Like Elizabeth Cellier , Nihell claims authority for women from ancient history. It was probably Eve, she says, not Adam, who delivered the first human babies. The mother of Socrates was a midwife, and inoculation for smallpox was a female invention. Midwives know enough anatomy for their purposes, though they need training from their youth in the female art of touching or internal examination. They preserve women's modesty and understand that a midwife needs patience while a woman in labour needs to be cherished, comforted, inheartened. Many of her central points have particular resonance for later feminists: Art should aim at imitating Nature.Mothers can speak for themselves—though, she adds, children cannot. Women must assume liberty enough of mind to shake off the dangerous yoke of masculinist thinking; they must cease to be the dupes . . . of that scientific jargon, employed to throw its learned dust in their eyes.

In her poems she mentions her early friendship and admiration for Richard Valpy , polymath headmaster of Reading School , and Henry Moyes , a scientist and lecturer of Scottish origin (whose intellectual attainments were the more remarkable since he was totally blind from a childhood attack of smallpox). Moyes died in 1807.

FLN and her sister Elizabeth Freke did much visiting back and forth. It was in Frances's London house that her nephew Ralph went through smallpox in August 1684, and that Elizabeth sought refuge during the anxious period of Monmouth's rebellion in July 1685. Lady Norton's house in Somerset was also much frequented by the Freke family, often as a staging post on journeys back and forth between Norfolk and Ireland. In July 1704 she had Ralph Freke there with his wife, to whom she gave a necklace worth a hundred pounds; Elizabeth was there in August 1709. When Ralph and his wife had a daughter in April 1712, Frances and her sister Elizabeth were godparents together, and the baby was named Grace. The year after this Elizabeth remarked on my deer sister Norton giveing my son and daughters rude family the freedome of her house.

A severe epidemic of smallpox resulted in 3,500 deaths in London, more than seventeen per cent of all recorded deaths this year.

At Yetminster in Dorset during a smallpox epidemic, a farmer named Benjamin Jesty transferred cowpox matter from cattle into scratches in the arms of his wife and two small sons.

Epidemics of smallpox ran through the United Kingdom, killing over 42,000 people, mostly babies and young children.

Smallpox seemed to go forth like a Destroying Angel in England.

The smallpox vaccination method established by Edward Jenner was coming into use around the world; in England about 100,000 people had been vaccinated, and the annual smallpox death rate (which had averaged about 3,000 per million inhabitants) sank to about 1,173 in 1802 and 622 in 1804.

An epidemic of smallpox resulted in 42,000 deaths in England and Wales.

Queen Mary died of smallpox during a severe epidemic, leaving her husband, William , to reign alone.

An epidemic of smallpox in Norwich led doctors to strengthen their demand for compulsory vaccination.

The first alleged death from smallpox inoculation followed by only four days the inoculation of two royal princesses (daughters of Princess Caroline ).

Resistance to mandatory smallpox vaccination increased, particularly in the North of England, notwithstanding an epidemic in 1871-72.

After some years of investigating the protection given by cowpox against smallpox, Edward Jenner carried out his first, experimental cowpox injection of a healthy young boy. His subject showed no reaction when later inoculated with smallpox.

The World Health Organization 's Resolution 33.3 recorded the global eradication of smallpox (announced the previous December).

Isla Stewart assumed the post of matron at the smallpox camps in Darenth near Dartford, Kent.

The Royal Philanthropic Expedition set sail in three ships from La Coruna, to carry the practice of vaccination against smallpox to Spanish possessions in South America and Spanish outposts in China (Canton) and Macao).