Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-13
AS TO VACCINATION.
SOME FACTS ABOUT ITS DISCOVERY
eY OR. EDWARD JENNeR.

fOolssA 0eoeiee We're Told About the n.
fects % ccinasiou-ReeOgnixcd at Lase
aud nosereA ~ IN EPitaph Of Praise.
Vaccination, as performed mt the
present day. 10 nm operation Of compar-
a:ively recent origin. Preventive in
'culating with smallpox virus, how
c, er. was known for many years pre-
vious to the discovery Of vaccination.
For several centuries smallpox was con-
sidcred more than any other pcstilcnce
the Toe Of mankind, statistics showing
that about one-siSth Of those attacked
died. and that many survivors were left
blind, deaf and disfigured.
When Edward Montagu was appoint
I'd English ambassador to Turkey. in
i.i6. his wife. Lady Mary, called at
tcntion. in one &c her letters, written in
l.is. TO the custom of Migrating"
smallpox. Upon her return to Eng
duction of the at into that country.
showing her absolute faith in the oper-
alton by having hey young daughter in
oculated. In 1.2l. scientists having
questioned tho expediency of the oper-
alton. the government extended remis-
sion TO several prisoners under SEN
tence OF death on the condition that
they vOald submit to incubation. The
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 injected" after the Turk
ish method"
The efficiency of tho operation in nit
igating the severity of smallpox was
great. the mortality averaging but three
in !. Geo. But there was one drawback
which was considered fatal. However
light the ingraftef disease might lie, 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 were liable to con-
trac: the disease in its most v;rulent
form.
Dr.. Edward Jenncr was the son Of
az English clergyman. born in May.
1:+9, ut Berkeley, village in Glouces-
ter. The confident assertion OF n young
country woman that having had cow
pox" she was proof against smallpox,
made n lasting impression on his mind.
In his twer:yfirst year he went to
London TO finish his medical education
under DR.. John Hunter. Returning aft
er two years, he began practice in his
native village of Berkeley. On renew
ing his acquaintance with the dairy
people OF the district, the belief Of an
existing antagonism 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, Jenner made his first vaccination
on boy of 8 years, named James
Phipps. Several weeks afterward the
boy was inoculated with smallpox mat
ter. and. as Jenner had predicted. no
/ result followed. Within one year from
I the frs: announcement Of the discovery
I 30 Of the leading physicians OF London
signed a declaration Of their absolute
confidence in it.
In spite Of this the discovery was rot
generally accepted without much oppo-
sition. Jenner. his system and all who
adopted it We're made the butts Of at
tacks hardly equaled in extravaganza
by any in the history Of medicine.
When he persisted ia pressing the con-
sideration Of vaccination-on q medical
society If which h was member. he
was threatened with expulsion. Jenner
and his followers were denounced rs
/ quacks. The 80 called school Of ortho-
doxy consisted Of those practitioners
who still adhered TO incubation.
a mother complained that since her
daughter had been vaccinated she
coughed like COW and that hair had
grown all over her body. It is also
said that vaccination had been disccn-
tinued in one county district, because
those who had been inoculated with
vaccine virus beloved like bills
In 1900 the practice was introduced
into this country, and six years after it
was first made pablo the knowledge
and practice of this operation had
spread over the entire world. In Russia
the empress gave the name of ''Vacci-
nof." 10 the first child vaccinated and
made its education public charge.
Many honors were 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 $4,000, and five
years later 100000 more. He died Of
apoplexy in 1923. and his remains were
laid in the parish church Of Berkeley.
Tho following epitaph IL inscribed ON
his tomb:
Within this tomb hath found n resting place.
The great physician Of the human race
Immortal Jcnncr. whose gigantic mind
Brought life and health to more than hall
| mankind.
Lot rescued infancy his worth proclaim
And lisp out blessings on his honored name.
And radiant beauty drop one grateful tear,
For bcauty's trucst friend lies buried here.
Nowadays tho old fashioned method
Of arm to urn vaccination Is no Longer
practiced, as there ia always more ol
less danger Of transmitting disease
from ono to another. Tho virus, as