The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-02-08
Vaccine Matter,

"lce OF lew cases OF small poX in
Charleston, and some scattered ones
IN the country, nearly every plhhtcr or
head OF family, throughout the State,
are busy in their inquiries for, and use
OF vaccine matter, as II pre- tentative of
TINS loathcd and dreaded disease; vet
how few know 10 whom they areindcbt.
ed for the rliscovcry,oithe greatest boom
ever given to suffering humanity, and
certainly the most signal triumph Of
intellectual labor and the power of
mind.
Previous to the discovery of the
present system of vaccination, innocu-
lat'on with the virus of the smallpox
was practscd In Turkey, and from
thence introduced into England. The
disease thus. produced artiGcially, was
found to bc of nildcr form, than
casual disorder and less fatal, but not
"'' S"tcHI us W lcuu 10 the
general practice Of innocuIation in this
form, few persons being found willing
voluntarily to encounter the disease.
even in this mitigatcd type, and thus
matters stood, until the year l79S.
when EDWARD JENNER, a physician
OF Il country town in England, and to
whom the world is indebted for the
discovery of the efficacy Of vaccine
matter made known the results of his
experiments and successful introduc.
ton of cow-pox into the human sys-
tenn, and its power in rendering the
smallpox ilmocuous. The disease to
which COWS arc subject and known as
the cow-poS appears first upon the
nddcr OF the animal from which the
infection it frequently taken by milk
crs, who during the ravages of the
smallpox were found to bo entirely
free from Its attacks and to the casual
remark Of dairy women, that she was
not afraid Of this disease, as she had
taken the cow.pox, was DR.. JExxEn in.
dcbted for having his attention drawn
III that direction.
EDWARD JEHHEE was more than
twenty-five years in bringing his
experiments to satisfactory cnncln-
sion and the present system of using
the vaccine matter was unhcard of until
he himself applied SO late rs 1896
upon the arm ola boy the matter taken
from postulc on the hand Of IL Young
woman who had received the infection
irolna COW. The disease thus pro.
duccd was one Of the miidcst form. and
upon innoculating the same boy six
weeks after with the virus of the small
poS.tit was found teqiElyt,
This WAS the first of his triumphs and
led to what is now un almost unnivcr
sal practice. The feelings Of DR. JES-
NER willie pursuing his experiments,
are thus related by himself and do as
inucI honor to his heart. and as iustiy
cntillc him 10 the love and respect of
of mankind, as the boon itself, which
his skill and lobor made known TO the
world. lie says: Whilst the vac
cine discovery WAS progressing. the
JOY felt at the discovery before me,
OF being the instrument destined to
take away from the world one ofits
greatest calamitics, blended with the
fond hope of enjoying Independence,
and domestic peace and happiness, was
often SO excessive, that in pursuing my
favorite subject among the meadows,
J have sometimes found myself in a
revcric. 1t is pleasant to me to rccol-
lect that these reflections always ended
in devout Acknowledgements to that
Being from whom this, and all other
mercics flow"