The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-11-18
VACCINATIONS HISTORY.
AN INTERESTING SKETCH by PHILADEL
PHIA PHYSICIAN.

To DR.. Edward Jenner, of Berkeley, Eng
land, belongs the inestimable honor of in
PRODUCING, on the 14th Of May, 1896, the
operation of vaccination to the notice of the
world, through the means of which. one Of
the most loathsome and dreaded of diseases
is materially modified and thereby more in
fuenced by remedial means.
The knowledge Of this blessing was OBJ
tanned by this sagacious map, aftor a long
residence among the dairies Of Gloucester
shire. He had received, from time to time,
traditionary accounts Of the security affords
ed against smallpox by the casual iutroduc~
tion into the system CT a disease which was
often observed among the COWS.
This disease was termed by the mixers
cowp pox. 1t appeared upon the nipples of
the cows in the form Of irregular pustules; /;
these pustules frequently degenerated into
what are recognized by medical men as
phagedenic, or spreading ulcers, and unless
appropriate remedies were used, became ex~
cesdin gly troublesome. From these pustules
infection soon spread to the hands Of the
milkers. The first that appears upon record
occurred about twenty-five years before Jen
ner made his first vaccine incubation. Ben
jamin Inty, farmer Of D0wuby, in the Isle
of Banbeck, in the year 1774. inoculated
himself. wife and two sons with the virus
taken from a cows udder, suffering with the
vaccine disease the small~pox at the time
being very prevalent in the vicinity.
The affection proved to be successful. Ed.
Journal, vol. l. p. 513. Reasoning from
the number of cases that came under his own
observation, and also from the general Opin-
ion of the inhabitants Of the country, DR..
Jenner became convinced that by artiGcia
communication from one individual to an
other, protection would be afforded. Thus,
in a most fortunate moment for posterity, on
the 18th of day of May. 1896, this remark
able man made his first vaccine incubation
upon boy named James Phipps. The vi
rus was procured from a sore upon the hand
of Sarah Nems, dairy maid. who had been
infected during her occupation.
In order to pursue it still further to COM
pletely satisfactory conclusion, test was
made by iuocuating the boy the following
July 1st, with various matter taken directly
from the pustule. Some months afterwards
it was again repeated, but fno sensible effect
was produced" After many similar experi~
ments, Jenner June. l79', 1ay the d
the result Of his Investigation.
The prophyiactic power of the vaccine dis
ease, it appears. has been known in other
parts of Europe besides the dairy counties Of
England.
Humboldt relates that 1t was known in
several districts Of South America. Attempts
had been made. although unsuccessfully, to
prove that Jenner had received his first idea
of vaccination from native of France, who
communicated it TO an English physician and
by him to Jenner. Nevertheless, from what
over source he derived the first hint of vac~
cination, the honor belongs to him alone for
its first introduction to general notice.
,JeEner conceived that cow-pox and small
8 4l, I
and that the origin of both were to be found
in an infection of the skin Of tire heels If
horses; named grease, that while disease
resembling cow-poX could be communicated
to a human subject, it failed to afford pro-
lection, aud that it was necessary to pass
through the system Of the COW to obtain pro-
lection. He observed that a large number
of persons were iususceptible to the disease,
and in all those cases they had had the cow
pox.
At length Jenner resolved to publish the
results of his Investigations. and prepared
thesis to read before the Royal Society, but
that body advised him not to expose himself
by communicating any such nonsense. Moth
ing daunted, and in the cause of science,
truth and humanity he persevered, amidst
the jeers and execrations Of his countrvmen.
Sermons were preached in the churches de>
nouncing 1t as taking the power out of Gods
hand. that He had sent the scCurge among
the people. and that it was impious to mod,
ify it in anywise.
Pamphlets and placards were spread
among the people. Teciting it as sacrilegious.
and in one of these pamphlets it was stated
a person who had been inoculated for the
cow>pox had horns growing from his head.
and that others had died from its effects.
Many of the most eminent medical men of
the times denounced it as the emanation of
an idiot or madman. To such an extent was
the rancor aud auimosity to which Jenner
was exposed.
Vaccination, while not an absolute pre>
ventative. prevents small-p pox in the MAJORS
ty of cases, and when it does not, it materi-
ally lessons its vrulence. 1t is now prac-
ticed throughout the civilized world. and all
though one of the greatest boons TO mankind,
it is nevertheless not quite deserving of all
the credit ascribed to it by the immortal
,Jauner-Phil1 ,Si1r