Once in a Lifetime, part 4
What the Africans of Boston Knew about Inoculation
Draft: this translation has not yet been checked against the original by a separate review.
- Written
- 1721
- Place
- Boston
- Language
- English
- Kind of source
- pamphlet
- Reading time
- 3 minutes
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
SmallpoxInoculation and vaccinationDoctors and medical ideas
“There is at this Time a considerable Number of Africans in this Town,” the pamphlet says, and all of them tell the same story: in Africa people cut the skin, put in a drop of smallpox matter, fall a little sick, and never have smallpox again.
The pamphlet was printed in Boston in 1721, during a smallpox epidemic, under the name of Zabdiel Boylston (1679–1766), the only doctor in the town willing to try inoculation. Its summary of two reports from the Ottoman Empire is taken from a letter by “a Learned Gentleman of Boston,” the minister Cotton Mather (1663–1728). Historians usually credit the passage on the Africans to Mather; other remarks, such as the sixth, speak as Boylston, the man making the “experiments.”
Mather had first heard of inoculation from Onesimus, an African man he enslaved, whom members of his congregation had given him in 1706. In a letter of 1716 Mather wrote that Onesimus had been inoculated in Africa. The pamphlet does not name him, but he is among the “Africans in this Town.” Boylston’s first patients, in June 1721, were his own young son and two enslaved people in his household.
Mather knew of the practice only through what Africans told him and what he read. He wrote down their words in a broken English of his own making, and he argued that their evidence was believable because he thought them too simple to lie.
Watch for both things at once: the writers depend on African knowledge, and they write about the people who gave it with contempt.
The edited translation, in simplified modern English. Bracketed words were added for clarity; [...] marks a cut. Tap a note number to read the note.
The public having been lately entertained with a very dark and partial account of this new method of receiving the smallpox; and this account being given as is pretended from the very letters of Dr. Timonius and Pylarinus;1 it is thought reasonable and fitting to lay before the public this following abstract of what those learned gentlemen have said of this practice. But because the gentleman who only hath these letters by him2 refuses to lend them; the account here following is chiefly taken from a known letter written by a learned gentleman of Boston3 to the worthy physicians of the town.
The air of the chamber must be kept very temperate. The Greek operatrix4 pricked more places, and less fleshy ones than Pylarinus approved of; with an oblique stroke pricking the places, with an iron or golden needle, dropping and thrusting the pus into the wound; and so binding all with fillets.5 Her way was thus to prick the forehead, the chin, both cheeks, both wrists, both insteps. This was doubtless overdoing. Pylarinus affirms that some have done the business with no more than one little incision in the arm, and it has done very well. [So it has been with such Africans as have shown us the marks of their inoculation.]6
II. There is at this time a considerable number of Africans in this town who can have no conspiracy or combination to cheat us. Nobody has instructed them to tell their story. The more plainly, brokenly, and blunderingly, and like idiots, they tell their story, it will be with reasonable men, but the much more credible. For that these all agree in one story: “That abundance of poor Negroes die of the smallpox, till they learn this way; that people take the juice of the smallpox, and cut the skin, and put in a drop; then by’nd by a little sick, then few smallpox; and nobody die of it: nobody have smallpox any more.” Here we have a clear evidence that in Africa, where the poor creatures die of the smallpox in the common way like rotten sheep, a merciful God has taught them a wonderful preservative. It is a common practice, and is attended with success. I have as full evidence of this as I have that there are lions in Africa. I don’t know why ’tis more unlawful to learn of Africans how to help against the poison of the smallpox, than it is to learn of our Indians7 how to help against the poison of a rattlesnake.
VI. I have made my experiments with all the disadvantages that can be imagined, on old and young, on strong and weak, on male and female, on white and black, and in the worst season of the year; and on greater numbers than I judge proper (considering the unaccountable rage of unadvised people8) to mention, but more than twice seven, I can assure you; and it has succeeded well in all, even beyond expectation.
Notes
- Emanuel Timonius and Jacobus Pylarinus, doctors working in the Ottoman Empire, whose accounts of inoculation at Constantinople and Smyrna the Royal Society of London printed in 1714 and 1716. back
- Probably William Douglass, the Boston doctor who led the opposition to inoculation and owned the volumes of the Royal Society’s journal that printed the two accounts. back
- Cotton Mather, who had written to Boston’s doctors in June 1721 urging them to try inoculation. back
- A woman who performed the operation. Pylarinus said he learned the method from a Greek woman inoculator. back
- Bandages. back
- The square brackets are in the pamphlet. They mark a comment by the Boston writer, added to his summary of Pylarinus. back
- The Native peoples of New England. back
- Opponents of inoculation threatened Boylston, and in November 1721 someone threw a bomb through a window of Mather’s house. back
THE Publick having been lately entertained with a very dark and partial Account of this New Method of receiving the Small Pox; and this Account being given as is pretended, from the very Letters of Dr. Timonius and Pylarinus; it is thought reasonable and fitting to lay before the Publick this following Abstract of what those Learned Gentlemen have said of this Practice. But because the Gentleman who only hath these Letters by him, refuses to lend them; the Account here following is chiefly taken from a known Letter written by a Learned Gentleman of Boston to the Worthy Physicians of the Town.
The public having been lately entertained with a very dark and partial account of this new method of receiving the smallpox; and this account being given as is pretended from the very letters of Dr. Timonius and Pylarinus; it is thought reasonable and fitting to lay before the public this following abstract of what those learned gentlemen have said of this practice. But because the gentleman who only hath these letters by him refuses to lend them; the account here following is chiefly taken from a known letter written by a learned gentleman of Boston to the worthy physicians of the town.
- Emanuel Timonius and Jacobus Pylarinus, doctors working in the Ottoman Empire, whose accounts of inoculation at Constantinople and Smyrna the Royal Society of London printed in 1714 and 1716.
- Probably William Douglass, the Boston doctor who led the opposition to inoculation and owned the volumes of the Royal Society’s journal that printed the two accounts.
- Cotton Mather, who had written to Boston’s doctors in June 1721 urging them to try inoculation.
The Air of the Chamber must be kept very Temperate. The Greek Operatrix prick't more places, and less fleshy ones than Pylarinus approved of; with an oblique stroke pricking the Places, with an Iron, or Golden Needle dropping, and thrusting the Pus into the Wound; and so binding all with Fillets. Her way was thus to prick the Forehead, the Chin, both Cheeks, both Wrists, both Insteps. This was doubtless overdoing. Pylarinus affirms that some have done the Business, with no more than One little Inscision in the Arm, and it has done very well. [So it has been with such Africans, as have shown us the Marks of their Inoculation.]
The air of the chamber must be kept very temperate. The Greek operatrix pricked more places, and less fleshy ones than Pylarinus approved of; with an oblique stroke pricking the places, with an iron or golden needle, dropping and thrusting the pus into the wound; and so binding all with fillets. Her way was thus to prick the forehead, the chin, both cheeks, both wrists, both insteps. This was doubtless overdoing. Pylarinus affirms that some have done the business with no more than one little incision in the arm, and it has done very well. [So it has been with such Africans as have shown us the marks of their inoculation.]
- A woman who performed the operation. Pylarinus said he learned the method from a Greek woman inoculator.
- Bandages.
- The square brackets are in the pamphlet. They mark a comment by the Boston writer, added to his summary of Pylarinus.
II. There is at this Time a considerable Number of Africans in this Town, Who can have no Conspiracy or Combination to cheat us. No body has instructed them to tell their Story. The more plainly, brokenly, and blunderingly, and like Ideots, they tell their Story, it will be with reasonable Men, but the much more credible. For that these all agree in one Story; "That abundance of poor Negro's die of the Small Pox, till they learn this Way; that People take the Juice of the Small Pox, and Cut the Skin, and put in a drop; then by'nd by a little Sick, then few Small Pox; and no body dye of it: no body have Small Pox any more."
II. There is at this time a considerable number of Africans in this town who can have no conspiracy or combination to cheat us. Nobody has instructed them to tell their story. The more plainly, brokenly, and blunderingly, and like idiots, they tell their story, it will be with reasonable men, but the much more credible. For that these all agree in one story: “That abundance of poor Negroes die of the smallpox, till they learn this way; that people take the juice of the smallpox, and cut the skin, and put in a drop; then by’nd by a little sick, then few smallpox; and nobody die of it: nobody have smallpox any more.”
Here we have a clear Evidence, that in Africa, where the Poor Creatures dye of the Small Pox in the common way like Rotten Sheep, a Merciful GOD has taught them a wonderful Preservative.
Here we have a clear evidence that in Africa, where the poor creatures die of the smallpox in the common way like rotten sheep, a merciful God has taught them a wonderful preservative.
It is a Common Practice, and is attended with Success. I have as full Evidence of this, as I have that there are Lions in Africa. I don't know why 'tis more unlawful to learn of Africans, how to help against the Poison of the Small Pox, than it is to learn of our Indians, how to help against the Poison of a Rattle-Snake.
It is a common practice, and is attended with success. I have as full evidence of this as I have that there are lions in Africa. I don’t know why ’tis more unlawful to learn of Africans how to help against the poison of the smallpox, than it is to learn of our Indians how to help against the poison of a rattlesnake.
- The Native peoples of New England.
VI. I have made my Experiments with all the Disadvantages that can be imagined, on Old and Young; on Strong and Weak, on Male and Female, on White and Black, and in the worst Season of the Year; and on greater Numbers, than I judge proper (considering the unaccountable Rage of unadvised People,) to mention; But more than twice Seven, I can assure you; and it has succeeded well in all, even beyond Expectation.
VI. I have made my experiments with all the disadvantages that can be imagined, on old and young, on strong and weak, on male and female, on white and black, and in the worst season of the year; and on greater numbers than I judge proper (considering the unaccountable rage of unadvised people) to mention, but more than twice seven, I can assure you; and it has succeeded well in all, even beyond expectation.
- Opponents of inoculation threatened Boylston, and in November 1721 someone threw a bomb through a window of Mather’s house.
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Some Account of What Is Said of Inoculating or Transplanting the Small Pox, Boston 1721
Internet Archive (U.S. National Library of Medicine copy). first page of text and pp. 7, 9, 11. Public domain (published 1721).
The printed edition our text follows.
From the English text of the pamphlet (Boston, 1721). Spelling, capitals, and punctuation are modernized (“Small Pox” to “smallpox,” “Ideots” to “idiots,” “dye” to “die”); the writers’ words and their order are kept, including “Negro’s” (modernized as “Negroes”) and the broken English in which Mather rendered the Africans’ account. About a sixth of the pamphlet is included.
- Original
- Text as printed in the named edition or on the object, read from page images. Edition: Some Account of What Is Said of Inoculating or Transplanting the Small Pox. By the Learned Dr. Emanuel Timonius, and Jacobus Pylarinus. With Some Remarks Thereon. To Which Are Added, A Few Quaeries in Answer to the Scruples of Many about the Lawfulness of This Method. Published by Dr. Zabdiel Boylston (Boston: sold by S. Gerrish, 1721), first page of text and pp. 7, 9, 11. Digital text: Internet Archive item 2562061R.nlm.nih.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine copy), OCR text, extracted by code. The OCR is poor and the left margin is lost on some pages; long s is printed as s. Not yet read against the page images.
- Editor’s review
- Not yet.
- Specialist review
- Not yet. Readings a specialist should confirm are listed for later review.
- Rights
- Original: public domain. Edition: public domain.
Sources for the notes
- Some Account of What Is Said of Inoculating or Transplanting the Small Pox. Published by Zabdiel Boylston. Boston: S. Gerrish, 1721. The whole pamphlet.