AN INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF THE VARIOLÆ VACCINÆ, A DISEASE DISCOVERED IN SOME OF THE WESTERN COUNTIES OF ENGLAND, PARTICULARLY GLOUCESTERSHIRE, AND KNOWN BY THE NAME OF COW POX.; EDWARD JENNER’S DISCOVERY OF VACCINATION: PATRICK KERR ROGERS’ AND SON WILLIAM BARTON ROGERS’ COPY – WITH INITIALED CORRECTION BY JENNER
London: Sampson Low, 1800. Second Edition. EDWARD JENNER’S DISCOVERY OF VACCINATION: PATRICK KERR ROGERS’ AND SON WILLIAM BARTON ROGERS’ COPY – WITH INITIALED CORRECTION BY JENNER
AN INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF THE VARIOLÆ VACCINÆ, A DISEASE DISCOVERED IN SOME OF THE WESTERN COUNTIES OF ENGLAND, PARTICULARLY GLOUCESTERSHIRE, AND KNOWN BY THE NAME OF COW POX. SECOND EDITION. London: Printed, for the Author, by Sampson Low … and Sold by Law, Ave-Maria Lane; and Murray and Highley, Fleet Street, 1800. -- FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE VARIOLÆ VACCINÆ. -- A CONTINUATION OF FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS RELATIVE TO THE VARIOLÆ VACCINÆ, OR COW POX. London: Printed for the Author, by Sampson Low … and sold by Law, Ave-Maria Lane; and Murray and Highley, Fleet Street., 1800. 3 parts in one volume, quarto measuring 27.5 cm x 22 cm, pp. vii, [1]-64, 4 engraved and colored plates; [1]-2, [69]-139; [145]-182, errata. Half-titles and title pages to first and third parts, half-title only to second part as issued. Starred leaves K2* and S* are cancels. Paper is watermarked 1798 or 1799.
Original boards, spine paper restored, edges untrimmed. Bookplate of Patrick Kerr Rogers, [No.--] of Dr. P.K. Rogers’ Medical and Philosophical Library, on front pastedown. Inscribed on first half-title Wm. B. Rogers to A.D. Gale [?] July 1834. Leaf K2* has inked correction, Variolæ Viccinae, to Vaccinæ, initialed in the margin, E.J. A few marginal highlightings in various places, as well. Original tissue guards before two plates. Some minor spotting, foxing and light browning in text, boards are edgeworn and moderately stained, but overall a very good copy in original state. Preserved in a fine full black morocco case, inset with a pigskin reproduction of Jenner’s later chart comparing smallpox pustules with those from vaccination.
FIRST COLLECTED EDITION OF THREE SEMINAL WORKS. First collected edition of Jenner's three treatises on vaccination published between 1798 and 1800: the first announces the efficacy of cow pox inoculation (“vaccination”) in preventing smallpox - 'one of the greatest triumphs in the history of medicine' (Garrison-Morton 5423); the second contains Jenner's replies to critics, clarifying identification of true cow pox, and proper source and use of variolous matter for effective inoculation; the third provides further examples of efficacious inoculations. A fine association copy, initialed by Jenner, and belonging to Patrick Kerr Rogers and his second son William Barton Rogers, founder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lefanu Jenner 24; Norman 1163; NLM/Blake p. 235; Waller 5138; Wellcome III, p. 351.
A NOTE ON PROVENANCE
Patrick Kerr Rogers was an Irish physician who emigrated to Philadelphia in 1798. He eventually was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry at the College of William and Mary and published numerous papers and books on plants and treatments for various diseases. From January to March, 1816, he published a series of papers in defense of Inoculation in preference to Vaccination. He was sharply criticized in the press for this practice. In the present work, marginal highlighting (pp. 39, 59-60, 101) for text that refers to alternative treatments or outcomes involving cow pox vaccination and variolous inoculation may be by Rogers. He had established in Philadelphia, ca. 1809, what was to be a consulting library of medical and technical works from his own collection (vide, bookplate in this copy), though it was dissolved after two years from lack of patronage. He died in 1828.
He had four sons, all of whom had distinguished academic careers. William Barton Rogers, his second son, became a renowned geologist, publishing many papers and books on the subject. He succeeded his father at William and Mary in 1828. He was in charge of the geological survey of Virginia, and proposed a “wave” theory of mountain chain creation, investigated the age and composition of various rocks, described improvements and the development of surveying instruments, and - as a polymath - published many papers on chemistry, electricity, weather, medicine and mathematics. He is notably famous for establishing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to allow researchers and students to work outside the standard academic structure of the period.
See: Proceedings, American Philosophical Society (vol. 23, 1886), W. Ruschenberger on the Rogers family. Item #432
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