Philosophical Magazine Volume 26 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1807 edition. Excerpt: ..., XXXII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Ailicles. PROGRESS OP VACCINATION IN FRANCE. JL He central vaccine committee of Paris on the 12th of July last made their report upon the exertions made in France for the propagation of vaccine inoculation, during the last twelve months. The number of individuals vaccinated in 42 departments during that period amounts to 125,992, which gives a total of nearly 400,000 for all France; and by supposing, as in the former year, the number of births at 1,088,157, it follows that a third at least of the infants bora last year in France have been vaccinated. Numerous tests have been tried in order to ascertain the preservative effect of vaccination; and whether inoculation for the small-pox was resorted to, or an intimate and habitual commerce between small-pox and vaccine patients, and the latter also subjected to the influence of variolous epidemics, and even when all these three kinds of proofs were united together, the small pox never had any effect upoa those who had gone regularly through the vaccine infection. The most important result of the report of the committee is the certainty of the progressive diminution of mortality, wherever vaccination was introduced, and the increase of mortality in those places where vaccination was neglected, New and fortunate experiments have been made upon the manner of simplifying still more the insertion of the matter, and also the best mea.ns of preserving the infectious substance. The central committee have not confined themselves to the human species alone in their inquiries. They endeavoured to ascertain if vaccination introduced among sheep would preserve them from the scab. They found, however, that it is more advisable to inoculate these animals with scabby matter..