Page:New observations on inoculation - Angelo Gatti.djvu/77

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N order to fulfil my plan, I shall briefly sum up the few propositions, which, in my opinion, contain the whole doctrine of inoculation and offer some general observations upon the whole.

From what has been said, it appears that the best method, and consequently the whole practical art, of inoculation consists in these three things;. the choice of a healthy subject; 2. the applying to the skin, under the cuticle, a well chosen variolous atom; 3. fresh air and amusement.

This method is natural, simple, easy, convenient, and safe. Natural, both as it springs from the very nature of the small-pox, and as it readily occurs to every sensible and unprejudiced person. Hence it was practised by those barbarous people, who, for aught we know, were the inventors of inoculation; and by tender fearful mothers, who were desirous of preserving their children from a cruel distemper, by hurting them as little as possible.

It is simple; for what can be more so than a method, which prescribes but three rules and these so plain as to be easily understood by every one?

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