| Description Of Item | The letter concerns Thomson's work 'Observations on Varioloid Diseases'. Thomson had included a letter from Abercrombie in the book with remarks on it and Abercrombie goes through those remarks in the seven points in his letter. The points concern the number of cases of smallpox and varicella [chicken pox] Abercrombie had seen in Edinburgh, Scotland; the impact of vaccination on someone who had had smallpox; and the efficacy of vaccination. He mentions the work of his colleague Mr Bryce and the observations of Dr Van Swieten and Dr Heim. |