I think this was the first mention of vaccinations in the covered wagon diaries. Which vaccine isn’t stated explicitly, but if Wikipedia is to be believed, it would have to have been for smallpox, because that was the only vaccine in existence in 1852. I’m assuming that what Lucy means is that her daughter was vaccinated by “arm to arm” contact with someone–Richard W.–who had already been vaccinated and had developed pustules around the vaccine site. By rubbing the infected area against the skin of an uninfected person, the second person–Lucy’s dear babe–would then develop a minor infection and so become immune to the disease.
April 19th 1852
My dear babe was vaccinated from Richard W it was only done in one place but it has taken nicely so I’m glad I only had it once R W had 3 & it made his arm dreadful bad. Tell Mrs Wright Ma is not afraid to use cold water at such a time for R W’s arm was in such an inflamation that she had to keep putting wet cloths to it all one night.
Thursday Afternoon
Dear M my little babe is so sick I was up all night with her she takes little or no nourishment & what she does she throws up directly poor babe she moans all the time & is in a high fever We think perhaps it proceeds from her vaccination
Cooke, Lucy Rutledge, 1827-1915, Letter from Lucy Rutledge Cooke to Marianne Rutledge Willis, April 19, 1852, in Covered Wagon Women: Diaries & Letters from the Western Trails, vol. 4: 1952: The California Trail. Holmes, Kenneth L., ed. & comp. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.
red paper boat 