Inoculation

A propós of distempers, I am going to tell you a thing, that will make you wish yourself here. The small-pox, so fatal, and so general amongst us, is here entirely harmless, by the invention of engrafting, which is the term they give it. There is a set of old women, who make it their business to perform the operation, every autumn, in the month of September, when the great heat is abated. People send to one another to know if any of their family has a mind to have the small pox; they make parties for this purpose, and when they are met (commonly fifteen or sixteen together) the old woman comes with a nut-shell full of the matter of the best sort of small-pox, and asks what veins you please to have open'd. She immediately rips open that, you offer to her, with a large needle (which gives you no more pain than a common scratch) and puts into the vein, as much matter as can lie upon the head of her needle, and after that, binds up the little wound with a hollow bit of shell, and in this manner opens four or five veins. The Grecians have commonly the superstition of opening one in the middle of the forehead, one in each arm, and one on the breast, to mark the sign of the cross; but this has a very ill effect, all these wounds leaving little scars, and is not done by those that are not superstitious, who chuse to have them in the legs, or that part of the arm that is concealed. The children or young patients play together all the rest of the day, and are in perfect health to the eighth. Then the fever begins to seize them, and they keep their beds two days, very seldom three. They have very rarely above twenty or thirty in their faces, which never mark, and in eight days time they are as well as before their illness. Where they are wounded, there remains running sores during the distemper, which I don't doubt is a great relief to it.

Apropos of distempers, I am going to tell you a thing that will make you wish yourself here. The smallpox, so fatal and so general amongst us, is here entirely harmless, by the invention of engrafting, which is the term they give it. There is a set of old women who make it their business to perform the operation every autumn, in the month of September, when the great heat is abated. People send to one another to know if any of their family has a mind to have the smallpox. They make parties for this purpose, and when they are met (commonly fifteen or sixteen together) the old woman comes with a nutshell full of the matter of the best sort of smallpox, and asks what veins you please to have opened. She immediately rips open that you offer to her with a large needle (which gives you no more pain than a common scratch), and puts into the vein as much matter as can lie upon the head of her needle, and after that binds up the little wound with a hollow bit of shell; and in this manner opens four or five veins. The Grecians have commonly the superstition of opening one in the middle of the forehead, one in each arm, and one on the breast, to mark the sign of the cross. But this has a very ill effect, all these wounds leaving little scars, and is not done by those that are not superstitious, who choose to have them in the legs, or that part of the arm that is concealed. The children or young patients play together all the rest of the day, and are in perfect health to the eighth. Then the fever begins to seize them, and they keep their beds two days, very seldom three. They have very rarely above twenty or thirty in their faces, which never mark, and in eight days’ time they are as well as before their illness. Where they are wounded, there remain running sores during the distemper, which I don’t doubt is a great relief to it.

The Air of the Chamber must be kept very Temperate. The Greek Operatrix, prick't more places, and less fleshy ones than Pylarinus approved of; with an oblique stroke pricking the Places, with an Iron, or Golden Needle dropping, and thrusting the Pus into the Wound; and so binding all with Fillets. Her way was thus to prick the Forehead, the Chin, both Cheeks, both Wrists, both Insteps. This was doubtless overdoing. Pylarinus affirms that some have done the Business, with no more than One little Inscision in the Arm, and it has done very well. [So it has been with such Africans, as have shown us the Marks of their Inoculation.]

The air of the chamber must be kept very temperate. The Greek operatrix pricked more places, and less fleshy ones than Pylarinus approved of; with an oblique stroke pricking the places, with an iron or golden needle, dropping and thrusting the pus into the wound; and so binding all with fillets. Her way was thus to prick the forehead, the chin, both cheeks, both wrists, both insteps. This was doubtless overdoing. Pylarinus affirms that some have done the business with no more than one little incision in the arm, and it has done very well. [So it has been with such Africans as have shown us the marks of their inoculation.]

VI. I have made my Experiments with all the Disadvantages that can be imagined, on Old and Young, on Strong and Weak, on Male and Female, on White and Black, and in the worst Season of the Year; and on greater Numbers, than I judge proper (considering the unaccountable Rage of unadvised People,) to mention; But more than twice Seven, I can assure you; and it has succeeded well in all, even beyond Expectation.

VI. I have made my experiments with all the disadvantages that can be imagined, on old and young, on strong and weak, on male and female, on white and black, and in the worst season of the year; and on greater numbers than I judge proper (considering the unaccountable rage of unadvised people) to mention, but more than twice seven, I can assure you; and it has succeeded well in all, even beyond expectation.

The Silence of Scripture hath given Interpreters Occasion of guessing at the Distemper which the Devil here inflicted upon Job: But among them all, it appears not certainly what it was. I will therefore desire to give an Opinion, equally I think true, with any that hath yet been taken Notice of: It is this, That the Devil by some venemous Infusion into the Body of Job, might raise his Blood to such a Ferment, as threw out a Confluence of inflammatory Pustules all over him from Head to Foot: That is, his Distemper might be what is now incident to most Men, and perhaps conveyed to him by some such Way as that of Inoculation.

The silence of Scripture hath given interpreters occasion of guessing at the distemper which the Devil here inflicted upon Job. But among them all, it appears not certainly what it was. I will therefore desire to give an opinion, equally I think true, with any that hath yet been taken notice of. It is this: that the Devil, by some venomous infusion into the body of Job, might raise his blood to such a ferment as threw out a confluence of inflammatory pustules all over him from head to foot. That is, his distemper might be what is now incident to most men, and perhaps conveyed to him by some such way as that of inoculation.

Let the Atheist then, and the Scoffer, the Heathen and Unbeliever, disclaim a Dependance upon Providence, dispute the Wisdom of God's Government, and deny Obedience to his Laws: Let them Inoculate, and be Inoculated, whose Hope is only in, and for this Life!

Let the atheist then, and the scoffer, the heathen and unbeliever, disclaim a dependence upon Providence, dispute the wisdom of God’s government, and deny obedience to his laws. Let them inoculate, and be inoculated, whose hope is only in, and for this life!

古有種痘一法起自江右達於京畿究其所源云自宋真宗時峨眉山有神人出為丞相王旦之子種痘而愈遂傳於世其説雖似渺茫然以理揆之實有參贊化育之功因時制宜之妙盖正痘感於得病之後而種痘則施於未病之先正痘治於成病之時而種痘則調於無病之日自表傳裏由裏達表既無諸證夾雜於其中復有善方引導於其外薫蒸漸染胎毒盡出又何慮乎為患多端變更莫測以致良工束手於無可如何之地耶此誠去險履平避危就安之良法也

In the past there was a method of planting smallpox. It began in Jiangyou and spread to the capital region. As for where it came from, people tell a story from the time of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song. A holy man came out of Mount Emei and planted smallpox in the son of the chancellor Wang Dan, and the boy recovered. From then on it was handed down in the world. The story may seem far-fetched. But judged by reason, the method truly helps [Heaven and Earth] in their work of creating and nourishing life, and it wisely suits the treatment to the time. Natural smallpox is caught after one falls ill, but planted smallpox is given before any illness. Natural smallpox is treated when the illness has already taken hold, but planted smallpox is managed on a day when the child is well. [The seed's qi] passes inward from the surface, and [the poison] comes back out from inside to the surface. No other illnesses are mixed in, and good prescriptions guide it from outside. Steamed out little by little, the fetal poison comes out completely. Then why fear harm of many kinds and changes no one can foresee, which leave good doctors helpless? This is truly a fine method for leaving danger behind and walking on level ground, for avoiding peril and reaching safety.

然種痘一科多口傳心授方書未載恐後人視為虛誕之辭相沿日久無所考稽使至理良法竟置無用之地神功湮没豈不大可惜哉今将種痘一法細加研究審度精詳纂輯成書永垂千古庶為種痘之津梁咸登赤子於夀域也

But planting smallpox has mostly been taught by word of mouth, from teacher to pupil, and medical books have not recorded it. We fear that later generations will take it for empty, foolish talk. If this goes on for long, there will be nothing to check it against. Then this perfect principle and good method will be cast aside as useless, and its wonderful power will be lost. Would that not be a great pity? So we have studied the method of planting smallpox in detail, weighed it carefully and precisely, and compiled it into a book to hand down for a thousand ages. We hope it will be a bridge for those who plant smallpox, and bring every infant safely to a long life.

嘗考種痘之法有謂取痘粒之漿而種之者有謂服痘兒之衣而種之者有謂以痘痂屑乾吹入鼻中種之謂之旱苗者有謂以痘痂屑濕納入鼻孔種之謂之水苗者然即四者而較之水苗為上旱苗次之痘衣多不應騐痘漿太渉殘忍故古法獨用水苗盖取其和平稳當也近世始用旱苗法雖㨗徑㣲覺迅烈若痘衣痘漿之説則斷不可從

We have looked into the methods of planting smallpox. Some take the fluid from the pustules and plant that. Some dress a child in the clothes of a child with smallpox. Some grind the scabs to powder and blow it dry into the nose; this is called the dry seed. Some moisten the scab powder and put it into the nostril; this is called the water seed. Comparing the four, the water seed is best and the dry seed next. Smallpox clothes usually do not take, and smallpox fluid is too cruel. So the old method used only the water seed, because it is gentle and safe. In recent times people began to use the dry seed. It is quick and direct, but it is felt to be a little too fast and violent. As for smallpox clothes and smallpox fluid, those methods must never be followed.

A little practice in vaccine inoculation, attentively conducted, impresses on the mind the perfect character of the vaccine pustule; therefore, when a deviation arises, of whatever kind it may be, common prudence points out the necessity of re-inoculation, first, with vaccine virus of the most active kind, and secondly, should this be ineffectual, with variolous virus. But if the constitution shews an insusceptibility of one, it commonly does of the other.

A little practice in vaccine inoculation, attentively conducted, impresses on the mind the perfect character of the vaccine pustule. Therefore, when a deviation arises, of whatever kind it may be, common prudence points out the necessity of reinoculation: first, with vaccine virus of the most active kind, and secondly, should this be ineffectual, with variolous virus. But if the constitution shows an insusceptibility of one, it commonly does of the other.