is own case, and feeling the justice and
truth of his own claims and position. The practice being now
established, it is unnecessary even to refer to the names of the
opponents of vaccination. Many mistakes, and some of a serious nature,
occurred to interrupt the progress of the discovery; these had been for
the most part foreseen by Jenner, and were satisfactorily explained. In
a letter to a friend, Jenner says, "I will just drop a hint. The vaccine
disease, in my opinion, is not a preventive of the smallpox, but the
smallpox itself; that is to say, the horrible form under which the
disease appears in its contagious state is, as I conceive, a malignant
variety." Again: "What I have said on this vaccine subject is true. If
properly conducted, it secures the constitution as much as variolous
inoculation possibly can. It is the smallpox in a purer form than that
which has been current among us for twelve centuries past." And, in a
letter to Mr. Pruen, "I have ever considered the variola and the vaccine
radically and essentially the same. As the inoculation of the former has
been known to fail, in instances so numerous, it would be very
extraordinary if the latter should always be exempt from failure. It
would tend to invalidate my early doctrine on this point."

It is not necessary here to dwell upon the fatality of the smallpox when
taken in the natural way, or to show that the mortality has been
increased by the practice of inoculation, which creates an atmosphere
for the constant propagation of the disease; these have been
satisfactorily demonstrated in evidence before the House of Commons, and
anyone may readily obtain this information. It is, however, interesting
to record the names of those who, abandoning all prejudice and
solicitous to promote a general good, submitted to the practice at its
earliest period. Mr. Henry Hicks was the first to submit his own
children to the vaccination. Lady Frances Morton (Lady Ducie) was the
first personage of rank who had her child, and her only child,
vaccinated. The Countess of Berkeley was instrumental in forwarding it;
and the children of King William IV were vaccinated by Mr. Knight.

Jenner's discovery entailed upon him a most extensive correspondence,
and obliged him frequently to travel in London. His professional
engagements were not only interrupted, but almost annihilated, and his
private fortune encroached upon by such circumstances. His friends urged
an application t