ABSTRACT
In 1799, William Close introduced smallpox vaccination to the Lake District only three years after its discovery by Edward Jenner. The very open experiment established the efficacy of the vaccine and for five years the locality remained free of smallpox due to Close’s efforts. As well as being committed to his medical role Close contributed significantly to the fields of engineering and physics. With the advent of the industrial revolution Barrow became an early centre for ship building and the mining of slate, coal, copper, iron ore and saltpetre. Experienced players could achieve additional notes by using ‘lipping’ technique, but this was a challenge for novice players and Close was keen to find a solution. The advent of printing reduced the need for stand-alone inks but Close believed that important documents should be preserved where possible so he began experimenting with a range of recipes.
