THat Eminent Physician, Dr. Walter Harris, a Fellow of the Colledge of Physicians, entertained that Learned Society April 17. 1721. with a very Judicious Discourse, De peste, which he has now publish­ed, with a notable Appendix, De Inoculatione Variolarum, or The Small Pox Inoculated, (which was part of a Praelaction De Curatione Variolarum, afterwards made before the same Society.) He takes notice, that a plain, and most Innocent way (as he calls it) of Inoculating the Small Pox, found out among the unlearned Orientals, was now by the good Providence of GOD brought unto us, who are a great way distant from [Page 2] them, ad comparandas, si DEO placeat, Variolas tutas ac benignas, that so we may have the Small Pox after a safe, and easy manner, in that Method, if GOD please graciously to smile upon it. And it arrives unto us the more seasonably (the Dr. says) because the Small Pox of the Confluent sort of late hath made fearful Destruction among People of high­er as well as lower Quality in the Nation: whereas the Inoculation duly managed, a Confluen­tibus Variolis contrahendis nunquam non servat Incolumes. mire (que) tuetur, forever preserves and wondrously defends People from suffering that sort of Small Pox, which has proved so dangerous.

He gives an Abstract of the Communication from Dr. Timonius to Dr. Woodward about this matter, which we have in the Philosophi­cal Transactions. He adds an Account of that Famous Doctors arriving to Great Riches as well as Learning, & receiving his Degrees at Oxford, and Padua, and his returning to his own Country, after many Travels abroad, & his refusing the pe­illous Honour, to be Physician to the Grand Segni­or; and yet coming to an untimely end in the midst of all his flourishing Circumstances. But then the Doctor makes his Acclamations, how much we are indebted unto him for his Good­ness in first Communicating so useful and un­known a method of safety from the Small Pox unto us!

The Doctor informing us from Timonius, of the way wherein the Inoculation of the Small-Pox [Page 3] is managed at Constantinople; he prefers it before the way used upon the Three Chil­dren of the French Consul (reported unto the Dr. by an English Merchant at Aleppo,) which the Dr. says had too much of the Fantastick in it; and adds, Two Incisions are enough, and the further from the Brain and the Heart the better. But that he might confirm apud nos Saluberrimum usum Inoculationis Variolarum, the most profitable use of the Inoculation of the Small Pox among Us, which is found so safe and innocent (as he expresses it) and prevails (he says) now so universally at Constantinople, as an Experience to be relied upon has now assured them all, the Dr. goes on to relate, that the Illustrious English Embassador at the Port (who, he says, must be a sufficient observer of the Danger in it, if there were any,) brought his only Son, and Heir, the Chief Treasure he had in the World, under the Inoculation. And the same illustrious Person, after his return home, that he might consult the Welfare of his own Honourable Family, and that ( they are the Doctors words) by his own Example he might animate others in so advantagious a thing to preserve their Offspring, he brought his little Daughter a Child of but Five Years old under the like Inoculation with two little Incisions, one on each Arm, (the last May,) by the hand of Dr. Maitland, who had performed the Operation on the Son before. The Success was alike happy in both of them. The Dr. [Page 4] says he himself was an Eye-witness of it; that the Young Lady had the Small Pox after the gen­tlest manner imaginable; so that she had no occasion to keep her Bed, and he could not count above a Dozen Pustules in her face, and those on her Body were so few, as not to be worth mentioning. This Eminent Physician, in short, highly commends the Practice; but presses, That the Diet of the Patients be thin, and moderate, forbearing Flesh, and Wine, and Spirituous Liquors; and all hot Medicines, and Cordials. He dreams nothing of its breed­ing the Plague, when he recommends it at the very Time (and in the very Book) when he is providing against the dangers of the Pestilence.

He adds, That at Constantinople, they tried by a Second and Third Inoculation, whether any more infection could be convey'd unto them that had once received it: And they could never bring it for to make the least im­pression. And he makes a just Remark upon it.

This Essay the Doctor dedicates to Sir Hans Sloane the President, and to the Electors (among whom we have the celebrated Name of Sir Richard Blackmore, a Person well-known in the World, for his Uncommon Piety as well as Erudition and Ingenuity,) and the Censors, and all the Fellows of that Renowned Body; and they all allowing of his Dedication, do in effect, bespeak a Reception of what he has offered.

This is a true Extract, from the Original now in my Hands. Increase Mather.

[Page 5]DR. Walter Harris (as I before noted) is a Man of Great Learning and Judgment; This Extract in English from his Excellent Discourse concerning Inoculation of the Small Pox, I have here Published, hoping that many will be con­vinced and Edified by it. And it is to be hoped that what is emitted herewith will be an effectual Antidote against a wicked Pamphlet Entituled, Inoculation of the Small Pox as practised in Boston: Considered in a Letter to A. S. &c. who the Author of it is, I do not know, only it is said it was written by one whose Name is Douglas: No Man can in ra­tional Charity think that the Author has the least spark of Grace in his heart, The trans­gression of the wicked says within my heart, there is no fear of God before his eyes; for in his Pamphlet there are many impudent and ma­licious Lies, and the whole design of it is to jeer and abuse the faithful Messengers of GOD, which is far from a sign of Piety. 2 Chron. 36.16. The Reverend Mr. Colman has published a very rational and useful Dis­course which this Douglas calls a Vain Book, and fleers at him for what he says of the Ino­culated, and many other things which he calls silly and cant. Also the Reverend Mr. William Cooper who is known to be a Minister of Great Abilities and Exemplary Piety, he doth by way of scorn call a Young Conscience keeper, and quoting a good passage from him, cries out, O Impiety! And whereas, I had mentioned as [Page 6] one reason of my approving Inoculation, that many Eminent Physicians in London did so, and that one of the Publick Prints had those words, Inoculation of the Small Pox is a safe and universally Useful Experiment, for this he [...]eers aud derides me, saying this is either a Dream, Second Sight, or a contrived story. As for Second Sight I never knew any that pre­tended to it, except a Scotch Wench whose Name was Jennet Douglas, whether she was related to this Douglas I know not.

It is observable that the great spite of this Man is against me and my Son; which is the more strange, considering that no Men have been so much respected and honoured by the most Eminent Ministers in Scotland, and by several Noblemen there, than we have been. But he is Degener a patria. If he returns to Scotland and shall abuse the Ministers there, as he has done here without doubt the Church there (to which such wickedness is detestable) would deliver him to Satan, for he deserves the highest Censure. He charges those that are for Inoculation to be guilty of Felony, and advises Dr. Boylstons Friends to bring him to his Tryal, while so many Judicious Magistrates and Ministers are in the humour of Inoculation. Thus doth he flout at Judicious Magistrates and Ministers for which he deserves to be scourged out of the Country. But will he charge Dr. Harris and other the Physicians in London with Felony?

[Page 7]While I am writing this, One has put into my hands the following Quaere, which I think proper to be here annexed.

☞ Suppose a Young Blade, a Practitioner in Physick should go from New-England over to Scotland, and being yet but a New Comer there, and meer stranger (kindly cherished & brought into Practice by the Charitable Ministers there) he should publish bitter and scoffing Satyrs mixed with gross Lies in matters of fact upon the most Eminent Ministers there, and call them an hundred times Contemtible Par­sons, Men destitute of Probity, destitute of Piety, unable to write any thing but what is vain, silly blundring; Men of wicked desires, and wicked designs, whimsical and unlearned Men, and Murderers of the People, and laugh at the People for being such Devotees to them, as to think such sorry Conscience Keepers worthy to be consulted in Cases of Conscience, and pro­pose to banish them out of Scotland, that there might be no more of their Praying, Preaching and Scribling there: And when his hand is in propose that what the said wicked Ministers have incouraged should be Prosecuted as Felony: But because the Magistrates of Scotland are wiser Men then to take the Law from him, then to scoff at them as Judicious Coxcombs, and as being in such an humour that no Justice can be expected from them: I say, in Scotland which is as well Governed [Page 8] as any Country we know under the Cope of Heaven, how would such a New-Englander be dealt withal? I don't ask, whither the Government would send him? But I ask how would the People (that love their Ministers, and they deserve it) look upon such a piece of wickedness!

A worthy Person who knows Scotland very well, said lately, that if Douglas should do by the Ministers in Scotland as he has done by those in New-England, they would put him into the Pillory, and after that the Peo­ple would show other Marks of their displea­sure at him.