TO give an Account of the Small-Pox, or to run through the diffe­rent Sorts and Stages of it, would be too tedious at present; and which having been already done by Men of Eminency in the Profession of Physick, it would be Presumption [Page 8]and Trifling in me, to offend by a less perfect Account of my own.

THIS Epidemical contagious Disease, contracted from the In­spiration of Air heterogene to our Bodies, betrays itself by Pains of the Back and Head, Weari­ness in the Limbs, Vomitings, &c. usually two or three Days before the Eruption of the Pus­tules; after which, for the most part, the Patient feels a Remis­sion of Symptoms: and the kind Maturation of the Pustules generally frees the infected Per­son in twelve or fourteen Days, unless something unexpected suc­ceeds. In this Distemper, Nature labours with all her Force, to clear the Blood of the Poison, till by degrees she drives it from the Center to the Surface, and [Page 9]effects an universal Depuration: but how far this laudable Work will be carried on by the new Method of Ingrafting or Inocu­lating, shall be our next Consi­deration.

IN order to which, we will presume the Infection of the or­dinary way to be with the Air first admitted into the Lungs, whence, by the common Circle of the Blood, by degrees it per­vades the whole Body; which Pollution being thus gradually introduced, occasions not such mighty Revels in the Blood, as to take off one in twenty, unless a more Malignant Sort than usual (God be praised) rages in our Clime; and then I fear the In­oculation of such a one would prove as dangerous to us as the worst of the accidental. And [Page 10]unless the present Method was wholly void of any fatal Symp­toms, and the Patient entirely secure in the Experiment, ( ^* of which we have had a late melan­cholly Instance to the contrary) it would be the highest Piece of Rashness and Cruelty to give up our Children Sacrifices to the fond Delusion of averting an Ill that may be, by the Anticipation of it at present, when the Pro­spect of a good Event in this, is as uncertain as it may prove to them in any Period of Life from the other; nay, perhaps the long­est may be spun without the Tryal of it at all.

THE instilling of Poison into a Wound has always been ac­counted [Page 11]the most destructive of any; for though the Blood thus fermented may betray itself in the shape of the Small-Pox, yet it has always a Resort to a poi­sonous Fountain, from which it every Moment receives new Sup­plies: and as by degrees the ve­nomous Particles in the Wound begin to abate of their Fury, the Symptoms become more lan­guid, which though incapable to excite the highest Disorders, yet in their Return may create Ob­structions in the smaller Vessels of the Groins, Arm-pits, Joints, &c. the Consequences of which are frequently greater than the Disease itself, and sometimes in­curable.

WHICH brings to my Memo­ry an Experiment of a Pretender to Physick, whose Ability consis­ted [Page 12]in a Secret to fortify the Sto­mach against the Attacks of the most malignant Poison: The Curiosity of the Populace soon eas'd him of his Packets, in which was found this plain Di­rection, Take this, you'll want no other; and indeed he spoke Truth: for the Patient whose Stupidity led him to the Tryal, narrowly escaped with Life; of which, if he makes a Repetition, he justly deserves to lose it. However, the Quack got what he wanted, and the Peoples Safe­ty was the least of his Con­cern.

IT is very observable in Pha­gedenical Ulcers, when at any time they appear dryer than ordinary, that the least Portion of Matter lick'd up by the Ves­sels, excites Fevers, Frenzies, and [Page 13]other direful Symptoms; and if Nature is not compensated by some critical Swelling, or other Evacuation, the Patient dies: in whom oftentimes the Liver, Spleen, Pancreas, are so affected, as to become monstrously big and knotty. How then can we determine for the Infusion of this Poison, that it shall not pro­duce the like Effects? There is a wide Difference between extra­vasated Matter in a State of Di­gestion, and the Poison of the Blood not yet thrown out: the former, as the Yeast or Flowers of fermented Liquors, will in the smallest Proportion subdue large Quantities; when the other whilst it maintains its common Course with the Blood, receives constant Checks from the repeat­ed Additions of that Liquor, and the several Ways of Evacuation; [Page 14]as is evident from some Instances of the Small-Pox, where the Skin is so sparingly beset with Pim­ples, as not to exceed five or six in number, and yet the Pa­tient as secure from a second Infection as those who have suf­fered from a Redundancy of them. Yet even in these, when there shall happen a Recall of that Matter, though inconside­rable in Quantity, the worst of Symptoms arise, and Death often­times follows.

THE Degrees of Activity in the Poison of this Distemper, will vary much, according to the Degrees of Exaltation it may receive from the different Jui­ces of different Constitutions, the Stimulus of which will in some be more pointed, and in others less; and the Injuries suc­ceeding, [Page 15]of course will be ade­quate to the Nature of these Spi­cula or Darts, so inimical to the Crasis of our Blood.

WE find in the Poison of the Viper, when thoroughly pro­voked to an Emission of it, the Salts of that Liquor to be so obdurate and inflexible, that un­less some of the Fat of that Ani­mal be instantly instill'd into the Wound made by his Teeth, no Remedy proves equal to the Cure; and if perchance the Pa­tient survives the Accident, I dare be bold to say, a second Attack would prove as fatal as the first.

PERHAPS it may be reply'd, That it is peculiar to the Small-Pox to affect us but once; in­deed Experience happily de­clares [Page 16]this Truth; for were we subject to the Repetition of it, Life would prove a Burden: and we might well with St. Paul say, Of all, we are the most Wretched. But how far this new Exhibition of it will agree with the accidental Infection, shall be our next Task.

THE rendring a Wound in any part of the Body, and in­flaming the same with a poi­sonous Juice, till by the Irrita­tion of it, each Fibril becomes so fretted, as to produce an Ul­cer, is a dangerous Experiment; for that, whatsoever Blood is sent to that Part, will be changed into the Nature of the Leaven in the Sore, which may furnish it with greater Supplies than the Constitution can bear, the Ran­cour of which increasing every [Page 17]Moment in proportion to the Ferment made there, the Symp­toms will hasten according to the Addition receiv'd, that if a kind Maturation ensues not in a sta­ted time, the Part thus wounded may be in danger of a Gan­grene, and the Malignancy of the Sore so complicated, as to communicate the Corruption of the one, and the Infection of the other, at the same time. From whence I need not prog­nosticate the Event, which would but too evidently infer Death, or at least the Loss of that Mem­ber.

WHEN in the natural Way the Matter is gradually thrown out, and is contained under the Skin, where it forms to itself distinct Eminencies or Pustules, receiving their common Capsule [Page 18]from the Cutis, or true Skin; which pushing forwards, the more watery or thin Substance tran­spires, and raises the Cuticula in­to the like Protuberances, that you may plainly discern a Pock contained in a Pock; that in the Cutis holding the grossest Sub­stance, and most fitted for Di­gestion, according to the In­crease of which, is the Bulk of the other. Which Contrivance is admirable; for that the Cold­ness of the Air frequently damps the more superficial Appearances, which sink and flatten, when by the Use of warm Internals, the inward ones revive, and both are renew'd afresh; at last the thin­ner Part is perspired, and the thicker left to incrustate and shell off, without any Fears of fresh Supplies of Infection. Na­ture having by this kind Suppu­ration [Page 19]finished her Work, when in the inoculated Way, the Sore shall continue for Weeks after the Pox, and not without Diffi­culty heal at last. And though the Blood be dispirited and bro­ken from its late Conflict, as not easily to admit a second, or to occasion the same Velocity or Heat, yet such Impressions may be made on it, as to dispose it for Swellings on the Joints, Shoulders, Groins, and other Parts; Consequences confessed by Dr. Nettleton, in his Book to Dr. Whittaker, to have happen'd.

IT is certain that Poison lick'd up by the Vessels from a Wound, will ever produce Effects an­swerable to its Nature; and those Pustules thrown out by this new Method, are but so many Efforts industriously made to expel the [Page 20]Enemy; which Method, as of­ten as renew'd, will cause the same Symptoms either to those who have suffered by the natural or artificial Pox, as has been ex­perienced on a Patient at St. Thomas's Hospital; who though he had had them, yet labour'd with the usual Symptoms of their new Method. Nor can Reason justi­fy the contrary; for the Condi­tion of this Matter, thus infused, will always be the same; that unless we could suppose some singular Vertue to remain in the Blood as a proper Antagonist, it would be absurd to think them secure from a second In­section, any more than that the Transsusion of the Blood or Matter of a venereal pocky Per­son into a sound Habit, should secure him from any future A­mour with Impunity. What [Page 21]though the Symptoms may ape those of the Small-Pox, and the Protuberances of the Skin bear a near Resemblance, yet the Way of Communication differs much. Here the Blood is sated with a gross tenacious Matter, impregnated with the most en­venom'd Salts, which will neces­sarily create Obstructions in the Capillary Vessels; from whence those Pains in the Head: And as the Circulation becomes less free, the Vessels will be more turgid, till by degrees the Pres­sure affects the Nerves, and the Pains of the Back ensue; which are Symptoms not uncommon to other Distempers, and can be no certain Proof of this.

BESIDES, these inoculated Pustules are thrown out in the manner of those proceeding [Page 22]from Wines mingled with Arse­nick, where the Quantity has been too small immediately to offend the Stomach and Guts, which being mixed with the Blood, innumerable Pustules of bad Aspect, of a fiery red kind, arise like the inocu [...]ated ones, having no regular Increase, or stated Period for their Declen­sion; but depend wholly on the contaminated Fountain (I mean the Wound) to determine both. While those of the natural sort are slowly ejected, and contain at first a Latex, or thin watry Sub­stance, which, from the Heat of the Part, thickens, and converts to Pus usually in the space of nine D [...]y [...] being covered with a thin and fine Pellicle. These In­oculated, are at first produced from Blood, and are of a hard Substance; which shows the [Page 23]manner of their Propagation to be different from the others; and possibly the Symptoms from this insused Poison, no more than what might have ensu'd from the Infusion of any other: that it may be justly questioned, Whe­ther this artificial Pox so squares with the natural one, as to de­serve the same Appellation; much less, from the Mode of its Operation, should it secure to us the Blessing of having it but once. Besides, the fortui­tous Contraction of this Distem­per being from infected Air, the Vesicles of the Lungs may be­come so altered and changed, as to their Texture, as not to suffer Violence from the same venenate Effluvia a second time: which cannot be said of a sermented Matter admitted into the Blood by a Sore, that at any time it [Page 24]should prove innocent, though the same were repeated after a Recovery.

WE will now recite the Symptoms of this inoculated Pox, as set down by Dr. Nettleton in his Book to Dr. Whittaker, and show how inconsistent to Rea­son and Self-Preservation the Experiment is.

Violent Fevers, Convulsive Fits.

Face and Throat swell'd.

Vomitings, and other bad Symp­toms before the Eruptions.

Swellings on the Shoulders, Thighs, and Inguinal Glands, af­ter the Small-Pox was off; with more, too tedious here to be in­serted.

CONSIDER a little this Train of Symptoms, not inferiour to any of the worst sort from the common Way; yet in a sound and healthy State, by the mer­cenary and cunning Artifice of some, Wretches are persuaded to change their sound Condition for a diseas'd; their Expectation of one day falling ill, for a cer­tain Sickness now, under pre­tence of future Security: as if a Person labouring with the Tooth-ach should advise his Friend to the drawing of his, lest one Day he may fall under the like Predicament, the timely Extrac­tion of which would have pre­vented it; which though not equal in its Consequence, yet altoge­ther as absurd to enforce the Practice.

WE have seen South-Sea Schemes, good Parliaments, Bills for preventing the Plague; heard of Plots: but, till now, never dreamt that Mankind would in­dustriously plot to their own Ruin, and barter Health for Dis­eases. Nay, what is worse, give up little Innocents a Prey to, the most calamitous Ill, from a wrong judged Indulgence of averting a worse; who, could they answer for themselves, I question not but would leave Time and Providence to deter­mine better for them. Would it not be egregiously absurd in a Soldier, whose Life perchance in a Battle might fall a Sacrifice to his Country, first to request his Comrade to season him a­gainst Powder and Ball, by ma­king [Page 27]Experiments at him at some Distance?

THE Life of every one thus inoculated, is as emirently in danger, as in those who suffer from it the accidental Way; as appears by the Symptoms enu­merated by Dr. Nettleton to Dr. Whittaker; and the Continuance of it much longer, though per­chance the poisonous Wound should occasion no worse Ills than usually expected. And that the Inclinations of Mankind should prompt them to throw a Dye for their Lives, when no Necessity obliges, because there is a Possibility of surviving the Chance, is Matter of the great­est Admiration: sed Gens mi­serrima ad omne malum praeceps fertur. Our Condition is despe­rate, [Page 28]and these Gentlemen, these new Operators are kindly fur­nishing us with Materials for our Dispatch: Which that Pro­vidence may put a stop to, are the hearty Prayers of the Pub­lick's Wellwisher and Friend,