White

[1885] The Story of a Great Delusion by William Whiteweb

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION. 3Prefatory3Variolation3The Precursor of Vaccination4Immediate Triumph of Vaccination5Jenner's Procedure 5Horsegrease Cowpox5Rejection of Jenner's Prescription6Jenner's Transformation6Horsegrease Cowpox kept out of Sight7Spurious Cowpox,7Horse Virus Vindicated7Which shall it be ?8Smallpox Cowpox,8Condemnation of Smallpox Cowpox9Cowpox Revived10A Cowpox Charlatan10A Decorous Unanimity10Jenner's Successive Disclaimers11Smallpox made milder12Punctures, one or several12Mr. Rigby's Protest12Mr. (Marks) Marson13Mr. Alexander Wheeler's Researches14Mr. Enoch Robinson's Opinion14Cruelty of Marking14Revaccination Introduced15Vaccinisation15Absurdity of Revaccination16The Reduction of Smallpox16Has Vaccination saved Life 16Who are the Unvaccinated 17Unvaccinated Death-rates17 Nurses exempt from Smallpox18Pock-marked Faces18Vaccinia a real Disease19Vaccinal Fatalities20Vaccinia Modified in its Recipients20Vaccinia plus other Disease21Statistical Evidence of extra Disease21Vaccinia aggravates Disease22Origin of Compulsory Vaccination23Resistance, Inflexible Resistance23Compulsory Education and Vaccination24

Conditions of the Conflict24A Word for the Author25L'Envoi, 25Dr. Garth Wilkinson's Catechism26

I.—VARIOLATION.

271.—Cotton Mather and Zabdiel Boylston272 —Lady Mary Wortley Montagu313.—Maitland's Experiments344.—The First Opponents of Inoculation395.—Collapse of Inoculation446.—Revival of Inoculation487.—Triumph of Inoculation538. —Inoculation Abroad609.—Inoculation superseded and suppressed6510.—As to the Prevalence of Smallpox in the 18

th

Century72

II.—VACCINATION80

1.—Jenner's Earlier Years802.— Jenner's Inquiry, 1798873.—Jenner in 17981014.—Pearson's Inquiry1065.—Woodville, Pearson, and Jenner1126.—Jenner's Further Observations1167.—Operations in London, 18001208.—Triumph of the New Inoculation1289.—A Dishonourable Transformation13110.—Jenner before Parliament, 180213511.—Pearson's Examination14212.—Observations on the Position in 180214913.—The Royal Jennerian Society15414. —Application to Parliament for Jenner's Belief, 180616215.—Report of the Royal College of Physicans16416. -Jenner Relieved, 180717017.—Vaccination Established and Endowed17318.—Horsegrease as a source of Vaccine17819.—John Birch18720.—Goldson and Brown19221.—Moseley, Rowley and Squirrel19622.—William Cobbett20423.—The Grosvenor Case21224.—Dr. John Walker21525.—Jenner's Later Writings22126.—Baron's Life of Jenner23027— The Medical Position in 182323928.—Introduction of Vaccination to the United States24329.—Introduction of Vaccination to India and the East25030.—Diffusion of Vaccination throughout Europe25831.—Sweden, Denmark and Iceland26532.—Newcastle Smallpox : a Common Story27633.—The Norwich Epidemic—181928034.—Smallpox Displaced and Replaced: Dr. Watt's Discovery—Glasgow, 1813285

35.—The National Vaccine Establishment—1808-4029336.—The National Vaccine Establishment—1841-5030337.—Vaccination Enforced—185330738.—Universal Compulsion Demanded—185531639.—John Gibbs's Letter—185532140.—Simon's Defence and Hameruik's Judgment32741.—Compulsion Intensified—1861 and 186733642.—The Gathering Movement, 1867-7034443.—House of Commons Committee, 187135144.—The Struggle for Freedom363 NOTES—Origin of the Term Vaccination161Vaccination a Statistical Question376Drawing of John Gibbs 326

INTRODUCTION.

PREFATORY.

THERE are few matters among educated people upon which opinion is so absoluteand so ill-informed as vaccination. They will tell you it has stopped smallpox anddoes no harm, and if you venture to question either assertion you are set down as anabettor of " those ignorant and fanatical anti-vaccinators." If undeterred you inquirewhen smallpox was stopped, and which is the harmless variety of vaccination, youwill probably be told that these are medical questions, whilst the facts areindisputable; the answer running in the line of Old Kaspar's to Little Peterkin,inquisitive as to the good of Blenheim—

Why that I cannot tell, said he,But 'twas a famous victory.

I am not complaining of this attitude of mind. We all accept more or less on bareauthority. In the multiplicity and unsearchableness of knowledge, it is unavoidable.Some years ago a venerable friend urged me to write against vaccination, which, hesaid, was working endless mischief to the public health. He would have the book published, and provide whatever was requisite for my satisfaction. I pleaded prior engagements, and turned the conversation, thinking how sad it was that one so good,and, in other respects, so enlightened should be subject to so strange an illusion—I,then, taking vaccination on trust as one of the numerous blessings conferred uponmankind in the course of the present century.I am therefore disposed to make large allowance for the credulous attitude of the public toward vaccination whilst at the same time insisting on its correction : andfor this reason especially, that vaccination is no longer a matter of private concern. Weare free to entertain what notions we please, but if we proceed to enforce them onunbelievers, we cannot complain if we are required to answer for our aggression or encounter rough usage. Enforced by the law of England, vaccination is related to thelife and intelligence of every citizen, and it is consequently vain to claim for itexemption from vulgar discussion. Apart from its compulsory infliction, vaccinationmight be and remain an esoteric rite, the very mystery of mysteries; but withcompulsion the privilege of sanctity is impossible.

VARIOLATION.

It has been said that beliefs and observances in themselves most irrational wear a