Looking, as we do, at 'a slice of life' down our Meridian Line Corridor, it is always enjoyable to find some person or historic connection that sets us on a trail of research. Such was the finding that Thomas Dimsdale, having adopted Hertfordshire as his county, lived and worked here. He died on the penultimate day of the 18th century, aged 89, and was buried not far from The Line in the Quaker burial ground at Bishop's Stortford. He was an M.P., a doctor and one of the pioneers of smallpox inoculation. In 1768, he was invited by Catherine The Great to Russia to inoculate herself and her son. Not only was the journey there fraught with some danger, but the journey out of Russia more so, if all was not successful. In fact, Catherine had arranged for teams of horses at staging points for this eventuality. All went extremely well, however, and he was paid £500 expenses; a £10,000 fee; £500 per annum thereafter; heaped with presents and created a baron of all the Russias by a grateful Catherine. He returned and at Essendon created an estate, Essendon Place, which continued to be the home of several Barons Dimsdale. See jpeg.
Although the Chinese knew how to inoculate against smallpox as early as the tenth century; although the Turks were using variolation (deliberate infection with weak smallpox) as a form of immunisation in the 17th century, it was not until the 19th century that similar prevention gained credence in any significant way in Europe. It was from the Turks that Lady Mary Wortley Montagu bravely sought variolation for her two children in 1718, while living in Constantinople as the wife of the British Ambassador. She, herself, had survived smallpox in 1715. She had some success in persuading fellow members of the aristocracy - Caroline, wife of George II, had 2 of her children variolated - but she knew she had a fight on her hands with the established medical profession: "...if I live to return, I may, however, have courage to war with them." In 1721, in the Boston area, USA, Cotton Mather inoculated his son after hearing from an African slave, Onesimus, how his countrymen inserted into a scratch the pus from a suppurating sore of someone with only a mild infection of smallpox in order to inoculate against it. In spite of the near death of his son and his community's violent reaction to what he had done, he continued to advocate the practice.
In The Gentleman's magazine of 1751 (volume 21), there are several articles on smallpox including a detailed description of how to inoculate. "Draw a piece of thread thro' a ripe pustule ...put in a clean phial ...When the operation is to be perform'd, make a slight scratch...cut off a small piece of the thread charged with variolous matter, 1/8 inch or even less, lay it upon the incision, cover it with a bit of sticking plaister, and the operation is performed." There is also a long poem describing the horrors of smallpox (then raging in Norwich) and advocating inoculation. Here are a few excerpts:
"Insatiate fiend! thy purple slaughter cease,
Let realms revive, and nations taste of peace."
"When shake the livid lips, and fiery eyes
Roll restless round, in scorching agonies"
"Lamented Clodio! in his early bloom,
...Torn from his hopes, beneath thy deadly grasp,
He faded, sickned, fetch'd his latest gasp."
"Unhappy Chloe! vain thy blooming charms,
...The dread effluvia glides, insidious bane!
And kindles fev'rish fires thro' ev'ry vein;
...The vital parts untainted, life is spar'd,
But blasted beauty makes the purchase hard."
"From eastern climes she [Queen Caroline] call'd her wond'rous skill,
That saves by sickness, and that wounds to heal."
"To human skill, the happy means are known"
Another article in The Gentleman's Magazine of 1751 describes the death 8 days after inoculation of a 5 year old child in Durham. The writer curses "this quackish practice, which, it is presum'd, this sad accident will put a stop to in this city and neighbourhood."
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, inoculation by smallpox against smallpox, and vaccination by cowpox against smallpox was hotly debated, with 'experts' in medical science fiercely advocating or condemning the practice. Propaganda pamphlets and cartoons abounded; many showing people with cows' horns and cloven hooves as being the obvious outcome of such unnatural medical meddling.
A little known contributor to the conquest of smallpox was Benjamin Jesty, a farmer from Yetminster in North Dorset. See jpeg of Jesty.
The two boys quickly recovered but his wife almost died. For this, he was reviled in the neighbourhood. On his gravestone of 1816 at Worth Matravers in Dorset his wife caused to be inscribed the words:" ...the first person (known) that introduced the cowpox by inoculation and who from his great strength of mind made the experiment from the cow on his wife and two sons in the year 1774."
Briefly we look at the career of Edward Jenner of Gloucestershire (1749-1823), who is officially credited with the discovery of vaccination. At the age of 8, he had been severely ill after inoculation with smallpox. He became a successful surgeon and began a lifelong research into cowpox, horsepox and smallpox, staking his reputation on vaccination. In 1796, more than 20 years after Jesty's success, he performed a human to human vaccination of cowpox on an 8 year old James Phipps. Soon after, he inoculated the boy with smallpox matter which failed to produce smallpox thereby proving the immunity given. Jenner published this result and, in spite of available evidence regarding Jesty, was recognised by the House of Commons as the discoverer of vaccination and awarded £10,000. In 1803 he formed the Jenner Society. Although Jenner is best known for his smallpox treatment, he was also an accomplished naturalist and researcher on many other issues of botany and biology. See jpeg of Jenner's house.
Happily, the planned total destruction of all samples of the virus was not carried out. With further research, this wonderful example of the pox group of viruses will provide much vital knowledge to our species in the future.
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