ever obliged, faithful 
 
 And obedient humble servant, 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
 Cheltenham , 5th October , 1802. 
 
462 
 
 LIFE OF HR. JENNER. 
 
 Her imperial Majesty’s letter was couched in the 
 following terms. 
 
 Monsieur Jenner ! 
 
 Du sage de la Vaccine en Angleterre ayant eu les success 
 les plus avantageux et les mieux attestes, je me suis em- 
 pressee d’imiter cet exemple, en fintroduisant dans les es- 
 tablissemens pieux, qui sont sous ma direction. Mes soins 
 remplissant parfaitement mon attente, je me plais a en rap- 
 porter le succes, et a en temoigner ma reconnaissance a 
 celui, qui a rendue a Thumanite ce service signale. Ce 
 motif m’engage, Monsieur, a vous olfrir la bague ci-jointe 
 comme une temoinage des sentimens d’estime et de bien- 
 veillance, avec les quels je suis votre affectionee, 
 
 Marie. 
 
 Pawlosk ce 10 Aout , 1802. 
 
 To this most gracious letter Dr. Jenner returned 
 the following acknowledgement, in English as well 
 as in French. 
 
 To Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Dowager 
 
 of Russia. 
 
 Berkeley , October 10 th, 1802. 
 
 Madam, 
 
 I know not how to express a just sense of the obligation 
 I feel myself under to your Imperial Majesty for your great 
 condescension in addressing to me a most gracious letter, 
 and for your goodness in presenting me with a most valua¬ 
 ble diamond ring ; a gem, Madam, that I trust will de¬ 
 scend, with your illustrious name annexed, to my posterity 
 through ages! 
 
 That the discovery I have had the happiness to an- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 463 
 
 nounce should, fortunately, have attracted your Imperial 
 Majesty’s attention; and that you should have been 
 pleased to extend its benefits through the charitable esta¬ 
 blishments under your protection, are gratifications to me 
 of the most pleasing kind. Not only on me has your Im¬ 
 perial Majesty conferred a favour by your invaluable pre¬ 
 sent ; it will be felt by the whole world : for sanctions like 
 these will materiallv tend to extinguish prejudice, and 
 hasten the universal adoption of vaccine inoculation ; and 
 thus will the annihilation of a disease the most destructive 
 that ever preyed upon the human race be accelerated, and 
 millions of victims rescued from an untimely grave. 
 
 Permit me, Madam, humbly to present to your Imperial 
 Majesty those Essays which I have written upon this im¬ 
 portant subject. 
 
 Long may your Imperial Majesty enjoy those soothing 
 reflections so incessantly poured into those bosoms which 
 are formed, like yours, to soften the distresses of human 
 nature ! 
 
 I have the honour to be 
 Your Imperial Majesty’s most grateful, 
 obliged and devoted 
 
 humble servant, 
 
 E. Jennek. 
 
 Madame, 
 
 Les paroles me manquent pour exprimer tout ce que je 
 ressens de reconnoissance envers votre Majeste Imperiale 
 pour avoir daigne m’addresser une tres gracieuse lettre, 
 accompagnee d’une bague de grand prix; mais infiniment 
 plus precieuse pour etre le don d’une Princesse encore 
 plus distinguee par ses vertus, que par son haut rang dans 
 les empires. 
 
464 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Ce present, pour moi inappreciable, sera confie apres 
 ma raort a mes descendans avec une legende qui marquera 
 la source illustre d’ou il m'est parvenu. 
 
 II m’est assurement tres flatteur que la decouverte, que 
 j’ai eu le bonheur d’annoncer au public, ait attire l’atten- 
 tion de votre Majeste Iraperiale ; et qu’elle ait bien voulu 
 en etendre l’usage aux etablissemens pieux sous sa pro¬ 
 tection. 
 
 Une telle exemple contribuera de la maniere la plus 
 efficace a eteindre les prejuges, et a hater 1’adoption 
 universelle de la Vaccine. 
 
 De cette maniere l’aneantissement d’une maladic la 
 plus funeste peut^tre qui ait jamais affligee le genre hu- 
 main, sera accelere et des milliers de victim.es sauv6s de 
 mort prematuree. 
 
 Permettez, Madame, que je saisisse cette occasion pour 
 offrir a Votre Majeste, avec mon hommage respecteueux, 
 quelques esquisses que j’ai ecrites sur ce sujet important. 
 
 Puisse t’elle jouir pendant de longues annees des douces 
 reflections, qui sont le privilege precieux des ames sen- 
 sibles et bienfaisantes. Des telles reflections n’emanent 
 que des coeurs formes, comme le sien, pour soulager les 
 maux de la nature humaine. 
 
 J’ai 1’ honneur d’etre 
 
 / 
 
 avec le plus profond respect 
 Madame, 
 
 De Votre Majeste Imperiale 
 le tres humble devoue et reconnoissant 
 
 Serviteur, 
 
 Edward Jenner. 
 
 Berkeley, Compte de Gloucester. 
 
465 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 This letter, together with a copy of his works on 
 Vaccination, he forwarded to her Imperial Majesty, 
 through Lord St. Helens. His Lordship, in refer¬ 
 ence to these affairs, writes thus : — 
 
 Lord St. Helens to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Old Burlington Street , 14^4 December , 1802. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have received the honour of your letter and inclosure 
 of the 9th instant ; and yesterday I had the pleasure of a 
 visit from Mr. Ring, who informed me that the volume of 
 your publications on Vaccine Inoculation, which you in¬ 
 tended as a present to the Dowager Empress of Russia, 
 will be ready in the course of a few days. 
 
 I am sensibly obliged to you, Sir, for your attention in 
 leaving open your letter to her Imperial Majesty, as I have 
 perused it with very great satisfaction both in the original 
 and the translation : which is, in my judgment, uncom¬ 
 monly well executed. I have therefore determined to 
 send them both to her Imperial Majesty by the post of 
 this evening, accompanied by a letter from myself explain¬ 
 ing the circumstances that you have desired me to men¬ 
 tion, and I shall take care to forward the volume of your 
 Publications by the first messenger that may be dispatched 
 for St. Petersburgh from Lord Hawkesbury’s Office. 
 
 I hope I need not assure you, Sir, of the pleasure I feel 
 in executing this commission: and that I shall be equally 
 happy in availing myself of the first opportunity to assure 
 you, in person, of the very sincere and high regard and es¬ 
 teem with which I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 
 Your most faithful and obedient servant, 
 
 St. Helens. 
 
 2 H 
 
46G 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Among other distinguished individuals to whom 
 Dr. Jenner sent his first work on vaccination was 
 the celebrated Blumenbach. I believe it was deli¬ 
 vered to him by Dr. Charles Parry, who was then 
 pursuing his studies on the Continent. The ardent 
 feelings of gratitude with which this eminent natu¬ 
 ralist received the gift are thus expressed :— 
 
 Dr. Blumenbach to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Gottingen , Sept. 12, 1801. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Accept my warmest and most cordial thanks for the 
 very kind present of that immortal work by which you 
 have become one of the greatest benefactors to mankind, 
 as your great discovery is by far the most efficacious coun¬ 
 terpoise to the ravages made by war and similar expedients 
 for destruction of our fellow-brethren. 
 
 To show you in any way my grateful acknowledgment 
 for your kindness to me I proposed you as a member to 
 our R. S. and it needs not to tell you with what an unani¬ 
 mous applause they agreed to this proposition. I enclose 
 here the certificate of your fellowship, and have the honour 
 to be, full of the highest regard, Sir, 
 
 Your most obliged humble servant, 
 
 Jno. Fredk. Blumenbach. 
 
 P. S.—Give me leave, Sir, to tell you also that I, as a 
 very warm friend and even teacher of Natural History, 
 long very eagerly to see once your paper on the migration 
 of birds, mentioned in your masterly observations on the 
 cuckoo. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 467 
 
 The Royal Society of Gottingen had the honour 
 of setting the example to the other learned societies 
 of Europe, by electing (unanimously) the illustrious 
 author of Vaccination an honorary member of their 
 body. Dr. Jenner received this mark of respect 
 with great satisfaction. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Professor Blumenbach. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Among the favours conferred upon me, since I had first 
 the happiness of calling the attention of mankind to the sub¬ 
 ject of vaccine inoculation, there is not one which I esteem 
 more highly than that from the University of Gottingen. 
 
 Give me leave to request that through you, Sir, my 
 sincere thanks be presented to the learned body who have 
 so kindly made me the object of their attention; and to 
 assure them that I shall ever retain a grateful sense of the 
 obligation. 
 
 Permit me, particularly, to thank you for your very 
 friendly letter. My observations on the migration of birds 
 have not yet been published. I shall, if possible, present a 
 paper on the subject to the Royal Society this winter: 
 but latterly my attention (as you may suppose) has been 
 so incessantly occupied by that of the cow-pox I have 
 found it impracticable to wander into other paths of 
 natural history; a branch of science which, I know, is the 
 delight- of your heart as well as mine, and which you 
 have cultivated not only with ardour, but with effect. 
 
 A friend of mine, who has lately practised vaccine inocu¬ 
 lation very extensively, has circulated the enclosed paper of 
 directions. It contains some very useful and necessary 
 rules, yet probably nothing with which you are unac¬ 
 quainted. 
 
 2 II 2 
 
468 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 The state of feeling in France at this time, with 
 respect to vaccination, may be gathered from the 
 incident which I am about to mention. On the 
 arrival of the British Ambassador, the Most Noble 
 Marquess Cornwallis, at Amiens, the members of 
 the Jury of Health and the Medical Committee of 
 the Department of the Somme were so deeply im¬ 
 pressed with the magnitude of the discovery of the 
 “ immortal Jenner ” that they thought it a fit subject 
 of congratulation to the British Ambassador. The 
 address was duly presented, and afterwards forward¬ 
 ed to James Moore, Esq. by his gallant and most 
 deeply lamented brother, the late General Sir John 
 Moore, who was attached to the Embassy. This 
 interesting document is printed in the Medical and 
 Physical Journal, vol. 7, p. 201. 
 
 To elucidate the preceding narrative, I select from 
 the communications of some of Dr. Jenner’s foreign 
 correspondents a few documents, which will convey 
 much more accurate information of the state of 
 feeling in the different countries from which they 
 were written than I could effect in any other way. 
 The list might have been swelled to a great amount; 
 but I have inserted none except such as contain 
 facts, of themselves, important; and which could not 
 have failed to have been deeply interesting to Dr. 
 Jenner. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 469 
 
 Dr. Davids to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Rotterdam, 24 tli March , 1801. 
 
 To the Benefactor of Mankind, Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I was happy enough to introduce the cow-pox through 
 the whole country with the greatest success, and the name 
 of Dr. Jenner is adored. In a few days my translation of 
 your essay on the cow-pox will be published. 
 
 The cox-pox inoculation was introduced just at the 
 moment the small-pox made ravages through the whole 
 country; but thank God not one is infected after the 
 vaccine. 
 
 I will take the liberty of sending you one of my trans¬ 
 lations, and in the preface you will find an observation 
 about an Arabian manuscript found in the Leyden Bib- 
 liothec: 
 
 In the spring I should be very happy to have a little 
 fresh matter from the cow. 
 
 After assuring you of my sincere feelings and respect, 
 
 I remain, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient humble Servant, 
 
 L. Davids, M. D. 
 
 Dr. Waterhouse to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Cambridge , 30 th May, 1801. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 A few months ago I sent you a portion of infected 
 thread, being the first crop of your own matter. I also 
 sent you a portion of your own thread that you might see 
 
470 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 if it had lost any of its power by twice crossing the At¬ 
 lantic. I now again send you a portion of your own virus, 
 being a part of that identical thread which you, in con¬ 
 junction with Mr. Ring, took from the arm of a patient 
 on the third day of last March in London, that experiment 
 may be made respecting its activity at a still greater length 
 of time. I have about as much more left, which I will 
 send in perhaps two months hence. It is now within four 
 days of being three months old, and it had not lost its 
 activity ten days ago. 
 
 A few days ago the Attorney General of this Common¬ 
 wealth made me the following communication. 
 
 “ On the 16th of the present month (May) 1801, when 
 on the circuits, I passed through the town of Pelham, in 
 the County of Hampshire, in company with Chief Justice 
 Dana. We stopped at an inn kept by one Hyne. His 
 wife, sitting in a chair, appeared to be indisposed. She 
 informed me that she had the kine-pox; that she had 
 taken it from a cow she had milked ; that three others in 
 the family had caught it in the same way from the same 
 cow. I examined her arm; it was much inflamed, more 
 especially above the elbow. There were sores very much 
 like those in the human flesh made by small-pox taken in 
 the natural way. Her husband said the cow’s teats had 
 been sore, but had recovered.” 
 
 The Attorney General Mr. Sullivan is truly a man of 
 intelligence. Pie is President of the Plistorical Society, 
 author of the Plistory of the Province of Maine (See Mass. 
 Register, p. 170,) and has seen the kine-pox in his own 
 family. I therefore am inclined to believe that we have 
 the distemper among the Jcine of this region. 
 
 I have just received a packet from Mr. Dunning of 
 Plymouth Dock. He quotes a passage from a letter of 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 471 
 
 yours which has engrossed my mind almost entirely. It 
 is this: “ Are you inoculating your dogs yet in the 
 West ? That vaccine inoculation should give that dis¬ 
 ease which from its universality has been long termed the 
 distemper is a new wonder in its history. But so it is. If 
 you are not already acquainted with it, I will give it 
 to you in my next.”—What can this be ? 
 
 You will doubtless rejoice with me that the vaccine ino¬ 
 culation is progressing here to my entire satisfaction. I 
 began with the matter you, Drs. Lettsom, Woodville, 
 Pearson, and Creaser sent me the £4th of March, and 
 have inoculated not quite a hundred, and have not had 
 one dubious case among them all. I have given the virus 
 to most of the leading physicians in Boston and its vici¬ 
 nity. But, alas! poor human nature! thou art the same 
 in Nettf-England as in Old . Why should the sigh of sor¬ 
 row arise in any one, when contemplating the progress of 
 a practice so universally beneficial as that resulting from 
 this new inoculation ? But so it is—all the little contempti¬ 
 ble nonsenses that have been uttered by imbecility and envy 
 on your side the Atlantic have been retailed here. They 
 have given a temporary check to the inoculation in the 
 country villages, for which I am not sorry ; but while the 
 public see that all those characters throughout the coun¬ 
 try most distinguished for their talents and acquirements 
 are firm believers in the Jennerian inoculation, it will and 
 must prevail. 
 
 The inoculation finds no promoters in Philadelphia. I 
 have had many letters lately on the subject from Virginia, 
 where it is of vast importance to their plantations. 
 
 That the learned view it as a permanent blessing to this 
 country may be inferred, among other things, from a pas¬ 
 sage in the history of Cambridge, just published by a 
 
472 
 
 LIFE OF DE. JENNEE. 
 
 worthy clergyman, viz : “ The kin e-pox was introduced at 
 Cambridge this present year (1800) by Professor Water- 
 house, who imported the matter from England. The first 
 who was inoculated for this disorder in America was Daniel 
 Oliver Waterhouse,” a son of the professor. 
 
 Accept, dear Sir, the assurances of high consideration 
 and esteem. 
 
 Benjamin Waterhouse. 
 
 Drs. Balrhorn and Stromeyer to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 J ENNERO 
 Sum mo Viro, 
 
 S. 
 
 Georgius Fredericus Bullhorn, Augustissimi Britanni- 
 arum Begis in Aula Electorali Medicus, et Chris- 
 tianus Fredericus Stromeyer, A. B. R. in Aula 
 Electorali Chirurgus. 
 
 Transmittimus ad Te, vir illustris, et judicio tuo, 
 quod tantum apud nos fidem habet, subjicimus observa- 
 tiones de insitione Vaccina Hannoverae a nobis institutasC 
 Libelli fronti insigne nomen tuum praeposuimus. Ne gra- 
 veris hoc, quod tenuis Musa nostra in Te conferre satagit, 
 reverentiae et amoris documento. Felices nos sane putere- 
 mus, si res ipsa quam pertractavimus tuo assensu haud 
 careat ! 
 
 Materiam vaccinam, quam XVI mensibus circiter prae- 
 terlapsis, benevole, ad nos transmisisti, Londinensi an- 
 teponimus. Londinensis en'un saepius effecit exanthemata 
 satis molesta et pertinacia. Quae quidern incommoda nun- 
 quarn ab egregia ilia materia, quam Tu in agris Angli- 
 cis collegisti, nobis subnata sunt. Maximopere itaque Te 
 
LIFE OF DR, JENNER. 
 
 473 
 
 r ogam us, ut iterum pauxillo hujus egregise materia?, pro 
 tua humanitate, nos donari baud graveris. 
 
 Vale, Vir Summe, et serva nobis tuam benevolentiam. 
 
 Scriptum Hannover (Z, 
 d . 10 Junii, 1801. 
 
 Extract of a letter from Dr. Waterhouse to Du. Jen- 
 
 nee, dated Cambridge (America) Nov. 5th, 1801. 
 
 The characters in America most distinguished for wis¬ 
 dom and goodness are firm believers in your doctrine. 
 They are not, however, over-forward in assisting me against 
 this new irruption of the Goths. I do not wish them to 
 do more than make cartridges, or at least hand them. At 
 present they leave me too much alone, and it is probable 
 will only come openly to my assistance when I do not 
 want them. Had I not a kind of apostolic zeal 1 should 
 at times feel a little discouraged. The natives of America 
 are skilful in bush-iighting. 
 
 o o 
 
 M. Samaed to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Avignon, December 12th, 1801. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your precious discovery is known to-day in the smallest 
 villages of France. We have drawn our profit of its efficacy 
 in this town to preserve our citizens from the dangerous 
 effects of - the natural sinall-pox ; consequently we are 
 indebted towards you of a portion of the common grati¬ 
 tude. We pay it with great satisfaction. 
 
 Receive our tribute with goodness. If we could do 
 better nothing would be spared most certainly. Be flat¬ 
 tered of being accounted amongst the Associates of our 
 
 O o 
 
474 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Lyceum, because this title is the price of the sentiment 
 and of the eminent service you have rendered to mankind. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient and humble servant, 
 
 Samard. 
 
 Extract of a letter from Dr. De Carro of Vienna to Mr. 
 
 Ring, dated December 18th, 1801. 
 
 After nearly three years of success I need not tell you 
 what I think of vaccination : I know of no encomium that 
 can give an adequate idea of that blessing to mankind. 
 
 Remember me to Dr. Jenner. No medical man ever 
 excited my admiration and veneration so much. He is not 
 only great by the magnitude of his discovery, but he is also 
 great by the manner in which he conducted his researches; 
 by the perfection which he gave to them before he published 
 his work, and by the extreme modesty with which he speaks 
 of himself. His fame increases daily ; but I blush for all 
 sovereigns, and all governments, that have not hitherto 
 bestowed any public mark of their gratitude on that im¬ 
 mortal benefactor of mankind. 
 
 Dr. Maiicet to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Dr. Marcet presents compliments to Dr. Jenner, and 
 called upon him the other day to request he would have the 
 goodness to let him have a little Vaccine virus, such as 
 could be depended on as to its genuine origin. 
 
 It is to be sent to Copenhagen where Dr. Winslow, 
 Professor of Medicine, wishes to promote the introduction 
 of the cow-pox, and is very anxious to get some virus 
 from the most respectable source. Some impregnated 
 threads might be most easily and speedily sent in a letter; 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 475 
 
 but if Dr. Jenner thinks necessary to send it in any other 
 shape Dr. Marcet will find some other conveyance. 
 
 Professor Pictet of Geneva, the editor of the Biblio- 
 thepue Britannique, and a natural philosopher with whose 
 name Dr. Jenner is probably acquainted, will be here in 
 about a fortnight on a visit to Count Romford at whose 
 house he is to reside. Professor Pictet in a letter which 
 he wrote to Dr. M. a few days ago expressed a great 
 wish to become acquainted with Dr. Jenner. Dr. M. 
 hopes he will be allowed to introduce his friend to Dr. 
 Jenner, and will be extremely happy in taking the first 
 opportunity of bringing together two men who cannot 
 fail to find much reciprocal pleasure in each other’s con¬ 
 versation. 
 
 St. Mary Axe, 
 
 26th May , 1801. 
 
 Translated Communication from the College Advertiser 
 of Copenhagen, dated 19th December, 1801. 
 
 (Abstract.) 
 
 The committee received his Majesty’s commands to 
 collect information concerning the vaccine inoculation—to 
 form an opinion of the experiments made, and to propose 
 such further arrangements as may be needful in his Ma¬ 
 jesty’s dominions.'-The committee observing a very 
 
 great mortality amongst those who have the small-pox, 
 we repeated, on the 24th of November, our former adver¬ 
 tisements, and have received seventeen different communi¬ 
 cations. 
 
 The experiments and observations of the committee 
 amount to 297 cases, and the greatest number thereof 
 by me Winslow, Professor, partly tried in our presence and 
 under our inspection ; those of other practitioners amount 
 
476 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 only to 408, and from the most exact observations the 
 committee makes the following observations. 
 
 1st. That the vaccine inoculation, at least for some time, 
 prevents the contagion of the natural small-pox, and not¬ 
 withstanding the small-pox are at present of a very dan¬ 
 gerous and epidemical nature, yet nothing creates a sus¬ 
 picion that those who were vaccinated have been infected 
 with it. A few vaccinated have, eight or ten days after 
 inoculation, caught the small-pox, but the committee at¬ 
 tributes this only to a prior infection before the vaccine 
 had taken effect.——From experiments of other nations, 
 particularly the English, there are reasons to hope that the 
 contagion of the natural small-pox throughout futurity 
 can be entirely annihilated by the vaccine. 
 
 2nd. That the vaccination is not attended with danger, 
 as the greatest number are hardly ill at all, and are not 
 prevented following their usual occupations. 
 
 3d. That there is no ground for suspicion that the con¬ 
 stitution of the vaccinated has been thereby impaired, or 
 any other diseases produced. 
 
 4th. That the vaccination of persons of all ages, weak 
 and robust, during dentition or not, appears to proceed 
 in the usual way, without alteration in the constitution. 
 And lastly, 
 
 5th. That the cow-pox does not infect but by imme¬ 
 diate touch of the matter. 
 
 It is the opinion of the committee that those whose minds 
 are unenlightened, whose circumstances are very limited, 
 and whose prejudices call for wholesome advice and 
 amongst whom the small-pox are particularly mortal, ought 
 to be encouraged to the vaccine inoculation; also the 
 soldiers with their wives and children, who have not had 
 the small-pox, and the crews on board of ships bound on 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 477 
 
 long voyages. That the vaccine inoculation should also 
 be performed in the different institutions for the poor in 
 this city, &c. all public schools, especially where the chil¬ 
 dren are taught gratis, and every one of the lower class 
 and of the populace, who have not their own physician, 
 without expense : to perform which the committee pro¬ 
 poses Mr. William Stebuss, Candidatus Chirurgiae, Sur¬ 
 geon to the Royal Regiment of the Norway Foot Guards, 
 and Amanuensis with me Winslow, Professor, as he has 
 much practice, not only in performing vaccination under 
 the immediate inspection of the committee, but also to 
 mark the progress of the malady, and to collect and pre¬ 
 serve rhe vaccine matter for further use and distribution. 
 
 To extend the benefits of vaccination in the country and 
 the provinces, all governors, supreme judges, owners of 
 landed property, bishops, clergymen, and schoolmasters, 
 should be requested to encourage the same in their respec¬ 
 tive spheres. The committee has no doubt of the Rt. 
 Rev. Bishop Balles’ vigorous support in this case, as his 
 own children have been vaccinated ; nor of the physi¬ 
 cians’ ready co-operation. The committee foresee that 
 if the vaccination should not be continued with every 
 possible carefulness it will in a short time be extinct; and 
 recourse must then be had to import from other places the 
 cow-pox matter, which may prove very unsafe. 
 
 I Winslow, Professor, have therefore, agreeably to the 
 request of the committee, not only every tenth day inocu¬ 
 lated all those who are come to me ; but I have also pre¬ 
 served the vaccine matter in proper glasses that safely can 
 bear conveyance, and a quantity thereof has already 
 been sent to several places in this country, as also to 
 Sweden. 
 
478 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Dated Copenhagen, in the committee appointed by his 
 Majesty for the Vaccination, the 5th December, 1801. 
 
 (Signed) 
 
 Aaskov ; Gulbrand; Callisf.n; Winslow; 
 
 Wibokg. 
 
 The foregoing having been laid before his Majesty by 
 the college, the Monarch has been pleased to give his ap¬ 
 probation to all the proposals of the committee, command¬ 
 ing the same to be communicated to the college for his 
 German domains. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 479 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 PRESENTATION OE PLATE BY HIS FRIENDS IN GLOUCES¬ 
 TERSHIRE-FIRST PARLIAMENTARY GRANT, 
 
 The preceding detail must have convinced the 
 reader that Dr. Jenner considered every thing but 
 his private interest in all that he did, from the time 
 of the publication of his Inquiry. Indeed, he 
 “ never sought his ownand would, at any time, 
 have allowed whatever regarded his personal wel¬ 
 fare or convenience to be put aside, provided he 
 could thereby promote the benefit of others. To 
 such an extent did this feeling prevail that he not 
 only sacrificed his professional advantages, but offer¬ 
 ed likewise to disburse largely and liberally from 
 his own private fortune in order to assist in convey¬ 
 ing the salutary preventive to the most distant parts 
 of the globe. 
 
 It became those who knew the generosity of his 
 nature and the smallness of his own means to take 
 
480 
 
 LIFE OF DE. JENNEE. 
 
 care that he who had imparted a secret to his fel¬ 
 low-creatures, which in another age would have se¬ 
 cured to him boundless wealth and honours all but 
 divine, should not, whilst studying to preserve the 
 lives of others, be himself compelled “ to study to 
 live.” 
 
 He not only had relinquished all possibility of 
 peculiar or private benefit by disclosing in the most 
 unreserved manner the grand result of his labours, 
 but he likewise spent a great deal of time, and in¬ 
 curred much expense in enabling others to profit by 
 his discovery. When all this was done it is to be 
 remembered that he was by no means in independ¬ 
 ent circumstances ; he had a family and many re¬ 
 latives who looked to him for support and pro¬ 
 tection ; and he was still compelled to pursue his 
 practice as a physician. 
 
 That, of course, had been very much interrupted 
 by the frequent change of his residence from Berke¬ 
 ley to Cheltenham and London ; but, independent 
 of this, his correspondence became so extensive as 
 to occupy almost all his time and to make him a 
 most laborious servant of the public, for their great 
 and exclusive benefit ; whilst there was nothing of 
 advantage left to himself but the consciousness that 
 he was so employed. 
 
 Under these circumstances it was thought that 
 the magnitude of his discovery and the very dis¬ 
 interested manner in which he was sacrificing his 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEIl. 
 
 481 
 
 time and his property in diffusing its blessings were 
 fit subjects for the consideration of the British Par¬ 
 liament. After due deliberation, it was determined 
 that his claims should be brought before the House 
 of Commons by petition. 
 
 By this mode of proceeding the proofs of the 
 utility of the discovery, and the right of Dr. Jenner 
 to that discovery, would be placed in such an 
 unquestionable shape as to put to silence all gain- 
 sayers; and it would demonstrate how much his 
 own private fortune had suffered by his endeavours 
 to serve others. 
 
 Previously, however, and in a degree prepara¬ 
 tory to a direct application to the great national 
 council, some of the chief personages in Glouces¬ 
 tershire began to take measures to give a testimony 
 of the value in which he was held by those who 
 knew him best and amongst whom his life had been 
 spent. 
 
 An advertisement appeared in the Gloucester 
 newspapers expressive of these sentiments. The 
 concluding paragraph pointed also to a remuneration 
 of a different kind, in some degree adequate to his 
 deserts and to which he had the best-founded claim, 
 a claim on the justice and gratitude of the British 
 nation. 
 
 / 
 
 The late Earl of Berkeley took the lead in this 
 becoming expression of public feeling. He wrote 
 letters to those elevated by rank and fortune to 
 
 2 i 
 
482 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNEU. 
 
 co-operate with him in this measure. From some 
 he received answers that could not well have been 
 anticipated : such backwardness, however, did not 
 retard the general sentiments of the county. Dr. 
 Jenner’s friends exerted themselves with an energy 
 which more than counterbalanced any discourage¬ 
 ments they met with. The Countess of Berkeley 
 also applied herself with her usual earnestness to 
 effect the object. Her ladyship, assisted by Mr. 
 Henry Hicks, the Rev. Mr. Pruen, and other per¬ 
 sonal friends of Dr. Jenner, had the satisfaction, in 
 a short time, of seeing such a list of subscribers as 
 enabled them to give an order for a small service 
 of plate, which was executed by Messrs. Rundells 
 and Bridge, with appropriate devices and the fol¬ 
 lowing inscription :— 
 
 Presented 
 by the 
 
 Nobility and Gentry 
 of the 
 
 County of Gloucester 
 to their Countryman 
 Edward Jexner, M.D., F.R.S., 
 as a Testimony of the high sense they entertain 
 
 of 
 
 those eminent abilities which discovered, 
 and 
 
 that disinterested philanthropy which promulgated, 
 the Vaccine Inoculation. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 483 
 
 The sentiments entertained by the principal pro¬ 
 moters of this design will not be uninteresting to 
 those who venerate the character of Jenner. They 
 are expressed with great propriety by the Earl of 
 Berkeley, in the following letter : — 
 
 Earl of Berkeley to the Duke of Beaufort. 
 
 Berkeley Castle , Nov. 1 8th, 1801. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Having received a proposal from a gentleman in this 
 county for a subscription towards a piece of plate as a 
 public mark of esteem to Dr. Jenner, the person to whom 
 every father of a family owes the greatest obligation in 
 preventing the dreadful effects of the small-pox, by find¬ 
 ing out and introducing the vaccine inoculation. 
 
 Before the subscription paper is further offered to notice 
 I take the liberty to convey it to your Grace for your ap¬ 
 probation, supposing you to be convinced, as 1 am, of the 
 general benefit it has been and will be to the human 
 race. 
 
 Your name to it will sanction the proceeding, and tend 
 to establish the general good that will arise to the world 
 at large, and more particularly to that of the county of 
 Gloucester. 
 
 ft 
 
 I have the honour to be 
 
 Your Grace’s most obedient 
 
 Humble servant, 
 
 Berkeley. 
 
 His Grace the Duke of Beaufort, 
 
 &c. &c. &c. 
 
 Whilst these things were going on, Dr. Jenner 
 partly at Cheltenham and partly at Berkeley. 
 
 2 i 2 
 
 was 
 
484 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 His affairs, however, did not permit him to remain 
 long in this his favourite retreat. He was under 
 the necessity of leaving it, with his family, on the 
 9th of December, for London. 
 
 No one, who has not seen the extent and variety of 
 his correspondence, can form any idea of the labour 
 and anxiety to which he was incessantly exposed at 
 this and subsequent periods of his life. The sub¬ 
 ject of vaccination, though sufficiently simple, had 
 been but imperfectly studied ; and every individual 
 thought himself at liberty to write to Dr. Jenner for 
 that information which they might have obtained 
 from his published writings. His patience was in¬ 
 exhaustible ; and I believe he did all in his power 
 to convey such information as was required of him. 
 His own immediate interests now called for his pre¬ 
 sence in London ; as it had been resolved that his 
 claim should be brought before Parliament in its 
 next session. 
 
 In a matter of so much moment it was highly 
 desirable that nothing should be lost by over¬ 
 looking or neglecting any of those measures which 
 either custom or propriety had sanctioned, while 
 attempting to arrest the attention of so distinguish¬ 
 ed an assembly as the British House of Commons. 
 As the application ultimately referred to a money- 
 grant it was necessary that the consent of his 
 Majesty’s ministers should be first obtained. Dr. 
 Jenner had an interview with .the premier on this 
 subject, on the 12th of January, 1802. This con- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 485 
 
 ference was highly satisfactory. Unqualified appro¬ 
 bation was expressed of the measure by the minis¬ 
 ter, and he fixed upon an early day for the presen¬ 
 tation of the petition. Mr. Addington spoke like¬ 
 wise strongly in praise of the discovery, and of the 
 benefit that all the world was likely to derive 
 from it. 
 
 The next point regarded the selection of a proper 
 individual to present the petition to the House. As 
 the army and navy had both benefited largely by 
 the practice of vaccination, it was thought advisable 
 to entrust the petition to some of the official gentle¬ 
 men connected with these departments of the state. 
 Th arrangement however was not adopted. The 
 eminent persons who had formerly evinced so warm 
 an interest in the cause of vaccination did not neglect 
 its author on this occasion. Among these are to be 
 named the Honourable Admiral Berkeley, M. P.; 
 W. Wilberforce, Esq. M. P. ; Sir Henry Mildmay, 
 Bart. M. P.; Lord Rous, Lord Berkeley, Lord Egre- 
 mont, Lord Sherborne, &c. &c. &c. The sentiments 
 of some of these distinguished persons may be col¬ 
 lected from their letters written on this topic. 
 
 Lord Rous to his Sister, Lady Peyton. 
 
 Stenham Hall , January 8th , 1802. 
 
 Dear Sister, 
 
 I shall be extremely happy to be of every service to 
 Dr. Jenner in my power, but with respect to writing my- 
 
486 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 self to Mr. Pitt 1 am very doubtful of its being of any 
 service; surely the Duke of York, as head of the army, 
 and Lord Spencer as head of the navy, are the proper per¬ 
 sons to take the lead with the Minister : it cannot be sup¬ 
 posed that Mr. Pitt, who knows every thing, should not 
 be acquainted with the introduction of cow-pox, though he 
 may not have had time to inquire into the detail of it, or 
 to inspect patients as you and I do. If I do write to Mr. 
 Pitt I think it should be thus : That I have heard the 
 subject is likely to be inquired into by Parliament, and 
 that I shall be very happy either by letter or by a con¬ 
 ference with him when I go to town, to state all that I 
 have made myself master of, confident that if he personally 
 entertains any doubts of the security of the practice, or 
 the incalculable benefit likely to accrue to mankind, I shall 
 be able to remove them. 
 
 In my own opinion there will be no occasion for very 
 minute inquiries; the Minister will grant a reward, or he 
 will not do it, and it will be decided whether he will do it 
 long before it is brought before Parliament; at least it 
 will not be worth trying for unless Mr. Pitt sanctions the 
 application. Some of the medical men in England will 
 certify that the cow-pox is completely established, and 
 their testimony would outw r eigh a thousand certificates 
 from those not of the profession. 
 
 # # * * # 
 
 Lord Sherborne to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 My dear Doctor, 
 
 Many thanks for your circumstantial letter ; I am sorry 
 to say I do not know Mr. Addington, even by sight; they 
 tell me the King is recovering very fast, and we may ex¬ 
 pect a drawing-room soon, which I will attend and I will 
 
LIFE OE DR. JENNER. 
 
 487 
 
 then speak to Mr. Pitt. If patriot Grattan gets 50,000/. 
 for his patriotism, the true patriot Jenner deserves much 
 more: I am sure not less; and less would be perfectly 
 shabby to think of. 1 perfectly recollect Grattan’s busi¬ 
 ness:—it was settled among his friends to propose 100,000/. 
 for him ; determining’ to ask enough, and fearing that 
 sum should not be granted, one of his most particular 
 friends was to get up afterwards and propose 50,000/. 
 which was immediately granted, and he took 47,500/. for 
 prompt payment. 
 
 I am, my dear Doctor, 
 
 Yours most truly, 
 
 Sherborne. 
 
 Sherborne , April 23 d, 1801. 
 
 The Hon. Admiral Berkeley to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Friday evening. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I have arranged every thing with respect to the Com¬ 
 mittee, and as I find Mr. White was employed by you to 
 draw up the petition, I consulted him upon the best means 
 of conducting it. He wishes to see you with the heads of 
 the allegations you mean to prove, and I have therefore 
 desired him to write to you upon the subject, because he 
 will put us in the way of calling evidence with the least 
 inconvenience ; as the respectable characters who are likely 
 to appear will probably wish to be kept as little time as 
 possible, and of course we ought to accommodate them as 
 much as the nature of the case will admit. If you wish for 
 any assistance which you may think me capable of afford¬ 
 ing before you see Mr. White, I hope you will believe you 
 
488 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 cannot afford me a greater satisfaction than by employing 
 me: being with great truth 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 G. Berkeley. 
 
 
 
 I think if you was to write a letter to Mr. Wilberforce 
 desiring him to second the motion, or to Mr. Lascelles, 
 his colleague, the representatives of so large a county as 
 Yorkshire might be thought most creditable in an affair 
 of this sort, especially as the most proper person (the 
 Marquis of Worcester) will not be in town. 
 
 I remain sincerely yours, 
 
 G. B. 
 
 From W. Wilberforce, Esq. to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Palace Yard, Feb. %4tth, 1802, 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I have often thought of addressing you on the subject 
 we conversed about formerly, that I mean of your valuable 
 discovery becoming the topic of parliamentary discussion, 
 with a view to your receiving some compensation for your 
 eminent services to the community. I hoped long ere now 
 to see the matter brought forward. I always intended 
 whenever it should be so to give you my best assistance on 
 a principle of duty. I really thought, as I told you, that 
 there were reasons why I was by no means an eligible in¬ 
 troducer of the subject, and I could not just now under¬ 
 take it, on account of my being engaged to render a similar 
 service (though contrary to my own judgment) to another 
 gentleman. But are you aware that Friday next is the 
 last day for presenting private petitions, and that a peti¬ 
 tion is the proper mode of bringing your discovery before 
 Parliament P 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEIt. 
 
 489 
 
 If I can be of any use in advising you I shall be un¬ 
 affectedly glad, and in rendering you any assistance I am 
 able. 
 
 At all events, I am persuaded you will do justice to the 
 motive which prompts me to address you thus frankly, and 
 believe me with esteem and regard, 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Your faithful servant, 
 
 W. WlLBCRFORCE. 
 
 Sir Henry Mildmay addressed him on the same 
 subject : he said “ I consider the value of your dis¬ 
 covery is now so fully ascertained and confirmed by 
 experience, that you would be unjust to your own in¬ 
 terest if you were to postpone your application any 
 longer. If I can be of any service to you in taking 
 the part you may assign me in prosecuting your 
 claims I shall be very happy to do so, be that part 
 what it may; as, perhaps, there are few members of 
 the House who can speak with greater authority on 
 the extensive benefits the public have derived from 
 your discovery than myself. I still think that your 
 petition would come forward with greater effect 
 from some person high in office, but should you be 
 disappointed in all the promises you have received, I 
 will very readily bring the subject before the House 
 for you; or I will second it, whenever it does come 
 forward: in whatever shape it may appear I shall 
 consider myself bound in duty to give it every sup¬ 
 port in my power, and to give my reasons for doing 
 
490 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 On the 17th of March, 1802, the following peti¬ 
 tion was presented. 
 
 To the Honourable the Commons of the United King¬ 
 dom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament 
 assembled. 
 
 The humble Petition of Edward Jenner, Doctor 
 
 of Physic, 
 
 SllEWETII, 
 
 That your petitioner having discovered that a disease 
 which occasionally exists in a particular form among cattle, 
 known by the name of the cow-pox, admits of being inocu¬ 
 lated on the human frame with the most perfect ease and 
 safety, and is attended with the singularly beneficial effect 
 of rendering through life the persons so inoculated perfect¬ 
 ly secure from the infection of the small-pox. 
 
 That your petitioner after a most attentive and labo¬ 
 rious investigation of the subject, setting aside considera¬ 
 tions of private and personal advantage, and anxious to 
 promote the safety and welfare of his countrymen and of 
 mankind in general, did not wish to conceal the discovery 
 he so made on the mode of conducting this new species of 
 inoculation, but immediately disclosed the whole to the 
 public; and by communication with medical men in all 
 parts of this kingdom, and in foreign countries, sedulously 
 endeavoured to spread the knowledge of his discovery and 
 the benefit of his labours as widely as possible. 
 
 That in this latter respect the views and wishes of 
 your petitioner have been completely fulfilled, for to his 
 high gratification he has to say that this inoculation is in 
 practice throughout a great proportion of the civilized 
 world, and has in particular been productive of great ad- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 491 
 
 vantage to these kingdoms, in consequence of its being in¬ 
 troduced, under authority, into the army and navy. 
 
 That the said inoculation hath already checked the 
 progress of the sm: 11-pox, and from its nature must finally 
 annihilate that dreadful disorder. 
 
 That the series of experiments by which this disco¬ 
 very was developed and completed have not only occupied 
 a considerable portion of your petitioner’s life, and have 
 not merely been a cause of great expense and anxiety to 
 him, but have so interrupted him in the ordinary exercise . 
 of his profession as materially to abridge its pecuniary 
 advantages, without their being counterbalanced by those 
 derived from the new practice. 
 
 Your petitioner, therefore, with the full persuasion 
 that he shall meet with that attention and indul¬ 
 gence of which this Honourable House may deem 
 him worthy, humbly prays this Honourable House 
 to take the premises into consideration, and to 
 grant him such remuneration as to their wisdom 
 shall seem meet. 
 
 The prime minister, Mr. Addington, (now Viscount 
 Sidmouth) informed the House that he had taken the 
 King’s pleasure on the contents of the petition, and 
 that his Majesty recommended it strongly to the con¬ 
 sideration of Parliament. It was referred to a com¬ 
 mittee, of which Admiral Berkeley was appointed 
 chairman. This honourable gentleman rendered most 
 essential service on this occasion, and bestowed un¬ 
 ceasing attention on all the details connected with 
 this very interesting investigation. The points to 
 which the committee chiefly directed their inquiries 
 
 were 
 
492 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 First, The utility of the discovery itself. 
 
 Secondly, The right of the petitioner to claim the 
 discovery. 
 
 Thirdly, The advantage in point of medical prac¬ 
 tice and pecuniary emolument which he has derived 
 from it. 
 
 Upon all these matters the committee reported, 
 after examining a number of witnesses of the highest 
 character and most extensive experience in the 
 profession. The testimony, likewise, of persons not 
 professional was admitted ; among these we find his 
 Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, the Earl of 
 Berkeley, Lord Rous, and Mr. Gardner. The result 
 of this examination went to prove, in the opinion of 
 the committee, that the discovery of Vaccine Inocula¬ 
 tion was of the most general utility, and that it tends 
 to eradicate, and, if its use become universal, must 
 absolutely extinguish one of the most destructive dis¬ 
 orders by which the human race has been visited. 
 
 A great mass of written evidence was also sub¬ 
 mitted to the consideration of the committee. It re¬ 
 lated to the extensive and successful practice of vac¬ 
 cination in every quarter of the globe; and show¬ 
 ed the estimation in which the discovery was held 
 in other countries. The committee likewise investi¬ 
 gated the difference between the new practice and 
 the inoculated small-pox, and that disease when 
 caught in the natural way. 
 
 With respect to the new practice the oral depo¬ 
 sitions, as well as all the written documents from 
 abroad, were uniform and decisive in favour of Dr. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 493 
 
 Jenner’s claim to originality in the discovery. Some 
 pretensions were advanced adverse to these claims, 
 as well as to the utility of the discovery itself, but 
 after the closest examination they had no weight 
 with the committee. As, however, they were urged 
 with considerable pertinacity both before the com¬ 
 mittee, and in another form, it will be necessary to 
 examine them. 
 
 Upon the last division of the subject the com¬ 
 mittee found that Dr. Jenner had not only reaped 
 no advantage from his discovery, but that he was a 
 considerable loser : that he had relinquished the pro¬ 
 spects of emolument, by propagating and extending 
 his important discovery, and rendering it rather of 
 universal utility to the human race than of pecuni¬ 
 ary or private advantage to himself. 
 
 As the evidence on which this report is founded 
 has been already published at length by the Rev. 
 George Jenner, 1 will only mention a few of the 
 principal statements, and refer to that work for 
 fuller information. 
 
 Sir Everard Home established the fact that Dr. 
 Jenner had, in the year 1788, carried a drawing of 
 the Variolae Vaccinae, as the disease appeared on the 
 finger of a milker, to London. Mr. Hunter urged 
 him to prosecute the inquiry, and mentioned the pro¬ 
 phylactic powers of the cow-pox both privately and 
 in his public lectures. Sir Everard proved his own 
 confidence by inoculating one of his own children 
 with it. 
 
 Dr. Ashe’s evidence went to show that the vac- 
 
494 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 cine had not been known abroad till after Dr. Jen- 
 ner’s publication of his “ InquiryHe considered 
 the discovery of the utmost importance, and had 
 vaccinated three of his own children. 
 
 Sir Walter Farquhar said that Dr. Jenner’s was 
 the greatest discovery that had been made for many 
 years: that if Dr. Jenner had kept it a secret he 
 might have made 10,000/. a-year. 
 
 Mr. Cline coincided in this opinion, adding fur¬ 
 ther that he considered it the greatest discovery 
 ever made in the practice of medicine. 
 
 Dr. Bradley never heard of any one as the dis¬ 
 coverer except Dr. Jenner, and believed that he 
 might have, at first, made 10,000/. per annum, and 
 in five years double that sum had he kept the dis¬ 
 covery a secret. 
 
 “ Two millions’ he said, “ have been already vacci¬ 
 nated in the world; of these two millions not an 
 individual is known to have died in consequence of 
 the affection.’ 
 
 Dr. Sims considered it the greatest and most 
 useful discovery ever made in medicine; and that 
 Dr. Jenner, had he kept it a secret, might have died 
 the richest man in these dominions, 
 
 Sir Gilbert Blane had at first been sceptical, and 
 his prejudices were rendered stronger than ever by 
 the events which had occurred at the Small-pox 
 Hospital. Further inquiry removed his doubts, and 
 led to a complete conviction of the truth of all that 
 had been alleged by Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Dr. Baillie said “ I think that the cow-pox forms 
 
LIFE OF DR. JEN NEE. 
 
 495 
 
 an extremely mild disease, and that when a patient 
 has properly undergone it he is perfectly secure from 
 the future infection of the small-pox : and further, 
 if Dr. Jenner had not chosen openly and honourably 
 to explain to the public all he knew upon the sub¬ 
 ject, he might have acquired a considerable fortune. 
 In my opinion it is the most important discovery 
 ever made in medicine.’ 
 
 Lord Berkeley’s evidence was of a strong prac¬ 
 tical nature, drawn from the experience of his own 
 family. He mentioned a very important fact, that 
 an old servant of his “ now seventy years of age, 
 who had the cow-pox from milking cows when a 
 boy fifteen years old, from that time has never been 
 in the least cautious in guarding himself from the 
 small-pox, but, on the contrary, has exposed himself 
 repeatedly, without being sensible of its effects.” 
 
 Lord Rous gave evidence to the same effect *, his 
 lordship’s own child, three months old, was vacci¬ 
 nated the year before, and he was perfectly satisfied 
 that it was protected from small-pox. 
 
 His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence stated 
 that he began Vaccine Inoculation in 1798; since 
 which time he had caused it to be practised among 
 his household and farm-servants. His Royal High¬ 
 ness brought forward some very strong facts drawn 
 from his own observation, illustrative of the pro¬ 
 phylactic virtues of cow-pox. His Royal Highness 
 had offered to inoculate with cow-pox all his adult 
 servants who had not had the small-pox. A postilion 
 of the name of Johnston positively refused to be vac- 
 
496 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 cinated. About eighteen months afterwards he 
 caught the small-pox. It was of a virulent and 
 confluent kind. Several children who had been pre¬ 
 viously vaccinated were constantly exposed in the 
 room where this hoy lay, but they escaped unhurt. 
 
 Mr. Gardner proved that Dr. Jenner in the 
 month of March, 1780, had informed him of the 
 nature of the cow-pox, and communicated at the 
 same time his design of perpetuating that affection 
 from one human being to another. 
 
 It is needless to specify particularly the evidence 
 of the other gentlemen who gave their testimony in 
 favour of Dr. Jenner’s claims, but I cannot conclude 
 this abridgment without alluding to what was said 
 by Dr. Lettsom and Mr. Ring. The former gave 
 some very valuable statistical information respecting 
 the mortality of small-pox before and after the in¬ 
 troduction of inoculation for that disease. He spoke 
 from extensive experience of the virtues of vacci¬ 
 nation, and of the accuracy and originality of Dr. 
 Jenner’s information. He thought, from the success 
 of the Suttons in monopolizing small-pox inocula¬ 
 tion, that Dr. Jenner might have kept his practice 
 a secret, and gained incalculable riches. 
 
 Mr. Ring said that Dr. Jenner’s discovery was 
 beyond all comparison the most important and va¬ 
 luable ever made by man. This, he said, was the 
 opinion of all his correspondents, and like all others 
 who could form an accurate opinion, he believed 
 that Dr. Jenner’s annual emoluments might have 
 been at least 10,000/. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 497 ' 
 
 The evidence of every other medical gentleman 
 who was examined, with the exception of that of an 
 adverse nature, which I am presently to notice, con¬ 
 curred alike in the utility of the discovery and in 
 favour of Dr. Jenner’s claim to originality. 
 
 To impugn this claim efforts of a very extra- 
 ordinary kind were made. The individual who 
 signalised himself on this occasion has already been 
 made known to the reader both by the disasters 
 which attended his early attempts at vaccination, 
 and by his officious eagerness in propagating his own 
 errors through the medium of a public institution. 
 
 Dr. Pearson learnt, from the correspondence 
 which he opened with medical men in different 
 parts of England, that cow-pox w T as much more 
 extensively epizootic than had been imagined. It 
 was known in many counties, but it was in Dor¬ 
 setshire and Devonshire that it seems to have been 
 particularly observed. 
 
 The Rev. Herman Drew had received inform¬ 
 ation on the subject from Mr. Downe, surgeon, in 
 Bridport; Mr. Bragge, of Axminster; and Mr. 
 Barnes, of Colly ton. The information received from 
 those gentlemen was conveyed by Mr. Drew to Sir 
 George Baker. It is impossible to ascertain the 
 precise contents of these documents. It is, how¬ 
 ever, certain that they were not deemed of suffi¬ 
 cient importance by that eminent and enlightened 
 physician either to be given to the public or to 
 render him very anxious for their preservation, as 
 
498 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 they remained unheeded, and have been allowed to 
 perish. It is probable, therefore, that the know¬ 
 ledge obtained by Mr. Drew from his medical ac¬ 
 quaintance in the country did not extend beyond 
 the simple fact which had been observed in those 
 districts where cow-pox prevailed; and, that in 
 communicating it to Sir George Baker, he really did 
 no more than Jenner himself had done when he told 
 John Hunter what he had heard of cow-pox in 
 Gloucestershire, nearly thirty years before he had 
 completed his inquiry. 
 
 Of Dr. Pearson’s statements before the Com¬ 
 mittee of the House it is by no means easy to 
 give a lucid view. He sets out with asserting that 
 he was conversant with the vaccine inoculation ever 
 since January 1799, and as though he would bespeak 
 credit for himself by exciting a partial sympathy 
 for Dr. Jenner’s claims, he thus proceeds : “ I think 
 it but justice to Dr. Jenner to state that I am ac¬ 
 quainted with the practice of inoculation of persons 
 for the small-pox, who on good evidence have been 
 said to have gone through the cow-pox since June 
 or July 1798—the result of which was that they 
 could not receive the small-pox infection.’’ He then 
 goes on to say, in answer to questions put by the 
 Committee, that his own knowledge of the vaccine 
 inoculation was obtained by him “ in the first in¬ 
 stance from Dr. Jenner; afterwards I got informa¬ 
 tion from other sources.” These sources have been 
 already mentioned—and, with respect to the infor- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 499 
 
 mation derived from them, Dr. Pearson declares that 
 he imagines that it and Dr. Jenner’s first pub¬ 
 lication “ were independent of each other.' 5 He 
 next states that Mr. John Hunter did not mention 
 in his lectures the inoculation of the cow-pox, but 
 simply that persons who had had that disease could 
 not take the small-pox, and that it had not been 
 known to prove fatal in any one instance ; that the 
 Rev. Herman Drew did not lay claim to the dis¬ 
 covery of inoculating with vaccine matter from one 
 human being to another; that that discovery was 
 exclusively Dr. Jenner’s; that the events mentioned 
 in the documents handed in took place earlier than 
 3 798, because immediately on the publication of 
 Dr. Jenner’s Inquiry in that year he. Dr. Pearson, 
 wrote to the gentlemen who furnished the inform¬ 
 ation, and they “ immediately communicated their 
 cases of vaccine inoculation without appearing to be 
 acquainted with Dr. Jenner’s work.” 
 
 The reader, from this last sentence, would cer¬ 
 tainly believe that Dr. Pearson’s correspondents had 
 themselves practised vaccine inoculation, but the 
 very reverse was the fact. Mr. Drew in his letter 
 to Dr. Pearson merely states, on the authority of 
 Mr. Dolling of Blandford, that he (Mr. D.) had 
 inoculated many hundreds for the small-pox who 
 said they had had the cow-pox, and that very few 
 of them took the infection. 
 
 The same person mentioned the conduct of a mo¬ 
 ther who had caused five of her children to play 
 
 2 K 2 
 
500 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 with the teat of a cow, by which they were infected, 
 and that they resisted small-pox afterwards. He 
 added that a farmer of the name of Jesty, at Yet- 
 minster, had gone a step further than this good wo¬ 
 man ; that he inoculated his wife and children with 
 matter taken from the teats of a cow that had the 
 cow-pox. In about a week from the time of inocu¬ 
 lation their arms were very much inflamed, the pa¬ 
 tients were so ill as to require medical assistance; 
 yet they had since been inoculated for the small-pox 
 by Mr. Trowbridge, but did not take it. 
 
 A letter from Dr. Pulteney to Dr. Pearson 
 gave the same facts mentioned above, and on the 
 same authority, namely, that of Mr. Dolling. In 
 another letter from Mr. Drew he mentions that 
 about twenty years before a woman inoculated her 
 children with matter taken from the cow on the 
 point of a large needle. This dame was not only a 
 vaccinator herself, but her “ children have since ino¬ 
 culated their friends ami neighbours whenever an 
 opportunity has offered .” # 
 
 Excepting the attempts of Farmer Jesty and Mrs. 
 Rendall and her children, nothing like a case of 
 vaccine inoculation is reported by any of Dr. Pear¬ 
 son’s correspondents; and granting that these really 
 were what they purport to be, they do not in the 
 slightest degree affect Dr. Jenner’s claims. They did 
 not advance the knowledge or the practice of vacci- 
 
 * See Mr. Bragge’s letter to Sir William Elford, Bart. Evi¬ 
 dence, page 160. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 501 
 
 nation beyond what casual observation and popular 
 rumour had rendered common in many districts : if, 
 indeed, they ever took place (which I think more 
 than doubtful), they were quite unknown to Dr. 
 Jenner, and had it not been for his publication they 
 never would have been drawn forth from their ob¬ 
 scurity. 
 
 The documents presented by Dr. Pearson were 
 evidently intended to prove that vaccine inoculation 
 had been practised by others before Dr. Jenner. 
 His second examination before the Committee had a 
 different object. It went to show that, though Dr. 
 Jenner promulgated the practice of vaccination, he 
 really knew very little about the matter; that his 
 opinions as to its origin were erroneous ; and that it 
 required the experiments and labours of other ob¬ 
 servers to correct his mistakes: and that he and Dr. 
 Woodville had the chief merit in the establishment 
 of the Vaccine Inoculation. Thus, after making due 
 allowance for the claims of farmer Jesty and the 
 valuable and scientific investigations of others, no¬ 
 thing was left to Jenner save that of being the pub¬ 
 lisher of a provincial rumour, the nature of which 
 he himself did not fully understand ! What must 
 have -been the feelings of those who could utter 
 statements capable of leading to such inferences ? 
 
 The disasters which occurred at Pet worth, the 
 Small-pox Hospital, Hanover, and many other places, 
 (for they all directly or indirectly may be traced to the 
 same source) bear testimony alike to the accuracy of 
 
502 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 those who made them and to the great modesty of 
 their pretensions ! 
 
 Mr. Keate, Surgeon-generaltothe Army, was the 
 next gentleman whose evidence tended to call in 
 question the full merit of Dr. Jenner. Mr. Keate 
 admitted that he was the person who published the 
 “ cases of inoculation which gave rise to further in¬ 
 vestigation and improvement, but to whom to attri¬ 
 bute the discovery I am unable to say.” He deli¬ 
 vered in to the Committee certain manuscripts of a 
 Mr. Nash or Naish, a surgeon of Shaftesbury, which 
 were supposed to prove that he had practised vaccine 
 inoculation. They only show that he could not in¬ 
 fect with variolous virus those who had casually 
 been affected with cow-pox. His mind had cer¬ 
 tainly been directed to the subject, but it has been 
 ascertained, beyond the possibility of doubt, that his 
 cases of alleged vaccination were really cases of 
 small-pox inoculation. The documents will be found 
 in a letter from Dr. Pew to Mr. Creaser which 
 is printed at the conclusion of Mr. Jenner’s “ Report 
 of the Evidence.” 
 
 Among the testimonials in favour of Vaccine Ino¬ 
 culation the Committee selected a few of those which 
 had been sent from foreign countries. One was an 
 address of the members composing the Jury of 
 Health, and the Medical Committee of the Depart¬ 
 ment of the Somme, to his Excellency the minister 
 plenipotentiary of England at Amiens. Another was 
 from the Central Committee of Vaccination at Paris, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 503 
 
 signed by Portal, Halle, Sabatier, De Jussieu, Four- 
 croy, Parmentier, Huzard, Corvisart, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 The certificates, likewise, granted by Admiral 
 Lord Keith and General Lord Hutchinson to Drs. 
 Marshall and Walker were among the documents 
 selected by the committee of the House of Com¬ 
 mons. 
 
 Dr. Jenner, who was examined on the first day^ 
 corroborated the evidence which he delivered in the 
 form of a printed paper, by vouchers from correspon¬ 
 dents in various parts of the world referring to, at 
 least, 100,000 cases of successful vaccination. 
 
 The Committee, while referring to the pretensions 
 advanced in opposition to Dr. Jenner’s claims, took, 
 on the whole, a just view of these pretensions ; but 
 they were not equally correct in estimating the real 
 nature of his merits. They truly observed that in 
 various parts of England an opinion was current, 
 among the common people employed in dairies, that 
 the cow-pox was a preventive of the small-pox. 
 “It appears, they add, not improbable that in some 
 very rare instances this knowledge was carried one 
 step further, and that the cow-pox was communi¬ 
 cated either by handling the teat or by inoculation 
 from the animal, for the purpose, and with the inten¬ 
 tion of securing against the danger of small-pox: 
 but the practice of which Dr. Jenner asserts himself 
 to be the original inventor is the inoculation from 
 one human being to another, &c. &c.” With all 
 deference to the Committee, it must be remarked 
 
504 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 that this forms but a very small part of his claims to 
 public gratitude aud remuneration. His chief merits 
 are, as has been already proved, of a very different 
 description. They consist in the patient, laborious, 
 and original investigations which enabled him to 
 extract correct and scientific information from the 
 most unpromising materials ; to divest popular tra¬ 
 dition of all its obscurity and uncertainty ; and to 
 elicit from vague and contradictory rumours the 
 most accurate and valuable truths. It was not till 
 all this was achieved that he ventured to perform 
 his first inoculation : and, had it not been so, this 
 most admirable and interesting experiment had been 
 as valueless and inconsequential as the alleged vac¬ 
 cinations of Mrs. Rendall and Farmer Jesty. 
 
 When we duly consider the nature of the adverse 
 testimony, it cannot fail to increase our admiration 
 of Dr. Jenner’s genius. The subject had been 
 forced upon the attention of many professional gen¬ 
 tlemen in different parts of England. It had been 
 laid before some of the most eminent of the faculty 
 in London, but no beneficial result followed. 
 
 Dr. Jenner’s own endeavours to instigate his 
 brethren were alike unsuccessful. His earnestness 
 on this topic and the discouragements he met with 
 prove at once his liberality and benevolence, and 
 the constancy and perseverance of his nature. Let 
 the reader recollect that the information communi¬ 
 cated by him to Mr. Hunter was often mentioned 
 by that enlightened physiologist both in public and 
 
LIFE OF UR. JENNER. 
 
 505 
 
 private. From this source Dr. Pearson him¬ 
 self acknowledges that he derived that information 
 which, for nine successive years anterior to the pub¬ 
 lication of Dr. Jenner’s work, enabled him to detail 
 to his pupils in his lectures the opinions of the 
 latter as to the prophylactic virtues of cow-pox, and 
 his design of propagating that affection by inocula¬ 
 tion with a view to the extinction of small-pox.* 
 Still further to prove how extensively Dr. Jenner’s 
 doctrines had been disseminated in London, I must 
 repeat that they had been referred to by Dr. Adams 
 in 1795, in his work on Morbid Poisons; and in 
 the following year by Dr. Woodville in his History 
 of Inoculation. It was, therefore, with a singularly 
 bad grace that a physician, who was a public lec¬ 
 turer in London and who, for at least nine years, 
 had been announcing to his pupils by far the most 
 remarkable pathological fact that ever was observed, 
 should, when the subject was divested of all its 
 difficulties by Jenner and brought forward by him 
 with all the modesty and simplicity that so peculi¬ 
 arly distinguished his character, have forgotten his 
 former expressions of respect and admiration, and 
 busied himself, with an activity and pertinacity that 
 might have been useful in a better cause, to find oc- 
 casion to rob Dr. Jenner of every title to distinction, 
 whether as an original discoverer, or as an accurate 
 observer. 
 
 * See Dr. Pearson’s Inquiry, page 8. 
 
506 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 The Report of the Committee of the House of 
 Commons was brought up the 2nd of June, 1802. 
 An abstract of the proceedings which took place on 
 that occasion is here subjoined. 
 
 Admiral Berkeley, chairman of the Committee, 
 said that in their investigations the Committee did 
 not confine themselves (as is usually the case) to the 
 examination of petitioner's witnesses exclusively— 
 bnt their mode was “ to sift out any case which 
 could make against petitioner’s evidence. This 
 conduct, which certainly may appear to bear hard 
 upon the petitioner, has proved a matter of fresh 
 triumph to him, for although we descended to sift 
 out information from every anonymous letter, though 
 we raked the very kennels for information against 
 this practice, all we were able to get is fully printed 
 in the Report.”—“ Great as is that discovery (of the 
 Longitude) I really cannot look upon it in any view 
 to be compared with this of Dr. Jenner’s, which is 
 unquestionably the greatest discovery ever made for 
 the preservation of the human species. It is proved 
 that in these united kingdoms alone 45,000 per¬ 
 sons die annually of the small-pox ; but through¬ 
 out the world what is it ? Not a second is struck 
 by the hand of time, but a victim is sacrificed at 
 the altar of that most horrible of all disorders, the 
 small pox, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 “ I shall therefore move that a sum not less than 
 10,000/. be granted ; but when I do this I declare I 
 do not think it sufficient; if the House should think it 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 507 
 
 right to adopt any larger sum, I shall hold myself 
 free to vote for it.” 
 
 Sir Henry Mildmay did not think the sum pro¬ 
 posed at all adequate. By keeping the discovery a 
 secret Dr. Jenner might as readily have realized 
 100,000/. as any smaller sum. He concluded by 
 moving as an amendment 20,000/. 
 
 Mr. Bankes, Corfe Castle, was for acting under a 
 sense of paramount duty as guardians of the na¬ 
 tional purse, and that public economy was to be 
 consulted. Dr. Jenner could have fully remune¬ 
 rated himself had he kept his own secret; and 
 he could even yet be remunerated by his practice, 
 without a parliamentary grant. 
 
 Mr. Windham urged as one great merit of Dr. 
 Jenner that he did not keep his discovery a secret; 
 had Dr. Jenner done so, Mr. Windham scarcely 
 knew what sum the House might not be called on 
 to grant for the purchase of such an invaluable 
 discovery as that which went to the complete era¬ 
 dication of such a dreadful disorder as the small¬ 
 pox. Dr. Jenner could now enjoy no benefit from 
 monopoly, as he had enabled, most generously and 
 humanely enabled, every medical man to apply his 
 discovery in practice, for the public safety and for the 
 preservation of lives incalculable. He wished a re¬ 
 ward to Dr. Jenner if it were only to encourage 
 others to divulge their discoveries for public advan¬ 
 tage. The sum proposed for Dr. Jenner was the 
 least possible. 
 
508 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Sir James Erskine Sinclair followed on the same 
 side. He noticed the actual expense which Dr. 
 Jenner had incurred in prosecuting his inquiries, at 
 the least 6000/. ; if then 20,000/. were objected as 
 too large, he would propose 15,000/. as in some 
 measure remunerating. 
 
 Mr. M. A. Taylor thought, as Dr. Jenner’s ex¬ 
 penses had not been stated in the Report of the 
 Committee as a ground for the vote, that the Com¬ 
 mittee or its Chairman should be instructed to report 
 
 progress . 
 
 Mr. Hobhouse said that Dr. Jenner’s expenses 
 might very fairly be adduced in argument; as the 
 Committee had considered them in framing the re¬ 
 port and resolutions thereon. 
 
 Mr. Fuller thought the larger sum (20,000/.) due 
 to Dr. Jenner—more especially as he could look to 
 no remuneration by patent. 
 
 The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that what¬ 
 ever sum of money the House might vote as a future 
 reward for his merit he had already received the 
 highest reward in the approbation, unanimous ap¬ 
 probation, of the House of Commons—an approba¬ 
 tion most richly deserved, since it was the result of 
 “ the greatest, or one of the most important dis¬ 
 coveries to human society that was made since the 
 creation of man.’’ That the value of the discovery 
 was without example, and beyond all calculation, 
 were points not to be contested, for they were made 
 out by convincing evidence; and that he (Dr. Jen- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 509 
 
 rier) had precluded himself from great emoluments , 
 by the generosity of his own conduct, was also most 
 manifest: but he (the Chancellor) had also a duty 
 to discharge towards the public in voting away the 
 public money, and when he reflected on the other 
 advantages that the Doctor must derive from this 
 vote, he was for the smaller sum. In saying this 
 he was rather pursuing the sense he had of his pub¬ 
 lic duty, than his own feelings. He had, however, 
 the satisfaction to reflect that this discussion had 
 given to Dr. Jenner a reward that would last for 
 ever , and also that the comfort of his family would 
 be amply provided for in his extended practice, by 
 means of the sanction of that House. 
 
 Mr. Grey said that, from the tenor of the Right 
 Honourable Gentleman’s speech, and from his own¬ 
 ing the importance of the discovery, he hoped that 
 he (the Chancellor) would have concluded by con¬ 
 curring with the amendment. 
 
 He had heard no good reason for limiting the 
 sum to 10,000/. It ill became the House to dimi¬ 
 nish their reward, because Dr. Jenner’s merit was of 
 such a nature as to yield gratification to his own be¬ 
 nevolent feelings. He therefore hoped that the 
 House would vote for 29,000/. 
 
 Mr. Wilberforce stated that Dr. Jenner had been 
 engaged in completing this discovery upwards of 
 twenty years. He was not to be considered as an 
 adventurer who might hope by it to push himself 
 into practice. He had already attained to great 
 
510 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 celebrity in his profession, and an extensive prac¬ 
 tice, which he had sacrificed to completing this 
 discovery. In every view he thought the larger 
 sum ought to be granted. 
 
 Mr. Courtenay said, it appeared in evidence that 
 40,000 men were annually preserved to the state 
 by Dr. Jenner’s discovery—by this number 200,000/. 
 were annually brought into the Exchequer; and 
 certainly Dr. Jenner, the efficient cause, was well 
 entitled to 20,000/. 
 
 The question was then put that the words ten 
 thousand pounds do stand part of the resolution; 
 when the Committee divided,—• 
 
 Ayes, 59. Noes, 56.—Majority, 3. 
 
 Thus we have seen in what manner the assem¬ 
 bled representatives of our country, supported by 
 the declaration of the king’s minister in his place 
 in parliament, rewarded the discovery of Jenner ! 
 
 Before we pass altogether from this important 
 incident in his life it may not be an uninteresting 
 part of our general subject to advert to the annals 
 of former ages, and learn from history what was 
 their estimate of the services rendered to society 
 by the great masters of the healing art. 
 
 Among the civilized nations of antiquity Greece 
 surpassed all others in medical research and know¬ 
 ledge : and many of her schools, as those of Rhodes, 
 Crotona, Cnidos, Cos, and Smyrna had obtained 
 high reputation at an early period. Democedes 
 rendered Crotona illustrious by his humanity, not 
 
/ 
 
 LIFE OF D1L JENNER. 
 
 511 
 
 less than by his skill. He, whilst a captive to the 
 Persians, restored to health Darius their king, who 
 repaid the benefit with great wealth and honours. 
 But the reward of Democedes stopped not here. 
 He asked and obtained from the haughty and en¬ 
 raged monarch pardon and freedom for some Egyp¬ 
 tian physicians who had unskilfully treated the 
 disease of Darius in its commencement, for which 
 error they had been condemned to death. See He¬ 
 rodotus L 3. c. 129- 
 
 But the brilliant fortune of the Coan school out¬ 
 shone that of all the rest, by producing the Father 
 of Medicine, the great Hippocrates—not only did 
 his fellow-citizens of Cos impress their money with 
 his likeness, but all Greece joined in this tribute to 
 his merits—Greece, then the most enlightened re¬ 
 gion in the world, “ quae communi consilio, quod ve- 
 nientem ab Illyriis pestilentiam praedixerat, disci- 
 pulosque ad auxiliandum circa urbes dimiserat, ho- 
 nores illi, quos Herculi, decrevit.” * The Athenians 
 also enrolled him as a citizen, presented him with a 
 golden crown, and granted to him and his posterity 
 a public maintenance j' tyjv h 'urpuTavsicu crnjtnv sdocrav. 
 This last was considered by far the highest ho¬ 
 nour that could be bestowed on any human being 
 by the Athenians. He was received by the Thes¬ 
 salians and Argives with similar marks of profound 
 respect. Honours the most splendid were accumu- 
 
 * Plin. Nat. Hist. L. 7. c. 37- t Soran. in Vit. Hippocr. 
 
512 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 lated on him by the Coans, more especially because 
 by his influence, and by his procuring an alliance 
 with the people of Thessaly, he warded off from his 
 own country a war which the Athenians were pre¬ 
 paring to wage against Cos. The fame of Hippo¬ 
 crates and the prodigal offers of riches and of ho¬ 
 nours were not confined to Greece:—his high cha¬ 
 racter for skill- and science had reached “ the king 
 of kings” the mighty Artaxerxes, in whose immense 
 army a pestilential disease had broken out. The 
 Persian monarch was informed by Paetus that Hip¬ 
 pocrates was the first of physicians, the father 
 of health, the preserver, the reliever from pains 
 and diseases, the leader of the heaven-born sci¬ 
 ence. 
 
 Forthwith Artaxerxes orders Hystanes, his prefect 
 of the Hellespont, to offer to Hippocrates as much 
 gold as he might desire; and that he should rank 
 with the first nobility of Persia. Hystanes sends 
 this message of the king to Hippocrates, who im¬ 
 mediately replies: “ In answer to the letter you 
 
 sent me as coming from the king, write back to him 
 immediately, that whatever we require for food, for 
 vesture, for dwelling, and all the necessaries of life, 
 we have in abundance ;—but to accept of the wealth 
 of the Persians would not be just in me,—nor yet to 
 set free from their diseases barbarians who seek to 
 lord it over the Grecians.” Hippocrates himself 
 thus wrote to Demetrius : “ The king; of the Per- 
 sians has sent for us to him, not knowing the ‘ word 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 513 
 
 of wisdom’ has more power with me than that of 
 gold.” 
 
 To the physicians of the school of Smyrna, espe¬ 
 cially to Erasistratus, honours scarcely inferior were 
 paid than to the most dignified magistrates. Their 
 effigies were stamped on the public money, and their 
 names were inscribed on these coins and medals, in 
 common with the images of such of the divinities as 
 presided over health. Thus, on one side of the coin 
 or medal was impressed the figure of the deity, as 
 of Hygeia, on the other the effigies of JEsculapius, 
 with the insignia of the medical art.- 
 
 No sooner was the amount of the parliamentary 
 grant announced than every unprejudiced mind that 
 had attended to the claims of Dr. Jenner felt its 
 extreme inadequacy. In the early part of the pre¬ 
 ceding century the House of Commons had voted a 
 much larger sum for importing a silk-throwsting 
 machine from Italy: and the liberality of their 
 grants on other occasions proved that they did not 
 estimate Dr. Jenner’s services by a money-price. 
 
 It gives me pleasure in regard to this point to 
 mention the conduct of a physician of distinguished 
 genius and learning, whose early opinions were un¬ 
 friendly to vaccination. The late Dr. Beddoes, on 
 the 4th of June, 1802, (only two days after the de¬ 
 bate) wrote a letter to the editors of the Medical and 
 Physical Journal, which contained the following 
 expression : “ With as high a sense of what mankind 
 owe to Dr. Jenner as has been expressed by any of 
 
 2 L 
 
514 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 your correspondents, I cannot but be deeply mor¬ 
 tified at the smallness of the parliamentary reward 
 which he is likely to receive. The largest sum now 
 proposed must, I think, be felt as very inadequate, 
 and without a national subscription the communi¬ 
 cation of discoveries of immediate and general utility 
 will be checked.” “ I hope to see by the newspa¬ 
 pers, or your next number, that many others feel as 
 I do. If professional men exert themselves they 
 will find abundance of families who have received, 
 or hope to receive, benefit from Dr. Jenner’s labours, 
 ready to help towards advancing his fortune; and 
 he surely will not blush to receive such proofs of 
 their sense of obligation. Probably those very 
 members of Parliament who, from a sense of duty, 
 showed themselves most sparing of the public purse, 
 will be among the most forward to open their own.” 
 
 The same subject was taken up in the subsequent 
 number of the same journal, by Dr. Langslow of 
 Suffolk. He asks “what is the amount of such a 
 sum (10,000/.) when divided amongst the individuals 
 of the populous Islands of Great Britain and Ireland, 
 at this time, perhaps, amounting to fourteen mil¬ 
 lions? A very little calculation will inform us that 
 this sum is no greater than amounts to the demand 
 of one penny each. And let it be observed and 
 remembered that every one of these individuals, 
 without any exception, is nearly and dearly inter¬ 
 ested in this discovery. I cannot, therefore, but 
 suppose that the motion for the vote of 10,000/. was 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 515 
 
 carried without properly adverting to the value of 
 the discovery, or the merits of the discoverer, whose 
 candour, ingenuousness, and humanity must ever 
 reflect the greatest honour on our nation.’’ 
 
 Sir Gilbert Blane felt so strongly on the subject 
 that he drew up an address, intended for circula¬ 
 tion, of which the following is an abstract. 
 
 “ Public demonstrations of gratitude towards the 
 benefactors of mankind have ever been deemed just 
 and politic. Our legislature has frequently acted 
 on this view by rewarding individuals for eminent 
 services to the state. National bounty was never 
 extended on fairer grounds to any individual than 
 in the case of the author of Vaccine Inoculation. 
 It is, however, the universal voice of this as well as 
 other nations that the remuneration given to Dr. 
 Jenner is greatly inadequate to his deserts, and to 
 the magnitude of the benefit his discovery has con¬ 
 ferred on mankind : yet no blame can, on this score, 
 be fairly imputed to our country or its representa¬ 
 tives. The decision for the smaller sum was carried 
 by a very small majority (of three), and even that 
 majority was casual, and depended on circumstances 
 always incidental to a popular assembly, such as the 
 absence of members at the moment of division of 
 the house, &c. &c. 
 
 “ When, however, public opinion on this topic, both 
 at home and abroad, is considered; as well as the 
 great saving of human life throughout the world, 
 which may, in a degree, be estimated by the former 
 
 2 l 2 
 
516 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 loss of life in this metropolis alone as arising from 
 small-pox; 2500 persons, at least, falling victims to 
 it annually; and throughout Great Britain and 
 Ireland not less than 45,000; with a like propor¬ 
 tion in most other countries in the world, even un¬ 
 der the mitigation of that disease by means of ino¬ 
 culation : this practice, though a benefit to the 
 limited number of the community who submit to 
 it, or can avail themselves of it, has been injurious 
 to society at large, by spreading the contagion far 
 and wide, and thereby increasing the absolute mor¬ 
 tality of that most pestilential and fatal disease. 
 When in contrast with this dreadful yet true view 
 of the existing state of small-pox it is considered 
 that Vaccine Inoculation produces a very mild affec¬ 
 tion, unattended with any danger, and a preventive 
 morally certain for each individual undergoing its 
 salutary influence; but above all, that by means of 
 it, when rendered universal, small-pox will be alto¬ 
 gether annihilated : when, I say, all these points 
 are fairly and fully considered and taken into ac¬ 
 count, the general voice respecting the inadequacy 
 of the remuneration as yet bestowed on Dr. .Tenner 
 will be completely borne out : and but one universal 
 wish prevail throughout the world that an addi¬ 
 tional and permanent testimony of public gratitude 
 and justice should be given by the great community 
 of mankind; a testimony which, whilst it shall 
 convey a becoming and well-merited reward to the 
 author, will at the same time tend to increase the 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 517 
 
 utility of this great discovery by diffusing the know¬ 
 ledge of its high value, and thereby recommending 
 it to universal practice; and thus hasten the con¬ 
 summation of its benefits to the human race, name¬ 
 ly, the extinction of small-pox. It is, therefore, 
 proposed that a general subscription should be 
 opened in this and other countries, with a view-to 
 confer a substantial and perpetual boon on Dr. Jen- 
 ner and his family. 
 
 “ It is proposed that the sum so raised shall be 
 placed in a fund, to be vested in trustees; and that 
 the interest thereof should belong, as a perpetual 
 annuity, to Dr. Jenner and his successive represen¬ 
 tatives bearing his name.” 
 
 It is gratifying to observe the coincidence of 
 feeling on this subject, among the liberal and 
 eminent of his own profession. Dr. Lettsom, 
 of London, (soon after the vote of the House of 
 Commons for 10,000/. as a national remuneration 
 for the discovery and promulgation of the vaccine 
 inoculation), wrote to Dr. Jenner in this animated 
 strain, “ I was truly chagrined on seeing the nig¬ 
 gardly reward voted by the House; and had double 
 that sum been asked, it would have been granted : 
 however, as an individual, I am not disposed to stop 
 here; but immediately to set on foot a subscription 
 that should invite every potentate and person in 
 Europe, America, and Asia, because every avenue 
 of the globe has received, or may receive, your life¬ 
 preserving discovery. This subscription should not 
 
518 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 be for you, but it should be a fund the interest of 
 which should be for ever devoted to the name of 
 Jenner.’’ 
 
 These liberal sentiments were generally shared 
 by almost every respectable professional man in the 
 kingdom ; and at a future time they were adopted 
 by the nation at large through the medium of their 
 representatives. Dr. Pearson alone, I believe, op¬ 
 posed the general feeling, and by placing himself on 
 this “ bad eminence” he has compelled me to ad¬ 
 vert again to his proceedings. On the fourth of 
 July he sent a letter to the editor of the Medical and 
 Physical Journal complaining of the conduct of the 
 Committee of the House of Commons ; and at a 
 subsequent period he enlarged the statement of his 
 grievances into a work purporting to be an Exami¬ 
 nation of the Report of the Committee, &c. 
 
 When he wrote this work he seems to have relied 
 more on the forbearance of the House than on the 
 justice of his cause. It is now quite unnecessary to 
 examine this publication at length. The universal 
 voice of the civilized world has alike vindicated 
 the conduct of the Committee and the reputation of 
 Jenner. Some of his friends thought that he might 
 reply to Dr. Pearson’s “ invidious attack but he 
 declined, observing that “ as he had never thought 
 it worth his while to notice any of Dr. Pearson’s 
 former remarks, he should now pursue the same 
 line of conduct and treat his present publication 
 with silent contempt.” Two gentlemen, however, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 519 
 
 felt themselves called upon to expose the fallacies 
 of Dr. Pearson. Mr. Hicks of Eastington, and Mr. 
 Creaser of Bath, each published observations on his 
 “ Examination ’ of the Report of the Committee. 
 The friends of Jenner, and of truth, must indulge 
 the hope that the refutation then given to state¬ 
 ments evidently written under feelings which, I 
 trust, have passed away, has carried the same con¬ 
 viction to Dr. Pearson’s mind as it has done to 
 others. 
 
 From the time of Dr. Jenner’s arrival in Bond- 
 Street, on the ninth of December 1801, to the con¬ 
 clusion of the Parliamentary Inquiry his time was 
 much occupied in collecting information and arrang¬ 
 ing facts for that interesting investigation. When 
 he himself was examined before the Committee of 
 the House his simple and unadorned narrative, and 
 the evidence by which it was supported, gave so 
 much satisfaction that they wished not to call any 
 more of the faculty . “ I could have given,” he says 
 
 in communicating this incident to a friend, “ fifty 
 times as much as they have gotten. One gentleman 
 gave in upwards of 10,000 cases of successful inocu¬ 
 lation.’ 
 
 As the petition to the House of Commons did 
 not specifically mention the expenditure and losses 
 that he had incurred in establishing the practice of 
 vaccination, he was therefore called upon to make 
 them known to the Committee. He stated that the 
 prosecution of the inquiry had led him into a train 
 
520 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 of inevitable expense^ the greater part of which had 
 arisen from having been under the necessity of 
 living much in London. “ Since I first made my 
 discovery public I was compelled to adopt this 
 measure from observing the confusion that was 
 arising among practitioners in the metropolis, in 
 some measure from a misrepresentation of my 
 facts by some, and a too careless observance of them 
 by others. Foreign nations, too, were sending de¬ 
 puties to inquire into the new practice, and as my 
 aim was to diffuse the knowledge of it as widely as 
 possible, and as expeditiously, this work I was con¬ 
 fident could not go on so well by correspondence 
 only, as by a constant personal intercourse. My 
 receipts arising from the practice have gone but a 
 little way in reimbursing me. My private affairs, 
 as my time was so incessantly occupied in establish¬ 
 ing the new practice, have of course experienced 
 that derangement which neglect always brings on. 
 This exposed me to a serious evil; and I never 
 could have persevered, to the obvious injury of my 
 family, had I not been buoyed up by a confidence in 
 the generosity of my country.” He then goes on 
 to state that by leaving his place of residence in the 
 country where he had been established many years 
 in a pleasant and lucrative profession, which after so 
 long an absence it was not probable he could ever 
 regain, he sustained another serious evil. The minor 
 expenses, such as postage, &c. &c. he forbore to 
 mention. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 521 
 
 After the Committee had finished its labours he 
 expressed his sentiments to the following purport. 
 He returned thanks for the candour and patience 
 with which the inquiry had been conducted. He 
 remarked that gentlemen of the highest rank and 
 talent in the medical profession had proved that the 
 most loathsome pestilence which ever afflicted hu¬ 
 man nature might not only be stayed, but finally 
 extirpated ; and that the feeble efforts which igno¬ 
 rance or evil passions may have made to counteract 
 the force of such evidence never could produce any 
 permanent effect on the minds of those capable of 
 appreciating it. 
 
 The result of the Parliamentary inquiry, and the 
 rapid diffusion of the practice of vaccination, excited 
 a strong desire in the public mind to know more of 
 the character of the author. A short account of 
 his life was given in the “ Public Characters '’ of 
 this year. 
 
 A confirmation of his opinion respecting the 
 origin of the cow-pox was about this period made 
 known by Hr. Loy, of Whitby, in Yorkshire. The 
 experiments of this gentleman were quite conclusive. 
 Hr. Jenner sent a copy of his pamphlet to his Royal 
 Highness the Buke of Clarence, on v/hich occasion 
 he expressed himself as follows :— 
 
 “ In obedience to the wish your Royal Highness ex¬ 
 pressed to me at Lord Grantley’s, I have done myself the 
 honour of sending you Dr. Loy’s pamphlet on the Origin 
 
522 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 of the Cow-pox, which decisively proves my early asser¬ 
 tions upon that subject. This discovery is the more curi¬ 
 ous and interesting as it places in a new point of view the 
 traditionary account handed down to us by the Arabian 
 physicians that the small-pox was originally derived from 
 the camel. The whole opens to the physiologist a new 
 field of inquiry, and I sincerely hope it may be so culti¬ 
 vated that human nature may reap from it the most essen¬ 
 tial benefit.” 
 
 “ The ardour your Royal Highness has shown in the 
 Vaccine cause, and the personal favour with which you 
 have honoured me, will ever be most gratefully remem¬ 
 bered by 
 
 “ Your Royal Highness’s 
 “ most humble and devoted servant, 
 
 E. Jenner.” 
 
 A confirmation of Dr. Loy’s printed work will 
 be found in one of his letters to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Dr. Loy to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 1 have not yet had an opportunity of making any fur¬ 
 ther experiments respecting the origin of the cow-pox, on 
 account of the disease of grease having been of late re¬ 
 markably rare in this country. From the evidence, how¬ 
 ever, I have had of the truth of your opinion, and from 
 some observations which have been made on my experi¬ 
 ments by my worthy preceptor Dr. Duncan, of Edinburgh, 
 I consider myself in some degree called upon to pay more 
 attention to this curious subject, and you may. Sir, be as¬ 
 sured that you shall be informed of my success. 
 
 I have the satisfaction to mention that the subject ino¬ 
 culated with the grease matter on Experiment VI. has 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 523 
 
 withstood the action of the small-pox, by way of repeated 
 exposure to the natural disease. Several of those also who 
 were inoculated with Vaccine virus, generated by inoculation 
 with the equine, have been exposed more than once to the 
 natural infection of the small-pox, but without the least 
 effect. Dr. Duncan seems to conjecture that the persons 
 on whom the experiments were performed might have pre¬ 
 viously had the small-pox ; but any foundation for such a 
 supposition is perfectly groundless. Most of the persons 
 who were subjected to the experiments had never been 
 within several miles of the small-pox till inoculated. And 
 that the small-pox matter I made use of was good is 
 proved by the same virus giving readily the disease to 
 others. 
 
 There is not the least doubt but the experiments will 
 remain successful; and that they were fairly performed 
 many respectable gentlemen in this neighbourhood can 
 testify. One gentleman at my request saw me inoculate 
 one of his cows from the greased heels of his horse, with a 
 lancet with which he himself supplied me at the time of 
 experiment. This trial was successful. 
 
 I apprehend that Dr. Pearson’s inveteracy will have lit¬ 
 tle, effect upon a man who, from the good he has rendered 
 his fellow-creatures, has established his fame over all 
 Europe. 
 
 I cannot, Sir, sufficiently express the obligations I am 
 under for the notice you have bestowed on me; accept, 
 however, through this medium the blessings of hundreds 
 in this country for the favours you have conferred on them 
 and their latest posterity. 
 
 Give me, Sir, the honour to subscribe myself 
 Your faithful friend and servant, 
 
 John Glover Lov. 
 
 Whitby , December 26th, 1802. 
 
524 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 After so many letters of a professional nature, it 
 may be a matter of curiosity to peruse one written 
 by a worthy Norwegian merchant, who had heard of 
 the virtues of the Variolae Vaccinae. 
 
 Mr. Isaach Isaachson to Messrs. Wolffs and 
 Dorville, London. 
 
 Christiansand, ll£& May , 1802. 
 
 (duplicate.) 
 
 The purport of the present is to desire you would be so 
 obliging as to procure from the famous Dr. Jenner some 
 matter of vaccination for the inoculation of the cow-pox, 
 so much in fame all over Europe. I could wish it to be 
 sent by the post as soon as possible, and in the best pre¬ 
 served state. For the sake of a speedy conveyance, a small 
 portion might also be sent by the post to Stockton, where 
 a vessel with timber is going, and might take it home. 
 If there exists any printed direction for the using of it, it 
 might also be sent to Stockton, apprehending its weight too 
 bulky to be sent by the post of the continent. You 
 might address the parcel to Mr. Hutchinson of said place, 
 desiring him to forward it with all possible haste and care. 
 Please debtor my account for the amount, and excuse 
 the trouble given by 
 
 Your obedient humble servant, 
 
 Isaach Isaachson. 
 
 Almost every post brought the gratifying intel¬ 
 ligence of a wider and wider range to the Vaccine 
 practice. It had already been established in every 
 countiy in Europe; but though at the period we 
 are now treating of it had passed into Asia, and 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNElt. 
 
 525 
 
 \ 
 
 reached our possessions in India, the knowledge 
 of this fact had not yet been communicated to Dr. 
 Jenner; however, the tidings from Germany and 
 the entire of the north of Europe, as well as from 
 France, from Spain, and Italy, were of the most 
 cheering aud animating nature. From Dr. Struve, 
 of Gorlitz in Saxony, he received a letter dated 
 April 16th, 1802, mentioning that the practice had 
 been introduced into that country in January 1801. 
 The writer then proceeds thus: “ Great and honoured 
 Sir—The practice of Vaccine Inoculation, your dis¬ 
 covery, is highly esteemed and cultivated by the 
 Germans, insomuch that not a single town or village 
 can be found in which one or more persons have 
 not been shielded by the Jennerian dCgis from the 
 contagion of small-nox.” 
 
 In a postscript Dr. Struve mentions an instance 
 of a woman eighty-two years of age, then living, 
 who caught the cow-pox by milking cows, in Mo¬ 
 ravia, seventy-two years before. She had since that 
 time, lived in the same apartment with her brothers 
 when labouring under the smallpox; and nursed 
 her son when dreadfully afflicted with that disease; 
 yet totally escaped infection. 
 
 By an ordinance of the Austrian Government 
 dated at Vienna, March 1802, a public and autho¬ 
 ritative recommendation was given to vaccination. 
 The prejudices which had at first opposed it were 
 thus effectually overthrown, and a series of regu¬ 
 lations were established, which soon rendered it ge- 
 
526 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 neral in Vienna; and in no long time small-pox was 
 almost banished from that capital. 
 
 Before these regulations were enacted, a number 
 of inoculations with vaccine matter had been per¬ 
 formed publicly under the direction of M. De Franck, 
 ancient counsellor, in presence of Count De Kiif- 
 stein and a great number of physicians. 
 
 A copy of these regulations, together with the 
 continuation of his Latin translation of Dr. Jenner’s 
 work, was transmitted by Dr. Careno, of Vienna, 
 to Dr. Jenner, through the hands of the Baron Lan- 
 dolina, an accomplished Sicilian nobleman. 
 
 The intelligence from Spain was of a much more 
 encouraging description than could have been anti¬ 
 cipated from the state of that country. Dr. Vivas 
 of Valencia, and Dr. Nadal of Merida, particularly 
 interested themselves in the diffusion of the practice, 
 and in obviating the prejudices existing against it. 
 The former wrote a short dialogue in Spanish with 
 that intention, a copy of which, with a long letter in 
 Latin, dated on the 27th of May, 1802, he sent to 
 Dr. Jenner. 
 
 In Paris the greatest enthusiasm continued to 
 prevail. Mr. George Jenner was in that capital in 
 June. He dined with the Vaccine Committee in 
 company with Dr. Marshall. Jenner’s portrait, a 
 print by Smith, was hung up in the room crowned 
 with a chaplet of flowers, and this motto attached to 
 it, “ Viro de mat rib us , de pueris, de populis bene me¬ 
 rit or 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 527 
 
 A feast of the same kind was celebrated at Bres¬ 
 lau on the anniversary of the first vaccination in Si¬ 
 lesia. It was attended by several persons of rank, and 
 by the physicians and surgeons who were associated 
 for the propagation of the discovery. The same 
 engraved portrait was hung up in the room, and 
 decorated with flowers and wreaths and emblema¬ 
 tical figures, with the motto “Hide Vota .” After 
 dinner a chorus was sung, composed by a celebrated 
 German poet, Professor Fiilliborn. A copy of this 
 print by Smith was afterwards engraved by a Ger¬ 
 man artist at Vienna. 
 
 Shortly afterwards the Central Committee of Paris 
 sent to Dr. Jenner a most gratifying account of their 
 proceedings. 
 
 Paris , ce 29 Juillet , 1802. 
 
 Le Comitje Central de Vaccine, Au Docteur 
 
 Edw. Jenner. 
 
 Monsieur et tres iionore confrere, 
 
 Les C yens . Huzard et Parmentier, membres de flnstitut 
 National de France, veulent bien se charger de vous porter 
 les temoinao'es d’estime et de consideration, dont tous les 
 membres du Comite sont penetres pour votre zele et votre 
 genie observateur. Ils doivent vous instruire des eiforts 
 constants qui ont soutenu le Comite depuis l’epoque a la- 
 quelle la decouverte, dont vous avez enrichi le monde, a 
 ete connue en France. Ils vous diront que des succes 
 constants ont couronne nos travaux, et que le comite a 
 fait penetrer dans toute la France les bienfaits de la Vac¬ 
 
 cine. 
 
528 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 Aujourdhui, Monsieur, les rapports de tous les medecins 
 Fran^ais sont unanimes; partout les epidemies varioleuses 
 respectent les vaccines, et il n’est presque plus de village 
 en France qui lie benisse l’ingenieux inventeur de la nou- 
 velle inoculation. 
 
 Deja votre gouvernement a acquitte en partie la dette 
 de rhumanite : si les felicitations sinceres des membres du 
 Comite Central de Vaccine peuvent ajouter a la jouissance 
 qu’a du vous faire eprouver la justice du parlement Bri- 
 tannique; croiez, Monsieur, qu’il ne vous reste a cet egard 
 aucun voeu a former. 
 
 Le C yen . Huzard, notre plus celebre artiste veterinaire, se 
 propose vous entretenir sur V origine du Cow-Pox. Le 
 Comite qui a tente avec lui l’inoculation des eaux aux 
 jambes sur des vaches, n’a pas obtenu les m£mes resultats 
 que vous. Nous esperons que vous voudrez bien donner £l 
 notre compatriote tous les renseignemens possibles. II 
 nous a promis de nous en rendre un compte fidele. Nous 
 ajoutons beaucoup d'importance a recevoir sur cet objet 
 les connoissances qui nous manquent tres probablement: 
 Thumanite vous doit la premiere observation de l’effet pre- 
 servalif; la science vous devra des notions precises sur 
 l’origine encore incertaine du bien que vous avez fait a 
 tous les peuples. 
 
 Recevez, Monsieur, V assurance de notre parfaite estime, 
 et de notre consideration distingu^e. 
 
 Au Nom du Comite, 
 
 Thouret, 
 
 Directeur de TEcole de Medecine, President. 
 
 Husson, 
 
 Secretaire. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEK. 
 
 529 
 
 M. Husson, the secretary, also wrote a private 
 letter to Dr. Jenner in the following terms :—- 
 
 “ I hope to have the honour of a personal interview with 
 you before the expiration of this present year, 1802. My 
 object in going to reside some weeks in London is to see 
 the celebrated man to whom the world will be indebted 
 for the extirpation of a disease which has long dispeopled 
 it. On my return to France, I shall be infinitely delighted 
 in having to congratulate myself that I have had some ac¬ 
 quaintance with you. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Be assured of the admiration with which 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c., 
 
 Husson.” 
 
 Dr. Sacco continued to labour with unwearied 
 activity. In a letter written to Dr. Jenner he men¬ 
 tions that more than sixty thousand vaccinations 
 had taken place in the Italian Republic; and one 
 third of these had been performed by himself. He 
 states that he was much impeded in his proceedings 
 by sinister rumours of various kinds : among others 
 it was affirmed that vaccination had been abandoned 
 in England, and that it had been forbidden by the 
 Government! With this letter were sent some me¬ 
 dals struck to commemorate the introduction of the 
 vaccine practice into the Italian Republic. 
 
 Nor was Dr, De Carro less active; he sent vaccine 
 matter to Rome at the request of Cardinal Gonsalvi, 
 That prelate was very anxious to introduce the 
 
 2 M 
 
530 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 practice into the Roman states, but it was much 
 opposed by a faction’ of physicians. 
 
 Having taken a rapid view of Dr. Jenner’s inter¬ 
 course with the continent of Europe on the subject 
 of vaccination, we must now turn our attention to 
 other parts of the world. The intelligence from 
 North America, as well as from Newfoundland and 
 our West-Indian possessions, was of the most gra¬ 
 tifying nature. The exertions of the President of 
 the United States, Mr. Jefferson, have already been 
 mentioned. To show how minutely and carefully 
 he studied the progress and varieties of the cow-pox 
 I insert an extract from a letter of his addressed to 
 Dr. Waterhouse. 
 
 Washington , Jan. 1 4<th, 1802. 
 
 “ I have waited till I could inform you that some vari¬ 
 olous, after vaccine, inoculations have proved that I had 
 preserved the matter of the kine-pox in its genuine form. 
 Dr. Coxe, of Philadelphia, has ascertained this, having re¬ 
 ceived his matter from hence. To this is added your in¬ 
 formation that the matter I sent you produced the genuine 
 disease, and consequently those in Virginia who received 
 the matter from me are in security. 
 
 44 Knowing how little capable the people in general are of 
 judging between genuine and spurious matter from their 
 appearance, or that of the sore, I endeavoured in the course 
 of my inoculations at Monticello to find some other crite¬ 
 rion for their guide. With this view, I was very atten¬ 
 tive to discover whether there be not a 'point of time, count¬ 
 ing from vaccination, when the matter is genuine in all 
 cases: I thought the eight times twenty-four hours furnished 
 such a point; I governed myself by it, and it has been 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 531 
 
 followed here successfully by Dr. Gaut; but your expe¬ 
 rience, so much greater, can inform us whether this rule is 
 a sure one, or whether any other point of time would be 
 still more certain. To the eye of experience this is not 
 necessary; but for popular use it would be all-important: 
 for otherwise the disease degenerates as soon as it gets into 
 their hands, and may produce a fatal security. 1 think 
 some popular criterion necessary to crown this valuable 
 discovery 
 
 In allusion to the President's remarks Dr. Water- 
 house observes, “ In answer I quoted your opinion, 
 and finally fixed the point of time with the president 
 at “ EIGHT TIMES TWENTY FOUR HOURS SO it 
 has gone forth as by an edict. I wish you had 
 been one of the deliberative council. Adieu ! B.W.” 
 
 Not many months after the foregoing remarks 
 were written Dr. Jenner had the satisfaction of 
 receiving a letter from the gentleman who now fills 
 the distinguished situation then held by Mr. Jeffer¬ 
 son, announcing his election as a member of the 
 American Academy of Arts and Sciences. * 
 
 * This diploma was signed by John Adams, who was at that 
 time President of the United States, as well of this society. 
 
 While writing these remarks, I cannot avoid noticinghere that 
 intelligence has just arrived from America announcing the death 
 of that venerable Statesman and Philosopher. This event has 
 been rendered the more remarkable by the coincidence of the 
 decease on the same day, and almost at the same hour, of another 
 distinguished individual Thomas Jefferson, who succeeded Mr. 
 Adams in the direction of the Government of the United States 
 of America. 
 
 2 M 2 
 
LIFE OF DR. JEN NEIL 
 
 532 
 
 John Quincy Adams to Da. Jenner. 
 
 Boston , 13/A July , 1802. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour of enclosing herewith a certificate of 
 your election, by an unanimous vote, as a member of the 
 American Academy of Arts and Sciences. And, in trans¬ 
 mitting this testimonial of respect from my countrymen, I 
 am sure of expressing their sentiments when I add that 
 never since the institution of this society have its members 
 enjoyed a more genuine and universal satisfaction, by the 
 accession of a new associate, than when they acquired the 
 privilege of reckoning among their numbers the name of 
 Dr. Jenner. 
 
 I am very respectfully, Sir, 
 
 Your very humble and obedient Servant, 
 
 John Quincy Adams, 
 
 Corresponding Secretary to the 
 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 
 
 The success of the vaccine practice in Newfound¬ 
 land will be learned from the following letter:— 
 
 The Rev. J. Clinch to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 My dear Friend, 
 
 I will hasten to tell you the general result of my prac¬ 
 tice in the vaccine disease in the Island of Newfoundland. 
 I informed you in a former letter that the matter sent me 
 by your nephew produced the effect completely, although 
 from the date it was kept four months. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 533 
 
 I began by inoculating my own children, and went on 
 with this salutary work till I had inoculated seven hundred 
 persons of all ages and descriptions. Many opportunities 
 soon offered at St. John’s (where the small-pox was making 
 great ravages) which afforded convincing proofs of the 
 safety of the practice, to the inhabitants and servants in 
 Trinity Bay. They saw (at first with astonishment) that 
 those who had gone through the Jennerian inoculation 
 were inoculated with the small-pox, and exposed to the in¬ 
 fection without the least inconvenience, and I hope it will 
 every day become more and more extensive ; as nothing can 
 be more certain than that it will annihilate the worst and 
 most dreadful of all disorders, the small-pox. 
 
 Poole, %5th Jan. 1802. 
 
 Dr. Jenner sent out vaccine matter to Barbadoes 
 in 1801 by Mr. Holder. This gentleman inoculated 
 several sailors with it on the voyage, so that he was 
 enabled to make use of recent vims on his arrival. 
 The success was complete; and the inhabitants 
 received the preservative with much thankful¬ 
 ness. 
 
 This year, as well as the preceding, the resources 
 of chemistry were applied to ascertain the qualities 
 of the vaccine lymph. Messrs. Dupuytren and 
 Husson published their researches in Paris; and 
 M. Hunold of Hesse-Cassel gave an account of a 
 similar investigation, in his Annals. 
 
 About this time Dr. Jenner received from Mr. 
 Bryce of Edinburgh, a copy of that gentleman s 
 treatise on cow-pox, accompanied with a very polite 
 
534 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNEIt. 
 
 letter, in which he very modestly says, that he had 
 added only “ some new hints” on the subject. 
 
 Mr. Bryce to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I presume to address you on the present occasion be¬ 
 cause I think it may be pleasant for you to learn that your 
 favourite subject the inoculation of cow-pox, for which so¬ 
 ciety must ever be indebted to you, has not been altogether 
 neglected in this corner of the world. 
 
 o 
 
 Convinced as I am of the power of the cow-pox in shield¬ 
 ing the human constitution from the attacks of small-pox, 
 and being placed some time ago in a situation favourable 
 for making observations on that interesting subject, I did 
 not fail in marking down whatever occurrences appeared to 
 me worthy of notice, and these I have now presumed to 
 publish. 
 
 I have taken the liberty of desiring Messrs. Cadell and 
 Davies, booksellers, to forward you a copy of this my pub¬ 
 lication. 
 
 You will no doubt, Sir, find a great deal of your own 
 labours scattered throughout this essay; for your investi¬ 
 gations on the subject have been so full and so satisfactory 
 that it is impossible to say much on the subject without 
 interfering with you. I trust, however, you will also find 
 some new hints, which your ingenuity may improve farther 
 than I have yet been able to do. 
 
 It would afford me much pleasure, Sir, if you will 
 favour me with your sentiments on the two most promi¬ 
 nent features of my publication ; namely, the new mode 
 proposed for obtaining and preserving the virus of cow-pox, 
 and the proposed test of a constitutional affection. Should 
 
535 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER, 
 
 any objections occur to you on these points, which I have 
 not foreseen, I trust that you will have the goodness to 
 mention them freely; for this appears to me to be the only 
 w r ay by which we can arrive at truth in our investigations. 
 
 It affords me much pleasure, Sir, to observe that you are 
 likely to reap some fruits from your labours. And while a 
 grateful nation bestows a worldly remuneration to her be¬ 
 nefactor, it shall be my care to- ( The remainder of this 
 
 letter is wanting.) 
 
 Of the “ two most prominent features,” as Mr. 
 Bryce in his Essay terms them, the opinion of 
 Dr. Jenner will be best learned from a perusal of 
 extracts from his replies to Mr. Bryce’s commu¬ 
 nications. 
 
 Dr. Jenner to Mr. Bryce, Edinburgh. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Before I enter on the subject of your present letter 
 allow me to return you my most sincere thanks for your 
 former one, and for your valuable publication on the cow- 
 pox. Although you have found me so tardy in my ac¬ 
 knowledgements, yet be assured the very handsome man¬ 
 ner in which you mention my name in that work has not 
 passed away without exciting in me a grateful remem¬ 
 brance of your own. You have anticipated some few ob¬ 
 servations that I had noted down for my next number. 
 
 You may easily conceive how incessantly I am toiling 
 if you consider the immense extent of the correspondence 
 that must necessarily fall upon me; and let this considera¬ 
 tion make some allowance for my apparent neglect of your 
 
536 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER, 
 
 letter. I can with truth assure you that I have made^ef- 
 forts to answer it, fifty times since it has been in my pos¬ 
 session. 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 Again, he writes thus to Mr. Bryce—April 5th, 
 1803. 
 
 “ It afforded me great pleasure to find that the Vaccine 
 virus I sent you put an end to all your solicitudes respect¬ 
 ing the perfection of that you had been previously using, 
 and that you have diffused it so widely through the towns 
 and villages of Scotland. 
 
 “ I doubt not that you will with much ease establish an 
 institution for inoculation, on a plan equally useful with 
 ours in London. I should send our plan, but it is not yet 
 in print. 
 
 “ I much admire your precaution in using a test of the 
 certainty of infection ; and your ingenuity in the manner 
 in which you employ it. To all young vaccinators it can¬ 
 not be too strongly enjoined. The experienced will deter¬ 
 mine from the character of the pustule. The evidence 
 before the House of Commons evinces the propriety of 
 your observations. 
 
 “ I put your crust into the hands of my friend Ring, 
 and he informed me yesterday that it had produced a good 
 pustule. Experience now tells us that this is a good mode 
 of sending the Vaccine virus to distant parts.” 
 
 Among the many marks of public approbation 
 and respect which were presented to Dr. Jenner at 
 this period of his philanthropic career, none afforded 
 him higher gratification than those offered to his 
 fame by his professional brethren; inasmuch as 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 537 
 
 these were the best testimonials of ^his merit as a 
 discoverer, and of the greatness and universal ad¬ 
 vantage of the discovery itself. 
 
 He was in the early part of this year£(1802) ad¬ 
 dressed on that subject in the warmest terms of 
 congratulation and approval by the Medical Society 
 of London, of which he had long been a member. 
 At a full meeting held on the 29th of March it was 
 unanimously resolved “ That taking into considera¬ 
 tion the important discovery of Dr. Jenner, the mem¬ 
 bers of this society are of opinion that great bene¬ 
 fit will accrue to the inhabitants of these islands, 
 and to mankind in general, from the introduction 
 of Vaccine Inoculation ; and from their own expe¬ 
 rience, as well as from the extensive trials made in 
 various parts of the world, that it will, in all proba¬ 
 bility, ultimately eradicate the small-pox, one of the 
 most fatal diseases to which the human species is 
 liable. 
 
 “ Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution, signed 
 by the President, be presented to Dr. Jenner.” 
 
 The Suffolk Society of Surgeons on the 19th of 
 April, after congratulating him on his great and 
 happy discovery, and returning him their “grateful 
 thanks for the invaluable advantages that the com¬ 
 munity at large had derived from his labours,” 
 entered into similar resolutions: as did also the 
 Benevolent Medical Society of Essex and Herts, 
 at their annual district meeting held at Hatfield, 
 May the 3d, 1802. 
 
538 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNEIl. 
 
 But the proceedings of this kind which were cal¬ 
 culated to convey to the heart and mind of Jenner, 
 at this time, the greatest satisfaction, were those of 
 the Physical Society of London, which holds its 
 meetings at Guy’s Hospital, Southwark. 
 
 At one of these meetings, unusually full, a memoir 
 on the subject of Vaccine Inoculation underwent 
 long, serious, and ample discussion. Dr. Jenner 
 himself attended on four successive nights, having 
 received an express invitation and request from the 
 Society for that purpose. 
 
 On entering the theatre he was constantly received 
 with universal and rapturous applause; and as no 
 discussion was ever of greater importance or of 
 deeper interest, none, probably, ever attracted in a 
 higher degree the attention of professional and sci¬ 
 entific men. At the conclusion of this animated 
 debate, the Society expressed to Dr. Jenner their 
 deep sense of the value of his discovery, 44 their 
 opinion of its efficacy, and their profound veneration 
 for its author.” After professing their conviction 
 of the prophylactic powers of vaccination, and that 
 it is quite free from any such effects as that of 44 call¬ 
 ing forth those latent seeds of disease, which occa¬ 
 sionally arise after the small-pox, even under the 
 best management,” the Society thus expresses the 
 sentiments of its members,— 44 We feel the warmest 
 sensations of gratitude and respect for the liberal 
 manner in which the author has communicated his 
 discovery, uninfluenced by any motive of self-con- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 539 
 
 sideration ; and we contemplate the discovery itself 
 as a memorable epoch in the annals of medicine. 
 The Society presumes to hope that the author of 
 this happy discovery will meet with that reward 
 from his grateful country which he justly deserves 
 for having thus rendered himself the benefactor of 
 mankind.” 
 
 A new order of merit was instituted on this oc¬ 
 casion, the members of which are called honorary 
 associates. This distinction is to be conferred solely 
 on the authors of some remarkable discovery in 
 medicine. 
 
 The President, after an eloquent oration, pre¬ 
 sented to Doctor Jenner the subjoined Diploma.* 
 
 In addition to the honours already mentioned as 
 having been conferred on Dr. Jenner about this 
 period, he was elected a corresponding associate of 
 the Medical Society of Tours ; and also of the Me¬ 
 dical Society of Paris. 
 
 * “ Societas Pbysica, anno 1771 constituta, et in Nosocomio 
 Thom® Guy habita, omnibus ad quos h® pervenerint liter® 
 salutem. Cum meritissimus ornatissimusque vir Edvardus 
 Jenner, M.D. R. S. S. &c. non mode ingenii acumine, felici 
 artis medic® eultura, animoque ad optimum quodque parato, 
 jamdudum inclaruerit, sed etiam Variol® Vaecin® Institutione 
 in lucem prolata stragem liominum variolarum morbo antebac 
 illatam compescuerit, imo fert penitus in futurum represserit, 
 sicque dirum illud mortis telum obtundendo de genere humano 
 optime meruerit ; notum facimus nos pr®fatum virum primum 
 inter socios maxime honorandos ascivisse et retulisse. In cujus 
 rei fidem bas literas, meritissimis tantum concessas, manibus 
 nostris signatas, expediri lubentissime jussimus. 
 
540 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Although many of the clergy on the Continent 
 had availed themselves of the opportunity which 
 their sacred function affords to promote the practice 
 of vaccination by addressing their congregations on 
 the subject, the example was not followed in Eng¬ 
 land. In the commencement of this year, however, 
 one worthy clergyman, the Rev. Dr. Booker of 
 Dudley, broke through the silence, and made an 
 honest and energetic appeal to the good sense and 
 good feeling of his hearers. He published his dis¬ 
 course (addressed chiefly to parents) on the duties 
 and advantages of inoculating children with the cow- 
 pox. Dr. Jenner was very much gratified with this 
 publication. In writing to the author he observed, 
 “ You are not only entitled to my thanks and 
 praises, but to those of the whole Island, and I 
 heartily wish so good an example may be followed. 
 As it lias pleased Providence in his mercy to impart 
 to us the means of annihilating a most afflictive ma¬ 
 lady, every effort should be made to counteract 
 those prejudices which stick so firmly to the poor 
 and uninformed. As far as I know, you are the 
 first clergyman who has addressed his congregation 
 on this subject. On the Continent, particularly in 
 Germany and Switzerland, it has long occupied the 
 attention of the pastors of the church ; and their 
 discourses have been attended with consequences 
 the most beneficial. Many have done much good 
 here by taking up the practice, and inoculating the 
 poor around them. I shall lay before you a passage 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEK. 
 
 541 
 
 in a letter just received from the Rev. Mr. Finch, 
 St. Helen’s, Lancashire.’’ ‘ A few years ago I was 
 in the habit of burying two or three children every 
 evening in the spring and autumnal seasons, who 
 had died in small-pox; but now this disease has 
 entirely ceased to call a single victim to the grave. 
 Why ? I have inoculated for the cow-pox upwards 
 of 3,000 persons ; and the small-pox is no longer in 
 existence here.’ 
 
 The idea of connecting religious services with the 
 practice of vaccination had occurred to several indi¬ 
 viduals in this country as well as on the continent. 
 The late eminent Dr. Darwin, of Derby, w r rote to 
 Dr. Jenner on the 24th Feb., 1802. ‘‘Your dis¬ 
 covery of preventing the dreadful havoc made among 
 mankind by the small-pox, by introducing into the 
 system so mild a disease as the vaccine inoculation 
 produces, may in time eradicate the small-pox from 
 all civilized countries, and this especially: as by the 
 testimony of innumerable instances the vaccine 
 disease is so favourable to young children, that in a 
 little time it may occur that the christening and 
 vaccination of children may always be performed on 
 the same day.” 
 
 It is- pleasing to find that Dr. Jenner, amid the 
 momentous and engrossing occupations in which we 
 have seen him engaged, should preserve both the 
 playfulness of his character, and that delightful sim¬ 
 plicity by which he was so much distinguished. 
 The following dialogue written about the time that 
 
542 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 he was most exposed to the vexatious opposition 
 directed against him before the Committee of the 
 House of Commons, indicates very strongly these 
 qualities. 
 
 Dialogue between E. J. and his Servant Richard. 
 
 R. A servant, Sir, has call’d just now, 
 
 And left a very handsome cow. 
 
 ’Twas brought, he told me—let me see— 
 
 From some such place as Hitaly. 
 
 Well have I look’d her o’er and o’er, 
 
 And never saw her like before. 
 
 In no one point, Sir, does she fail, 
 
 Head, horn, neck, carcase, limbs or tail; 
 
 And here she is to take her station 
 In compliment to Vaccination. 
 
 J. Well, Richard, this is very good, 
 
 But how shall we contrive her food? 
 
 Instead of town, were we at home, 
 
 Among our meadows she might roam; 
 
 But here I’ve not one inch of pasture- 
 R. Oh, Sir, don’t vex; that’s no disaster, 
 
 The cow is only Paris Plaster ! 
 
 Bond-Street, 1802. 
 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 543 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 ADVERSE CLAIMS—FRENCH AND HINDOO. 
 
 As it has been necessary in the preceding 
 chapter to treat of some of the claims which have 
 been urged in opposition to those of Dr. Jenner, I 
 consider this a fit opportunity to bring together 
 such other attempts of the same description as have 
 more recently appeared before the public. In this 
 part of my work I have been called upon to speak 
 more of the conduct of individuals than I could 
 have wished, and, in doing so, I have been brought 
 nearer to the confines of disputation than accords 
 with my feelings. It has been, nevertheless, my 
 solemn purpose to avoid giving just cause of offence 
 to any man. I will continue to state such facts as 
 are necessary to elucidate the character of Dr. Jen¬ 
 ner ; to delineate his efforts both as a medical philo¬ 
 sopher and as a philanthropist; and this with the 
 single object of presenting him to his fellow-men 
 as he actually was. Could this be accomplished 
 
544 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 without seeming to attach blame to any individual it 
 would be to me most gratifying. But as I cannot 
 hope to be able to do this altogether, I trust I shall 
 succeed in my endeavours to narrate the evidence 
 without any admixture of prejudice, and to declare 
 what truth demands “ without wrath or doubting.” 
 I need scarcely repeat that these remarks do not 
 apply to the vaccine controversy strictly so called, 
 with which it is not my intention to intermeddle ; 
 they refer to questions of a personal nature, and it 
 is impossible to uphold Dr. Jenner’s reputation 
 or to render the barest justice to him as a man, 
 without meeting them in a manner the most open 
 and unreserved. 
 
 The pretensions already mentioned have, I would 
 hope, been sufficiently considered and refuted. It 
 is now necessary to examine those of another 
 individual. The quarter from whence this attempt 
 has proceeded is calculated to excite no small de¬ 
 gree of surprise in the minds of those who are ac¬ 
 quainted with the history of vaccination either in 
 this country or on the continent. Our neighbours 
 in France seem not disposed to allow the ancient 
 rivalship, that has so long interfered with the best 
 interests of both countries, to subside. It unfortu¬ 
 nately still appears that a degree of jealousy respect¬ 
 ing the character of England is permitted to hold 
 place in the breasts of scientific men, who ought to 
 be well aware that truth knows no limits of country. 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 545 
 
 It is painful, therefore, after national harmony 
 has been so long* restored, to be compelled to ob¬ 
 serve a spirit of envy tending to keep alive an in¬ 
 tellectual warfare, at all times unworthy of the re¬ 
 public of letters. 
 
 It would appear, from the article which has call¬ 
 ed forth these remarks, that England has a heavy 
 debt of injustice to atone for to France. With a 
 rapacious zeal she has appropriated to herself many 
 discoveries in art and science which, of right, belong 
 to her neighbour. A bill of indictment, containing 
 many counts, has been drawn up against her; from 
 which it might be thought that many of her recent 
 inventions and improvements have been purloined 
 from France, and it is more than insinuated that 
 Vaccination is among the number. This charge is 
 much to be lamented : neither country is so desti¬ 
 tute of solid claims to respect and consideration, in 
 the culture of human knowledge, as to render it be¬ 
 coming that either should attempt to' disparage the 
 other in matters of this kind. Let us hope that the 
 time is approaching when higher and better prin¬ 
 ciples will guide the whole family of civilized man ; 
 that truth in its purest form will be the aim and end 
 of all their researches ; and that their chief efforts 
 will be directed to diffuse its blessings to every 
 kindred and to every people. This object certainly 
 was ever uppermost in the mind of Jenner, as from 
 the first instant that he became fully acquainted 
 with the character and virtues, of vaccination he 
 
 2 N 
 
546 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 coveted nothing so much as to be able to render 
 them accessible to every individual of our race. 
 
 In promoting this design he devoted his time, 
 
 his talents, his fortune ; and all this, too, when his 
 
 discovery was undervalued, his motives calumniated, 
 
 and his character traduced. Amidst no small suf- 
 
 • 
 
 fering from causes of this kind, and with painful 
 feelings of responsibility for the result of a practice 
 which so immediately concerned the lives of his 
 fellow-creatures, and the success of which was so 
 often marred by the ignorance or incompetence of 
 those who took upon them its administration, he 
 continued to repay all the contumely and insult 
 offered to himself with increasing and unremitting 
 endeavours to heap greater benefits on mankind. 
 France was among the first of the nations that 
 experienced his benevolent purpose. The horrors 
 of war had, at the time of the first publication, dis¬ 
 severed all national and personal intercourse, but 
 they could not interrupt the course of Jenner’s phi¬ 
 lanthropy. He set an example worthy of universal 
 imitation ; and endeavoured, as far as in him lay, to 
 mitigate the evils attendant on a warfare conducted 
 with a bitterness unusual in modern times : and it 
 will hereafter be seen that some of the events in 
 which he himself was personally concerned are 
 almost the only bright and cheering incidents that 
 give relief to the dark and dreary scene which Eu¬ 
 rope at that time exhibited. 
 
 All this was for a long period generously felt and 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 547 
 
 acknowledged by the French nation. Another feeling 
 has, in certain quarters, begun to prevail, and very 
 ill-founded attempts have been inconsiderately and, 
 I would hope, unwittingly made to advance claims 
 on the part of one of their countrymen, hostile to 
 those of Dr. Jenner. 
 
 This event is in itself well calculated to cause asto¬ 
 nishment ; but that astonishment is increased when 
 we consider who the individual is that brings it for¬ 
 ward. M. Husson was one of the earliest votaries 
 of the Jennerian practice. He studied the subject 
 like a philosopher; he made himself perfectly ac¬ 
 quainted with all the facts relating to the origin and 
 progress of vaccination; he took a very active part 
 in the dissemination of the practice, and has ever 
 since held an important and confidential station in 
 the Central Committee for Vaccination in France. 
 
 He was one of the earliest of the French authors 
 who devoted their talents to the elucidation of this 
 subject; and his “ Recherches ITistoriques et Medi¬ 
 cates” contain perhaps as complete and faithful a 
 delineation of the origin, varieties, and advantages 
 of the new inoculation as has appeared in any 
 language. This publication, and his distinguished 
 efforts in the cause, brought him into correspondence 
 with Dr. Jenner, and from my personal knowledge I 
 am certain that M. Husson occupied a high place 
 in his estimation : in fact, it could not be otherwise 
 when we consider the terms of respect and venera¬ 
 tion with which that gentleman spoke of the author 
 
 2 N 2 
 
548 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 of vaccination both in his published writings and in 
 his private letters. As a convincing proof that this 
 representation is correct, the reader is requested to 
 observe the following, among other similar senti¬ 
 ments, which are to be found towards the conclusion 
 of his work. “ L’examen de toutes ces objections 
 prouve bien evidemment la faiblesse des moyens em¬ 
 ployes pour s’opposer aux progres de la decouverte de 
 Jefiner” And again, <e La posterite benira la me- 
 moire de Jenner, et les siecles a venir le proclameront 
 run des plus grands bienfaiteurs de l’humanite.” 
 Such was M. Husson in 1803. 
 
 “ Hei milii, qualis erat, quantum mutatus ab illo” 
 
 in 1821.—In that year he published in the Dic- 
 tionnaire des Sciences Medicales his elaborate article 
 on vaccination : in which, after enumerating many 
 scientific and literary thefts on the part of the Eng¬ 
 lish he concludes the list in the following terms, “ Se 
 sont fgalement appropri6s tout le merite d’une de¬ 
 couverte dont la premiere pensee leur a ete donnee 
 par un Franqais, et dont l’etude et la juste ap¬ 
 preciation ont ete, meme de leur aveu, plus rigou- 
 reusement suivies parmi nous que parmi eux.” 
 
 The sentiment expressed in this extract appears 
 very strange when contrasted with that which pre¬ 
 cedes it; but it is still more remarkable when 
 viewed in reference to the claim which it is design¬ 
 ed to enforce. The whole history of this claim is 
 so singular, and is so much at variance with well- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 549 
 
 ascertained facts, as to have filled with amazement 
 all in this country who have heard of it. Had it not 
 been brought forward with all seriousness, and with 
 such circumstantial details as might impose upon the 
 uninformed, it would scarcely be necessary either to 
 examine it minutely, or to give it consequence by a 
 formal refutation. 
 
 I trust that the following words were written 
 without sufficient consideration: “II parait que c’est 
 en France, en 1781, que l’idee premiere de la pos¬ 
 sibility du transport d’une Eruption de la vache 
 sur l’homme a eu lieu; que cette idee, 5mise par 
 un Franqais devant un medecin Anglais, a ete com- 
 muniquee par ce dernier au Docteur Ed. Jenner, 
 qui ensuite aurait applique tout son attention a ce 
 projet,” &c. 
 
 I would willingly suppose that M. Husson never 
 had read Dr. Jenner’s own account of the origin of 
 the vaccine inoculation, published in 1801, in which 
 it is stated that his inquiry into the nature of cow- 
 pox commenced upwards of five years before the 
 time assigned for “ 1’idee premiere” of M. Rabaut. 
 Of course the details which I have given relative to 
 the first impression made on the mind of Dr. Jenner 
 concerning cow-pox could not have been generally 
 known. I am sorry, however, that I cannot per¬ 
 suade myself that M. Husson w T as unacquainted 
 with other sources of information, which might 
 have demonstrated to him that the allegations con¬ 
 tained in the preceding quotation are untrue. 
 
550 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 I know that he had seen the Report of the Com¬ 
 mittee appointed by the House of Commons to in¬ 
 quire into the claims of Dr. Jenner, because he quotes 
 largely from that very Report in his “ Recherches sur 
 la Vaccine,’ third edition, 1803. He could not, there¬ 
 fore, be ignorant of the testimony of Mr. E. Gard¬ 
 ner, who proved that, in the year 1780, Dr. Jenner 
 had communicated to him the result of his past 
 inquiries with regard to the Variolse Vaccinae; and 
 his hopes of propagating the disease by inoculation, 
 to the eventual extinction of small-pox. 
 
 The manner in which it is asserted that the first 
 idea of vaccination was communicated to Dr. Jenner 
 is, to the full, as worthy of credit as is the preten¬ 
 sion “ sur 1’origine vraiment Francaise de la Vac¬ 
 cine.' 5 
 
 It appears that M. Rabaut, the protestant minis¬ 
 ter at Montpelier, was struck with the affinity be¬ 
 tween some of the eruptive diseases of the inferior 
 animals, and the small-pox in man. His own ob¬ 
 servations applied chiefly to sheep, but a farmer in 
 his neighbourhood informed him that the teats of 
 cows were liable to a similar eruption, adding that 
 it was a rare yet a mild disease. At this period, 
 (1781) a Bristol merchant, Mr. Ireland, with his 
 physician Dr. Pew, was in the habit of spending his 
 winters at Montpelier. M. Rabaut, who was inti¬ 
 mately acquainted with these gentlemen, observed, 
 one day that the conversation turned on inoculation, 
 “ qu’il serait probablement avantagueux d inoculer a 
 
LIFE OF DR. JEN NEIL 
 
 551 
 
 I’homme la picotte des vaches, parce qu’elie 6tait 
 constamment sans danger.’’ 
 
 They conversed on this subject, it is added, when 
 Dr. Pew said that immediately on his return to 
 England he would propose this new species of ino¬ 
 culation to his friend Dr. Jenner. Many years 
 afterwards (1799) M. Rabaut, having heard of the 
 discovery of vaccination, supposed that his own pro¬ 
 position had been realized, and wrote to Mr. Ire¬ 
 land to recall their conversation on that subject. 
 Mr. Ireland replied by two letters (the originals of 
 which M. Chaptal has read) that he remembered 
 quite well all that had been said at Montpelier, the 
 promise which Dr. Pew had made of speaking to 
 Dr. Jenner, but he says nothing of what Dr. Pew 
 did on his return to England. 
 
 Such are the facts, as they are somewhat whim¬ 
 sically called, on which the title to the French ori¬ 
 gin of vaccination is made to rest. 
 
 The refutation which has been already given 
 might be sufficient: but there is something so pecu¬ 
 liar in the getting up of the story ; so inaccurate in 
 its affirmations; so inconsequential in its deductions; 
 and so remote from truth in its most material posi¬ 
 tions that I cannot allow it to pass without further 
 exposure. 
 
 In the first place, then, it is worthy of remark 
 that it is not even alleged that M. Rabaut had seen, 
 or knew, the disease on the cow ; and that all the 
 information which he possessed on the subject was 
 
552 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 obtained from an agriculturist in his neighbourhood. 
 Admitting that the farmer, good man! had really 
 observed the disease as it exists in the cow; and, 
 besides, knew something of its antivariolous virtues, 
 it is truly remarkable that the faculty, although 
 they had been seeking for it during twelve years in 
 many departments of France, found no certain traces 
 of it till 1810, at which time it is said to have been 
 detected in the department of the Meurthe. It also 
 may be worth while to notice that the disease of the 
 cows is so rare in France that a single case of it 
 reported to have been seen in the neighbourhood of 
 Clairveaux (in 1822) is deemed worthy of special re¬ 
 cord in the Report of the Central Committee of Vac¬ 
 cination, for 1821-2. M. Husson was fully aware 
 of both these occurrences. The first (in 1810) is 
 stated in his article Cow-pox, vol. vii. of the Dic- 
 tionaire Medicale ; the second is attributed to him 
 as Secretary to the Central Committee. Surely 
 “ L’agriculteur des environs de Montpelier” who 
 first observed “ la picotte sur 1? trayon des vaches” 
 nearly fifty years ago, must have been mistaken in 
 his observations, since it appears that nothing like 
 an authentic proof that the disease existed in France 
 was obtained till 1810; and that, too, after a dili¬ 
 gent search on the part of all the medical and ve¬ 
 terinary professors in that kingdom. 
 
 It is, therefore, certain that the cow-pox must 
 be an extremely rare affection in France ; and it 
 will not imply a great degree of incredulity if. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 553 
 
 for the reasons already stated, any one should doubt 
 the knowledge of M. Rabaut’s informant, either as 
 respects its existence or its anti variolous powers ! 
 
 It now remains to make a few remarks on ano¬ 
 ther part of this marvellous statement. It is dis¬ 
 tinctly affirmed by M. Husson that the first idea 
 of the possibility of inoculating from the cow “ 6mis£ 
 par un Franqais devant un medecin Anglais, a ete 
 communique par ce dernier au Docteur Ed. Jen- 
 ner, qui ensuite aurait appliqu^ tout son attention 
 a ce projet, &c.”* 
 
 Disposed as I am to make every allowance for 
 such inaccuracies as are apt to arise when an author 
 is intent in supporting a favourite assumption, I feel 
 myself constrained to treat the declaration in the 
 preceding extract with the seriousness that truth 
 demands. I have already said enough to vindicate 
 the claims of Dr. Jenner, which, indeed, could not 
 have been affected even though the strange preten¬ 
 sions of M. Rabaut had been admitted. My present 
 object is to expose more fully the unjustifiable man¬ 
 ner in which these pretensions have been urged, and 
 to enter a solemn protest against the confident and 
 unhesitating mode in which unfounded assertions 
 have been promulgated. It ought not to have been 
 said on slight grounds that Dr. Jenner had derived 
 his first idea of vaccine inoculation from M. Rabaut, 
 through the medium of an English physician ; nor 
 
 * Vide Dictionaire Medicale, tom. 56, p. 394. 
 
554 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ought it to have been made matter of charge against 
 Dr. Jenner that he had appropriated this idea with¬ 
 out acknowledging in the most remote degree the 
 source from whence he derived it; still less ought 
 it to have been asserted that his countrymen had 
 aided in this act of injustice, unless strong and suf¬ 
 ficient evidence had been produced. Every one 
 interested in the progress of science must feel the 
 necessity of dealing with integrity and fairness in 
 questions of this nature. Without qualities of this 
 kind there is no certainty in the diffusion of know¬ 
 ledge, no security for the maintenance of truth, and 
 the upright labourers in that cause must be deprived 
 of their just distinction and reward. 
 
 Now, it has been demonstrated that Dr. Jenner’s 
 mind had been directed to the subject of cow-pox 
 during his apprenticeship at Sodbury ; that he car¬ 
 ried the tradition of the country to London in 1770; 
 and that he actually commenced his inquiry into 
 its nature about five years thereafter. I need not, 
 therefore, add that he could not have derived the 
 first idea either from the Bristol merchant or Dr. 
 Pew. On the subject of vaccination he certainly 
 never had any communication with either of those 
 gentlemen ; and it is my conviction that he had no 
 personal acquaintance with them whatever. I may 
 further add that, if the Dr. Pew above-mentioned 
 be the same person who lived near Shaftesbury in 
 Dorsetshire, he never alluded to any circumstance 
 connected with the pretensions of M. Rabaut, though 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 555 
 
 he was particularly engaged in a correspondence 
 with Mr. Greaser of Bath, in 1 804, respecting the 
 origin of vaccination in his own county. Excepting 
 this Dr. Pew I know of none other who has been 
 in any way concerned in this matter. M. Husson 
 has affirmed that Dr. Pew, to whom he has assigned 
 so conspicuous a part, was the friend of Dr. Jenner: 
 for this assertion there is as little foundation, as for 
 his alleged communication of M. Rabaut’s pretended 
 discovery to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 The same work which sets forth the claims of 
 M. Rabaut recounts likewise the pretensions of the 
 Hindoos to the knowledge of vaccine inoculation. 
 An ancient Sanscrit work has been appealed to as 
 an authority on this subject. 
 
 The subject was mentioned many years ago in the 
 Bibliotheque Britannique. It has, more recently, 
 been revived in the Dictionnaire Medicale, and in the 
 Madras Courier of the twelfth of January, 1819. 
 The writer of the last-named article refers to Sanc- 
 teya Grantham, a medical work attributed to Bhaw- 
 antari, which is said to be “ undoubtedly an ancient 
 composition.” 
 
 From this work extracts are given. The first ex¬ 
 tract describes the method of performing the inocu¬ 
 lation with fluid taken from a pock on the udder of 
 a cow, or from the arm of a human subject, &c. 
 The next more particularly describes the small-pox 
 produced by the fluid from the udder of a cow, and 
 appears, in short, to be an imperfect abstract of the 
 
556 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 opinions and descriptions of Dr. Jenner. It does 
 not at all discriminate between the different sorts 
 of pustules to which cows are liable ; it is destitute 
 of all the characters of fidelity and accuracy which 
 give value to information of a scientific nature, and 
 must, therefore, have been quite insufficient to have 
 guided any one in the management of the very 
 practice it professes to teach. This practice, if it 
 did exist at all in India, must have been extremely 
 rare, but the description given of it is not like that 
 which would occur to any inquirer who had him¬ 
 self investigated the very singular properties of cow- 
 pox inoculation. On the contrary, it wears the 
 appearance of a delineation which had been made, 
 not from original observation, but from materials 
 obviously acquired from other sources and put to¬ 
 gether with studied ambiguity, the writer having 
 been more anxious to maintain the semblance of 
 antiquity than to convey precise information on a 
 point of infinite importance. Had it been otherwise 
 it is inconceivable that any precise knowledge on the 
 subject of vaccination, had it ever been obtained 
 by the Brahmins, could have been overlooked, and 
 allowed to remain in obscurity till it was called into 
 notice by the industry of British residents in India. 
 To no people on the earth was the secret of vac¬ 
 cine inoculation of greater moment than to the in¬ 
 habitants of the East, and it exceeds all powers of 
 belief, to suppose that such a secret could have been 
 possessed by the most influential and most respected 
 
LIIE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 557 
 
 caste, without being diffused universally, and the 
 practice adopted with corresponding avidity. 
 
 The suspicions excited by the internal evidence 
 are not a little strengthened by some circumstances 
 which I am about to mention. I made it my busi¬ 
 ness to inquire from eminent oriental scholars whe¬ 
 ther such a Sanscrit work existed, and whether from 
 their experience of the habits and customs of the 
 Hindoos there was reason to believe that they pos¬ 
 sessed any knowledge of vaccine inoculation. 
 
 For valuable information on these points I have 
 to express a deep feeling of gratitude and obligation 
 to Sir John Malcolm, G.C.B. a gentleman not less 
 distinguished by his genius and skill as a commander 
 than by the wisdom, learning, energy, and benevo¬ 
 lence evinced in all his civil relations. Through his 
 kindness I am enabled to state the following facts:—• 
 
 On the introduction of vaccine inoculation into 
 India it was found that the practice was much op¬ 
 posed by the natives. In order to overcome their 
 prejudices the late Mr. Ellis, of Madras, who was 
 well versed in Sanscrit literature actually composed 
 a short poem in that language on the subject of vac¬ 
 cination. This poem was inscribed on old paper, 
 and said to have been found , that the impression of 
 its antiquity might assist the effect intended to be 
 produced on the minds of the Brahmins while trac¬ 
 ing the preventive to their sacred cow. 
 
 The late Dr. Anderson, of Madras, adopted the 
 very same expedient in order to deceive the Hin- 
 
558 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 doos into a belief that vaccination was an ancient 
 practice of their own. It is scarcely necessary to 
 observe that had any authentic record of such a 
 practice existed, these gentlemen never would have 
 resorted to such a contrivance to gain their object. 
 It is further to be observed that small-pox inocu¬ 
 lation was frequently practised by the Hindoos, but 
 there is no proof whatever that they employed vac¬ 
 cination. 
 
 Shortly after the introduction of vaccination into 
 Bengal, similar attempts were made to prove that 
 the practice was previously known there also. As 
 the account of this transaction is somewhat different 
 from that which occurred at Madras, it is proper to 
 mention it. A native physician of Barelly put into 
 the hands of Mr. Gillman, who was surgeon at that 
 station, some leaves purporting to contain an extract 
 of a Sanscrit work on medicine. 
 
 This work is said to be entitled Sud’ha Sangreha, 
 written by a physician named Mahadeva, under 
 the patronage of Raja Rajasin’ha. It contained a 
 chapter on Masurica or Chickenpock. 
 
 Towards the close, the author appears to have 
 introduced other topics; and immediately after 
 directing leeches to be applied to relieve bad sores 
 he proceeds thus : 44 Taking the matter of pustules, 
 which are naturally produced on the teats of cows, 
 carefully preserve it, and before the breaking out 
 of small-pox make with a fine instrument a small 
 puncture (like that made by a gnat) in a child’s 
 
559 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 limb, and introduce into the blood as much of 
 that matter as is measured by a quarter of a ratti. 
 Thus the wise physician renders the child secure 
 from the eruption of the small-pox.” 
 
 This communication was shown to Mr, Cole- 
 brooke and Mr. Blaquiere, both eminent Sanscrit 
 scholars, and they both suspected that it was an 
 interpolation. The first-named gentleman further 
 adds that the original work, from which the extract 
 purports to have been taken, was not exhibited 
 to any one well versed in Sanscrit. I believe I may 
 further add that Mr. Colebrooke made inquiries 
 whilst in India, which fully satisfied him that no 
 original work of the kind ever had existence. Sir 
 John Malcolm has also been kind enough to ascer¬ 
 tain that no such book is to be found in the library 
 of the East India Company. From these statements 
 it must be apparent, that the well-meant devices of 
 those who attempted to propagate Vaccination in 
 India, have led to the belief that the practice was 
 known to the Hindoos in earlier times. 
 
 It is a providential arrangement that the satis¬ 
 faction which well-regulated minds derive from the 
 investigation of truth does npt depend upon exter¬ 
 nal things. The labours of those who cultivate this 
 field are seldom duly estimated. The bad passions 
 of their fellow-creatures too often interfere with 
 their just claims to consideration, and cavillers and 
 disputers either deny the accuracy of their state¬ 
 ments, or attempt to disprove their originality. 
 
/ 
 
 5fiO LIFE OF OR. JENNER. 
 
 This has been especially the fate of almost every 
 inventor in medicine, and it was not therefore to be 
 expected that Jenner should escape the common lot 
 of his predecessors. 
 
 When Harvey published his great work on the 
 circulation of the blood, he had not only to encoun¬ 
 ter a most violent opposition to his doctrines, but 
 actually lost a great deal of public confidence, and 
 experienced a sensible diminution of his practice 
 as a physician. The strength of his demonstrations, 
 however, at length vanquished all obstacles, and 
 knowledge prevailed. Though his detractors were 
 thus foiled, they were not defeated; they assailed 
 him in another quarter, and contended (though his 
 doctrines were true) that they were not his own, that 
 traces of them were to be found in the works of 
 Hippocrates, Aristotle, Plato, Galen, and Michael 
 Servetus. 
 
 If men would but consider that “ all knowledge (as 
 has been happily expressed) is but the double of that 
 which is,” they would cease from these unjust at¬ 
 tempts to rob those, who have brought that know¬ 
 ledge to light, of the praise which is their due. All 
 the most splendid discoveries were in the first in¬ 
 stance suggested by some apparently unimportant 
 event; and who can tell how many more have been 
 lost to the world, because those who are placed in 
 situations to examine the changes and transmuta¬ 
 tions of different bodies, the habits or functions of 
 plants and animals, or the processes in mechanic 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 561 
 
 arts, are incapable, either through inattention or ig¬ 
 norance, of taking advantage of unusual occur¬ 
 rences, of following out the hints and admonitions 
 which every day’s business and observation supply ; 
 and remain blind, or unexcited spectators of events 
 which, had they been duly investigated, might have 
 immortalized their own names, and conferred un¬ 
 speakable benefits on their species. 
 
 Without referring to the histories of scientific 
 discoveries, which are already well known, I may 
 mention one fact that, I believe, has not been 
 formerly noticed, bearing strongly upon the subject 
 now under consideration. Every one is aware of 
 the occurrence that first led Galvani to investigate 
 that branch of knowledge which now bears his name, 
 and which, in the hands of able inquirers, has led 
 to some of the most splendid results of modern 
 science. His lady, who was in a declining state of 
 health, was about to be fed by a restorative soup 
 prepared from frogs. The animals, skinned and 
 prepared for the kitchen, were lying in the philo¬ 
 sopher’s laboratory, near his electrical machine. 
 The machine being in action, an attendant happened 
 to touch the crural nerve of one of the frogs with 
 the point of a scalpel, which was not far from the 
 prime conductor. The muscles of the limb were 
 instantly thrown into strong convulsive action. This 
 phenomenon, which was by no means anticipated, 
 was presented to the observation of the lady, in the 
 absence of the professor; she was very much struck 
 
 2 o 
 
562 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNElt. 
 
 with the fact, and communicated it to her husband. 
 He immediately set himself seriously to investigate 
 the subject, and was soon rewarded by a rich harvest 
 of discovery. I introduce this anecdote in order to 
 give due effect to the following incident. A con¬ 
 siderable number of years before Galvani’s attention 
 had been drawn to the subject of animal electricity, 
 a fact which was not ascertained till he had ad¬ 
 vanced considerably in his inquiries had been casu¬ 
 ally brought under the notice of another individual, 
 but it led to no results whatever. The occurrence 
 to which I allude arose in the following manner :—A 
 fish which was about to be prepared for dinner hap¬ 
 pened to be placed on a table in connection with 
 two metals. A galvanic circle was formed, and the 
 animal was thrown into convulsions : an event so 
 unusual naturally attracted attention. It was re¬ 
 ported to the gentleman of the house who was a 
 medical man, and although he did not make one 
 single attempt to prosecute so remarkable a branch 
 of knowledge, he thought it worth while to record 
 the circumstance, and an account of it was actually 
 published in one of our scientific works. 
 
 I am exceedingly sorry that I am unable to specify 
 the name of the individual, or the work where the 
 fact is mentioned. I met with it many years ago, 
 and made a particular reference, but I have mislaid 
 my memorandum. I am, nevertheless, confident that 
 implicit reliance may be placed on the accuracy of 
 that part of the statement which it was my main 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEK. 
 
 563 
 
 object to bring forward; I mean the convulsion of 
 the fish excited in the manner already described. 
 Had the individual to whom that event occurred 
 been possessed of the mind of Galvani, that philo¬ 
 sopher would have been anticipated in his discoveries, 
 but unquestionably his merit is not in the slightest 
 degree diminished by the facts just mentioned, nor 
 would it have been, though hundreds of such unpro¬ 
 ductive observations had been recorded before his 
 time. 
 
 By a strange inversion, a dull man’s blunders 
 and incapacity are sometimes made to cast a shade 
 over the brilliancy of genius. To such causes 
 are we to ascribe the hard fate of many distin¬ 
 guished inventors. A fact which has been lying 
 common and at waste, floating on the very sur¬ 
 face of daily experience, is seized upon by some 
 penetrating and inquisitive mind. Its relations to 
 the different branches of human knowledge are ex¬ 
 amined and defined: it throws a light all around, 
 and is a lamp to the feet of the inquirer, while he 
 surveys other regions. Having thus explored a 
 terra incognita up starts one, and says,—Sir, you 
 have not the whole merit of this discovery; I knew 
 that such a land, as you have visited and explored, 
 existed, for I saw it, but did not approach it. An¬ 
 other says,—I was actually cast away upon the coast; 
 
 I noticed some of the things which you have de¬ 
 scribed. I did not examine them minutely, but I 
 remember from your description that such things 
 
 2 o 2 
 
504 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER 
 
 did exist, and I therefore am entitled to the merit 
 and reward which you claim. 
 
 A process similar to this marked the discussions 
 regarding the origin of vaccination. The subject 
 had been forced upon the attention of many indi¬ 
 viduals ; but as far as they were concerned all 
 the information relating to it might have remained 
 in its original and unsatisfactory state. All the 
 pretensions, therefore, of the men that became wise 
 by the labours of Jenner, who achieved what they 
 were unable to accomplish, instead of detracting 
 from his fame ought to raise it still higher. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 565 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 \ 
 
 FORMATION OF THE ROYAL JENNERIAN SOCIETY. — DEPAR¬ 
 TURE OF THE EXPEDITION UNDER DON FRANCISCO XA¬ 
 VIER BALMIS FROM SPAIN. 
 
 I have not been able to ascertain exactly at what 
 tinie Dr. Jenner left London after the conclusion of 
 the Parliamentary inquiry, but I suspect it must have 
 been towards the end of July. In the beginning of 
 August he was at Berkeley, where he received a 
 visit from Dr. Franck of Vienna. This distinguished 
 physician carried with him a letter of introduction 
 from Dr. Rabington of London. 
 
 Dr. Babington to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Nine years absence in the service.of his country has 
 obliged my friend Dr. Franck, the bearer of this letter, to 
 visit your part of the world on account of his health ; and 
 the interest which he takes in the welfare of society at 
 large makes him desirous of being made known to one of 
 its greatest benefactors. 
 
566 
 
 LIFE OF DR. .TENNER. 
 
 The object of my writing is to request that you will 
 allow me to introduce him to your kind attention; such as 
 you may have occasional opportunities of showing him, 
 without putting yourself to any inconvenience. Dr. Franck 
 has too much good sense and politeness to wish to trespass 
 upon your valuable time. He desires merely the honour 
 of being acknowledged as an acquaintance, which, I flatter 
 myself when you come to know him, you will not repent 
 of having granted, and which will add to the many kind¬ 
 nesses already shown to, dear Sir, 
 
 Your very grateful and sincere friend, 
 
 Wm. Babington. 
 
 Aldermanhury , Aug. 5th, 1802. 
 
 Dr. Franck’s inquisitive and vigorous mind did 
 not rest satisfied with superficial views of any sub¬ 
 ject. He acquired an accurate knowledge of vacci¬ 
 nation as well as of its early history. He published 
 an account of his travels in England, and the manner 
 in which he mentions some of the events that took 
 place soon after the appearance of Dr. .Tenner’s “ In¬ 
 quiry' proves that his information respecting trans¬ 
 actions, which were not generally known, was sur¬ 
 prisingly accurate. I allude particularly to the at¬ 
 tempts made by certain individuals in London to 
 elevate themselves by depreciating the merits of the 
 author of vaccination. 
 
 I find from his memorandum-book that Dr. Jen- 
 ner was at Cheltenham on the first of September, 
 and there, I believe, he remained till the beginning 
 of December, when he returned with his family to 
 
LIFE OF DR, JENNER. 5G7 
 
 Berkeley. He hoped in this seclusion to enjoy a 
 few weeks repose after his arduous and harassing 
 labours. This most reasonable expectation was not 
 permitted to be fully gratified. 
 
 Several respectable gentlemen, friends of Dr. Jen- 
 ner and of their fellow-men, anxious to see the 
 practice of vaccination fixed on a firm basis in the 
 metropolis, resolved to endeavour to form an insti¬ 
 tution for that purpose. On the 3d of December, 
 1802, they held a preliminary meeting in Queen 
 Street; Benjamin Travers, Esq. in the chair. There 
 were only three other persons present, namely, Dr. 
 Hawes, Mr. Addington, surgeon, and Joseph Leaper. 
 The proceedings of this meeting were communicated 
 to Dr. Jenner by Mr. Addington A 
 
 Mr. J. Addington to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Dec. 3d, 1802. 
 
 I persuade myself you will hear with pleasure of every 
 thing designed to promote the extension and beneficial 
 
 * Another friend of Dr. Jenner’s, the late respectable Joseph 
 Fox, of Lombard Street, writing to him on this subject on the 
 4th December, observes “ The plan which is in agitation is of 
 the most extensive and liberal kind. It is even expected that 
 the Royal countenance will be gained, but much depends upon 
 you ; all persons are looking towards you as the only proper 
 person to lay the foundation-stone. It would be well if this 
 could be done in the course of the present year, particularly as 
 that is the memorable time, in which it received parliamentary 
 sanction.” 
 
568 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 effects of your inestimable discovery. The resolutions 
 which 1 have the honour to enclose are the beginnings of a 
 scheme which contemplates a magnitude of operation, best 
 characterized, perhaps, by saying that it aims to be in some 
 degree commensurate with the claims of its object. I may 
 add that for its support it has already the prospect of a 
 very handsome contribution and, further, that it is likely 
 to engage the attention and assiduities of some very re¬ 
 spectable persons. The third resolution makes it unneces¬ 
 sary to inform you that it looks to your direction and 
 assistance in its establishment and progress ; and designs, 
 whilst conveying to mankind the benefits of vaccination, to 
 pay to the author of those benefits its first and best tribute 
 of respect and gratitude. In fact it is wished to make it 
 a Jennerian institution. The gentlemen therefore feel 
 very desirous of knowing when it is probable that they 
 may have the pleasure of seeing you in town, as they are 
 anxious to proceed in the business without delay. 
 
 In their name, therefore, I beg the favour of you to give 
 me this information by an early post; and I take this op¬ 
 portunity of saying that, for myself, I shall also be glad to 
 consult you respecting another edition of my pamphlet 
 which I am intending to publish. With the sincerest 
 wishes for your happiness in proportion to the value of 
 your services to mankind, 
 
 I remain, 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Your obliged friend and servant, 
 
 J. Addington. 
 
 To this communication Dr. Jenner replied. 
 
569 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEIL 
 
 Berkeley, Dec. 10th, 180&. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 * . 
 
 The only apology 1 can make for not giving a more 
 speedy answer to your very obliging letter is this; it found 
 me just returned with my wife and children to our pleasant 
 home, where I promised myself a few weeks of domestic 
 comfort after some years spent, I may almost say, in con¬ 
 stant anxieties. 
 
 This was the pull on one side, and on the other was the 
 delightful prospect held up to my view of an establishment 
 about to be formed for the promotion of universal vaccine 
 inoculation : an establishment to which I have been, for 
 years, looking forward with a longing eye. I need not go 
 farther into explanation, and shall only say that, if it be 
 incompatible with the generous design to suffer me to re¬ 
 main here the time I had allowed myself, I will certainly 
 comply with the wishes of my friends, and go to town. 
 
 Yet it must be observed that I humbly conceive and, I 
 may add, ardently hope that my presence will not be ab¬ 
 solutely necessary. By this post I have written to my 
 friend Dr. Lettsom and requested him to have the kindness 
 to be (as far as such a thing is admissible) my represen¬ 
 tative. In his judgment on the present occasion I can 
 place every confidence. There is no one, I believe, whose 
 mind has been more zealously employed on the advantages 
 that society will reap from the adoption of the benevolent 
 scheme now in agitation, or will be better able to point 
 out judicious plans. I do not think the business will be 
 very complex. The society would perhaps so far indulge 
 me as to permit of my inspecting the outlines of the scheme 
 which may probably be brought forward at the next meet¬ 
 ing ; and in the best manner in my power I shall contribute 
 to its final arrangement. 
 
570 
 
 LIFE OF' DIE JENNEIt. 
 
 Pray be good enough to present my best respects, and 
 acknowledgments of civilities to Mr. Travers and Dr. 
 Hawes and the other gentlemen of the society you are so 
 kind as to call Jennerian ; and accept the best wishes of, 
 dear Sir, 
 
 Your faithful humble Servant, 
 
 Edw. Jenner. 
 
 Mr. Addington, 
 Spital Square , London. 
 
 Mr. Travers, too, had written to Dr. Jenner on the 
 same subject, and received an answer of like import 
 with the preceding : it contained also the following 
 sentences : e< Government, I have no doubt, will give 
 due support to so just and laudable an undertaking.” 
 “ I am warranted in my suggestion respecting Go¬ 
 vernment from a long conversation I had in the 
 summer with Mr. Abbott (Speaker of the House of 
 Commons) who expressed a wish that on my return 
 to town I would renew it; at the same time added 
 that after the investigation in the House of Com¬ 
 mons he thought it became a public duty to form 
 institutions for gratuitous inoculation.” 
 
 On the 19th of January, 1803, a numerous and 
 respectable meeting was held at the London tavern, 
 at which the Lord Mayor presided. The commit¬ 
 tee, which had been appointed at a former meeting 
 to prepare an address and a plan for the regulation 
 of the society, on this occasion presented the result 
 of their labours. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNET?. 
 
 571 
 
 The Lord Mayor read the address to the public 
 from the chair, and it was, on the motion of Dr. 
 Lettsom, unanimously adopted by the meeting. The 
 next motion having been made and seconded, the 
 Hon. Admiral Berkeley rose and said that “ he 
 had it. in command from His Royal Highness the 
 Duke of Clarence to apologize to the meeting for his 
 non-attendance,' he having been unavoidably pre¬ 
 vented from doing himself the pleasure and the 
 honour of attending on the present interesting oc¬ 
 casion ; but that his Grace the Duke of Bedford had 
 a motion in his hand which had his Royal Highness 
 been present he himself would have made.” 
 
 On this the Right Hon. Chairman observed 
 that a motion had already been made and seconded, 
 and that consequently it must be first disposed of. 
 The Hon. Admiral acknowledged the propriety of 
 the observation, but said that the motion was pro¬ 
 posed as a tribute of esteem to a benefactor of the 
 world; and that if the previous motion could be 
 waived, and the wish of his Royal Highness could be 
 acceded to, the honour intended would be greater 
 coming from a popular assembly than if it were con¬ 
 ferred by any organized society. 
 
 On this the previous motion, namely, “ that this 
 meeting do form itself into a Society for the exter¬ 
 mination of the Small-pox” was postponed, and on 
 a motion of his Grace the Duke of Bedford, at the 
 special request of his Royal Highness the Duke of 
 Clarence, seconded by the Hon. Admiral Berkeley, 
 
572 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JEN NEE. 
 
 it was resolved unanimously that the thanks of this 
 meeting be transmitted to Dr. Jenner expressive of 
 the high sense it entertains of his merit, and the 
 great importance of his discovery, and particularly 
 for the liberal offer of his assistance to accomplish 
 the great object it has in view. 
 
 It was farther resolved that the Hon. Admiral 
 Berkeley be requested to apply to His Royal High¬ 
 ness the Duke of Clarence to entreat his Majesty 
 that he would be graciously pleased to become the 
 patron of this institution, which the society con¬ 
 siders would greatly promote its important object, 
 that of rescuing a very large proportion of his Ma¬ 
 jesty’s subjects from an untimely grave; and that 
 he would permit it to be designated the Royal 
 Jennerian Society for the extermination of the 
 Small-pox. 
 
 The other resolutions referred to the opening of 
 subscriptions, the appointment of treasurers and a 
 committee for carrying into effect the objects of the 
 society, &c. &c. 
 
 On the 17th of February another general meet¬ 
 ing was held at the London Tavern. The report of 
 the Committee, signed by John Julius Angerstein, 
 Esq. the chairman, was presented to this meeting. 
 It communicated the very gratifying intelligence 
 that his Majesty had graciously condescended to 
 become the patron : that her Majesty had with great 
 benignity acquiesced in the request to become 
 patroness : that his Royal Highness the Prince of 
 
LIFE OF M. JENNEE. 573 
 
 Wales and their Royal Highnesses the Duke of 
 Tork, the Duke of Clarence, and the Duke of Cum¬ 
 berland, had evinced, in a most flattering manner, 
 their willingness to accept the office of vice-patrons : 
 that his Grace the Duke of Bedford had complied 
 with their solicitation to fill the office of president; 
 and that many prelates, noblemen, and gentlemen of 
 the highest rank and respectability had consented to 
 be vice-presidents of the society.* 
 
 The Committee likewise interested many ladies of 
 rank in support of the Jennerian practice : and they 
 also appointed a board of directors and a medical 
 council. 
 
 His Majesty’s assent was announced to the chair¬ 
 man of the committee by an official letter from Lord 
 Pelham : that of the Queen also officially, by the Earl 
 of Morton. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales 
 was pleased to express his sentiments on this occa¬ 
 sion in a letter to the Earl of Egremont. This let¬ 
 ter evinced an ardent wish for the success of the 
 new institution, and the most cordial approbation of 
 the indefatigable perseverance of Dr. Jenner in per¬ 
 fecting the discovery of vaccination. This his Royal 
 Highness stated from a full conviction of the effi¬ 
 cacy of the practice, and from a distinct perception 
 
 * I am indebted to Charles Murray, Esq. for the means of 
 G'ivina: an account of the formation of this institution. He like- 
 
 o o 
 
 wise most kindly forwarded to me some very important docu¬ 
 ments relating to the transactions I have recounted as occurring 
 in the end of the year 1799- 
 
574 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNEIl. 
 
 of the incalculable advantages it promised to the 
 world. 
 
 The gracious and beneficent mind of the Illustri¬ 
 ous writer is displayed in every line ; and the whole 
 is truly characteristic of those great qualities which 
 continue to add lustre to his still more exalted sta¬ 
 tion, and shed so much of real glory on his reign. 
 
 His Royal Highness was pleased, on other occa¬ 
 sions, to declare his admiration of this invaluable 
 discovery ; to patronize and to cherish it in every 
 way; and at the same time, to announce the highest 
 esteem for the worth and character of its author. 
 
 His Royal Highness the Duke of York, who, for 
 reasons already specified, was constrained to with¬ 
 draw from another Vaccine Institution, wrote to 
 the Earl of Egremont that he would have great 
 pleasure in giving every support in his power to the 
 new Vaccine Institution; and most readily con¬ 
 sented that his name should be added to the list of 
 vice-patrons. 
 
 His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence like¬ 
 wise kindly accepted the office of a vice-patron of 
 the society in terms highly encouraging to the future 
 prospects of the infant institution, as will be seen in 
 the subsequent letter. 
 
 “ To the Hon. Admiral Berkeley. 
 
 Bushy House. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I shall be truly happy to be of any use in assisting Dr. 
 Jenner to disseminate his invaluable discovery throughout 
 
575 
 
 LIFE OF DU. JENNER. 
 
 the British empire ; and cannot but feel proud that my 
 name should stand among those of the patronisers of your 
 society. 
 
 I remain ever yours, 
 
 William.” 
 
 His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland 
 also expressed his gratification in accepting the 
 office of vice-patron of the society, through his se¬ 
 cretary Colonel Stephenson; and he commanded 
 him to add that “ he should be at all times happy 
 in having it in his power to contribute towards the 
 promoting of so truly a benevolent undertaking.” 
 
 Dr. Jenner remained at Berkeley till the first of 
 February, 1803, when he left it for London, which 
 he reached the next day. His short retirement in 
 the country, though not free from interruptions, was 
 very refreshing to him ; he took long walks in his 
 neighbourhood, and for a time was enabled to throw 
 off the many cares which had, for years, oppressed 
 him. The celebration of the birth-day of his eldest 
 son, who on the 24th of January had completed his 
 fourteenth year ; his walk to Tortworth, the beauti¬ 
 ful seat of Lord Ducie; his superintendence of the 
 produce of his cider-mill; and similar incidents, 
 which- I find casually recorded among his memo¬ 
 randa, show how eagerly he returned to the habits 
 and occupations in which he delighted. Such were 
 his horce subsecivce; yet, whilst thus unbending his 
 mind, he was neither idle nor indolent. Letters 
 from various quarters poured in on him every post; 
 
576 
 
 LIFE OF Dlt. JENNER, 
 
 and the affairs of the new institution occupied much 
 of his time, and of his thoughts. 
 
 On the 3d of February he took his seat, for the 
 first time, as President of the Royal Jennerian Insti¬ 
 tution. This meeting was held at the London 
 Coffee-house. At subsequent meetings a central 
 house for the institution, in Salisbury Square, was 
 secured ; a resident inoculator and medical secretary 
 was appointed, and Dr. John Walker was elected to 
 fill this situation. 
 
 In order to render just honour to Dr. Jenner it 
 was determined that the friends of the institution 
 should annually celebrate his birth-day by a public 
 dinner. The first festival took place on the 17th 
 of May 1803. The chair was filled by the Earl of 
 Egremont. 
 
 On the 2nd of March Dr. Jenner, accompanied by 
 Lord Berkeley, Lord Egremont, Lord Grantley, 
 Mr. J. J. Angerstein, the Lord Mayor, Mr. Travers, 
 and Dr. Lettsom, went to the levee -as a deputation 
 from the Royal Jennerian Society to return thanks 
 to his Majesty for his goodness in becoming the pa¬ 
 tron of that institution. 
 
 The early proceedings of this society were vigor¬ 
 ous and prosperous. Thirteen stations were opened 
 in different parts of the metropolis. In eighteen 
 months they were enabled to announce that 12,288 
 inoculations had taken place, and during the same 
 space of time 19,352 charges of Vaccine virus were 
 supplied from the central-house to most parts of the 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 577 
 
 British empire, and to foreign countries. The effect 
 of these exertions was immediately perceived by a 
 striking diminution of the number of deaths from 
 small-pox within the bills of mortality. In 1803 
 they amounted to 1173; in 1804 they were only 
 622. The contrast will appear still greater when it 
 is considered that the deaths amounted to 2409 
 in the year 1800 : and that the annual average 
 of deaths, for fifty years previously, was 2018. 
 
 This society was also in correspondence with 
 other institutions, and its medical council investi¬ 
 gated with care and fidelity such cases of small-pox 
 as were alleged to have occurred after vaccination. 
 
 It would be foreign to the object of this work to 
 trace minutely the proceedings of this institution. 
 Founded for a benevolent purpose, fostered by the 
 most exalted patronage, and adorned by all the 
 learning and talent of the medical profession in the 
 metropolis, it promised to run a long career of use¬ 
 fulness and honour ; but the best devised human 
 schemes too often carry within themselves the ele¬ 
 ments of their own dissolution. This unhappily was 
 the case in the present instance. Irregularities 
 soon crept into the proceedings of some of the offi¬ 
 cers of the society, which in a short time led to its 
 virtual dissolution. Though matters did not arrive 
 at an extremity till the year 1806,1 am desirous, for 
 various reasons, to finish now what is to be said on 
 the subject. It is an ungracious and unpleasant 
 one, and caused Dr. Jenner much disquiet; and had 
 
 2 r 
 
578 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 not the character of the vaccine practice and his own 
 personal feelings and conduct been deeply involved 
 in the proceedings I am about to recount, I should 
 feel great satisfaction in passing them by altoge¬ 
 ther. 
 
 “ After the election of Dr. Walker, on the recom¬ 
 mendation of Dr. Jenner, to the offices of resident 
 inoculator and medical secretary, he published opi¬ 
 nions on vaccination, and recommended a practice 
 contrary to the positive instructions and printed 
 regulations of the Society. Dr. Jenner, president of 
 the Medical Council, considered it his duty to ad¬ 
 monish him upon this conduct, and repeatedly repre¬ 
 sented to him, in the most friendly manner, the mis¬ 
 chievous tendency of these innovations. These re¬ 
 monstrances, which were likewise made by others, 
 were unavailing: the deviations from the practice 
 enjoined by the authority of the Society, as avowed 
 by Dr. Walker in his publications, became more 
 alarming ; and at length compelled. Dr. Jenner, who 
 thought them of the most dangerous nature, to 
 prefer a complaint against him before the Medical 
 Council, the only organ of the Society for deter¬ 
 mining medical points, and by whom he had been 
 nominated to his situation/' 
 
 In bringing forward his charges Dr. Jenner was 
 moved strictly by a sense of public duty. Finding 
 all his private efforts unavailing, he ceased to have 
 any further communication with Dr. Walker, after 
 the summer of 1805; submitting rather to lament 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 579 
 
 in silence the fate of the Society than come before 
 it as a public accuser. 
 
 Dr. Walker’s instructions to the Vaccine Insti¬ 
 tution at Nottingham, in March 1806, at length 
 roused Dr. Jenner’s fears for the safety of the prac¬ 
 tice, to such a degree, that he felt the absolute neces¬ 
 sity of making his sentiments on the conduct of Dr. 
 Walker publicly known. The Medical Council as¬ 
 sembled to hear the charges was unusually full, con¬ 
 sisting of twenty-four physicians and surgeons of 
 high respectability, who investigated them and ex¬ 
 amined Dr. Walker’s defence with most serious and 
 patient attention ; and after long deliberation they 
 came to the following resolutions :— 
 
 Resolved—That, in the opinion of this council, 
 Dr. Walker has very materially deviated from the 
 practice of vaccination enjoined in the printed in¬ 
 structions of this Society ; and that such conduct 
 is entirely irregular and unauthorised, as well as in¬ 
 consistent with his duty as resident inoculator and 
 medical secretary. 
 
 That this council are of opinion that Dr. Walker 
 is highly reprehensible for publishing under various 
 forms and at different periods, whilst holding the 
 offices of resident inoculator and medical secretary 
 to this Society, doctrines and opinions directly con¬ 
 trary to the instructions published under the sanc¬ 
 tion of this Society. 
 
 That all the resolutions of this meeting shall be 
 submitted to a special general court; and that the 
 
580 
 
 LI B E OE DU. JENNER. 
 
 fitness of Dr. Walker to continue in the situation of 
 resident inoculator and medical secretary be there 
 determined. 
 
 It is unnecessary here to mention the spe¬ 
 cific instances of misconduct which were establish¬ 
 ed against the resident inoculator. They regarded 
 even the very name of the affection ; the method 
 of managing the pustule; the characters of correct 
 vaccination ; the precautions to be observed in con¬ 
 ducting the practice, &c. &c. In all these respects 
 Dr. Walker inculcated doctrines directly opposite 
 to those which he himself was officially bound to dis¬ 
 tribute for the guidance of medical men through¬ 
 out the world. 
 
 It is distressing to know that Dr. Jenner, and 
 those who thought with him, could not act as be¬ 
 came them on this emergency without having mo¬ 
 tives ascribed to them of a very unworthy nature. 
 It can not be required of me to attempt to vindi¬ 
 cate Dr. Jenner from any insinuations of this kind. 
 His every action was at variance with whatever 
 was, in the most remote degree, selfish or unjust. In¬ 
 deed, if in this transaction the slightest blame can 
 attach to him, it must be on the score of his forbear¬ 
 ance, and not of a disposition to find fault. 
 
 A special general Court of the Royal Jennerian 
 Society was held on the 25th of July, when a mo¬ 
 tion founded on the resolutions of the medical coun¬ 
 cil was made by Dr. Denman, and seconded by James 
 Moore, Esq., that Dr. Walker should be dismissed 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 581 
 
 from his office. This motion was negatived by a 
 majority of three. 
 
 The proceedings of this day afford a melancholy 
 proof of the mode in which many public institutions 
 are managed. On the morning of the meeting a 
 supporter of the resident-inoculator, by a payment 
 of twenty guineas, brought, at once, twenty persons 
 to vote in his favour, in direct defiance of the spi¬ 
 rit of the seventeenth law of the Society. A ballot 
 was therefore demanded by Dr. Lettsom, Dr. Jen- 
 ner, J. J. Angerstein, Esq., Mr. Blair, &c. &c. &c., 
 in order to collect the sense of the whole society res¬ 
 pecting the conduct of Dr. Walker. The ballot was 
 fixed for the eighth of August, but the proceedings 
 were rendered unnecessary by the resignation of the 
 resident-inoculator on that morning. 
 
 Had not these unpleasant transactions terminated 
 in the removal of the offending party, Dr. Jenner 
 certainly would have withdrawn from the Society. 
 No man can read the reasons which he himself 
 assigned for such a step without honouring him for 
 the dignified and becoming principle that guided 
 him in this determination. He looked upon every 
 thing that tended to endanger the character of Vac¬ 
 cination, as a serious evil: and he would gladly 
 have relinquished every personal gratification, or 
 distinction, rather than have compromised in any 
 way the safety of the practice. In this spirit he 
 wrote thus to a friend—“ With respect to the 
 Society, if I had seen it go to wreck from a failure 
 
582 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 of the system to which it gave sanction, that would 
 have been heart-breaking indeed: but while I see 
 that system flourish the world over, whether sup¬ 
 ported by societies or by individuals unassociated, 
 my mind will be more at ease respecting the fall 
 or continuance of the fabric in Salisbury Square 
 than you could readily have conceived.” To the 
 same gentleman he had previously expressed his 
 feelings on this topic thus :—As president of the 
 Medical Council, and in many other points of view, 
 I am considered by the world as responsible, in a 
 great measure, for the medical conduct of the Resi- 
 dent-inoculator at the Central-House. This ren¬ 
 ders my situation so truly unpleasant (for I will 
 frankly tell you that I have lost my confidence in 
 Dr. Walker) that I think it quite necessary that one 
 of us should withdraw. ’ 
 
 I would here most willingly close my remarks on 
 this subject were it not that the individual, whose 
 conduct was chiefly complained of, has continued to 
 endeavour to associate the name of Dr. Jenner with 
 measures which he disapproved of and disavowed ; 
 nay more, with which he absolutely refused to be at 
 all connected. As far as he was concerned he look¬ 
 ed upon the Society as nearly extinguished after the 
 late schism. It lingered for some time, but on the 
 establishment of the National Vaccine Institution in 
 1808, its finances being exhausted, its operations 
 would appear to have ceased entirely. An attempt 
 was made in 1813 to revive this Society and the 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNEIt. 
 
 583 
 
 chairman of a General Meeting, held for that pur¬ 
 pose, Dr. Bradley applied to Dr. Jenner requesting 
 his acceptance of the office of President. He, in an 
 answer dated Cheltenham, September 3d, 1813, de¬ 
 clined this proposal. It is desirable that this fact 
 should be remembered, inasmuch as it proves that 
 Dr. Jenner’s name ought to be entirely disconnected 
 from the proceedings of what is still unaccountably 
 termed the Royal Jennerian Society. 
 
 The events in which Dr. Jenner was chiefly en¬ 
 gaged while he remained in London related to the 
 establishment of the infant Society. He occasionally 
 took the chair as President of the Medical Council, 
 and forwarded by every means in his power the 
 objects of the institution. 
 
 Early in this year (1803) he was visited by Dr. 
 Valentin, of Nancy. This learned and estimable 
 physician had conceived the greatest attachment to 
 the author of vaccination. His own mind had for 
 many years been directed to the history of that 
 dreadful disease which the new practice is calculated 
 to subdue, and his elaborate history of small-pox 
 was nearly printed when the tidings of Jenner’s 
 surprising discovery arrived in France. The value 
 of this discovery was quickly appreciated by the 
 enlightened mind of Dr. Valentin. The vaccine 
 practice had commenced in Paris in the year 1800. 
 In the month of October of the same year it reach¬ 
 ed Nancy, and soon spread to every department of 
 the kingdom. Dr. Valentin not only assisted in dif- 
 
584 
 
 LIFE OF Dll. JENNEli. 
 
 fusing the practice, but studied it with the spirit of 
 a philanthropist. In 1802 he published the results 
 of inoculations with the Vaccine in the departments 
 of La Meurthe, La Meuse, des Vosges, and of Haut 
 Rhin. This work contains an account of some ex¬ 
 periments which he instituted at Nancy of a very 
 interesting and novel nature. He proved that it 
 was possible to vaccinate with success not only the 
 cow but likewise the goat, the ass, the sheep, and 
 the dog; and that matter taken from their pustules 
 afforded protection from the small-pox. These 
 very interesting facts I have had occasion to refer 
 to in another chapter, and it is but justice to Dr. 
 Valentin to observe that no experiments under¬ 
 taken to elucidate the character of the Variolae 
 Vaccinse were better devised or more successfully 
 executed than those which he originated. They 
 were afterwards repeated by Dr. Sacco, of Milan; 
 an account of them was published in his quarto 
 work in 1809. 
 
 Dr. Valentin arrived in London at the time in 
 which the question touching the connexion between 
 the cow-pox and the grease was much agitated. 
 All the principal medical men in London were ad¬ 
 verse to the opinion. Dr. Jenners own evidence 
 was treated with little respect, and the experiments 
 of Dr. Loy did not produce the conviction they de¬ 
 served. Under these circumstances the letter from 
 Dr. Sacco, announcing his very interesting and con¬ 
 clusive observations on this subject, was received by 
 Dr. Jenner. To gain information on all points con- 
 
LTTE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 585 
 
 nected with cow-pox Dr. Valentin visited the West 
 of England. On his return to London he told Dr. 
 Jenner that the opinion of many of the farmers did 
 not coincide with his. Jenner replied “ You have 
 seen that Dr. Sacco, who was one of the most in¬ 
 credulous, has been converted and he mention¬ 
 ed at the same time the evidence just received 
 from Suffolk, which had been collected by Lord 
 St. Asaph. To this he added another circumstance 
 which bore on Dr. Valentin’s experiments. The 
 latter had proved that the cow was not the only 
 animal susceptible of the Variobe Vaccinse: Dr. 
 Jenner, in like manner, had ascertained that the cow 
 was not the only animal capable of receiving the in¬ 
 fection of the grease . A sheep that had three lambs, 
 of which two perished, being incommoded by the 
 superabundance of milk was drawn by a servant who, 
 at the same time, dressed the greasy heels of a horse. 
 Pustules, similar to those of the Vaccine, appeared 
 on the teats of the sheep: the same person who 
 milked the sheep immediately afterwards milked 
 two cows, and communicated the disease to them. 
 From the cows thus infected a servant of the house 
 received the cow-pox. 
 
 Dr. Valentin held intercourse with many of the 
 other medical gentlemen who had distinguished 
 themselves in this cause. Among those was the 
 late Dr. Woodville. He, I believe, had at that 
 time become sensible of the mistakes committed at 
 the Small-pox Hospital; and of his harsh proceed¬ 
 ings towards Dr. Jenner. This state of mind laid 
 
586 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 a secure foundation for the renewal of that inter¬ 
 course which had been interrupted. Happily, peace¬ 
 makers were found to assist in carrying on this 
 good work; Dr. Lettsoin, Dr. Saunders, and Dr. 
 Valentin also aided : Jenner could not resist any 
 overture of this kind. He never harboured resent¬ 
 ments, and he found no difficulty in convincing Dr. 
 Woodville that forgiveness and kindness were con¬ 
 genial to his mind. His magnanimity is the more 
 to be commended because his sensibility was singu¬ 
 larly acute, and he felt injuries done to the vaccine 
 cause more severely even than wrong done to him¬ 
 self. He further remembered that Dr. Woodville 
 had once watched over his eldest son, when in 
 dangerous sickness, with the skill of a physician and 
 the tenderness of a parent. This incident dwelt 
 with him, whilst every occurrence of an unpleasant 
 nature was gladly allowed to pass into oblivion. 
 
 When Dr. Valentin quitted London in June 1803 
 Jenner sent him a note which he requested him to 
 publish in foreign journals. This note proves how 
 much the pressure of his correspondence was felt 
 by him at this time. He, therefore, begged Dr. 
 Valentin to express in his name, through the me¬ 
 dium of the public papers, his lively sense of grati¬ 
 tude for the many letters and printed works on 
 Vaccine Inoculation which the friends of that 
 practice, in France, had addressed to him. He 
 entreated them to accept this general expression of 
 his thanks; his numerous occupations, and the ill 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNEll. 
 
 587 
 
 state of Mrs. Jenner’s health entirely absorbing his 
 time, and rendering it impossible for him to address 
 them individually, as was his wish. He besought, 
 likewise, foreign societies who had sent him diplo¬ 
 mas to receive this apology, promising to make up 
 for the delay on the first favourable occasion. 
 
 Dr. Valentin kept up a frequent epistolary corre¬ 
 spondence with Dr. Jenner. The war which then 
 raged between the two countries rendered this in¬ 
 tercourse uncertain and difficult; the letters some¬ 
 times taking a circuit by Gibraltar, the Barbary 
 coast, and Sicily: many of them afforded the most 
 convincing proofs of the esteem and regard that were 
 entertained by the writer for his friend in England. 
 
 The arrival of Dr. Sacco’s letter, and the commu¬ 
 nication from Lord St. Asaph confirming the con¬ 
 nexion between the grease and the Variolse Vaccinse, 
 gave great satisfaction to Dr. Jenner. Those who 
 were inimical to his doctrine as well as to the prac¬ 
 tice of vaccination itself were becoming very cla¬ 
 morous, and evinced their hostility in various ways. 
 The parliamentary discussion ; the Royal patron¬ 
 age ; and the increasing fame of the author, with 
 which all “ Europe rang from side to side,” excited 
 a peculiar animosity hurtful to the public, and high¬ 
 ly discreditable to those who exercised it. Every 
 effort was made to undervalue his individual merit 
 as a discoverer, first by upholding the pretensions 
 of others, and next by denying the utility of the dis¬ 
 covery itself. 
 
588 
 
 LIFE OF I)R. JENNER. 
 
 He, being in the zenith of his fame and standing 
 on the firm basis of truth, had no occasion to notice 
 such assaults. He regretted them more on account 
 of the check given to vaccination than of the injus¬ 
 tice done to himself. At the time that he was made 
 the object of every uncandid remark, one of his old 
 associates in the meetings at Alveston hearing of 
 these most unfounded aspersions, wrote to him and 
 retraced the history of their discussions at the meet¬ 
 ings of that society ; thereby confirming the state¬ 
 ment already given of his unquestionable claims to 
 the discovery. 
 
 Mr. Shute to Dr. Jennek. 
 
 Bristol , Sept. 1 2th, 1803. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I have often mentioned in many companies that to my 
 certain knowledge the idea of vaccination • had been long 
 maturing in your own mind; as an investigation into the 
 phenomena of the cow-pox, more particularly with respect 
 to its property of securing a person in future from the 
 small-pox, had been often urged and introduced at a medi¬ 
 cal meeting of which I was a member, but that I did not 
 think that that interest had been excited in the minds of 
 the majority of the members, which subsequent experience 
 proved it to have so well deserved. And at the very time 
 that I professed to require further proofs of the decided 
 efficacy of vaccination, I constantly asserted that, if any 
 benefits were to result from the practice, the idea was 
 your own, and that no person could for a moment pretend 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 589 
 
 to deprive you of one particle of the honour of the dis¬ 
 covery. 
 
 # * * * * 
 
 If the enemies of vaccination were ignorant and 
 intemperate, it must be confessed that its friends 
 were, at times, over zealous and injudicious. This 
 was shown both by what they did individually, and 
 the measures they wished to recommend for gene¬ 
 ral adoption. Some practised vaccination without 
 acquiring a suitable knowledge of the disease. They 
 neglected to watch its progress, and consequently 
 permitted many to believe that they were protected 
 from small-pox who never had the cow-pox. There 
 can be no doubt that a very large proportion of 
 the failures which, of late years, have been reported 
 is to be ascribed to this ignorance and inattention. 
 Those who did not practise vaccination themselves 
 wished to see its general adoption enforced by a 
 Parliamentary enactment. 
 
 An authoritative enforcement of this kind has 
 certainly been of the greatest service in foreign coun¬ 
 tries, but the habits and modes of thinking in Eng¬ 
 land do not admit of such compulsory interference. 
 Part of the following letter from Sir Henry Mild- 
 may contains this sentiment, and also alludes to 
 another point in which Jenner was personally in¬ 
 terested. 
 
590 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Sir H. S. Mildmay, Bart., M. P., to Dr. Jenner. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I beg the favour of you to send me some vaccine matter 
 which is to be immediately forwarded to Italy. Should you 
 be enabled to give me this assistance, I think it extremely 
 probable that it will considerably contribute to the general 
 object we have in view, as I have reason to believe that the 
 persons for whose use it is designed are of the first conse¬ 
 quence in that part of the world. Should you be able to 
 oblige me I will thank you to direct it to Marquis Doug¬ 
 lass, Duke of Hamilton’s, Grosvenor Place. 
 
 I own that I am sorry to see that the zeal of some of our 
 friends carries them to a point which, if persisted in, I fear 
 will tend to injure the cause. I see a plan advertized (and 
 indeed I heard of it last year) to prohibit by Act of Parlia¬ 
 ment the use of small-pox inoculation. I am confident it 
 will not pass the House, and I fear will create an alarm in 
 the country that what we cannot prove by reason and ex¬ 
 perience we are determined to carry by force. Confident 
 as I am of the complete efficacy of the vaccine matter I 
 have not a doubt that, if left to take its own course, its 
 adoption in lieu of small-pox inoculation will very shortly 
 become universal, but if attempted to be enforced by Act 
 of Parliament, I fear that a prejudice against it will be 
 created which will, for some time at least, retard its pro¬ 
 gress. 
 
 When you come to town be so good as to let me see 
 you, as I shall be glad to converse with you on the sub¬ 
 jects of last year, and to take any part you please in any 
 future measures for obtaining a more substantial and ade¬ 
 quate compensation for the great blessing you have been 
 the means of disseminating over the world. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 59 J 
 
 Lady Mildmay begs to be kindly remembered to you, 
 and I remain, 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 Your truly faithful, 
 
 H. S. Mild MAY. 
 
 Stanhope Street , Jan. 31, 1803. 
 
 The request of the Medical Society of Plymouth 
 to Dr. Jenner to sit for his picture has been already 
 mentioned. The thanks of that body were con¬ 
 veyed to him by Dr. Woolcombe in terms highly 
 complimentary. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 The members of the Medical Society of Plymouth have 
 deputed me to convey to you their thanks for your compli¬ 
 ance with their wishes in sitting to Mr. Northcote. They 
 have directed a proof impression of the engraving made 
 from the picture to be sent to you, of which they request 
 your acceptance. 
 
 . While with pleasure we observe the progressive influence 
 of your brilliant discovery, with peculiar satisfaction we 
 regard the just tributes of public applause which are paid 
 to the beneficent discoverer. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 - 
 
 With the highest Respect, 
 
 Your obedient Servant, 
 
 William Woolcombe. 
 
 Plymouth, Feb. 7, 1803. 
 
 Dn. Jenner. 
 
592 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Booker, of Dudley, who some time 
 before had printed a sermon on the subject of vac¬ 
 cination, did not remain satisfied with that effort, 
 but exerted himself in promoting the practice in a 
 very efficient way, as will more fully appear from the 
 following letter. 
 
 Dudley, YUh March, 1803. 
 
 Conceiving myself bound in strict propriety to commu¬ 
 nicate to you whatever comes to my knowledge that relates 
 to your great medical object, I send you the inclosed, to¬ 
 gether with the substance of my reply, viz : that by means 
 of the liberality of our surgeons in general, who inoculate 
 the poor, gratis, with the vaccine, and the extensive encou¬ 
 ragement given to that practice by Lord Dudley in pay¬ 
 ing for the inoculation of all the children of his numerous 
 miners, &c. your salutary discovery is gaining a wide wel¬ 
 come throughout this populous neighbourhood.* To these 
 means I assured Mr. Addington rather than to my hum¬ 
 ble recommendation of the measure, must be attributed its 
 growing success. 
 
 You will see, however, in the annexed address to pa¬ 
 rents on the subject that I have done more than recom¬ 
 mend it from the pulpit. One of these printed forms I 
 give to every person who brings a child to be baptized 
 either at church or at my own residence, or when sent 
 for to baptize abroad. By this means I distribute about 
 
 * The higher and middle classes universally adopt it, and the 
 prejudices of the lower are subsiding apace; the offer to them 
 from the churchwardens and overseers tended, I think, rather 
 to awaken suspicion. That from the surgeon and humane 
 noblemen was the most effectual- 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 593 
 
 twenty a week, and have the satisfaction to learn that the 
 expedient has produced the desired effect. It influences 
 at a time when mankind are easily convinced of the pre¬ 
 carious tenure of infantine existence; and when they are 
 ready to embrace any offer of security from one of the 
 most alarming diseases to which a child is exposed. This 
 expedient occurred to me before I knew that a similar one 
 was used in Switzerland. As the printer, by my desire, 
 keeps the form unbroken in his types, I have any number 
 of copies taken off at a small expense whenever I want 
 them. Should any alteration suggest itself to your better 
 judgment I shall have pleasure in receiving and adopting 
 it.” 
 
 * * * * * 
 
 This year the aboriginal Americans began to par¬ 
 ticipate in the blessings of the vaccine discovery. A 
 very interesting account of this event was sent to 
 Jenner by his correspondent Dr. Waterhouse. 
 
 Cambridge , April , 8th , 1802. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 Four hours ago I received your polite and very inte¬ 
 resting letter dated 24th February. The ship had but 
 thirty-two days passage. I have just put your Lombardy 
 virus into a fine female arm of about two-and-twent.y years’ 
 standing, and shall give you the result by the return of 
 the ship which brought it. I am highly gratified by your 
 written, printed, and engraven communications. I shall 
 send one of each to the President of the United States di¬ 
 rectly. You have executed the very plan I had in con¬ 
 templation, viz. printed directions on a page of a sheet for 
 a common letter; for my numerous correspondents in these 
 States have rendered the repetition of the task respecting 
 
 2 Q 
 
594 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 directions so tiresome that I had resolved on a printed 
 letter like yours. Now I shall just reprint yours, with the 
 additional weight of your name to it. 
 
 Dr. Rush has come out full and strong in praise of the 
 new inoculation, and has sent me a copy of an eloquent 
 lecture of his on the blessings of the Jennerian discovery. 
 I believe I informed our friend Dr. Lettsom that the vac¬ 
 cine inoculation was carrying on its salutiferous powers 
 into the wilderness of the new world. If I did not, I will 
 repeat it here. 
 
 Last December a grand embassy of certain tribes of the 
 Indians came to the city of Washington while the Congress 
 was sitting, or as they phrase it, while the sixteen Jires 
 or lights were burning. Our Government continued to do 
 every thing to ameliorate their condition. They had sent 
 them seventy ploughs, ten looms, and fifty spinning-wheels, 
 with every common utensil in husbandry, besides establish¬ 
 ing blacksmiths, bricklayers, &c. They had taught them 
 to plant orchards, to rear and manage horses, to use scales 
 and weights and measures (for heretofore the white traders 
 used to put in the scales their foot or right hand against 
 their beaver and ermine skins.) In short, Washington, 
 Adams, and Jefferson have done every thing to civilize 
 that shrewd people. The chief of this embassy was named 
 Little Turtle. The President one day sent for this warrior 
 and his interpreter, and told him that he had a matter of 
 great importance to communicate to him, for the benefit 
 of the whole nation of his Red Children , for these savages 
 always call him Father. He then told him that the 
 Great Spirit had lately made a precious donation to the 
 enlightened white men over the great water, first to a 
 single person, and from him to another on this side the 
 waters, and then explained to him the history of the cow 
 or kine-pock as a gift from Heaven to preserve them from 
 
LIFE OF Dll. JENNER. 
 
 595 
 
 the small-pox, and even to banish it from the earth. The 
 chief heard him with marked attention, and desired first to 
 receive the benefits of it himself. This was performed 
 soon after by the Rev. Dr. Gautt, chaplain of Congress, 
 and also upon nine or ten more warriors in his train. On 
 their departure the President caused them to be supplied 
 with the virus; and the interpreter (a white man) took a 
 copy of the directions for conducting the process I had 
 transmitted to the President. 
 
 When the Minerva returns I may possibly write you a 
 letter instead of this receipt for your valuable favours; as it 
 is, you will receive the cordial wishes of an affectionate 
 friend, 
 
 Benjamin Waterhouse. 
 
 It was not till some years after this that the 
 Mohawks and other Indians connected with our Ca¬ 
 nadian provinces received the advantages of vacci¬ 
 nation. It will hereafter be seen that they expressed 
 their gratitude in their most emphatic manner to 
 Dr. Jenner. 
 
 The benevolent founder of the Humane Society, 
 Dr. Hawes, proposed Dr. Jenner as an honorary 
 life governor at the half-yearly court held on the 
 24th of March, 1803. “ Every mind, every hand, 
 
 and.every heart’’ he observes “ were unanimous in 
 Dr. Jenner’s election. ’ 
 
 To illustrate his private habits and pursuits, as 
 well as to evince the sentiments entertained by his 
 friends of the measures adopted both for his personal 
 advantage and the diffusion of the vaccine practice, 
 
 2 Q 2 
 
596 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 I insert two documents which may be acceptable to 
 the reader. 
 
 My dear Doctor, 
 
 As you gave us a very satisfactory account of the 
 cuckoo, I trouble you with this to inform you that a wo¬ 
 man in this parish has one she has kept in a cage all the 
 winter. If [you wish I should make any inquiries as to 
 food, &c. I will do it with pleasure. 
 
 I hear you are appointing apothecaries in every parish 
 to inoculate for the Cow-pox. You would oblige me much 
 if you would appoint Mr. Cole, Mount Street. 
 
 Your friends made a poor business of your application 
 to Parliament, as I think you the greatest patriot that 
 ever existed; and you ought to have had at least 50,000/. 
 All here unite in most kind regards to you and Mrs. 
 Jenner, 
 
 And believe me to be, 
 
 My dear Doctor, 
 
 Your’s most faithfully, 
 
 Sherborne , Sherborne. 
 
 April 19^, 1803. 
 
 The Doctor Jenner. 
 
 My dear Doctor, 
 
 I see by the order of your Society that five guineas, or 
 upwards, in one donation constitute a governor; or one 
 guinea annually. As Lady Sherborne and I would wish 
 to have our names in such good company as long as we 
 can, I have desired a person to pay two guineas for us, 
 as annual subscriptions. I only now wish that the first 
 medical man who can be wicked enough to inoculate for 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 597 
 
 the Small-pox, and the patient should die, that the coro¬ 
 ner’s inquest may bring in their verdict wilful murder, 
 and that he may be hanged in terrorem of his brethren; 
 not as a warning to himself, as I once heard an Irish judge 
 tell a man he had condemned to be hanged the next day— 
 “ take that, my friend, as a warning.” 
 
 As to the cuckoo, it departed this life last Friday.— 
 A neighbour persuaded the woman who had it to carry it 
 out at her door; the day being uncommonly cold, and the 
 cage uncovered, it died at night. It was very tame and 
 flew about the house, and when called would perch on the 
 woman’s shoulder and head. The food given was the yolk 
 of an egg hard-boiled, and water and raw meat. At night 
 she put it in some feathers in the crown of a hat in a 
 cupboard, with a light bit of flannel thrown over it. The 
 cage was a common wicker cage, such as you see magpies 
 kept in. The air of a cottage could not be very warm, 
 though this woman baked for the whole parish with the 
 wood she stole from me. 
 
 I am, my dear Doctor, 
 
 Yours faithfully, 
 
 Sherborne, Shebborne. 
 
 May %id , 1803. 
 
 His Royal Highness the Duke of York, whose 
 generous mind early perceived the beneficial effects 
 that 'would arise to the army from the practice of 
 vaccine inoculation, and under whose immediate 
 auspices the first mission that left our shores to 
 diffuse that practice to distant countries was under¬ 
 taken, found it necessary this year to issue an order 
 enforcing increased attention to the examination of 
 
593 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 recruits, that each might be vaccinated who had 
 not had either small-pox or cow-pox. This order is 
 dated November 15th, 1803. 
 
 In October Dr. Jenner was gratified by a poetic 
 effusion from the celebrated author of the “ Bath 
 Guide,” Christopher Anstey, Esq. 
 
 Of this gentleman’s native Muse the inspirations 
 are known to all the admirers of playful and elegant 
 satire ; but as his Camcenae Latinae are, perhaps, 
 less familiar to the English reader, a few stanzas 
 from the Carmen Alcdicum addressed to Dr. Jenner, 
 are here given. 
 
 O ! qui secundo natus Apolline 
 
 Incumbis arti paeoniae, studens 
 Arcana Naturae, gravemque 
 More novo prohibere morbuni, 
 
 Jennere, laudes an sileam tuas ? 
 
 Dum mente sanus, nec cythara carens. 
 
 Turpive succumbens senectae 
 Rura vagor per amcena Cheltae ? 
 
 Furore quod non ante domabili 
 
 Tot dira Pestis quae peperit mala, 
 
 In gentis humanae levamen, 
 
 Te medico superata cessit; 
 
 Quippe arte mira quae tibi contigit, 
 
 Puris benigni guttula, ab ubere 
 Inserta vaccino lacertis, 
 
 Corporeas penetrat meatus, 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 599 
 
 Brevique facta in vulnere pustula, 
 Propulsat Hostem, nec sinit amplius 
 Inferre morborum cohortes 
 Innumeras, comitemque mortem. 
 
 Te mater ambit filiolo cavens 
 Ut tuto ab atra corpore sit lue, 
 Innupta te virgo decentes 
 Sint memori sine labe malae : 
 
 Utcunque nostris laudibus invidens 
 Gens quaeque grates dat tibi debitas; 
 Te Gallus extollit, tuamque 
 Obsequiosus adorat artem. 
 
 Nec longiori carmine te morer, 
 
 Mentemque curis utilioribus 
 Jennere seducam,—valeto.— 
 
 Teque, tuosque, precor, labores 
 
 Deus benigno numine prosperet; 
 
 Et dum perennis gloria Laureae 
 Insignit Heroas Brittanos, 
 
 Civica te decorat Corona. 
 
 Soon after the publication of Mr. Anstey’s ode, a 
 translation, or paraphrase, in English verse appear¬ 
 ed from the pen of “ honest John Ring,” one of the 
 Doctor’s earliest and warmest Vaccine friends in the 
 metropolis. 
 
600 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Though as a metrical version it possesses merit, 
 and is animated with the true spirit of ardent friend¬ 
 ship, it has not been introduced here, from an earnest 
 desire not to swell these pages with matter at all 
 extraneous to their great object, a just exhibition of 
 Jenner’s life and character. A brief quotation, how¬ 
 ever, may not be deemed altogether irrelevant. 
 
 “ Jenner, farewell!—nor shall the bard detain 
 From nobler studies by too long a strain. 
 
 Nor from its object alienate a mind 
 Intent on labours useful to mankind. 
 
 May Heaven, to whom my suppliant voice I raise, 
 Prosper thy labours and prolong thy days! 
 
 While deathless heroes, who maintain our fame 
 And add new glories to the British name. 
 
 Around their brows unfading laurels twine, 
 
 The civic crown, O Jenner ! shall be thine. 
 
 It may here be worthy of remark that the profits 
 of Mr. Ring’s poem were given to the Royal Jenne- 
 rian Society for the extermination of small-pox. 
 
 Dr. Jenner was not without tributary verses from 
 other sources. The Rev. Thomas Alston Warren, 
 of Kensworth vicarage, near Dunstable, had pub¬ 
 lished an address to his parishioners on the subject 
 of Vaccine Inoculation. It very successfully com¬ 
 bated the errors and prejudices of his poor parish¬ 
 ioners, and was very gratifying to Dr. Jenner. But 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 601 
 
 the reverend gentleman did not stop here. He 
 accompanied it with a complimentary letter, and 
 poem. 
 
 The author of the Farmer’s Boy too, who had 
 been patronized by Dr. Jenner, sang “his wood- 
 notes wild” in praise of his benefactor. 
 
 Every extension of the vaccine practice in fo¬ 
 reign countries was followed by increasing respect 
 and veneration for the author. This feeling was 
 almost daily expressed by letters and addresses from 
 individuals and public bodies. About this time he 
 was elected foreign associate of the Society of the 
 School of Medicine of Paris. A similar honour was 
 conferred on him by the Medical Societies of Avig¬ 
 non and Nismes. 
 
 Among the other honours conferred on Jenner 
 this year I have to add that of Doctor of Laws 
 from the University of Cambridge, Massachusetts. 
 The diploma was sent to him by Dr. Waterhouse 
 in November. 
 
 His personal influence was felt to be so great that 
 many strangers applied to him to accomplish that 
 which all the interest of our Government could not 
 effect. On the sudden breaking out of the war, 
 after'the peace of Amiens, many of our countrymen 
 were most unjustly detained in France. During 
 the preceding year Jenner had received civilities 
 from General Andreossi, then French Ambassador 
 at our Court. Dr. Jenner’s first attempt to obtain 
 
602 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 the liberation of some of the Detenus was through 
 the medium of that gentleman. His next appli¬ 
 cation was addressed to the National Institute of 
 France. An English nobleman of high rank had 
 exhausted all his interest to obtain permission to 
 leave Paris. Jenner having become acquainted with 
 this incident offered to intercede for his enlarge¬ 
 ment. To that circumstance the two following 
 letters refer. 
 
 To the Marquess of Hertford. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 November , 1806. 
 
 Since I did myself the honour of addressing your Lord¬ 
 ship on the subject of Lord Yarmouth’s liberation, I re¬ 
 ceived a solicitation to intercede in behalf of the Peploes, 
 a family detained at Paris on their way to Spa. 
 
 Having made an acquaintance with General Andreossi 
 during his embassy here, I wrote to him,- but received no 
 answer. However, I have since heard that this family has 
 obtained permission to go into Germany ; so that it is pro¬ 
 bable, although General Andreossi has not written, that he 
 may have interested himself for them ; and not in vain. 
 
 On reflection, my Lord, I think my chance of success 
 would now be greater by addressing a body than any indi¬ 
 vidual. My letter I consign to the care of your Lordship. 
 Whether it may be necessary to seal it I cannot deter¬ 
 mine : that it may meet with success is my most ardent 
 wish. 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER'. 
 
 603 
 
 To the National Institute of France. 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 
 Pardon my obtruding myself on you at this juncture. 
 The Sciences are never at war. Peace must always pre¬ 
 side in those bosoms whose object is the augmentation of 
 human happiness. 
 
 Permit me, then, as a public body with whom I am con¬ 
 nected, to solicit the exertion of your interest in the libera¬ 
 tion of Lord Yarmouth, a young nobleman at this time 
 detained with his family in France. 
 
 Lord Yarmouth, the son, the only son of my valued 
 friend and patron the Marquess of Hertford : He stands 
 high in my estimation for being among the foremost who 
 encouraged my scheme of | Vaccination when in its in¬ 
 fancy, and contending with the prejudices of the world. 
 
 There is another family of the name of Peploe in whose 
 behalf some months ago I solicited the interference of 
 General Andreossi, a gentleman with whom I have had 
 the honour of becoming acquainted during his residence 
 in London ; but alas ! I have received no answer to my 
 letter, nor heard any thing of my friends. 
 
 Should I be so fortunate as through your kind inter¬ 
 ference to see my friends restored to those who are suffer¬ 
 ing on their account the most painful solicitude, I shall 
 ever be ready most gratefully to acknowledge the obliga¬ 
 tion you will have conferred upon me. 
 
 I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, 
 with high consideration, 
 
 &c. &c. &c. 
 
 E. Jenner. 
 
604 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 In October 1801 the Royal Economical So¬ 
 ciety of Madrid had elected Dr. Jenner an ho¬ 
 norary member. The first notification of this event 
 I believe never reached his hand. The second 
 was conveyed to him by Lord Holland. His 
 lordship’s secretary, Mr. Allen, on transmitting 
 the diploma observes “ There is no country likely 
 to receive more benefit from your labours than 
 this (Spain), for on the one hand the mortality 
 among children from the smail-pox, and its con¬ 
 sequences, has always been very great; and on 
 the other hand the inoculation for the cow-pox 
 has been received with the same enthusiasm here 
 as in the rest of Europe ; though I am sorry to 
 add that the inoculation of the spurious sort 
 has proved fatal to many children at Seville, who 
 have fallen victims to the small-pox after they 
 had been pronounced secure from that disease.’’ 
 Mr. Allen adds, “ as one of the many proofs of the 
 estimation in which the cow-pox and its discoverer 
 are held in Spain, I have enclosed a small engrav¬ 
 ing, which has just been thrown off here in order to 
 be prefixed to a dissertation on the cow-pox about 
 to be published by the Royal Academy of Medi¬ 
 cine.” The print spoken of by Mr. Allen was an 
 engraving of Jenner—under it was written “ Ed¬ 
 ward Jenner, English physician, to whom the 
 world is indebted for the Discovery of Vaccine, 
 the wonderful and only preservative from the 
 small-pox.” 
 
LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 605 
 
 The duplicate of the diploma is dated May 31st, 
 1803. On the 15th of the following August ano¬ 
 ther learned body in the Spanish capital conferred 
 its academic honours on Jenner. This was the same 
 royal medical foundation mentioned in Mr. Allen’s 
 letter. But the Spanish Government itself, towards 
 the conclusion of this year, gave a proof of the value 
 which it attached to vaccination more gratifying to 
 the feelings of Dr. Jenner than almost any other 
 incident that had occurred in its history. He had 
 but a short time before learnt by advices from our 
 settlements in India, and by letters from Dr. de Carro, 
 of Vienna, that the efforts to transmit the preser¬ 
 vative to Asia had completely succeeded. He now 
 had the satisfaction of knowing that the Spanish 
 monarch had resolved to fit out an expedition for 
 the express purpose of carrying to all the possessions 
 of the crown of Spain beyond the seas, and to those 
 of several other nations, the inestimable gift of 
 vaccine inoculation. The plan adopted on this occa¬ 
 sion was precisely that which had been repeatedly, 
 though unsuccessfully, recommended by Dr. Jen¬ 
 ner to persons in authority here. 
 
 It is said that an individual, not otherwise favour- 
 ablyknown to Europe but then high in influence at 
 the Court of Spain, I mean Godoy, the Prince of 
 Peace, had the merit of suggesting this truly noble 
 enterprize to the king. 
 
 An expedition was prepared, which set sail from 
 
606 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 Corunna, on November 30th, 1803, under the direc¬ 
 tion of Dr. Francis Xavier Balmis, surgeon-extraor¬ 
 dinary to the king. There were on board twenty- 
 two children, who had never undergone the small¬ 
 pox, selected for the preservation of the vaccine fluid, 
 by transmitting it successfully from one to another 
 during the voyage. 
 
 After an absence of nearly three years the able 
 conductor of this philanthropic expedition returned 
 to Madrid, having circumnavigated the globe, and 
 having more than realized the most sanguine expec¬ 
 tations that were entertained at his departure. 
 
 I will not dwell, at present, on the many inte¬ 
 resting events connected with this memorable voy¬ 
 age. They will be recorded at length in a future 
 part of this work, as they unfold themselves in con¬ 
 nexion with the history of Jenner. 
 
 It is impossible to attend to the facts which have 
 rapidly passed in review before us, without experi¬ 
 encing feelings of gratitude and admiration for the 
 unexampled rapidity with which individuals and 
 nations were incited to simultaneous and successful 
 efforts for the extension of this discovery. 
 
 In this respect mankind seem to have acted with 
 a spirit of unanimity not usual in human affairs. 
 In a time surprisingly short every moral obstacle, 
 every geographical boundary gave way ; and nations, 
 not less differing from each other in language, in 
 habits, in religion, than in climate and every out- 
 
607 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 ward circumstance, speedily abandoned their pre¬ 
 judices and eagerly received from the hands of 
 strangers the proffered blessing. The aboriginal 
 American, the followers of Brachma and Confucius, 
 the blind and obstinate votaries to Mohammedan 
 fatalism, alike concurred to embrace and cherish this 
 salutary gift of their bountiful Creator. 
 
 As there is something peculiarly affecting in the 
 history of the origin and progress of small-pox, a 
 scourge universal in its infliction and carrying ter¬ 
 ror and devastation in its course, so there is in the 
 nature and character of its antidote that on which 
 the heart can dwell with thankfulness and wonder. 
 Who can know that a power has been put into the 
 hands of man to control the greatest of all his phy¬ 
 sical ills, and not be devoutly grateful for the 
 boon ? Who can reflect that there are those who 
 disregard it, and not lament such obstinacy and 
 blindness ? 
 
 Whatever sentiments such persons may entertain 
 of vaccination itself, they cannot but confess that 
 some phenomena have attended its march over the 
 globe, such as in no former instance distinguished any 
 of man’s inventions. In little more than six years 
 after its promulgation it was known in every clime. 
 Proceeding eastward and westward from our own 
 island, it traversed the circumference of the globe: 
 and, had the practice been pushed in all countries 
 with the same zeal and perseverance as it has been 
 
608 
 
 LIFE OF DR. JENNER. 
 
 in some, small-pox by this time might probably have 
 been known only by name, and by the melan¬ 
 choly records of its former ravages throughout the 
 World. 
 
I N 13 E X. 
 
 A. 
 
 Aaron, the first acknowledged writer on small-pox, 218. 
 Abercromby, Sir Ralph, his orders lor Vaccination, 398. 
 Academy, American, of Arts and Sciences, 532. 
 
 Adams, Dr. 134. 
 
 -John, President of the United States, 531. 
 
 —-John Quincy, 532. 
 
 Addington, Mr. John, 567. 
 
 Agathias, referred to, 193. 
 
 Alexandria in Egypt, pestilence in, 186. 
 
 Alveston, Medical Society at, 47. Discussions on Cow-pox at, 
 48. 
 
 America, vaccination in, 530. 
 
 Americans, Aboriginal, 593, 595. 
 
 Anderson, Dr., of Madras—his exertions, 423, 557. 
 
 Angerstein, J. J. Esq., his munificent offer, 372. 
 Animal-manure, experiments on, 74. 
 
 Animals, torpidity of, 62. 
 
 Anstey, Christopher, Esq. his Latin ode, 598. 
 
 Arabia, first appearance of Small-pox in, 196. 
 
 Athens, epidemic pestilence at, 175. 
 
 Aubert, Dr., proceeds to England from Paris, to inquire on the 
 subject of Vaccination, 391. His intercourse with Dr. Jen- 
 ner, 392. 
 
 B. 
 
 Babington, Dr., 565. 
 
 Bacon, Lord, 227. 
 
 Baldwin of Flanders, died of Small-pox (A.D. 961,) 221. 
 Ball, Sir Alexander, his certificate from Malta, 399. 
 Ballhorn, Dr., translates the “ Inquiry ” into German, 339. 
 Banks, Sir Joseph, his letter to Dr. Jenner, 77. 
 
 Barbadoes, Vaccine virus sent to, 533. 
 
 Baronius, his Ecclesiastical Annals, 188, 191. 
 
 2 Ti 
 
CIO 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Bath, Institution for Vaccine Inoculation, 359. 
 
 Beddoes, Dr., 158. His opinion of the Parliamentary grant, 513. 
 Bedford, Duke of, 571. 
 
 Berkeley, Earl of, his letter to Dr. Jenner, 483. Evidence be¬ 
 fore the Committee, 495. . 
 
 -Countess of, encourages Vaccination, 304. 
 
 -Hon. Admiral, 571. Appointed Chairman of Com¬ 
 mittee of House of Commons, 491. 
 
 Berthollet, Perce and Halle, their Report on Vaccination, 275. 
 Blagden, Dr., respecting Jenner’s paper on the Cuckoo, 77. 
 Blane, Sir Gilbert, 403, 515. 
 
 Blaquiere, Mr., an eminent Sanscrit scholar, 559. 
 
 Blumenbach, Professor, his letter to Jenner, 466. 
 
 Boerhaave, Hermann, his opinion on Small-pox, 228, 229. 
 Booker, Rev. Dr., of Dudley, his Sermon, 540. His Address to 
 Parents, 592. 
 
 Brachmins, 182, 425. 
 
 Bremer, Dr., of Berlin, his great exertions, 456. 
 
 Breslau, festival at, 527. 
 
 Brompton, Mr. John Hunter’s Menagerie at, 4. 
 
 Brunn, annual festival at, 458. 
 
 Bryce, Mr. (of Edinburgh), his test of true Vaccination, 534. 
 Buonaparte, Lucien, supports Vaccination in France, 391. 
 Bustard, Mr. Hunter’s letter concerning a, 64. 
 
 C. 
 
 Cam, musical meetings at, 26. 
 
 Careno, Dr., translates the “ Inquiry,” 526.' 
 
 Catharine, Empress of Russia, encourages the Inoculation for 
 Small-pox, (in 1768,) 235. 
 
 Cavallo, his experiments on Aerostation, 71. 
 
 Chancellor of the Exchequer states his Majesty’s recommenda¬ 
 tion to the House of Commons to take Dr. Jenner’s petition 
 into consideration, 491. 
 
 Chinese, their traditions respecting Small-pox, 166, 182. 
 
 Christie, Thomas, Esq., his account of the introduction of the 
 Vaccine at Ceylon, 426. His intercourse with Dr. Jenner, 
 427. 
 
 Cirencester, 3. 
 
 Cisalpine Republic sanctions Vaccination, 452. 
 
 Claims, adverse to Jenner’s ; French and Hindoo, 543, et seq. 
 
 Clairveaux, Cow-pox said to be found at, 552. 
 
 Clarence, his R. H. the Duke of, his children vaccinated by 
 Mr. Knight, 327. I lis evidence, 492,495. Patronizes the 
 Jennerian Society, 574. 
 
 Clinch, Rev. John, his letters to Dr. Jenner, 115, 532. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 611 
 
 Cline, Henry, Esq. observations of, 134. His first vaccination, 
 150. His letters upon the subject, 152, 153. 
 
 Clissold, Rev. Mr., 3. 
 
 Colebrooke, Mr., an eminent Sanscrit scholar, 559. 
 
 Cooke, Captain, specimens collected in his first voyage, arranged 
 by Jenner, 6. 
 
 Colombia, disasters at, 338. 
 
 Committee of the House of Commons, evidence received before, 
 on Jenner’s petition, 493—503. Abstract of the report of, on 
 Vaccination, and Dr. Jenner’s claims, 506—510. 
 
 Committee, central, at Paris, 527. 
 
 Constantinople, Vaccination at, 416. 
 
 Constantinus, Africanus, treats of Small-pox and Measles as one 
 disease, 224. 
 
 Cornwallis, Marquis, addressed at Amiens as British Ambassa¬ 
 dor, on Dr. Jenner’s discovery, 468. 
 
 Cows, subject to eruptions on their teats, 131. 
 
 Cows, inoculated with Small-pox at Berlin, 216. 
 
 Cow-pox, true and spurious, ascertained and defined by Jenner, 
 132, et seq. Inoculations of, at the Small-pox Hospital in 
 London, 310, 311. Is found in a dairy in London, 307. Ac¬ 
 count of cases resembling those described by Dr. Layard, 351. 
 
 Cross on the Varioloid Epidemic at Norwich, quoted in note, 138. 
 
 Cuckoo paper, an account of, 79. 
 
 Cyprian, St. his pastoral letter, 185. De Mortalitate, 186. 
 
 D. 
 
 Dalmatia, disease among cattle in, 204. 
 
 Darwin, Dr. Erasmus, 541. 
 
 Davids, Dr., of Rotterdam, translates Dr. Jenner’s “ Inquiry ,” 436. 
 
 Davies, Rev. William, 2. 
 
 -Rev. Dr., 3. 
 
 --Robert Stephens, Esq., 3. 
 
 -Edward, Esq., 3. 
 
 De Carro, Dr., performs the first Vaccination on the Continent, 
 334. His letter describing that event, 334. Transmits Virus 
 to Geneva, 337. Transmits Vaccine virus to Constantinople, 
 414. His method of transmission, 420. Letters to Dr. Jen¬ 
 ner, 431, 529. 
 
 Democedes, his honours and rewards, 510, 511. 
 
 Denmark, the King of, adopts measures for the diffusion of Vac¬ 
 cination, 450. 
 
 Diembroeck asserts that he knew the same person to be twice 
 attacked by Small-pox, 227. 
 
 Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, his pastoral letter on the 
 plague, 187. 
 
 2 r 2 
 
612 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Dionysius Halicarnasseus, Roman Antiquities, 171, 172. 
 
 Diplomas and other honours to Dr. Jenner, 601. 
 
 Dog-distemper, experiments concerning, 444. Paper on, by 
 Dr. Jenner, 444. 
 
 Dude, the Right Don. Lady, her eldest child vaccinated, 304. 
 
 Duncan, Governor of Bombay, his letter to Mr. Harford Jones, 
 at Bagdad, 419. 
 
 Dunning, Mr. his observations, 394. 
 
 Dupuytren and Husson analyse Vaccine lymph, 533. 
 
 E. 
 
 East India Company, their library, 559. 
 
 Egremont, Earl of, his account of the disasters at Petworth, 340. 
 His dignified and judicious conduct, 340. Consents to hold 
 an office in the new institution for Vaccination, 360. With¬ 
 draws from the new institution, 371. 
 
 Egypt, land of, 168. Communication early, between it and 
 China and India, 183. 
 
 Ehrmann, of Frankfort, bis hostility to Vaccination, 451. 
 
 Elfrida, daughter of King Alfred of England, the first recorded 
 case of Small-pox, by name, 220. 
 
 Elgin, Earl of, his infant son vaccinated at Constantinople, 414. 
 H is letter to Dr. De Carro, 415. Promotes Vaccination in 
 the Grecian Archipelago, 416. Sends virus to Bombay and 
 Bussora, 419. His letter to the Hon. A. Paget, 419. 
 
 Ellis, Mr. J. A. Madras, 557. 
 
 Equine matter, used successfully by Dr. Jenner, 254. 
 
 Erasistratus, his honours, 513. 
 
 Ethiopia, birth-place of plagues, 175. 
 
 Eusebius, his Chronicon referred to, 184, 185, 188. 
 
 Evagrius, his account of the epidemic under the Emperor Jus¬ 
 tinian, 192. 
 
 Evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons, on 
 Jenner’s petition, given by Sir E. Home, Bart., Dr. Ashe, 
 Sir W. Farquhar, Bart. Mr. Cline, Dr. Bradley, Dr. Sims, Sir 
 G. Blane, Bart. Dr. Baillie, Dr. Lettsom and Mr. Ring, 493 
 to 496. Of an adverse nature, given by Dr. Pearson, and 
 Mr. Keate, Surgeon-general, 497, 502. 
 
 Exodus, 9th chapter, “ boils with blains,” 165. 
 
 Expedition to carry Cow-pox to the Levant, 395. 
 
 F. 
 
 Farquhar, Sir Walter, 155. 
 
 Fermor, William, Esq., his exertions, 332. 
 
 Fernelius, Professor at Paris, includes Small-pox and Measles 
 among pestes, by the names of Exanthema, and Ecthyma, 225. 
 
INDEX. 618 
 
 Ferryman, the Rev. Mr., his account of the disasters at Pet- 
 worth, 340. 
 
 Festival, first annual, of Jennerian Society, 576. 
 
 Fewster, Mr., his claims, 48. 
 
 Finch, Rev. Mr., Lancashire, his vaccinations, 541. 
 
 Fleming, Dr., of Calcutta, his letter to the Governor-general, 423. 
 
 Forestus, followed the Arabian theories on the causes of Small¬ 
 pox and Measles, 225, 226. Observed that many persons had 
 the Small-pox twice, his own son, ex. gr. 226. 
 
 Formations—Lias and Oolitic, 57. 
 
 Fossils—in those formations, 59. At Pyrton and Westbury, 60. 
 
 Fracastorius, de Contagione, 199, 200, 225. 
 
 France, introduction of Vaccination into, 390. National Insti¬ 
 tute of, and the Ecole de Medecine, appoint a Committee of 
 Inquiry respecting Vaccination, 391. 
 
 Franck, Dr., of Vienna, 565. 
 
 Friese, Dr., of Breslau, transmits virus to Moscow, 459. 
 
 G. 
 
 Gaddesden, John of, physician to Edward II. his dogma “ Va- 
 riolae bis invadunt,” 224. 
 
 Galen, his Commentaries, quoted 179 to 182. 
 
 Galvani, his discovery, 561. 
 
 Gardner, Edward, his description of Jenner, 15, 16. His opi¬ 
 nion of Jenner’s poetical talent, 18. His verses attached to 
 the Balloon, 70. Jenner’s letter to, on his first Inoculation, 
 137, 138. His evidence, 496. 
 
 Geneva, disasters at, 338. 
 
 Gilbert, his Compendium of Medicine, 224. 
 
 Gillman, Mr., Surgeon at Barelly, 558. 
 
 Goelicke, his Dissertation de Lue Contag. Bovil., 209. 
 
 Gooch, T. S. Esq., his letter, 381. 
 
 Gottingen, Royal Society of, elects Jenner an Honorary Mem¬ 
 ber, 467. 
 
 Grand Seignior patronizes Vaccination, 416. 
 
 H. 
 
 Hadleigh, popular feeling at, 382. 
 
 Hale, Sir Matthew, his description of Small-pox, 258. 
 
 Hali Abbas, on Small-pox, 223. 
 
 Hanover, introduction of Vaccination into, 339. 
 
 Harvey, opposition to his doctrines, 560. 
 
 Hawes, Dr., 567. 
 
 Haygarth, Dr., 157. 
 
614 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Head, Rev. Henry, 1, 2. 
 
 Heberden, Dr., letter from Jenner to, 39. 
 
 Hedgehogs, experiments on, 51. 
 
 Herodian, his life of Commodus, 174. 
 
 Herodotus the historian, referred to, 178. 
 
 Heydeck, Professor, at Madrid, his account of the Goat-pock 
 in Spain, 238. 
 
 Hicks, Henry, Esq., 15. Visiter at the meetings at Rodbo- 
 rough, 45. His confidence in Vaccination, 304. His zeal 
 and discrimination, 330, 331. His observations on Pearson’s 
 “ Examination 519. 
 
 -Dr.; his letter to Jenner, 158. 
 
 Hindoos, their accounts of Small-pox, 166, 182. 
 
 Hindoos and Parsees, their feelings respecting Vaccination, 
 422. 
 
 Hippocrates, his Epidemics quoted, 179. His honours and re¬ 
 wards, 511, 512. 
 
 Holland, Lord, 604. 
 
 Homer’s Iliad, 1st book, passage from, 168, 169. 
 
 Horse, heel of, the supposed source of Cow-pox, 148. Experi¬ 
 ments upon, (in 1797,) 135, 141. 
 
 Hunold, M., in his Annals, an account of the analysis of Vac¬ 
 cine lymph, 533. 
 
 Hunter, Mr. John, remarks on his character, 3 et seq. Letters 
 from, to Edward Jenner, 28 to 37, 40 to 44, 47, 51, 54 to 56, 
 64, 66, 69, 78. Account of his illness, 36. His invitation to 
 Jenner, to join him in teaching Natural History, 32. On Jen- 
 ner’s emetic tartar, 69. His paper on the genus of Whales, 
 78. Respecting Jenner’s papers on the Cuckoo, 78. His 
 house in Leicester fields, 64. His observations on colours, 
 66. His observations on the torpidity of animals, 64. His 
 visit to Bath, 38. His last letter to Jenner, 104. Account 
 of his death, 105. 
 
 Husson, M., 529. In Dictionnaire des Sciences Medicales, Art. 
 Vaccine, Vaccination, sets up a claim, for M. Rabaut, to the 
 discovery of Vaccination, 549 et seq. 
 
 I. 
 
 Ignis Sacer; under this term the older writers frequently de¬ 
 noted Small-pox, 220. 
 
 India, our different Presidencies in ; their eagerness to procure 
 the Vaccine, 418. 
 
 Ingenhousz, Dr., one of the first opponents of Jenner’s doc¬ 
 trines, 289. His letter to Jenner, 291. Dr. Jenner’s reply 
 to, 293. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 615 
 
 Inoculation, for Small-pox, scarcely admitted into Spain, 235. 
 Proceeds slowly in England, Ireland, and Scotland, 232. More 
 favourable accounts of, from the West-Indies and the two 
 Americas, 233. Hospital for, founded in London, 233. Op¬ 
 posed in Germany by Van Swieten and De Haen, 234. Ad¬ 
 vocated in France, by MM. de la Condamine and Turgot, 
 ib. Countenanced by the Duke of Orleans, ib. Prohibited 
 in Paris by the King, ib. 
 
 ■-Variolous, its history sketched, 217 . 
 
 “ Inquiry publication of; first and concluding paragraphs, 145, 
 149. Reaches Geneva, Hanover, and Vienna, 333. Trans¬ 
 lated into Spanish, 393. 
 
 Ireland, Mr., a Bristol merchant, visiting at Montpelier, 550. 
 
 Isaac:, the Jew, his dissertation on Small-pox, 222. 
 
 Isaacson, Mr. Isaac, 524. 
 
 Italian Republic, Vaccinations in, 529. 
 
 J. 
 
 Jefferson, President, his Vaccinations, 389. 
 
 Jenner, Dr., birth of, 1. Early education at Wootton-under- 
 Edge, and Cirencester, 3. Becomes a pupil of Mr. Ludlow 
 of Sodbury, 3. Pursues his medical education under Mr. John 
 Hunter, London, 4. Settles at Berkeley, 10. His mind and 
 manners, 13 et seq. His wit and humour, 17. His poetry, 
 specimens of, 20 et seq. His letter to Gardner, 19. His 
 disappointment in love, 51. His operation in the Infirmary 
 at Gloucester,' 53. His experiments on hedgehogs, 51. His 
 experiments on lizards, 55. His geological pursuits, 56. His 
 balloon, 70. His life endangered from severe cold, 72. His 
 letter to Sir Joseph Banks, 73. His account of the bitch and 
 fox, 74. His account of animal manure, 74 et seq. His 
 marriage, 86. His eldest son Edward born, 87. His letter 
 to his friend Clinch, 88. His letter to Edward Gardner, 96. 
 His opinions concerning hydatids, 99. Obtains the degree of 
 M. D. 105. Is attacked with typhus fever, ib. His letter 
 descriptive of it, 106. His arrangements for publishing the 
 “ Inquiry ,” 117. His character as a medical philosopher, 119. 
 Commences his professional visits at Cheltenham, 115. His 
 first impression on the subject of Cow-pox, 121. Effects of 
 that impression, 123. His first enquiries respecting Cow-pox, 
 126. His conversations with Mr. Hunter on the subject of 
 Cow-pox, 127. His conversations with Mr. E. Gardner, 128. 
 His experiments on Swine-pox, 130. His difficulties in pur¬ 
 suing experiments on Vaccination, 131. His correspondence 
 thereon, 134, 137. His feelings on the first successful case of 
 Vaccination, 138. His devout meditations thereon, 140. His 
 
616 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 experiments on grease, 141. His “ Inquiry” published, 145. 
 His son Robert’s case, 147. His visit to London, to exhibit 
 the Variolse Vaccinee, 149. His disappointment in that 
 object, 150. His account of Mr. Cline’s successful Vacci¬ 
 nation, 151. His inducements to settle in London, 154. 
 His opinions on that subject, 155. His anticipations of blun¬ 
 ders in conducting Vaccine Inoculation, 156. His opinions 
 respecting Small-pox and Cow-pox, 162. Considered both 
 as modifications of the same distemper, 241, 242. His 
 letters to Gardner respecting Dr. Ingenhousz, 296, 297. 
 Vaccinates Mr. Hicks’s children at Eastington in Glou¬ 
 cestershire, 303. His letter to Dr. Woodville, 308. Letter 
 announcing his trials with London virus, 316. His opi¬ 
 nion thereon, 320, 321. Goes to London, 322. Interview 
 with Dr. Woodville, ib. Procures Cow-pox matter from Glou¬ 
 cestershire, 323. His letters to Lord Egremont respecting 
 the eruptions at Petworth, 341 to 345. His account of the 
 comparative trial at Petworth, 346. Sends matter to vacci¬ 
 nate the Princess Louisa of Prussia, 348. His letter to Mrs. 
 Colonel Walker on that subject, ib. His letter to Mr. Aber- 
 nethy on the vaccinations by Rev. Mr. Holt, 350. His reply 
 to Dr. Pearson’s account of the New Institution, 362. His 
 correspondence with Lord Egremont on this subject, 363. 
 Leaves Berkeley for London, ib. Publishes a “Continuation 
 of Facts, &c.” 364. Arrives at Adam-street, Adelphi, 365. 
 His letter to Lord Egremont, ib. Is introduced to the Duke 
 of Clarence, 367. His plan for a public Institution for Vac¬ 
 cine inoculation, ib. Procures Vaccine virus at a farm at 
 
 Kentish Town, 325. Letters to Mr. Ring, 355, 358. Re¬ 
 ceives a message from the Duke of York, desiring an inter¬ 
 view, 369. Presents his treatise on Cow-pox to his Majesty, 
 374. Is introduced to his Royal Highness the Prince of 
 Wales, 375. His occupations in London, ib. Received matter 
 from Mr. Tanner, generated by inoculation with grease, 379. 
 Requested by the Duke of York to vaccinate the 85th Regi¬ 
 ment at Colchester, ib. Presented to her Majesty, ib. Leaves 
 London, 383. Visits Tusmore and Oxford, ib. His reply to 
 Dr. Trotter’s letter, 408. Sends out Vaccine virus for India, 
 by the Queen East Indiaman, ib. His conferences with Lord 
 Hobart, Secretary of State, 409. His proposal for transmit¬ 
 ting Vaccine virus to our India possessions not adopted by 
 our Government, ib. His own generous proposal, as an indi¬ 
 vidual, 410. His letter to Dr. De Carro, 428. Publishes 
 an account of the Origin of Vaccine Inoculation, 437. His 
 letter to the President of the National Institute of France, ib. 
 With his family at Cheltenham, 433. Offers gratuitous inocu¬ 
 lation there, ib. Curious incident connected therewith, 434. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 G17 
 
 Explains the nature of Vaccination to a party at Earl Spencer's, 
 in London, 435. Letter to Mr. Boddington respecting alleged 
 failures, 445. His regret for the errors committed in the 
 practice of Vaccination, 447. His letter to Mr. Ring thereon, 
 ib. His “ Golden Rule,” 448. Vaccinates some of his Ma¬ 
 jesty’s stag-hounds, 450. Sends virus to Copenhagen through 
 Dr. Marcet, ib. His reply to the Empress Dowager of Russia, 
 in French and English, 462, 463. Letter to Lord St. Helen’s, 
 461. Letter to Dr. Sacco, 455. Letter to Professor Blumen- 
 bach, 467. Extent of his labours and correspondence on 
 Vaccination, 480. Determines to bring the subject before 
 Parliament, 481. Receives a present of plate from the County 
 of Gloucester, 482. Has an interview with the prime minister, 
 484. His petition to the House of Commons, 490. His 
 opinion of Mr. Bryce’s Test of Vaccine security, 535, 536. 
 Receives testimonials from the Medical Society of London ; 
 the Suffolk Society of Surgeons ; the Benevolent Medical 
 Society of Herts and Essex; the Physical Society at Guy’s 
 Hospital; the Medical Society of Tours; the Medical Society 
 of Paris, 537 to 539. His letter to Mr. J. Addington, 569. 
 A poetic jeu d'esprit of, 542. His letter to the Marquis of 
 Hertford, 602. His letter to the Institute of France, 603. 
 
 Jenner, Dr. Thomas, 2. 
 
 -Edward, his case, 130, 131. 
 
 - Robert Fitzharding, his case, 147. 
 
 -Rev, Stephen, 1, 2. 
 
 -George and Henry, 2. 
 
 -Flenry, apprentice to his uncle, 85. Assists him in 
 
 his researches on subjects of Natural History, ib. 
 
 - Mrs. her illness, 103. 
 
 - Stephen, Lieutenant, wrecked on the coast near Wey¬ 
 mouth, 110. 
 
 - George, 135. 
 
 -Rev. George, his account of proceedings in London, 
 
 respecting Vaccinations at Small-pox Hospital, and elsewhere, 
 318. 
 
 - Henry, vaccinates an infant twenty hours after birth, 
 
 324. 
 
 Jennerian Society, patronized by their Majesties, 573. By 
 His R. H. the Prince of Wales, ib. By His R. H. the 
 Duke of York, 574. By His R. H. the Duke of Cla¬ 
 rence, 574. By His R. H. the Duke of Cumberland, 575. 
 First annual festival of, 576. Irregularities in its manage¬ 
 ment, 577. Proceedings of Medical Council of, 578. Depu¬ 
 tation from, return thanks to his Majesty the King, 576. 
 
 Jones, Mr. Harford, receives the virus at Bagdad, 420. Delivers 
 it to Dr. Short, ib. 
 
618 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Julius Capitolinus, (in Lucii Veri Vita,) 185. 
 
 Jurin, Dr., bis calculations on the mortality of Small-pox, 257. 
 
 K. 
 
 Kanoldus, John, a German physician, referred to by Goelicke, 
 respecting the Lues Contagiosa,” or eruptive distemper of 
 cattle, 211. 
 
 Keith, Lord, his general memorandum for the vaccination of 
 Seamen in the fleet, in the Mediterranean, 396. 
 
 Keith, Dr. his daughter, the second subject of Small-pox inocu¬ 
 lation in Great Britain, 230. 
 
 Kennedy, Mr., a Surgeon, in London, printed a tract on Inocula¬ 
 tion, in 1715, 230. 
 
 Knight, Francis, Esq., his letter to Jenner, 159. 
 
 Korn, John Michael, his exertions, 459. 
 
 L. 
 
 Ladbroke, Mr., 149. 
 
 La Font, Dr., his experiments with grease, 432. 
 
 Lancisi, his treatise De Bovilla Peste, 199, 200. 
 
 Langslow, Dr., his calculations upon the Parliamentary reward, 
 514. 
 
 Lanzoni, a remarkable passage de Variolis , 210. 
 
 Lavard, Dr., his account of a distemper in horned cattle in 
 England, 214, 215, 216. 
 
 Leaper, Joseph, 567. 
 
 Letters, and other documents, to illustrate the narrative, 469 
 to 478. Letters respecting the application to Parliament from 
 Lord Rous, Lord Sherborne, Admiral Berkeley, Mr. Wilber- 
 force, and Sir H. Mildmay, 485 to 489. 
 
 Lettsom, Dr., his opinion on the national remuneration, 517. 
 
 Liancourt, M. Larochefoucault, promotes Vaccination in Paris, 
 391. 
 
 Livy, his Roman history referred to, 169, 170, 171. 
 
 Lizards, experiments on, 55. 
 
 Lombardy, disease among cattle in, 204. 
 
 London Vaccine Institution, attempts to form the, 359. 
 
 Lord Mayor of London, 570. 
 
 Louis XV. of France died of Small-pox ; the second time of his 
 having that disease, 226. 
 
 Loy, Dr., his “ Observations on the Cow-pox,” 249. Confir¬ 
 mation of his opinion, 522. 
 
 Lucretius, De rerum Natura quoted, 208. 
 
 Lupton, Mr., Oxfordshire, his experiments, 249. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 619 
 
 M. 
 
 Maddox, Dr. (Bishop of Worcester,) preaches in favour of 
 Small-pox Inoculation, 232. 
 
 Madras Courier, 555. 
 
 Madrid, Royal Economical Society of, 604. Royal Academy of 
 Medicine of, ib. 
 
 Maitland, Mr. Surgeon to British Ambassador at Constantino¬ 
 ple, the first British inoculator in England, (in 1722,) 230. 
 Inoculated Miss Montague, in 1722, ib. 
 
 Malcolm, Sir John, 557. 
 
 Malta, Vaccine establishment at, 400. 
 
 Marblehead, Massachusetts, disasters at, 388. 
 
 Marshall, Dr., his Vaccinations, and his letters thereon, to Dr. 
 Jenner, 324, 325, 326. His letter from Paris, 401. His 
 letter, 396. 
 
 -— and Walker, Drs., proceed to the Mediterranean to 
 
 vaccinate, 395. 
 
 Mead, Dr., his opinion of the origin of Small-pox, and its first 
 appearance, 218. Opinion against Small-pox occurring twice 
 in one individual, 226. Referred to respecting the treatment 
 of, 229. 
 
 Mecca, siege of, under Abrahah ; usual date assigned to first 
 appearance of Small-pox, 195. 
 
 Medical Society of London, their approbation of Jenner’s dis¬ 
 covery, 537. 
 
 Mercurialis asserts that the same person may be attacked twice 
 with Small-pox, 227. 
 
 Mildmay, Sir Henry, 590. 
 
 Milkers, sores communicated to the hands of, 131. 
 
 Minister of the Interior of France, his address, 275. 
 
 Montague, Lady Mary Wortley, brought Inoculation into vogue 
 in England, 230. 
 
 Moore, James, Esq. his history of Small-pox, 197, 222. 
 
 Moreschi, Dr., promotes Vaccination in the Venetian States and 
 Greece, 417- 
 
 Moseley, Dr., his attack on Cow-pox, 353. 
 
 Moses’ account of the plague of boils, 166. 
 
 Mottet, Count, vaccinated; untoward results, 338. 
 
 N. 
 
 National Institute of France to Dr. Jenner, 438. 
 
 -- Vaccine Establishment, inquiry by, 273. 
 
 Natural History, Jenner’s fondness for, 11. Plan for teach 
 ing, by Mr. Hunter, 32. 
 
620 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Navy, medical officers of, vote a medal to Dr. Jenner, 405. 
 
 Newfoundland, introduction of vaccination into, 389. Vaccine 
 practice in, 532. 
 
 Nelmes, Sarah, first subject from whom Vaccine matter was 
 taken, 137. 
 
 North, Governor of Ceylon, his measures, 426. 
 
 O. 
 
 Odier, Dr., his efforts in Vaccinating, 333. His memoir on 
 Variolae Vaccinae, 339. His “ Advice to Fathers and Mo¬ 
 thers,” ib. 
 
 Opinions in the House of Commons (respecting the claims of 
 Dr. Jenner) of Sir H. Mildmay, Mr. Bankes, Mr. Windham, 
 Mr. M. A. Taylor, Mr. Hobhouse, Mr. Fuller, Chancellor of 
 the Exchequer, Mr. Grey, Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Courtenay, 
 506, 510. 
 
 Opinions of medical men on the publication of the “ Inquiry ” 
 302. 
 
 Orosius, referred to, 171. 
 
 Ovid, his Metamorphoses referred to and quoted, 207. 
 
 P. 
 
 Paracelsus, 225. 
 
 Paris, deaths from Small-pox in, (in 1825,) 274. 
 
 - Royal Academy of Medicine of, report, 277. 
 
 Parliamentary grant of 10,000/. to Dr. Jenner, 510. 
 
 Parry, Dr. letter from, 61. His early intimacy with Jenner, 50. 
 
 Paulus Diaconus, on the pestilence in Liguria, (A.D.,565,) 195. 
 
 Paytherus, Mr. 142, 298. 
 
 Pearson, Dr., his intercourse with Dr. Jenner on the subject of 
 Cow-pox commences, 304. Establishes an extensive corre¬ 
 spondence on the subject, with medical men through the king¬ 
 dom, and publishes the results, (Nov. 8th, 1798,) 304, 305. 
 Letter to Dr. Jenner, 305, 306. Account of eruptions in vac¬ 
 cinated patients, 313. Account of the new Institution, 360. 
 Complaint of the conduct of the Parliamentary Committee, 
 518. 
 
 Pedemontium, Francis de, has written on Small-pox and 
 Measles, 224. 
 
 Peel, the Right Flon. Robert, his instructions to the National 
 Vaccine Establishment, 273. 
 
 Pegge, Sir Christopher, draws up a testimonial in favour of Cow- 
 pox, 384. 
 
 Percival, Dr., his letter to Jenner, 157. 
 
 Peschier, Dr., his efforts in vaccinating, 333. Carries virus 
 from Vienna to Geneva, 338. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 621 
 
 Pestis Bovilla, 239. 
 
 Petworth, Dr. Jenner’s visit to, 369. Vaccinations at. ib. 
 
 Pew, Dr., at Montpelier, a visiter, 55 0. 
 
 Peyton, Lady, her exertions in Vaccination, 329. 
 
 Philo, his description of a disease affecting man and beast 
 among the Egyptians, 164, 165. 
 
 Phipps, James, first person inoculated with Cow-pox, 137. 
 
 Physicians and Surgeons of London, their testimony, 354. 
 
 Physicians among the Ancients, their celebrity, and rewards ; 
 Hippocrates, Erasistratus, Democedes, 510 to 513. 
 
 Picardy, eruptive disease of cattle in, 215. 
 
 Pliny the elder, his testimony respecting Egypt, 183. 
 
 Plymouth, Medical Society of, solicit Dr. Jenner to sit for his 
 Portrait, 394. 
 
 Pock, Pox, this name of Saxon origin, 221. 
 
 Pontius, (in vita S. Cypriani,) 185. 
 
 Population, influence of Cow-pox on, 277. 
 
 Procopius, his account of an Epidemic during the reign of Jus¬ 
 tinian, 192. 
 
 Prussia, the King of, founds an Institution for Vaccination, in 
 Berlin, 456. 
 
 Pylarini, Dr. at Venice, published on Small-pox Inoculation, 
 (in 1715,) 230. 
 
 Pyrton, fossils at, 60. 
 
 R. 
 
 Rabaut, M., a French Protestant Minister at Montpelier, claims 
 the Vaccine discovery, 550, 553, 554. 
 
 Ramazzini, Bernard, his Constit. Epidem., 201. 
 
 Reumont, Dr., of Aix-la-Chapelle, visits Jenner, 436. 
 
 Rhazes, an Arabian medical writer, 197. Wrote expressly on 
 Small-pox, (in or about A.D. 900,) 218, 219. 
 
 Ring, Mr. John, his efforts, 353, 354, 357, 600. 
 
 Rodborough, Medical Society at, 45. Papers read by Jenner 
 there, 45, 46. 
 
 Rome, Vaccine matter sent to, 529. 
 
 Roque, Count de la, translates Dr. Jenner’s “ Inquiry,” &c. &c. 
 &c., 392, 393. 
 
 Rous, Lord, his evidence, 495. 
 
 Royal Society Transactions, intended publication of Jenner’s 
 discovery in the, 140. 
 
 Rudhall, near Ross, 142. 
 
 Russia, Dowager Empress of, zealously promotes Vaccination, 
 459. Sends a letter and diamond ring to Dr. Jenner, 460, 462. 
 
622 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 S. 
 
 Sacco, Dr., of Milan, his experience on Cow-pox, 249. Let¬ 
 ter to Dr. Jenner (1803), 250. Letter to Dr. Jenner, 452. 
 Letter to Dr. Jenner, 529. 
 
 St. Asaph, Lord, respecting Variolae Vaccinse, 251. 
 
 St. Helen’s, Lord, to Dr. Jenner, 460. Ditto, Ditto, 465. 
 
 Salm, Count Francis Hugh de, promotes Vaccination in Mora¬ 
 via, 457. Comes to England to visit Jenner, 458. 
 
 Sancteya Grantham, a Llindoo medical work, 555. 
 
 Sauvages, his nosological character de peste bovilla, 212, 213. 
 
 Scheuchzer, his Physica Sacra> 166. 
 
 Scott, Dr. H., his letter from Bombay, 412. Performed the 
 first successful Vaccination in Bombay, 421. 
 
 Seneca, his poetic description of pestilence, 209. 
 
 Sennertus, his assertion that the Small-pox does sometimes at¬ 
 tack one person twice, 227. 
 
 Serapion, de Phlegmone et Variolis, &c. &c. 223. 
 
 Sherborne, Lord, 596, 597. 
 
 Shrapnell, W. F., account of the shipwreck near Weymouth, 
 
 111 , 112 . 
 
 -Mr., 159. 
 
 Shute, Mr., his letter to Dr. Jenner, 588. 
 
 Sicilies, King of, recommends Dr. Marshall to his Ambassador 
 in London, 400. 
 
 Simmons, Mr., his experiments, 158. 
 
 Small-pox, ravages of, in North and South America, Thibet, Cey¬ 
 lon, Russian empire, Constantinople, &c. &c. &c. as calculated 
 by Bernouilli, Lettsom, Blane, &c. &c., 260'to 263. Nearly as 
 prevalent in London in the year 1825 as at any similar period 
 in the preceding century, 272. Occurring twice, not always 
 noticed or recorded, 278. 
 
 -- Hospital, London, Vaccinations in, 244. Experi¬ 
 ments in, by Dr. Adams, 246. 
 
 Smith, Mrs. Charlotte, 114. 
 
 Somerville, Lord, accepts the Presidentship of the Bath Institu¬ 
 tion, 379. 
 
 Sophocles, his CEdipus Tyrannus referred to, 209. 
 
 Spain, introduction of Vaccination into, 393. Vaccination es¬ 
 tablished in, 526. 
 
 Spanish Expedition for propagating the Cow-pox in South 
 America, sails, 606. 
 
 Spencer, Earl, issues an order for introducing Vaccination among 
 the Seamen of the Navy, 404. 
 
 Struve, Dr., 525. 
 
 Sud’ha Sangreha, a Sanscrit work, 558. 
 
 Sutton, Daniel, his method of inoculating, 235. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 623 
 
 Sweden, introduction of Vaccination into, 451. 
 
 Sydenham, Dr. Thomas, 227. His opinion respecting Small¬ 
 pox, 217. 
 
 T. 
 
 Tanner, Mr., infects the cow from the horse’s greasy heel; and 
 himself from the cow’s teats, 248, 249. 
 
 Testimonials in favour of Vaccination before the Committee of 
 the House of Commons, 502. 
 
 Thessala, a female inoculator at Constantinople, 247. 
 
 Thucydides’ Peloponnesian war, plague at Athens, 175, 177. 
 
 Tierney, Sir Matthew, Bart, his letters, 376, 377. 
 
 Timoni, Dr., of Constantinople, 230. 
 
 Travers, Benjamin, Esq., 567. 
 
 Trotter, Dr., his exertions, 404. ilis letter to Dr. Jenner, 
 with a medal from the medical officers of the navy, 405. 
 
 U. 
 
 Underwood, Dr., his letter from Madras, 410. 
 
 V. 
 
 Vaccination, its salutary power exemplified, 263 to 271. En¬ 
 forced by the Governments of Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and 
 many German States, Illyria, Spanish America, 263, 264. 
 Had extinguished Small-pox in Milan and Vienna, 265, 266. 
 Its good effects in the Foundling Hospital and Royal Military 
 Asylum, London, 266, 267. Almost banishes Small-pox 
 from Ceylon, Sweden, Denmark, Anspacli, Prussia, 267 to 
 271. Its power in subduing Small-pox, 287 et seq. State 
 of in France (in the years 1811, 1812, 1821, 1822,) 275, 
 276. Introduced into America, 385. Into Hungary and 
 Poland, 458. 
 
 Vaccinators, in United States of America, ignorance and cupi¬ 
 dity of, 387. 
 
 Valentin, Dr., of Nancy, his history of Small-pox, 222. His 
 experiments with Variolas Vaccinae, 243. His visit to Eng¬ 
 land, 583. 
 
 Variolae and Variolas Vaccinae, illustrations of, from history, 161. 
 
 Variolae Vaccinae, first exhibited in London, 151. Jenner’s ob¬ 
 servations on, 162. Raged in England, as described by Dr. 
 Layard, 239. Found in Holstein, Lombardy, Persia, North 
 and South America, 240. Connexion between them and the 
 grease in the horse, 242. Further observations on this sub¬ 
 ject, 244 et seq. Compared with Small-pox, 259. Alleged 
 fatal case of, in the Small-pox Hospital, 260. 
 
 Variola, can be communicated to the inferior animals, 216. 
 Sketch of its history, 217. Probable origin of its name, 221. 
 Difference between and Variolae Vaccinae, 256. 
 
624 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Varioloid diseases, 280 et seq. Dr. Jenner’s opinions concern¬ 
 ing, not sufficiently attended to, 285. 
 
 Vegetius, a veterinary writer, referred to, 170. 
 
 Viborg, Professor at Copenhagen, infected with human Variolse 
 dogs, apes, and swine, 216. 
 
 Vicq d’Azyr, his “ Precis Historique” quoted, 215. 
 
 Vienna, Vaccination at, 526. 
 
 Virgil, his Georgies referred to, and quoted, 206. 
 
 Virus* Vaccine, procured from the cows of Lombardy, 421. 
 Forwarded to Bussora, Bombay, Bengal, &c. &c. 421, 422. 
 
 W. 
 
 Wales, his R. H. the Prince of, receives Dr. Jenner, 375, 
 
 Walker, Dr., proceeds to Egypt with the army, 401. 
 
 Washbourn, Rev. Dr., 3. 
 
 Waterhouse, Dr., 386, 439, 593. 
 
 Wellesley, Marquis, Governor-General of India, encourages 
 Vaccination, 423, 424. 
 
 Westbury Cliff, bone-bank at, 60. 
 
 Westfaling, Tlipmas, Esq., of Rudhall, 142. His character, 
 
 144 et seq. 
 
 Willan, Dr., his Dissertation on Small-pox, 165, 199. 
 
 Willis, Dr., of his own knowledge says that the same indi¬ 
 vidual has had Small-pox twice, 227. 
 
 Wiltshire, Cow-pox existing in, 159. 
 
 Wollaston, Dr., his letter, 373. 
 
 Woodville, Dr. ; publication of his Reports, 307, 323. His 
 alarming statements respecting Vaccination, 324. Criticism 
 on Dr. Jenner, 325. Statements regarding eruptions less 
 peremptory, 326. Mis-statement of a case of Mr. Knight’s, 
 327. His address to Dr. Jenner, 365. Reconciled to Dr. 
 Jenner, 586. 
 
 Woolcombe, Dr., 591. 
 
 Worthington, Dr., 134. 
 
 Y 
 
 York, Elis R. H. the Duke of, consents to be Patron of the 
 new Institution, 360. Recommends Vaccination in the army, 
 366. Sanctions the Mission of Drs. Marshall and Walker, 
 395. Withdraws from the new Institution, 371. Patronizes 
 the Royal Jennerian Society, 574. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
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