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V

148

OF THE VACCINE OR COW-POX.

I

fully charged and dry, L is to be covered with the correspondingpiece of glass, and wrapped up in writing-paper, or gold-beater'sskin.

Matter may be also taken on thread, which being inbued withit, must be suffered to dry, and then charged again: this processmay be repeated till it is well saturated : it may be kept in a pnial,or in a quill, or a piece of tobacco-pipe stopped with white-wax: 'heheat necessary to melt sealing-wax might injure the matter.

Another way of preserving matter is, to take it on the endof a quill, which, when dry, may be inserted into the barrel ofanother quill; or if slender portions of a quill be pointed liketooth-picks, a number of them, when changed, may be inclosedin the barrel of one quill. These, as well as the thread, affordconvenient modes of conveying the matter in a letter to any dis-tant place.

A small instrument made of ivory, shaped like the tooth of acomb, and pointed like a lancet, which may be called a vaccinator,is in every respect as well adapted to the same purpose; and notbeing liable to bend, it is introduced into the puncture with moreease and certainty than the tooth pick. These instruments requiremuch less matter to charge them tlian thread or glass; but whenthey are not intended to be used soon, they ought to be repeatedlycharged. When they are to be used in a short time, it is suf-ficient to wrap them i" pap<ar.

Matter must always be allowe'I to dry without heat in the s hade,and be kept in a dry cool place.

Every practitioner who has not a constant succession of patients,ought to take matter wh<=si he has an opportunity, and to preserveit for any future occasion.

The Modes of Inoculation.

The constitutional as well as the local symptoms of the va ccineaffection, depend in a great degree on the mode in which the virusis inserted. The smaller the wound of the skin is, the lighte r ingeneral is the disease.

Fluid matter is better than dry, when it can be procured, becauseit is more likely to produce infection; and the operation is morelightly and quickly performed. Hence it is evident, that in everyinstance where it is practicable, the patient from whom the atteris to be taken should be present, and the matter should be trans-ferred immediately from arm to arm.

Inoculation is generally performed in the upper arm, near t he in-sertion of the deltoid muscle ; but in some adults, who arr- lik ly touse the arm much, it is more advisable to inoculate on the iusi de ofthe leg, a little below the knee.

The point of a lancet being charged, the skin should bestretched, that the cuticle may be penetrated with more ease. A>mall superficial puncture is then to be made with the point of dielancet, which will be more likely to leave the matter in contactwith the skin, and to produce the desired effect, if it be held nearlyIn a horizontal direction. It is also worthy of remark that, when