The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-18
Nlllijn1s Of the Idler
Vaccination Instead of Family Prayers

Not since last hog killing time In Han
over has tho family supported by TINS
clronicer, enjoyed such excitement ~ anu :,
such blood-curdlirg experiences as iell
70 it's lot Friday night When every mem
Der OF the household, barring the canary
bird and tho ptlg-dOg, WIS tacclnated.8
ivario,iss dread cdlcts from police head
quarters and from everybody else blessed
with n little brief authority, warned us
tf,;lt unless each hide In the family WIS
forthwith punctured, we could no longer
hope to enjoy life, liberty and the pur-
suit OF happiness.
Now obedience. to such mandates
comes easy whcn6tile head Of a house,
hold must only summon two or three
at roll call. but 1T IL quite Il different
OF all shapes and sizes, to say nothing
OF varying degrees OF sensitlvcness and
suuirmlness
Worse still, at such crucial periods.
parents goon discover TINT each child
requires individual treatment. and that
what serves to abate tho yells Of one
only goes to increase tho Mutations Of
another.
rho modern adagc; TRY 1t on the
dog, works beautifully In almost every
experiment conceivable, but 1t doesn't
go with vaccination The encyclopedias
(Which add SO much lustre to our ex-
tempore remarks and hastily prepared
writings) inform us that even the plo-,
ncers In inoculation usually tried 1t first
on their children and then branclicd out
OH other material.
Charming Lady Wortley Montagu.
whose name will always stand cnshrined
III the world OF science and literature,
went through some narrowing Sexpe-
riences before she became an authority
on smalIpox-if she was ever so recog-
nized during her life.
She lost n brother by the dread dis
ease and then she lost her own beautiful
rye lnshes--n much more serious calam-
ity in the sight OF y woman. Having
thus acquired wisdom and partially lost
her good looks, she prcceeded-in the
year 171S--to try incubation on her small
.iye-year- boy.
History does not give the name of
this unfortunate youngster. but 1t issafely
to be presumed that the brat raised q
due amount OF sand. especially as tho
process OF that day was far cruder than
It Is at present.
The Montagti urchin must have pulled
through pretty well however. for when
his Ma returned from the Orient. she
hungered to make more experiments. 1t
seems that she, too, must have heard
the suggestion Try 1t on the dog" for
everybody was backward in coming for
ward to be saved from the smallpox by
taste OF the disease in miniature.
Finally the English people. with their
wonted amiability, agreed to allow Lady
Montagu to practice the innovation on
five criminals who had been condemned
10 death Az this auntette had probably
been designated for the thrilling process
of drawing and quarterlng. or some such
recreation. they do not appear to have
entered many demurrers.
At any rate. the incubation took
with them, go that, in fashion. they
became scabby heroes, but their immnn-
fly does not seem to have pleased the
hard-healcd British public.
The preachers and others equally as
sensitive now took 1t upon themselves
10 ;ssail the lady without the eye lashes,
and the r,nerateful public did not for
get that she had even risked the life OF
her own son in the caiisc of science.
Old Doctor Ned Jenncr born at Berke-
ley, England. in 174g. was the next to
get himself viliflcd on account of his eff
forts to conquer smallpox. or cowpox,
MS the disease was oftentimess called.
He used TO hear the buxom mlkmaids
saying. II can't take the smallpox for
have Ind the cowpoX," so he began
experimenting too. His subject matter
was both cows and milkmaids.
Some authorities say that he also.
made his first trial on his son, but We
are likewise informed that his final e1 :
pertinent was made in 1896 on the arm
OF one James Phipps.
The vaccination took on Jamie, and
after that everything was plain SAVING
aud science has since taken the business
seriously.
1t is to be regretted. however, that
Doctor Ned Jcnncr did pot get busy with
Ills vaccination tricks a few years sooner,
for in 1I51 a promising youth named
George Washington had three weeks
spell of the disease In Barbados, whittier
he had gone with his sconsumptive brother
Lawrence. The experience left him pitted
for life. and probably not as pretty as he
otherwise would have been.
But George Washington. always a per-
son OF aristocratic procivities, in having
the smallpox, was only initiating some
or the crowned heads OF Europe. Per-
laps when he lay Ill for three weeks he
soothed himself with the recollection tina t
Mary, the wife OF William III. Prince of
Orange. and daughter of James II. OF
England, had died OF the same malady in
England In 1894. Or II this instance did
not satisfy him, he could have found
many other royal presidents. for In olden
times it was no uncommon thing for tho
noxious disease to invade palaces as we'll
rs novels.
But all this Is drifting away from the
ybjcct-from the situation which con-