|
Unlike some diseases that remained highly contagious, deadly, and impervious to human intervention, smallpox yielded to human treatment and prevention. It must have been observed that people who survived smallpox, were immune to future infections. Probably from this came the idea of deliberate inoculation in which people were infected with smallpox - a mild case it was hoped. Inoculation or variolation (as it was called in the West after the Latin term for smallpox, variola) was practiced in the East for many centuries before it made its way to Europe in the early 18th century. Inoculation in the West
Montagu, Mary Wortley, Lady, 1689-1762. Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montague, written during her travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa; to which are added poems by the same author. Bordeaux, J. Pinard, 1805.) Inoculation was discussed by those interested in science and medicine. In his Letters concerning the English nation Voltaire (1694-1778) discusses inoculation. (Voltaire. Letters concerning the English nation. / By Mr. de Voltaire. London, : Printed for C. Davis ... and A. Lyon ..., 1733).
|
Lady Mary Wortley Montague (1689-1762) was an English aristocrat who was struck with smallpox in 1715. She recovered but was deeply pockmarked. Her younger brother died of smallpox. As the wife of the British Ambassador Extraordinary to the Ottoman Empire, she traveled with him to the East. There she discovered that the ancient practice of inoculation was practiced. She wrote in 
Thomas Dimsdale (1712-1800), an English physician, achieved success through variolation. He achieved some renown by inoculating Empress Catherine the Great of Russia and her 14 year old son, the Grand Duke Paul in 1768. In his