A review of Mr. Brown's work on vaccination / extracted from the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, and re-published by order of the gentlemen who super-intend the Cow-Pock Institution, in Sackville Street, Dublin. [Anon].

Date:
1809
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A review of Mr. Brown's work on vaccination / extracted from the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, and re-published by order of the gentlemen who super-intend the Cow-Pock Institution, in Sackville Street, Dublin. [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    if 3, That about three years after vaccination, the constitutional influence is so much diminished, as readily to allow the operation of the variolous contagion, but still exerting a considerable effect, in mitigating the disease. <f 4 That at the distance of five or six years from vaccination, the facility is so much increased, as hardly to impart any security, and so much diminished in its powers of mitigating the disease, that, at this period, the cases very nearly approach to the most common form of the distinct disease. , <c 5. That the eruptive fever, and all the other peculiarities of small-pox, increase in severity, and assume the characteristic pheno¬ mena, according to the foregoing rule, so as to abroach to the natu- tural disease. ce 6. That the period of security, as well as the severity ofsymp- toms, are evidently influenced by the manner in which the contagion is applied. cc 7. That the powers of variolous contagion are evidently in¬ creased by the accumulation of individuals, although not attended with small-pox eruptions, and also, in proportion to the number of cases, and extent of eruption. tc 13. That the cases of re-inoculation exactly correspond in their effects with the influence of the epidemic disease, always making a nearer approach, both to the external characters of an inoculated pustule, and to the constitutional affection, exactly in proportion to the distance they are removed from vaccination. “ 14 They also distinctly show, that there is a material difference betwixt the powers of the small-pox contagion, exerted in its epide¬ mic form, and when imparted by inoculation. C( 15. These cases, and the whole phenomena and circumstances of vaccination, shew, that there are just grounds for concluding, that a specific action may exist, minus, or negatively,^ in the constitution; that therefore it would be improper, in the event of vaccination be~ ing found inadequate to maintain its antivariolous character, to re-^ inoculate those cases which have previously undergone vaccination, before it was capable of producing a distinct constitutional effect. <c Lastly, That they afford strong grounds for concluding, that this distinct constitutional influence cannot be depended upon tQ take place, sooner than about six years from vaccination.” In the refutation of this doctrine, it might be sufficient to quote the following passage from Dr. Willan: ^ I will not repeat the arguments from analogy, which have been employed by several t * -----—---- ■' ----- f As we really do not understand this mathemg.tico-pathological doctrine, and as it appears to be extremely profound, we wish that Mr. Brown had enlarged upon it ^ little. It only occurs again in the following luminous passage ; “ Although, for the reasons already given, I consider the areola as a decisive test of a constitutional effect, yet, as we have strong reasons for supposing that a specific action may exist minus & the constitution, I would rather recommend waiting until a distinct constitutional effect can be obtained, which I am inclined to think, will be found pretty uniformly follow about the sixth year from vaccination.’*—p. ‘300.