A report on small-pox, as it appeared in Ceylon in 1833-34 : with an appendix / by J. Kinnis, M.D., superintendent of vaccination in the Colombo district.

  • Kinnis, John, 1794?-1853.
Date:
MDCCCXXXV [1835]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report on small-pox, as it appeared in Ceylon in 1833-34 : with an appendix / by J. Kinnis, M.D., superintendent of vaccination in the Colombo district. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

    90/118 (page 76)
    II y's Letters: [Rc-yrinled from the ''Colombo Observer] ISih March 1834. References t parallel passage in the Repori Letter I. Stu— Alllionf-l) Cinnamon and Pearls, Miss Mnrtineau and R'liinoijoly, Stem to be the reigning sulijpcls of discussion in j'oiir paper, I will venluro lo intrude another on your no- lice and lliat of your renders, one however, llial will doubtless be considered by souie o{ injiniteli/ less importance; inasniucli US it merely concerns the health of the ignoble portion of tiie com ifi unity. I might as well mention by the way, that even in the ar- ticle of/;eaZ/!/j, there is, and always has been an endeavour at Blonopolij auiono- the immaculate exdusiees of this fragrant isle : so th;it after all Mr. Editor, my letter will not be mal-a-propos it will be but another branch of the subjpct already before you. In your paper of the 4lh ins'ant you remarked that the sinuU-pox was reported to prevail iu an alarming degree. Is it possible that you could have been ignorant of this fact before, that in a public Journal like youi's, it was nut thought of sufiicieut importance to have made any ntention of it, that the abuses whicli power has exercised, and the pitiable but vain remonstrances to prevent them, have not hitherto reached your cars ? Tills dreadful malady, this scourge of mankind has been making its ravages in Colombo tor the last three mojuhs, and tho' a public calamity, not the slightest mention of it has been made in the public papers, nor any suggestion offered for its jirevention, or melioration ; and no notice given to warn the Pafe 15, Dir. III. 4 jiubiic here, or the inhabitants of other provinces of their danger. That llie Government Gazette should have taken no notice of it, I ajn not at all surprised : but you, Mr. Editor, the Organ, as it were, of a suffering public, your paper the channel for giving light lo every grievance, so long as that public upholds jou ; I regret to Dnd you backward in bringing to open view a suliject in which we are all vitally concerned, and whicli I conceive to be your peculiar province. But let us not quarrel I mean not to accuse yon: it is but a genlla hint for the future, you Lave redeemed your credit, and ve »iill be friends again. It will naturally occur to every one interested in the inquiry, to ask, whence did this dire disease originate in the present Pages 1 to 5, instance, and what caused it to spread in the alarming de- gree it has done ? I will tell you: A raoorman, who probably landed from, or caught the infection on board of some vessel from the opposite coast, was the first and only person found to be infected. I suppose by tho vigilance of the police and the inlerfcreuce of the medical supervisor, whoever he may be, this ])erson was secured, And where was he taken ? You will doubt- less, think, to some remote place, far from the busy haunts of man, and every precaution taken lo prevent contagion, Ts'o ! no. Doctors who have passed their de;;roe are wiser than you or I, our reason is mere animal instinct comi>ared to their's, and our opinion as a grain of mustard seed in the weighty scale of wisdom,