2025 01 Spring with bleed - Flipbook - Page 5
Southcomb and others about the
possibilities of inoculating the village.
From Buller9s correspondence it can be
seen that there were various methods
put forward for treating Smallpox but it
was still fairly new and relatively
untested. In a letter to his supportive
father-in-law (Lord Bathurst of Cirencester Park) he outlined some of the
options that he had gleaned from scientioc papers.
some recommend keeping on the matter for a day or two and
others are for removing it at 12 or 16 hours after it has been
put on, and some I 昀椀nd recommend cabbage leaves as the
most proper dressing, and others use the Diachylon Plaister.’
The letters from Rev Southcomb demonstrated the great fear held by
many, preferring to take their chances by getting Smallpox 8in the natural
way9 rather than risk an earlier end by embarking on inoculation.
So fearful was the parson after seeking advice from a Doctor Barbor of
Chittlehampton that he threatened to evict tenants and raze their houses to
the ground if they volunteered to be inoculated.
Buller9s reaction hinted at the animosity between the two men :
Under his present Circumstances I should avoid him with as
much Care and anxiety, as I should a creature infected with
the canine Madness.
And it was a sentiment echoed by his father-in-law :
I can only say that I shall not be disposed to
put my body under the care of Dr Barbor
nor my soul under Dr Southcomb.
Perhaps they are not at present to be
matched in all England. I wish them no
other harm than that they were both sent
to Russia to practice and preach there.
Following his own successful inoculation,
Buller gathered the names and signatures of
Researching the archive
over 80 villagers and had them treated at his
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