ger the Lives of many others? Either that Disease must be declared not infectious, or the Consequence is unavoidable; and though he has made Provision for himself, and by that Means has undergone a mild and safe Distemper, yet, as I said before, when the Infection spreads in the Neighbourhood, many may be seized with a dangerous and fatal Kind: And one would think that this Reflection should stagger a Man of Prudence and Virtue, and make him hesitate and consider well with himself, before he ventures upon a Practice, that seems a great Breach of Christian Charity, and a Violation of Justice.
After all it must be acknowledged, that though the Operators were inconsiderate and rash in their boastful Promises, yet if it can be made appear, that their Method has produced a safe and mild Kind far more frequently than Nature alone, or assisted, has done; that they never propagate the dangerous Confluent Sort, and that exceeding few have miscarried, if compared with the immense Number, that have escaped: If this Comparison, I say, be adjusted, between Nature and the inoculating Art, and by a regular Calculation, the Amount is so much superior on the Inoculator’s Side, then indeed a great deal might be said to encourage this Operation; but to proceed in this Computation by a reasonable Method, it must be considered first, what great Numbers recover by Nature singly, or assisted by Art, with-
