Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/105

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SM A merous to be related in this place : let it therefore suffice to mention, that they hav^e been repeated in different countries of Europe, and ■with nearly the same success. — Al- though many formidable objedions have been started, both by physi- cians and others, against the in- trodu6tionof a new conta"ious virus derived from brutes, into the hu- man body ; yet we have the satis- fa6tion to say, that the arguments advanced in favour of the new ino- culation, are, in our opinion, con- clusive. Indeed, a series of fads duly authenticated, in many thou- sand instances, where the latter has proved a milder disease than the inoculated small-pox, cannot fail to convince the most deter- mined sceptic ; though a few rare cases should have occurred, in which, from accidental or unfore- seen circumstances, the contrary cftedt has resulted. On the other hand, we are lirmly persuaded, that tlvose sanguine and noisy ad- vocates for the cow-pox, who, from selfish or interested motives, have thus evinced tlieir eagerness of becoming conspicuous in its de- fence, by writing and publishing diffuse volumes of undigested mat- ter, , have only contributed to their oivn notoriety, instead of more ef- ff6tually aiding a good cause. — Hencfi, the Editor of this Encyclo- paedia is induced to repeat the re- mark he ventured to insert in the 2d and 3d editions of his Lediures on Diet, i^c. that "it is of little consequence, whether the cow-pox originate from any cutaneous dis- ease of the milker, or from the grease of horses." — In order to satisfy professional writers on this subject, in general, and one of the most voluminous late cow-pox kistorians in^ particular (who has SM A [85 suffered himself to be misled in an unguarded hour, to substitute con- fusion of terms and ideas for logical dedudion, and sarcasm for argu- ment), we shall briefly observe, that there can be no doubt re- spe£ting the milder nature, and comparatively smaller degree of danger attending the new inocu- lation, provided it be conducted by alle hands. Admitting, farther, that a close and perfett analogy subsists between the two diseases, (which remains to be proved) we trust, no medical philosoplier would venture to pronounce every person thus inoculated, completely secure from the attacks of a future epi' detnic small-pox, if the latter should appear, perhaps in another climate, or in that virulent form, in which it has sometimejfc occurred in Bri- tain. With the philanthropic view of extending the beneficial cfTeiSts re- sulting from the new inoculation; to the poor, a new Dispensary,, termed the Fnccine Institution, has lately been established in this me- tropolis ; where the operation is gratuitously performed, on apply- ing to Mr. Lewis, apothecary. Golden-square 3 and where they receive every attention that cir- cumstances may require ; or, in eases of necc.bsity, the patients are visited by medical gentlemen, who have benevolently offered their ser- vices for that purpose. — Lastly, we understand, that professional or other persons inclined to promote the inoculation for the cow-pox, may from the same quarter be pro- vided with genuine vaccine mat- ter, preserved on threads, and con- fined in phials hermetically sealed, at the reasonable price of half-a- guinea each. SMALT, a species, of glass of a G 3 dark-