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

"'iee VI ic". caScS or small pOX III
Charleston, und some scattered ones
IN the country, nearly every planter Or
head of family, throughout the State,
arc busy in their inquiries for, and use
OF vaccine matter, rs a preventative of
this loathcd and dreaded disease; yet
how few know to whom they areindebt-
ed for the discovcrytoithe 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 practiscd In Turkey, and from
thence introduced into England. The
disease thus. produced arliGcally, was
found to be of mildcr form, than
casual disorder and less fatal, but not
to such all extent us to lead to the
general practice Of innoculation in this
form, few persons being found willing
voluntarily 10 encounter the disease,
even in this mitigatcd type, and thus
matters stood, until the year l79S.
when EDWARD JENNER, a physician
OF II 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 introduce
ton of cow-pox into the human sys-
tenn, and its power in rendering tho
smallpox innocuous. The disease to
which COWS arc subject and known MS
the cow-P"X 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 DO entirely
free from its attacks and to the casual
remark Of dairy women, that she WAS
not afraid of this discasc, as she had
taken the cow.pox, was DR.. JESxER in
dcbted for having his attention drawn
III that direction.
EDWARD JENHEE was more than
twenty-five years in bringing his
experiments TO a satisfactory cunclu-
sion and the present system ofusinr
the vaccine matter was unheard of nnt;l
he himself applied SO late rs 1896
upon the arm of,s boy the matter taken
from poStulc on the hand Of IL Young
woman who had received the infection
from a COW. The disease thus pro-
duccd was one Of the mildcst form, and
upon innoculating the same boy six
weeks after with the virus of the small
p0Sasit was found7 ITO n d
This was the first of his triumphs and
led to what is now All almost unnivcr
sal practice. The feelings Of DR. JEN-
NER while pursuing his experiments,
are thus related by himself and do as
much honor to his heart. and as Justly
cntillc him 10 the love and respect of
of mankind, as the boon itself, which
his skill and lobor made known TO the
world. He 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 ca calanitics, blended with the
fond hope of enjoying Independence,
and domestic peace and happiness, was
often SO excessive, that in pursuing my
favoritc subject among the meadows,
J have sometimes found myself in
revcrc. 1t is pleasant to me to rcco-
lcct that these reflections always ended
in devout Acknowledgements to that
Being from whom this, and all other
mercics flow"