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inoculation is doing evil that good may come, any more than when we take off a limb to save a life? advert to these remarks, because we have heard some persons condemn even Vaccination, as an unwarrantable interference with God's decrees, or distrust of his providence.

Inoculation meanwhile overcame by degrees much of the popular prejudice, and at length made its way throughout the kingdom. Daniel Sutton, an apothe cary, of Ingatestone, in Essex, was among the first to avail himself of the process as a source of great profit to himself: he resorted to the usual means of bringing himself into notice by advertising certain nostrums, by which he pretended to assist the recovery of his patients, and soon brought multitudes from all quarters to receive inoculation at his hands.

In 1746 the Small-pox hospital was erected in London, for the express purpose of inoculating the poor; and in 1754, the College of Physicians formally pronounced their opinion in favour of the new system. The efficacy of the process was incontestably proved by showing the great saving of human life which was thereby effected. The deaths by natural Small-pox were officially stated at the time to be no less than 72 in every 400 persons; whereas not more than one person in four hundred died under inoculation. But still the mortality arising from Small-pox throughout the kingdom remained undiminished, for great as were the benefits of inoculation, they did not counterbalance the increase of those who received the infection, the number of persons who consented to be inoculated bearing as yet no proportion to those who refused it. The average deaths by Small-pox, as stated by a committee of the House of Commons, were no less than 36,000 annually,

It was reserved for Dr. Jenner to have the honour of discovering a specific to counteract this tremendous disease. This celebrated physician, in the course of his practice in Gloucestershire, ascertained that a disorder was well known in the dairies, which affected the teats of cows, and was reported to be as effectual

security against the Small-pox, to any who, by handling the animal, received the infection upon their fingers. Having established himself at Berkeley, he gave his undivided attention to the subject; he learnt that the medical practitioners in the neighbourhood were not unacquainted with the popular notion, but that they considered the Cow-pox no certain preventive to Small-pox, although in some cases it might prove so. This led him to a more minute investigation of the fact; he ascertained that there are several eruptive disorders among the milkers, all derived from the cow, the specific character of each requiring a nice and accurate distinction: he found that only one of these was an effectual preventive to Small-pox, but that this was invariable in its effects. To render it effectual it was necessary the fluid should be taken from the pustules in an early stage, those in their decline not proving a protection against Small-pox infection.

Having now satisfactorily ascertained the character of the Vaccine or Cow-pox, and the proper period for taking the lymph or fluid used for inoculation, he ventured to make known to the world this highly interesting discovery, and it was not long before the general attention of the faculty was directed to the investigation of a subject of so much importance to the public welfare. Much controversy ensued; many able men, who at first were disposed to doubt of its efficacy, soon became the zealous friends of Vaccination; and at length it was received and adopted by almost all men of medical science as an invaluable substitute for inoculation by Small-pox.

So soon as the credit of Dr. Jenner's discovery was fully established, his services came under the consideration of Parliament, and a reward of £20,000 was voted to him for having thus rendered so important a benefit to his fellow-creatures. The most valuable part of the discovery was its permanency as a preventive to Small-pox, upon which much hesitation was entertained at first. This was proved by long and undoubted experience; many persons who had

received the Cow-pox, fifteen, twenty-seven, and even fifty years before, were examined by medical men of high reputation, and were then exposed to the contagion of the Small-pox without taking the disease.

That numberless failures, or reputed failures, should be recorded, need not excite wonder, when we consider the many blunders which must have attended the early practice of Vaccination. It was long before those who inoculated with Cow-pox had a proper knowledge of that peculiar species of the disorder which is alone effectual, as the matter employed was not always of the true kind. It should also be observed, that while Vaccination was imperfectly understood, due attention was not paid by those who practised it in watching the progress of the disease, to ascertain that their patients had received it into the constitution- -a point only to be determined by observing the successive changes of the pustules. And further, that the fluid for inoculation must be taken during the stage of the disease when it will be sure of its effect. A due regard to these observations will enable our readers to judge why so many failures have occurred, and must still occur, unless they resort to regular practitioners to receive Vaccination.

It should be remembered also that great prejudices still prevail among uneducated persons as to the eminent advantages of this mode of inoculation. The prevailing dislike to Cow-pox, arising from a belief that gross humours are thereby introduced into the constitution, can only be effectually removed by their own observation and experience. It is an established maxim among physicians, that no disease can communicate any other disease than itself; but it will not be sufficient to bring forward the opinion of the most learned men to show the absurdity of any popular prejudice, because those who are invited to adopt Vaccination, have an undoubted right to satisfy themselves that it is innocent in itself, as well as sure in its effects.

We must allow time for the removal of doubt and

suspicion. When those who are now prejudiced against Vaccination perceive that their opinions are unfounded-when they see the children of others, who have been thus protected from Small-pox, pass through the process with scarce any ailment, and grow up healthy and vigorous, and free from any supposed taint from Cow-pox,-they will surely bless the day when a discovery so invaluable was made, and hasten to secure to themselves and their children an exemption from that loathsome and dangerous disease, to which thousands fall victims by persisting in their incredulity.

The amazing rapidity with which the benefits of this invaluable discovery have been communicated to every quarter of the globe, exhibits the most unequivocal proof of its success-while it quickly superseded the old method of inoculation by the Small-pox in all parts of the British Dominions, the blessing was gratefully adopted by other nations, overspreading not only the remotest countries of Europe, from the Dardanelles to Iceland, but was transplanted over the mighty continent of America, penetrated the deepest recesses of Africa, and was received with cordial welcome by the unnumbered tribes of Asia, and the islands of the South seas. The Small-pox, once so much dreaded among them, has entirely ceased its ravages through many large and populous districts, and but for the prejudices of some infatuated people, who still reject the blessing of Vaccination, and persist in the ignorance of their forefathers, Great Britain might ere this have been wholly freed from the Small-pox.

All men of science have long since pronounced judgment in favour of Vaccination, and it may be hoped that another generation will scarce have passed away before the Jennerian system obtains a complete triumph in its native land.

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SLAVE TRADE.

"Slaves cannot breathe in England ;-if their lungs
Receive our air, that moment they are free;
They touch our country, and their shackles fall.-
That's noble, and bespeaks a nation proud
And jealous of the blessing. Spread it, then,
And let it circulate through every vein

Of all your empire, that where Britain's pow'r
Is felt, mankind may feel her mercy too.”

COWPER.

THERE was a time when slavery was the common condition of the inferior orders of every nation of Europe. England, now the distinguished land of freedom, groaned under the most cruel bondage for many centuries; nay, her sons and daughters were exported like cattle into other countries. This degrading traffic, however, led to a most important result; for the sight of some beautiful British youths, exposed for sale in the market-place of Rome, moved the heart of Pope Gregory the Great, in the 6th century, to send the first Christian missionaries into England.

How mysterious are the ways of Providence, which thus accomplished the greatest national blessing, by means which these poor captives contemplated as their greatest misfortune! Recalling the period when we ourselves were slaves, we regard, with peculiar satisfaction, the strenuous exertions now making in this country to persuade the other powers of Europe to join in one general edict against the African Slave Trade; and, if we view our former participation in this inhuman traffic with deep remorse, the remembrance, it is hoped, will but quicken the anxiety of the British Cabinet to bring foreigners to regard it with equal horror and compunction.

The Portuguese, so early as the year 1503, began to supply the new-discovered possessions in America with slaves from the African coast. The Spaniards soon followed their example; but the celebrated Cardinal Ximenes prevailed on the Emperor Charles V. to put a stop to a proceeding which appeared to him so iniquitous. Sir John Hawkins was the first

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