The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-12
PREVENTION OF SMALLPOX
Africans Knew of Vaccination Be-
fore JenneF's Discovery.
Primitive Modes Compared with the
Modern InocuIatiOn Testimony
of Cotton Natber-The Practice
Revived with Disfayor in America


Vaccination. the only potent weapon
against that most dreaded disease. small
pox. was regarded with disfavor long
before II finally was recognized as L
great preventive To Jenner has al
ways been accredited. and 10 him right
fully belongs the honor of the discovery,
but years before he was born, the NJ
tives Of Africa had learned OF the nit
iSating effects on smallpox Of the yirIs
whom inserted under the skin Colt, I
AIaUher combined the Offices of physician
and preacher. and. in one of his
published works he describes won
derfuI manner in which the natives
OF Africa protected themselves from
smallpox, which had formerly devastated
their villages He says. after stating that
the practice Of incubation was in prac-
tice IN many parts Of the world: My
servant, when he showed me the scar of
the wound caused by the operation. said
, that 10 persons ever died Of smallpox III
bis country who had the courage to use
the virus I have since met q considera-
Die number of these Africans and all
agree upon one story They declare that
in their country great many used to die
IF the smallpox. but now they take the
virus and inject IL under the skin. They
say. Il makes them sick, but that none of
hem who try this remedy die Of small
9ox
Thus in Africa where the poor crea-
lures die of smallpox like sheep. a
nercifuI God has taught them an infalH-
bic preservative- It's common practice
| nd attended with constant success
II is surprising why Mather. with this
knowledge, did not homseIf put the rem
r,1e-
demic of smallpox was raging in Boston.
But he did not. although it was his ex-
ample which inspired Dr. Gabriel Bowls
tou- OF Boston. TO try the experiment.
This IS one Of the remarkable Instances
which seem all the more strange in this
enlightened age Dr. BoyIston inocuIat-
d his only son for smallpox and as soon
- the knowledge OF the operation be
! came publicly known great feeling was
aroused- DR.. BoyIston was mobbed and
! 3 hand grenade thrown into a window OF
/ Cotton Mather's house. But. in spite OF
this tremendous opposition. nearly 800
people submitted to incubation when
they learned that DR.. Bovlston had been
successful in the experiment on his son
The first general knowledge OF the ORR
entail practice Of incubation was brought
70 England by Lady Wortley Montague.
| But the spirit Of distrust engendered bv
ignorance of science was so deep rooted
| that It was a fun half century before its
general adoption The authorities who
are now so eager to make scientific ex-
| periments then refused for long time
to take an interest in the matter. and
when they did, they We're so little conf
I dent that they only experimental on pris-
cners condemned 10 death. The prison
| ers were promised their freedom if they
would submit to the operation The be-
/ lief Of the government authorities was
evidently. that the prisoners would die
anyway from the effects OF the attempt at
incubation
IN America the practice made progress
rapidly, but the same spirit of reluctance
which delayed its success in the mother
country ObstruCted its advance in the
| United States 1t was more as 4 cure
than as a preventive that the practice
of incubation was EeSorted TO- \ patient
suffering from smallpox naturally gave
himself up as lost In such cases inocu-
ldJiOn was the straw at which the sink
/ ing man clutChed. and 1t often brought
him safe TO the shore OF health again.
N lille a person was well it was seldom
his courage was brought TO the point of
allowing his arm To b. laid bare and sub
iected to an operation concerning which
he had no knowledge and only entertained
the graveSt suspicious
During the Revolutionary war small
poX was an enemy Of the COlOniStS more
dreaded than were ever the British red