A man between 50 and 60 was inoculated about four in the afternoon:
on the morning of the third day after the inoculation I first saw his
arms, when they shewed uncommon signs of infection, being already much
inflamed; and upon inquiry, I received from him the following account:
that on the same evening he was inoculated, he felt an uneasiness
and numbness at and near the place of insertion; and that the day
following, these complaints increased, and spread up to the shoulder
of one arm, which was very stiff and numbed; that the incision had
itched several times, and his arms felt as if he had been bruised by
a blow with a very large stick. And on the preceding evening, which
was the second from the inoculation, his head had been giddy and in
pain, accompanied with some chilly fits; but all these sensations went
off without any other illness. He had rested well, and never thought
himself in better health.
From this time I saw him at different times every day, and he continued
in perfect health; only sometimes, especially towards evening, he said
he felt as if he had drank too much. The arms were much inflamed; but
on the 6th and 7th day they altered their colour to a darker hue, and
the inflammation and hardness were evidently abating. He now desired
to go a journey of about 20 miles on business; and this I consented
to, from an absolute confidence that he was secure from any alarming
attack; having first enjoined him not to go into company where he might
risque spreading the infection; for his breath at this time had that
peculiar offensive smell which accompanies the disease.
He returned the following day, being the 8th, in the afternoon, making
no complaint, but of hunger; yet said his head had ached the preceding
night after his journey. His arms were now rather more inflamed, which
I attributed to the friction they might have in the chaise; but from
this time all complaints of every kind ceased. His arms soon became
quite well; he took his first purge on the following day, a second on
the 11th, and returned home on the 13th from the inoculation, without
having a single eruption of any kind.
It is remarkable in this gentleman’s case, that being so well he did
not chuse to live with those who had the distemper, but continued in
a lodging with his wife, who accompanied him by way of nurse, in full
confidence of having had the small-pox many years since. However, after
they got home, she fell ill, and had the distemper in a very clear but
favourable manner, and doubtless caught it off her husband.