J. Antall szerk.: Medical history in Hungary 1972. Presented to the XXIII. International Congress of the History of Medicine / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 6. (Budapest, 1972)

I. Friedrich: The Spreading of Jenner's Vaccination in Hungary

I. Friedrich : The Spreading of Jenner's Vaccination in Hungary There were patients who did not trust the effect of the material taken from the arm of a vaccinated person of conversely, they were worrying that the vaccine of a physically weak, sickly child was vaccinated into their sons. As a result various demands were raised, e.g. certain people wanted their children and themselves to be vaccinated only by moisture taken directly from the udder of a Gloucester cow as they felt only that to be confirmed and proper. The author who mentions these misconceptions in his book wanted to dissipate them by suitable explanation: "Vaccinia does not lose any of its effect by inoculating it from one person into the other."

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2 And at the same time he sermonised those who by speaking about Gloucester cows only manifest their lacking knowledge. Medical opinion agreed that it was essential to follow the inoculation closely during its various stages, to see whether it had taken or not, and in case of want of success the vaccination had to be repeated. Sometimes even physicians could not decide whether their works were successful or not; consequently it was impossible to expect this important decision from peasant parents. A physician, Mihály Ková s, suggested to ask the clergymen, the village notaries or the teachers to help to examine the vaccination. He wrote a book for them,

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3 in which we can find the picture of inoculated vaccine in its early stage and in the final one. Either the end of spring, or the beginning of autumn was considered as the most suitable period for vaccination, as these were the periods generally immune from epidemics. According to the greatest majority of the doctors it was important to vaccinate every child in his infancy. Ferenc Bene suggested the age of three or four months while Varadi's opinion was to vaccinate before the child completes his third year, though as he wrote, parents "are happier to let the baby fall victim of blistery variola than to see it inoculated with it before the age of three."

2i His statistical figures show that the most dangerous period is the first and second year of a child and most of the deaths caused by variola fall to this period. SHALL TEACHERS, PRIESTS AND MIDWIVES VACCINATE? The news of vaccination reached even the smallest villages. Orders were passed prescribing inoculation and the errand-boys who were entering their services had to produce papers proving that they had been vaccinated. Clergymen in the villages received instructions to preach the necessity and usefulness of vaccination from the pulpits. Worried parents hoped to be able to save 2

2 Ibid. p. 1G3—

163. 2:

i Ková s, Mihály: Értekezés a himlő kiirtásról. Lelkitanítók számokra (Dissertation on the Extirpation of Variola. For Spiritual Teachers). Pest, 1822. p. 39. 2

4 Várađi, Sámuel: A tehénhimlő avagy a vaktzina természetének és terjesztése módjainak rövid előadása (A Short Lecture on the Nature of Cow-pox or Vaccine and on the ways of Its Spreading). Bécs, 1802. p. 138. 10'