Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-07
TUESDAY. MARCH T. 1879.
INVITED TO TAKE SMALLPOX.

- go E"-
us the following announcement, copied
from the Virginia Gazette and Petersburg
Intelligence OF June If. 1896:
Petersburg. Va. June -. 1886
Notice is given to such as choose to
avail themselves Of an opportunity TO
take the smallpox. that an hospital II
established at Duncan Roses place about
six miles above Petersburg. where inocu-
Iation has already commenced and viii
continue for a few weeks.
MIR. John Brown. who lives convenient.
will attend every day for the purpose OF
receiving orders from those who may
find It inconvenlent to furnish them
selves with articles Of provision.
Servants may likewise be accommo-
dated.
The process the Petersburg advertise
mont refers to IS properly termed inocu-
lation. by It the virus from a smallpox
patient was transferred TO any other
person who wished to have the disease in
q mitigated form. and who thus expected
to be protected from future attacks of
the disease.
Where incubation originated ie an I'M
settled question. II was long practiced
in the East. To this dav # is said to be
I'm vogue In some sections Of Algeria and
in China Lady Wortley Montagu, whose
husband was the British Minister at
Constantinople, was the drs' o. Introduce
CIRCULATION into England. Her obscrva-
ton in Turkey caused her TO believe in
oculation was a very successful pre-
v~entive, and that 1t was rarely accom-
panied by death. Usually the person
proposing to be inoculQtcd went through
"a course of medical treatment before the
virus was inserted. Lady Montagu had
one Of her children inoculated in Con-
st%antinople and another inoculated upon
her return home to England. in 1921.
Smallpox was then ravaging England
and most other nations Of the earth, and
the example Of such an illustrious per-
sonaee as Lady Montagu was innu-
entail in causing the adoption Of the pre-
v~ontiyo. one Of the evils attending II,
however. was that a person who had been
inoculatod might communicate the small
poX 20 another person, and that, too, in
the most y~irulent form. Hence arose the
practice, described in tho Petersburg adj
NNl NAEtli'iNf VI NfAAHAiFAAiAAH INsIAAAAHs VI
'pest-houses." TO which those persons
who wished TO be i%noculated might repair
and receive skilful medical attention
during the operation and until recovery
was assured. But there were thousands
who had not the means to so to hospitals,
and yet who ventured to avail them
selves of the practice. The result was
that inoculated persons spread smallpox
far and wide. n what had promised tC
be a blessing to the community became
curse. Hence, rigid laws were passed reg
ulating. and. latteriy, prohibiting, inocu.
lation.
In 1875, just two years after the Pc
tersburg advertisement appeared, Edward
Jenner made public his discovery Of whaI
is now universally known by the name OF
vaccination.
1t was common enough in Gloucester
shire for the milkmaids TO have whal
was known as the cow-pox. After year.
of patient investigation Jenner satisfied
himself that cow-poN was but a modified
form Of ~small-pox-a form mitigated by
its passage through the animal. His oh.
servations and experiments were c%ontinu.
cd through many years. and il was not
until 1855 that he felt justified In making
wide public announcement OF his dis.
covery.
Jenner's public announcement met will
a storm of disapproyal from many, ant
he was the subject Of great abuse from
some of the medical fraternity and clergy
Nevertheless. as experience demonstrate,
the value Of his preventive, 1t became
more and more approved. and finally il;
adoption spread like wildhre' Inocula,
tion ceased to be practiced in any part O
the world, except in a few countries
where Grass ignorance and superstition
offered impenetrable obstacles 20 the ligh
OF Jenner's discovery. 1t is true t--ere ar
"A few people who still deride vaccination
and charge II with all manner Of mis-
chief. but though they may be homes
they are certainly misguided.
Vaccination has stood the test Of on
hundred years. after having made its wa,
10 the front against intense prejudices
The good 1t has done has been incalcula
BILE. Prior to Jenner's time England an,
her colonies and all the other lands % tn
globe were often ravaged by smallpox
Millions OF people had II. aud the record
o. one London hospital show that Will