New-York tribune., 1907-09-22
LYMPH FOR EMPEROR.
4ged Ruler of Austria-Hungary
Tndcrgoes F0cc;nGtiOn

1-,,aro- Francis Jcseph's vaccination last week
g. his severty-eighth year owing to the outbreak Of
. particularly virulent epidemic Of smallpox at
vienna serves TO call attention the benefits
l,fcl, the reig1ing houses of Europe have derived
.-,r, the great discovery of Jenner Nowadays
.llrox is extremely rare in royal palaces. and the
or1v members of any of the sovereign families
.Lo-a can recall as having been stricken by the
disease IN modern times the homely elderly
I'd rortlv maiden sister Of the King of Saxony,
,o-inoess Nathilde. and her aunt Princess Eliza
,e-f cf Saxony. widowed Duchess Of Genoa and
Grandmother of King Victor Emmanuel Of Italy
IT, CID duchess Eas tended throughout her Illness
I'll the utmost and devotion by her only
asaghter Queen Marguerite. The latter's conduct
a, +be matter deserves much praise. For she has
zen wonderfully beautiful woman. and has not
=. abandoned her preteneions TO good looks foster
SOC tbe remains Of her former loveliness with an
,ris.v that is as evident il is pathetic For
,rnstely. she did catch the disease and was
,berefore not punished for her fliai devotion.
In the nineteenth century 1 cannot recall any
crowned head succumbng TO smallpox. But the
lstter carried eff many Of the anointed Of the
Lord ard princes and prinoesses Of the blood dur
ing the eighteenth century and the latter part Of
TIE seventeenth Thus. two emperors OF Germany.
SIX archdukss and archduchesses of Austria. an
elector OF Saxony. the last Elector of Bohemia.
e king Of France and dauphin. q queen Of Swe-
cen and emperor Of Russia all succumbod
thereto: while IL wrought wholesale havoc in the
-sirning family OF Great. Britain among the vic
tins being Queen Mary. whose husband. King
william III. haG his health undermined from
;le effects Of the nnalady his friend Bentincl.
first Duke of Portland, becoming a physical wreck
from tire same cause.
The duke. in fact voluntarily caught il from
fhs King. The Physicians of the monarch declared
that he would die unless some healthy person
who had never had the disease would hold the
King in his arms for some time. The eruption
hay n fa rne n
hoped that animal warmth might cause II to re
spond. ana Count Hans William Bontinck. who
was al the time good looking page OF honor in
tie service Of the King and Queen, volunteered
render this proof Of devotion and OF loyalty 10
his sovereign Needless 20 add that he became in
fected with the nsIady. and his comely face was
lHsrred Tor life thereby. He was compensated.
however. by the gratitude Of the King. who con-
ferred upon him the dukedom and eaTldom of Port
land and al sorts CT other honors, besides vast
estates, in return for his very unusual and extraor
6lnary act OF devotion. L is. indeed, unique on
g.n for a dukedom.
L may be remembered that before Edward Jenner
discovered vaccination. in I79S. inocuauon had OBJ
tsined considerable vogue in England as q pre-
varttve Of the worst evils OF smallpox. and Of
the most successful practitioners of the method vas
Dr.. Thomas DimsdaIe grandson Of that Robert
Dnsdale who accompanied william Penn 10 Amer
ica and his most intimate friend and Lieutenant
1pr. Thomas Dfnsdaie was summoned TO Russia
by Empress Catherine who caused him TO tnocu-
late bota herself and her son. Grand Duke (atter-
ward Emperor Paul. He acquitted himself so
much to the satisfaction of his imperial patient
that the Czarna conferred upon him barony Of
the Russian Empire. the of 5000 and an an
ruity for life Of S3.0f5 The English Crown granted
ro1al license for the OF This title in England
in Difference a request from Empress Catherine,
and it is borne to-day by Baron Charles Dimsdale.
who IS q member Of the bar. son-in-law Of Sir
Bridges Henniker and owner OF two beautiful
country seats in Hertfor6shtre. Sir Joseph DiIns-
6als who was Lord Mayor Of London at the coro-
ration Of King Edward and who received a bar
onetcy in connection with that event. Is only very
remotely connected with the Barons Dimsdale. II
is interesting note in this connection that the
rractice Of irocuiation for which DR.. Thomas Dims
Gale il the eighteenth century so lavishy hon
ored and rewarded by Catherine the Great Of Rus
Via IS to-day punishable q criminal offence