Thoughts on General and Partial Inoculations

Thomas Dimsdale

Thomas Dimsdale

Thoughts on General and Partial Inoculations / Containing a translation of two treatises written when the / author was at Petersburg, and published there, by Command / of her Imperial Majesty, in the Russian Language

INTRODUCTION

To preserve the lives and health of the inferior part of mankind has been an object carefully attended to in all civilized and well regulated states, not only from motives of compassion, but because it has been plainly demonstrated that it is the interest of the wealthy in every nation to encourage population, and provide for the wants of the poor.

One would indeed, on the first thought presume, that the unavoidable necessities of the indigent would be voluntarily relieved out of the abundance of their opulent neighbours; but the number of laws that have been made for the provision of the poor, are proofs of the futility of this expectation, and the necessity of compulsion.

Among the many objects that have been provided for, it seems matter of astonishment that no one has ever pointed out the Small Pox as a distemper, whose destructive consequences might be in great measure prevented by the interposition of Legislature, and the assistance that would be certainly afforded from private charity.

It is now above fifty years since Inoculation was introduced into this country, and like other new institutions was then opposed; but at present, though it may be impossible to define the numbers that are yearly inoculated, it is certain that most of the wealthy approve and avail themselves of the practice: yet we view the Bills of Mortality with unconcern, though they demonstrate that the number of deaths from this disease is considerably increased; and with the affecting circumstance, that they are probably of the younger part of the people.

Although this matter has not been attended to here, it did not escape the penetration of the Empress of Russia; who, with a regard to the happiness of her people that deserves much greater commendation than I am able to bestow, was extremely solicitous to render Inoculation general among her subjects: and it was with a view to this that soon after the recovery of the Empress and Grand Duke from this operation, her Majesty was pleased to command me to write their cases, with the principal occurrences during the Inoculation, from an idea that being published they would tend to the removal of prejudices, and the advancement of a practice she had much at heart to encourage.

Her Imperial Majesty also frequently did me the honor to converse freely on several points respecting the natural Small Pox and Inoculation; and having been pleased to approve of the manner in which her enquiries and doubts were answered, I was afterwards commanded at different times to give in writing the substance of what had been advanced on these occasions. These orders were obeyed, the tracts translated into the Russian language, and as I imagined, were only intended for the perusal of the Empress. But in the year 1770, my treatise on Inoculation, with the following tracts, was published at Petersburg by her Majesty’s command:

I.В An Account of the Inoculation for the Small Pox of her Imperial Majesty, Autocratrix of all the Russias.

II. An Account of the Inoculation for the Small Pox of his Imperial Highness the Grand Duke, the Heir of all the Russias, by Baron Thomas Dimsdale, first Physician to her Imperial Majesty.

III. Remarks on the Book, intitled, The present Method of Inoculating for the Small Pox, written by the Author now at St. Petersburg.

IV. A short Description of the Methods proposed for extending the salutary Practice of Inoculation through the whole Russian Empire.

V. A short Estimate of the Numbers of those who die of the natural Small Pox, with a View to demonstrate the Advantages that may accrue to Russia from the Practice of Inoculation, &c.

A translation of these tracts, with some further remarks on Inoculation, and a relation of my