The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-16
AS TO VACCINATION.
some FACTS ABOUT ITS DISCOVERY
BY DR.. EDWARD JENNER.

FOOLISH Stories Were Told About the ar
fects of Northumberland at Last
and Honored by nm Epitaph of Praise.
Vaccination, as performed at tho
present day, IS an operation of compar-
atlvely recent origin. Preventive in
oculating with smallpox virus. how
ever was Known for many years pre-
vious to TIE discovery of vaccination.
FOR several ceaturics smallpox was con-
sloered more Than any other pestilcnce
the foe OF mankind, sstistics showing
that about on"siXth Of those attacked
died, and IL many survivors were left
blind. dc;s 81 disfguvcd.
Whca L .v:..:l Mo::t..::....l was appoint
ed English ambassador to Turkey, in
1718, his wife, Lady Mary, called at
tention, i'll one of her letters, written in
TIT, TO the custom of "ingrafting"
smallpox. Upon her return to Eng
land she ut once undertook the intro
duction Of the art into that country,
showing her absolute faith in the oper-
alton by having her young daughter in
oculated. In 1921, scientists having
questioned the expediency of the oper-
alton, the government extended remis-
sion to several prisoners under SEN
tence of death on the condition that
they would submit to incubation. Tho
experiment proved successful, and tho
prisoners were released. Upon the
strength of this experiment the opera
ton was received with royal favor, the
Princess of Wales having two Of her
daughters infected" after the Turk
ish method.
The efficiency of the operation in NIT
igating tho severity of smallpox was
great, the mortality averaging but three
In 1000. But there was one drawback
which was considered fatal. However
light the lngrafted disease might be, it
was still smallpox, and the more it was
conveyed in this way the more were CEN
tiers Of infection multiplied from which
those not protected We're Liable to CON
tract the disease in its most virulent
form.
DR.. Edward Jenner was tho son of
an English clergyman, born in May,
174o. ut Berkeley, village in Glouces-
ter. The confident assertion of young
country woman that having had cow
pox" she WAS proof against smallpox,
made lasting impression on his mind
In his twenty first year he went to
under DIR. John Hunter. Returning aft
er two years. he began practice in his
native village of Berkeley. On renew
ing his acquaintance with tho dairy
people of the district, the belief of an
existing antagonsm between cowpox
and smallpox was again brought to his
attention BY degrees he accumulated
sufficient evidence to convince him that
there was something in it. On May II.
1896, Jcnner made his first vaccination
on boy of years. named James
PhippS. Several weeks aftcrward the
boy was inoculatcd with smallpox mat
ter, and, as Jcnner had predicted, no
result followed. Within one year from
the first announcement Of the discovery
70 of the leading physicians OF London
signed IL declaration of their absolute
confidence in it,
In spite OF this tho discovery was not
generally accepted without much oppo-
sition. Jcnncr, his system and all who
adopted it were made the butts of at
tacks hardly cqualed in extravaganza
by any in the history of medicine
When he persisted in pressing tho con-
sidcration of vaccination on medical
society of which he was n member, he
was threatened with expulsion. Jenner
and his followers were denounced as
quacks. The SO called school of ortho-
doxy consisted of those practitioners
who still adhered to incubation.
a mother complained that since her
daughter had been vaccinatcd she
coughcd like a COW and that hair had
grown all over her body. 1t is also
said that vaccination had bonn 1iccoD
tinucd i'll one country district, because
those who haG been inoculated with
vaccine virus beloved like bulls
In 1900 the practice WAS introduced
into this country, and six years after it
was first made public the knowledge
and practice. of this operation had
spread over the entire world. In Russia
the empress gave tho name Of "Vacci-
noif, " to the first child vaccnated and
made its education IL public charge
Many honors We're conferred on Jenner
by foreign courts. The anniversary
of his birth and that of his first vacci-
nation were for many years celebrated
in Germany as feast days. In 1902 par
Lament voted him $50, 900, and five
years later 500. 900 more. He died OF
apoplexy in 1928. and his remains were
laid in the parish church of Berkeley
The following cpltaph is inscribed on
his tomb:
Within this tomb hath found n resting place,
The great physician of tho human race
Immortal Jcnncr. whose gigantic mind
Brought life and health TO moro than half
mankind.
Let rescued infancy his worth proclaim
And lisp out blessings on his honored name.