when covered with puftules. This blacksmith was vaccinated in 1801, and though thus expofed to the effluvia of the variola, refifted the contagion. When the fmall pox raged at the house of Mr. Adams, his fon-in-law Mr. Weaver, who had his family vaccinated, partly in 1801, and partly in 1802, took advantage of the prefent opportunity to teft the efficacy of the cow-pock. He fent his eldeft fon and daughter, the one about ten, the other about twelve years of age, to vifit their relations. They were at Mr. Adams's at all hours of the day; lay on the fame bed with the boy who had the disease in the confluent form, and even faw him put in the coffin, when the corpfe was in a putrid state. Mrs. Wort, fifter to Mrs. Adams, alfo fent two of her children about the fame time and with the fame intention; though they, as well as Mr. Weaver's were day after day in the very focus of contagion, yet all of them escaped with impunity. The next cafes that occurred were the black fervants of Mr. Gilbert, who lives but a few yards from Mr. Adams's. Thefe fervants had the freeft intercourse with their neighbours, the small pox patients, vifiting them on purpofe to take the disease if poffible, but in vain.

Of the vaccine patients who were fubjected in the above experiments, either by inoculation with variolous matter, or repeated exposures to the natural small pox in its most malignant and hideous forms, seven had been vaccinated from the stock of virus tranfmitted by Dr. Waterhouse to the Prefident in the fummer of 1801, part of which was obligingly forwarded to me by the President's physician, early in October in the fame year. In Dr. Waterhouse's fecond publication on the kinepock, I have stated that from this fource we carried on, without intermiffion, vaccination in this town and its neighbour. hood, from October 1801 to December 1802.

Of those who were vaccinated with the limpid Auid obtain ed from your cruft, three were subjected with impunity to the teft of the small pox, and at the time the experiments were made the scabs were adhering to their arms.

When the small pox broke out here, Goldfon's cafes were known, and rumours, extracted from English prints, were cir

culated in fome of our newspapers, to the injury of the Jennerian inoculation, and fo much credited, that I believe (had it not been for the prefence of the fmall pox), vaccination could not at that time have been carried on here to any extent by the most persuasive physician. The interefting cafes and deductions from thefe cafes published in fupport of the prophylactic power of the cow-pock, by the Vaccine Inftitution of London, together with hundreds of fimilar cafes of equal dignity, on record in Europe, would not have had the effect to which they are fo juftly entitled. "So true it is, that 'people are unwilling to believe what happened a great way off, or a long while ago.'

Thefe confiderations will, I truft, plead my apology for the foregoing minute statement of facts, and alfo juftify me for the liberty I have taken in mentioning the names of persons of credit and refpectability, who can authenticate these facts.

I have now the fatisfaction of adding, that in this part of Virginia the most unfhaken confidence is now reposed in the protecting power of the cow-pock: fo univerfally, indeed, has the new inoculation been adopted here, that I am confident there are not in this place, which contains upwards of a thou"fand inhabitants, a dozen children who have not undergone the vaccine, so that we believe our small town is at present as completely fheltered from the ravages of the fmall pox, as any town in the old or new world.

I cannot conclude this letter without again tendering you our warmest thanks, for the promptnefs with which you supplied us with the vaccine at a time, when the fudden introduction of the fmall pox here, infpired fo much horror: and it is but juftice to add, that the friends of vaccination and humanity throughout the United States, are under fingular obligations to you, for the able and decifive manner in which you came forward in your valuable Museum, to stem a torrent of incredulity, and guard truth against the fhafts of ignorance, prejudice, and scepticism.

Hiftory and Diffection of a Cafe of Clonic Spafm. By ELIJAH
GRIFFITHS, M. D. of Philadelphia.

MAR

ARCH 22d, 1805. Mrs. Criftine confulted me in the cafe of her daughter Ann Criftine, between the age of nine and ten years.

The patient has complained of head-ach, and a pain in the stomach for a long time; but about three weeks ago, these complaints left her, when certain unusual gestures, fudden startings, and hysterical symptoms came on, and have fince increafed to a very alarming degree.

From a fufpicion that worms were the cause of the fymptoms, I directed calomel and jalap, in fmall and repeated doses, with the application of strong sinapisms to the feet.

23d. The finapifms were not applied; the purge operated briskly without expelling any worms. She was restless, rather thirsty, had very little fleep through the night, and is thought to be worse than yesterday. The patient is fitting up, but fo affected with clonic fpafms, as to give her a very unufual appearance. The pulfe is natural, except rather frequent; fkin as in health; tongue free from fur, and moift; eye perfectly natural.

She has very little appetite, but experiences neither fickness nor pain from the disease.

She was directed to take nitre, calomel, and tartar-emetic, in naufeating dofes, and to apply blifters to the wrifts, in the evening.

24th. The blifters have drawn well; the medicine has been continued, but without any alleviation of the fymptoms; fhe has paffed a fleepless night, without any fenfible change fince yesterday, except a confiderable aggravation of the fpafms.

The fenfes, the faculties, and operations of the mind, are as free from disease as ever they were, while the muscles of voluntary motion, have nearly thrown off all allegiance to the will.

The patient was directed to omit the last medicine, and take pulv. rad. valer. 3fs. every third Hour, as an anthelmintic and nervous medicine. The fymptoms increasing in the evening, fhe was ordered gum. fœtid. gr. iv. every third hour, and to apply a blifter over the whole head. From the agitated state of the patient, the blifter could not be applied; cups to the temples and back of the neck were fubftituted for it.

25th. Patient did not fleep any laft night; was fo restless as to require an attendant to hold her in bed: by lying conftantly on her back, the skin is fo fretted as to caufe great distress. The pulfe is weaker and more frequent than yesterday; eye a little inflamed, tongue moist and natural, skin cool, &c. The fpafms have increased fo, that the eye-ball is conftantly rolling, tongue thruft out frequently, face distorted, teeth gnafhing fo as to cut the tongue and cheeks; and, in short, everý unusual gefture is performed by the head, trunk, and limbs, that a ho rizontal pofition will admit of.

The warm bath was directed, and a strong infusion of spi gelia Marylandica with fenna. The bath relieved the spasms, but its effects foon went off without any benefit from repetition. The medicine moved the bowels feveral times, with no other effect than bringing away one worm of the lumbrical kind. In the evening, opium gr. 1. was given, and repeated every two hours to procure sleep and relieve the fpafms.

26th. Six grains of opium were taken, without procuring fleep or any alleviation of the symptoms; was fick at stomach, with flight delirium in the night. The pulfe is more frequent and weak than yefterday, with an evident aggravation of the fpafms. The warm bath was repeated without any falutary effect.

The patient is directed to take ol. fuccin. gt. vi. every two

hours.

27th. She has passed a fleepless night, and I think her in. every respect worfe. Articulation very indiftinct, and deglutition difficult. Ordered wine to be given freely, and continue el. fuccin. gt. . every hour. At night she took opium gr. ii.

every half hour till eight grains were taken, when her attendants thought fhe was worse, and it was omitted.

28th. The patient is more compofed than before, but it evidently refults from debility. She has not flept two hours the last five days and nights, and besides, has taken very little aliment within the fame period.

She expired at three o'clock, P. M. apparently in her reafon, and without a ftruggle.

29th. I examined the brain of the deceased, in the prefence of Dr. Meredith, who affifted me. On removing the cranium and dura-mater, the parts below appeared natural, the ventricles had very little water in them; in fhort, the brain was as free from difeafe as any I have ever seen diffected.

I regret not having examined the ftomach; however, that organ exhibited no figns of disease, at any period of the complaint, fo as to juftify a belief that the caufe exifted there, in the form of fpafm, or inflammation; and even had there been inflammation found, the medicines given might have been confidered as the cause of it. On the day of the patient's death, her mother informed me, fhe had been very much terrified by a man intoxicated, about the time the disease commenced; and this was thought by the patient, to have been the cause of her complaint. Be the cause what it may, the fpafms were violent, but altogether clonic.

3 G