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  conderable —> considerable
  rhubard —> rhubarb
  therfore —> therefore
  smoaked —> smoked
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  choaked —> choked
  wereat —> were at
  inculation —> inoculation
  throngh —> through
  anamalous —> anomalous

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                                  THE
                            PRESENT METHOD
                                  OF
                              INOCULATING
                                FOR THE
                              SMALL-POX.

                          To which are added,

               Some Experiments, instituted with a View
            to discover the Effects of a similar Treatment
                       in the NATURAL SMALL-POX.

                       By THOMAS DIMSDALE, M. D.

                    The SEVENTH EDITION, Corrected.

                                LONDON:

                Printed by JAMES PHILLIPS, George-Yard,
                            Lombard-Street;

               And Sold by W. OWEN, in Fleet-Street; and
               CARNAN and NEWBERY, in-St. Paul’s Church
                                 Yard.

                              MDCCLXXIX.




                                TO THE

                      Royal College of Physicians

                                  IN

                                LONDON,

                      This Treatise is inscribed,

                        With all due Deference

                             and Respect,

                                  BY

                              THE AUTHOR.




INTRODUCTION.

Of the Age, Constitution, and Season of the Year proper for Inoculation.

Of the Preparation.

Of Infection.

Of the Progress of Infection.

OF ANOMALOUS SYMPTOMS AND APPEARANCES.

Consequences of this Method of Inoculation.

The Effects of this Treatment applied to the natural Small-Pox.

CONCLUSION.

CASES.

CASES of the natural Small-pox, treated in the preceding Method.

POSTSCRIPT.

CASE.




INTRODUCTION.


From the time that I entered into the practice of medicine, and saw the
danger to which the generality of those who had the small-pox in the
natural way were exposed, I could not but sincerely wish, with every
sensible person of the faculty, that Inoculation might become general.

A considerable share of employment in this branch of my profession
has for upwards of twenty years occurred to me; and altho’ I have
been so fortunate as not to lose a patient under inoculation, except
one child, about fourteen years ago, who after the eruption of a few
distinct pustules died of a fever, which I esteemed wholly independent
of the small-pox, yet I must acknowledge that in some cases the
symptoms have cost me not a little anxiety for the event.

Nor have the subsequent effects of this practice always been so
favourable as one could wish; and tho’ far from equalling those which
too often follow the natural small-pox; either in respect to difficulty
or number, yet they sometimes gave no small uneasiness to the operator.

It cannot likewise, it ought not to be concealed, that some of the
inoculated have died under this process, even under the care of very
able and experienced practitioners. But this number is so small, that,
when compared with the mortality attending the natural small-pox, it is
reduced almost to a cypher.

These circumstances, however, tended to discourage the operation in
some degree. Practitioners were cautious of urging a process, of whose
event they could not be certain: and parents, who were sensible enough
to observe, that though the chance was greatly in their favour, yet a
blank might cast up against them, engaged in it with hesitation.

Humanity, as well as a wish to promote the honour and advantage of the
art I profess, made me ever attentive to the improvement of this part
of my employment. Dissatisfied with the common methods, I had carefully
attended to the circumstances that seemed to contribute to the good or
ill success of this practice, in the course of my own business, as well
as to the best information I could get of the success