Instructions for vaccine inoculation / [Edward Jenner].

  • Edward Jenner
Date:
[1801?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Instructions for vaccine inoculation / [Edward Jenner]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    , INSTRUCTIONS FOR VACCINE INOCULATION Let the vaccine fluid be taken, for the purpofe of Inoculation, from a puftule that is making its progrefs regularly, and which pofleffes the true vaccine character, on any day from the fifth to the eighth, or even a day or two later, provided the efilorefcence be not then formed around it. When the efflorefcence is formed, it is always moft prudent to delift from taking any more of the virus from that puftule. To obtain the virus, let the edges of the puftule be gently pumftured with a lancet in fcveral points. It will gradually ooze out, and fliouldbe inferted upon the arm about midway between the llioulder and the elbow, either by means of a very flight fcratch, not exceeding the eighth part of an inch, or a very fmall oblique punifture. A little red fpot will appear on the puntftured part on the third day, if the operation fucceed, which on the fourth or fifth becomes perceptibly veficated. It goes on increafing till the tenth day, when it is generally furrounded by a rofe-coloured efflorefcence, which remains nearly ftationary for a day or two. The efflorefcence then fades away, and the puftule is gradu- aUy converted into a hard glofty fcab, of a dark mahogany colour. Thefe progreffive ftages of the puftule are commonly completed in fixteen or feventeen days. A fingle puftule is fufficient to fecure the conftitution from the fmall-pox ; but as we are not always certain the pumfture may take effeift, it will be prudent to inoculate in both arms, or to make two pundtures in the fame arm, about an inch and a half afunder, except in very early infancy, when there is a great fufceptibility of local irritation. If the efflorefcence furroundin<^ the puftule fliould be extenfive, and occalion much local heat upon the arm, it may be cooled by the repeated applieation of pieces of folded linen dipped in cold water ; or ftill more expeditioufly by a ftrong folu- tion of the aq2ta lythargyri acetati* in water; an ounce, for example, of the former in five or fix of the latter. If the fcab fliould at any time be prematurely rubbed off, and not fucceeded by another within twenty-four hours, the part may be occafionally touched with the undiluted aqua lythargyri acetati. Vaccine virus, taken from a puftule, and inferted immediately in its fluid ftate, is preferable to that which has been pre- vioully dried; but as it is not always praifticable to obtain it in this ftate, we are compelled to feekfor fome mode of preferv- ing it. Various means have been fuggefted, but from the teft of long experience it may be afferted, that preferving it between two plates of glafs is the moft eligible. Let a piece of common window glafs be cut into fquares of about an inch each, fo that they fhall lie fmooth when placed upon each other. Let the colleifted vaccine fluid be confined to a fmall fpot (about the fize of a fplit pea) upon the centre of one of thefe glaffes ; which fliould be fuffered to dry in the common heat of the atmo- fphere, without expofure to the heat of fire or the fun. When dry, it fliould be immediately fecured by placing over it the other piece of glafs. Nothing more is necefl'ary for its prefervation than wrapping it in clean writing paper. The virus, thus preferved, when wanted for the purpofe of inoculation, may eafily be reftored to its fluid ftate by dif- folving it in a fmall portion of cold water, taken up on the point of a lancet. It may then be ufed in the fame manner as when juft taken from a puftule. The vaccine fluid is liable, from caufes apparently trifling, to undergo a decompofition. In this ftate it fometimes pro- duces what has been denominated the fpurious puftule; that is, a puftule, or an appearance on the arm not poffefling the cha- raiSberiftic marks of the genuine puftule. Anomalies, affuming diflerent forms, may be excited, according to the qualities of the virus applied, or the ftate of the perfon inoculated; but by far the moft frequent variety, or deviation from the perfeift; puftule, is that which arrives at maturity, and finiflies its progrefs much within the time limited by the true. Its commencement is marked by a troublefome Itching; and It throws out a premature efflorefcence, fometimes extenfive, but fcldorn circumferibed, or of fo vivid a tint as that which furrounds the puftule completely organized; and (which is more charaifteriftic of its dege- neracy than the other fymptoms) it appears more like a common feftering produced by a thorn, or any other fmall extraneous body flicking in the fkin, than a puftule excited by the vaccine virus. It is generally of a ftraw colour; and when pumftured, inftead of that colourlefs, tranfparent fluid of the perfeiEl: puftule, its contents are found to be opaque. That deviation from the common charaifter of the puftule, arifing from vaccine virus which has been previoufly expofed to a degree of heat capable of decompofing it, is very different. In this inftance, it begins with a creeping fcab, of a pale brown or amber colour; making a long and flow progrefs, and fometimes going through its courfe without any perceptible efflorefcence. Its edges are commonly elevated, and afford, on being pumftured, a limpid fluid. A little practice in vaccine inoculation, attentively condmfted, impreffes on the mind the pcrfeiSt charaifter of the vaccine puftule; therefore, when a deviation arifes, of whatever kind It may be, common prudence points out the neceflity of re-ino- culation, firft, v/ith vaccine virus of the moft adllve kind, and fecondly, fliould this be ineffeiftual, with variolous virus. But if the conftitution fliews an infufeeptibility of one, it commonly does of the other. When any conftitutional fymptoms occur in inoculated Cow-pox, they are commonly firft perceptible (efpecially in chil- dren) on the fourth or fifth day. They appear again, and fometimes in adults, not unlike a mild attack from inoculated fmall-pox, on the eighth, ninth, or tenth day. The former arife from the. general efleifts of the virus on the habit, the latter from the irritation of the puftule. If the effluvia of the fmall-pox have been received into the habit previoufly to the inoculation of the vaccine virus, the vaccine inoculation will not always be found to flop its progrefs, although the puftule may make its advances without interruption. The lancet ufed for inoculation fliould always be perfedlly clean. After each pumfture, it is proper to dip it into water, and wipe it dry. The Praiftitioner fliould be particularly cautious in obferving that its point be free from ruft, either contraifted by common means, or from the aiftion of the vaccine virus, which, even when dry and in contaift with it, has a tendency, in a little time, to produce it. The prefervation of vaccine virus upon a lancet, beyond the period of a few days, fliould never be attempted ; * Coular4’s extract of saturn. EDWARD JENNER. trietei by P, N. Sbuty, Btnrick Str«t,