Vaccinæ vindicia; or, defence of vaccination : containing a refutation of the cases, and reasonings on the same, in Dr. Rowley's and Dr. Moseley's late extraordinary pamphlets against vaccination. In two letters to Dr. Moseley. With the Report of the Medical Council of the Royal Jennerian Society. And the debate in the House of Commons (July 2, 1806) on a motion by Lord Henry Petty, for enlightening the people of England on the subject of vaccination, [&c] / By Robert John Thornton.

Robert John Thornton

Date:: 1806

Credit: Vaccinæ vindicia; or, defence of vaccination : containing a refutation of the cases, and reasonings on the same, in Dr. Rowley's and Dr. Moseley's late extraordinary pamphlets against vaccination. In two letters to Dr. Moseley. With the Report of the Medical Council of the Royal Jennerian Society. And the debate in the House of Commons (July 2, 1806) on a motion by Lord Henry Petty, for enlightening the people of England on the subject of vaccination, [&c] / By Robert John Thornton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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$That this opinion has been confirmed ; or that the disease^ In its progress from patient to patient, has actually become much milder. For out of 310 cases of Cow-pox, which have been since under my care, only 39 had pustules that suppu- rated; viz. out of the first 100, 19 had pustules, out of the second 13, and out of the last ] 10, only 7 had pustules. This information I deem of considerable importance, as it leads to a conclusion ividelj/ diffei^ent from that published in the first ' Reports'. W. WOODVILLE/' Ely Place J Jan, 13, 1799. Could o?j€ month have made siwh a change in the practice, otherwise than in the mijid I Dr, George Pearson, than whom no man stands higher, and justly so in the estimation of mankind, was led into a belief of Dr. Woodviile's first statements. Fie expresses a doubt, *^ w^hether, by any kind of decomposition, and new combination, the vaccine poison might in some cases be changed miovariolousmatter,'^ and gives it as his opinion that the value of the new practice is hereby depreciated, but not in such a degree as to create any reasonable apprehen- sion of the failure of the vaccine inoculation, in supersed- ing and finally extinguishing the Small-pox, He concludes with observing, that unless some new^ adverse facts shall be discovered, he confides that the public will adopt a method v/hich is manifestly to their interest, and the change effected in medical practice ivill be so eminently/ mcT^orable, that ike introduction of the vaccine inoctdation must become an epoch in the history of physic.'^ 1 admit the truth of this observation, and most cordially join in the just encomium paid to the new practice. How must our estimation of the value of that practice be en-- hanced, if it can be proved by substantial evidence, that what was supposed to be the Cow-pox in a malignant state^ • v^as in reahty no other than our inveterate enemy the Small-- ■\$

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