Volume 2

A discourse on the preparation of the body for the small-pox: and the manner of receiving the infection. As it was deliver'd in the Publick Hall of the Academy, before the Trustees, and others, on Wednesday, the 21st of November, 1750 ... / [Adam Thomson].

  • Adam Thomson
Date:
1750
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse on the preparation of the body for the small-pox: and the manner of receiving the infection. As it was deliver'd in the Publick Hall of the Academy, before the Trustees, and others, on Wednesday, the 21st of November, 1750 ... / [Adam Thomson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ *9 ] Veflels of the Nofe, Mouth, Throat, Lungs, or Stomach, from the Air drawn in by Infpiration, or fwallowed down by Deglutition. For, tho' the external Skin abounds with bibulous Veflels, yet but little of that is expo- fed ; and befides, their Orifices neither being fo open, nor fo moift, arc not fo fitly difpofed to take in any Thing applied to them in that Man¬ ner* But the internal Coats of the Nofe, Mouth, Throat, Air Vef- fels of the Lungs and Stomach, are all lined with a lubricating Mucus, fit to entangle the infectious Miafmata> and the inhalant Veflels of thefe Parts are always open, and ready to fuck up and convey into the Blood whatever is applied to them : So that fhould the Contagion in the Air at any Time be ftrong enough to enter the inhalant Veflels of the external Skin, it would certainly enter the Veflels of thefe internal Parts at the fame time, as it mult be applied to them with fuch fuperior Advantages* Now the peculiar Advantage of Inoculation, I take to be this, that by this Method the Infedtion is convey'd into the Blood by the external Vef- fels alone, and that only from one particular Spot, which may be chofe in any Part of the Body. It may be worth while therefore, to examine in what this peculiar Excellency particularly confifts. It is a Thing well known, that the Danger of all inflammatory Diftem- pers almoft wholly depends upon the Nature and Function of the Part where the Inflammation principally fixes. An Inflammation in the Legs or Arms for Example, or any external Part, is not near fo dangerous as one in the Vifcera of any of the Cavities of the Belly, Breaft, or Brain. When the Inflammation fuppurates in the former Cafe, it may always be cured, and often when it gangrenes ; but any confiderable Quantity of Matter lodg'd in any of the three Cavities mentioned, almoft always proves mortal, and a Gangrene there is certain Death. Whatever then will be inftrumental in determining the Crifis of the inflammatory Fever rais’d by the variolous Contagion, towards the internal and more noble Parts, muft be hurtful and dangerous $ whereas on the other Hand, whatever tends to lead this Crifis outwardly, and to the more remote Parts, muft be highly advantageous and ferviceable. That the Method of receiving the variolous Infection in the natural Way is of the former, and that by Inoculation of the latter Sort/ appears to me ftrongly fupported by the following Obfervations, First, we obferve, that in other Poifons which induce an Inflammation or Gangrene, it principally aftedts thofe Parts where the Poifon firft enters, whether it be the internal Coats of the Nofe, Mouth, Throat, Lungs and Stomach, or the external Surface of the Body. Secondly; It has been re¬ mark’d that the Puftles round the inoculated Part are generally very thick j, nay I have often obferved the whole Side on which the Inoculation was made, to be much thicker of Puftles than the other. Thirdly The Wound itfelf, tho' made fmall, which would otherwife heal up in a few C z - V c Days,
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