Sir Gilbert Blane

“ As it is to be hoped that our labours will prove to posterity some of the principal sources of reference regarding the medical and chirurgical discoveries and improvements of the age; as it is one of the reproaches of our country, that it has not availed itself so much as any other of the benefits of Vaccination; and as there are writers among us who still allege that the failures are so numerous that the value of the discovery is very ambiguous, it seems one of the duties of the Society to lend its aid in placing these important points in their true light. ”

“ Viewed as a mere physical fact in the natural history of the animal kingdom, the virtue of the vaccine virus in resisting the action of the variolous, is, by its novelty and singularity, highly striking and interesting to every one whose taste leads him to take delight in contemplating and exploring the devious ways and varied forms of Nature, as curious exceptions to the uniformity and constancy of her laws. ”

“ How many parents are there now who, from a weak distrust in the virtue of Vaccination, have to lament the loss of a child from Small Pox, either casual or inoculated? Many such are known to myself. It is pleasing, however, to observe, that though this unmerited discredit into which Vaccination had fallen, swelled the number of deaths in London from Small Pox to 1051 in 1817, good sense is likely still to prevail, for last year (1818) the deaths have fallen lower than they have ever been known since the institution of the bills of mortality, the total number being only 421 [6] . ”

“ One can hardly contemplate with sufficient astonishment, the extraordinary fact that a morbid poison taken from a domestic animal should, when inserted into the human body, shield it against the assault of one of the most fatal and cruel maladies to which it is incident. But the importance of this, as a physical curiosity, vanishes to nothing when the unexampled benefits of it to mankind are fairly weighed ”

“ And in order to stimulate the good and the wise to aim strenuously at this consummation, let it be constantly borne in mind, that the adversary they are contending with is the greatest scourge that has ever afflicted humanity. ”

“ It is alleged by some of the soundest Political Economists that Small Pox does not diminish the numbers of mankind, nor Vaccination increase them; for population is determined by subsistence, and the indefinite powers of procreation soon repair the ravages of disease. ”

“ This diminished mortality of young children is, like that of fevers and fluxes, owing chiefly to the improvements in ventilation and cleanliness, but greatly also to laying aside the custom of exposing them to the open air in winter and early in spring; either from inadvertency, or from the false notion of rendering them hardy, whereas they thereby catch inflammations of the lungs. Nothing tends more to the health, strength, and growth of children, than genial warmth. ”

“ There 4is, perhaps, no disease over which medical art has less power; and this power, such as it is, has consisted more in abolishing pernicious practices, than in ascertaining any positive methods of controlling its fatality, unless we except the inoculation of it with its own virus. But, though the beneficial effect of this on those on whom it is actually practised is undeniable, it has no tendency like Vaccination to extirpate the disease ”

“ It was in the rural population that the effect of Inoculation in diffusing Small Pox was chiefly felt. In this situation there is much less intercourse of persons with each other than in towns, so that not only many individuals escaped from their not being exposed to infection during their whole lives, but whole districts were known to have been exempt from it for a long series of years, before it was universally diffused by Inoculation. ”

“ But, however true this may be, the miseries incident to so many of those who survive Small Pox, whereby they become a burden to themselves, their families, and to society, 10render this disease uncontrovertibly an evil of the first magnitude, not to mention the intense sufferings and afflictions inseparable from it; and in this view of the matter the objection seriously adduced against Vaccination by one of its opponents [3] , that Small Pox is a merciful dispensation of Providence for the poor man, by diminishing the burden of his family, will not hold good, for the burden is not removed. ”

“ It is evident, therefore, that according to that maxim which guides mankind in the conduct of life, namely, that of acting on a general rule and average, and not on exceptions, these adverse instances ought not to have the least influence on practice, even though they were much more numerous. ”

“ It may be further remarked, that the benefit derivable from the different proportions of the persons vaccinated to the total population, advances in a considerably higher progression than the simple arithmetical. It is evident that the smaller the relative number of the vaccinated, the greater their chance of meeting with Small Pox infection, and that though the disease which they may catch is of a mitigated nature, it would nevertheless be desirable to avoid it on its own account, but still more on account of the prejudice it creates. ”

“ This is chiefly imputable to the abuse of the press, the general licentiousness of which may be denounced as one of the most grievous evils of this age and country, in regard to other subjects interesting to humanity and public happiness, as well as this; the votaries of error and depravity being more successful, because they find more encouragement in disseminating their principles, than the advocates of truth, 16virtue, and good order. There is no maxim more true, than that the best things do become by abuse the worst, and that in proportion to their excellence. ”

“ It ought to be generally known, however, that in a late trial and conviction, it was laid down by the judge to be the law of the land, that a medical practitioner who neglects to exclude the person whom he inoculates from communication with others, is liable to fine and imprisonment. Morally considered, indeed, it is difficult to conceive a higher degree of flagitious turpitude than that of a professional person, in the present state of knowledge, exposing his fellow-creatures, from sordid motives, to one of the most grievous calamities of which human nature is susceptible. ”

“ It seems almost needless to premise, that the Small Pox is of all maladies that, which, during the last thousand years, has destroyed the largest portion of the human species, and been productive of the largest share of human misery. ”

“ On the whole matter, I believe I am speaking the language of every man of good principles and feelings, capable of reflecting seriously and considerately on the subject, when I say, that whenever he applies his mind to it, he finds some new and increasing cause of complacency and satisfaction. ”

“ It is now twenty-one years since Vaccination was promulgated in this country by Dr. Jenner, and fifteen years since it began to produce a sensible effect in diminishing the mortality from Small Pox. In regard to the latter period, it is coeval with this Society; yet, though no discovery in nature nor in medicine has been more important to the interests of humanity, nor any which has ever so rapidly and universally won the assent and practical adoption of mankind, there are no notices of it on our records, except in our second volume, in an article by Dr. ”

“ It is farther manifest, that extirpation being the ultimate aim of this discovery, and there being the fullest historical 9and practical evidence of its being capable of accomplishing this end, all other questions with regard to its expediency must be futile and irrelevant. It is in the nature of all morbid phenomena to be liable to exception. One of the most essential and characteristic laws of Small Pox itself, namely, that of its affecting the human subject but once in life, is found in rare cases to be violated. ”

“ Nor indeed do they, except in the very rare cases here cited, deserve the name of failures; for, though they fail in preventing Small Pox, they do not fail to prevent Death. And let me here, in the name of humanity, beseech practitioners not to be forward in publishing single cases of failures, real or supposed; for, when the weak minded and uninformed hear of these failures, without hearing at the same time that there are hundreds of cases of permanent security for every single case of failure, they are guided by the exception, which becomes to them the rule ”

“ When parents, therefore, become anxious and apprehensive regarding the risk of Small Pox after a lapse of years, it seems quite reasonable that they should be indulged in having the operation repeated. ”