Armstrong – Table of Contents

Dr. Waterhouse described the genesis of his own efforts in vaccination in the following
manner: “At the beginning of the year 1799 I received from my friend, Dr. Lettsom of
London, a copy of Dr. Edward Jenner’s ‘Inquiry into the causes and effects of the
variolae vaccinae, or Cow-pox’: a disease totally unknown in this quarter of the world.
On perusing this work I was struck with the unspeakable advantages that might accrue to
this, and indeed to the human race at large, from the discovery of a mild distemper that
would ever after secure the constitution from that terrible scourge, the smallpox.
“As the ordinary mode of communicating even medical discoveries in this country is by
newspapers, I drew up the following account of the Cow-pox which was printed in the
Columbian Centinal March 12, 1799” (11).
Dr. Waterhouse sent to England for the vaccine material. He inoculated his 5-year
old and 3-tear old sons, the first with the vaccine from England, and the second, with
infectious material from the arm of the first. He also inoculated a 12-year old servant boy
with the vaccine from England. He had to be away for a few days but he invited his
colleagues, Drs. Warren and Danforth, to visit and observe the children as they went
through the stages of a primary “vaccination”. From the pustule of his 3-year old son, Dr.
Waterhouse inoculated his infant daughter and her nursery maid, both of whom went
through the development of primary vaccinations. Dr. Waterhouse vaccinated a total of
seven household members.
In the interest of providing full disclosure and to prove the protective effect of
vaccination, Dr. Waterhouse enlisted the aid of Dr. William Aspinwall, physician to the
smallpox hospital in Boston, in a letter as follows (11): --- “I have procured some of the
vaccine matter and therewith inoculated seven of my family. The inoculation has