What are some accomplishments of Edward Jenner?
Publications
- An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolæ Vaccinæ
- Further Observations on the Variolæ Vaccinæ, or Cow-Pox.
- A Continuation of Facts and Observations relative to the Variolæ Vaccinæ 40pgs
- The Origin of the Vaccine Inoculation
How did Edward Jenner discover smallpox?
Suggestions for further research
- Edward Jenner, An inquiry into the causes and effect of the Variole Vaccinae, 1798
- Herve Bazin, The Eradication of Smallpox, 2000
- Gareth Williams, Paralysed with Fear: The Story of Polio, 2013
- Robert Gaynes, Germ Theory: Medical Pioneers in Infectious Diseases, 2011
What did Edward Jenner discover?
English physician Edward Jenner (1749-1823) discovered that individuals who had contracted cowpox, a mild disease often spread to human beings by contact with the teats and udders of cows, were resistant to smallpox infection, and he came to believe that cowpox matter could be transmitted from one person to another, conferring immunity to smallpox.
What did Edward Jenner create?
edward jenner to create vaccination, the first vaccine for smallpox. Jenner did this by inoculating james . A single blister rose up on the . The basis for vaccination began in 1796 when the english doctor edward jenner noticed that milkmaids who had gotten cowpox were protected .
Who discovered the smallpox vaccine?
Edward Jenner was the first to create, and promote, the smallpox vaccine, pulling together ideas from medicine and farm culture.
Who was Edward Jenner?
Edward Jenner was an English doctor who was born in Gloucestershire in 1749 and lived to 74 - an impressive age for his time - before dying in 1823.
Who was the first person to receive the smallpox vaccine?
James Phipps, the nine-year-old son of Edward Jenner’s gardener, was the first person to be given the smallpox vaccine, on May 14, 1796.
When was smallpox endemic?
The map shows the worldwide distribution of smallpox and the countries in which it was endemic in 1945. Source: CDC, photo credit Dr. Michael Schwartz. After a global eradication campaign that lasted more than 20 years, the 33rd World Health Assembly declares the world free of smallpox in 1980.
Who was the first doctor to show the effectiveness of cowpox?
In 1796, Edward Jenner , an English doctor, shows the effectiveness of previous cowpox infection in protecting people from smallpox, forming the basis for vaccination. Edward Jenner (1749–1823). Photo courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. 20th Century.
When did the British ban the worship of Shapona?
Even though the British colonial rulers banned the worship of Shapona in 1907, worship of the deity continued. Source: CDC, photo credit James Gathany. European colonization and the African slave trade import smallpox into the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Where did smallpox spread?
Smallpox spreads to Asia Minor, the area of present-day Turkey. The map shows the Ottoman Empire in 1801, which then extended from Turkey (Anatolia) to Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, as well as northern Africa and parts of Middle East.
Does red light cure smallpox?
A myth commonly believed around the world advocated that red light would cure smallpox. In Japan, families who fell sick with smallpox set up shrines to the “smallpox demon” in their homes with the hope they would appease the demon and be cured.
When did smallpox first appear?
SMALLPOX: THE ORIGIN OF A DISEASE. The origin of smallpox as a natural disease is lost in prehistory. It is believed to have appeared around 10,000 BC, at the time of the first agricultural settlements in northeastern Africa (3, 4).
What was the first part of the theory that cows have smallpox?
In the first part Jenner presented his view regarding the origin of cowpox as a disease of horses transmitted to cows. The theory was discredited during Jenner's lifetime. He then presented the hypothesis that infection with cowpox protects against subsequent infection with smallpox.
What did Mather do in 1721?
When a ship from the West Indies carried persons sick with smallpox into Boston in 1721 , an epidemic broke out in Boston and other parts of Massachusetts. Mather wrote a cautious letter recommending immediate variolation.
What was the case fatality rate in the 1800s?
The case-fatality rate in infants was even higher, approaching 80% in London and 98% in Berlin during the late 1800s. The word variolawas commonly used for smallpox and had been introduced by Bishop Marius of Avenches (near Lausanne, Switzerland) in AD570.
How did Sydenham treat his patients?
Sydenham (1624–1689) treated his patients by allowing no fire in the room, leaving the windows permanently open, drawing the bedclothes no higher than the patient's waist, and administering “twelve bottles of small beer every twenty-four hours” (10).
What was the first major event that caused the decline of the Roman Empire?
The first stages of the decline of the Roman Empire (AD108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic: the plague of Antonine, which accounted for the deaths of almost 7 million people (6). The Arab expansion, the Crusades, and the discovery of the West Indies all contributed to the spread of the disease.
Where did the word "pocke" come from?
It is derived from the Latin word varius, meaning “stained,” or from varus, meaning “mark on the skin.”. The term small pockes(pockemeaning sac) was first used in England at the end of the 15th century to distinguish the disease from syphilis, which was then known as the great pockes (8).
Why was smallpox important to Europe?
The establishment of the disease in Europe was of special importance, for this served as the endemic reservoir from which smallpox spread to other parts of the world, as an accompaniment of successive waves of European exploration and colonization.
Who suggested that the Royal Marines used smallpox as a biological weapon?
Likewise David Day , in Claiming a Continent: A New History of Australia (2001), suggested that members of Sydney's garrison of Royal Marines may have attempted to use smallpox as a biological weapon in 1789. However, in 2002, historian John Connor stated that Day's theory was "unsustainable".
What was the sole method of protection against smallpox other than quarantine?
Variolation was the sole method of protection against smallpox other than quarantine until Jenner's discovery of the inoculating abilities of cowpox against the smallpox virus in 1796. Efforts to protect populations against smallpox by way of vaccination followed for centuries after Jenner's discovery.
How did smallpox come to Australia?
Smallpox was externally brought to Australia. The first recorded outbreak, in April 1789, about 16 months after the arrival of the First Fleet, devastated the Aboriginal population. Governor Phillip said that about half of the people living around Sydney Cove died during the outbreak, while later estimates have been higher. There is an ongoing debate as part of the "History wars" concerning two main rival theories about how the disease first entered the continent. (Another hypothesis suggested that the French brought it in 1788, but the timeline does not fit.) The central hypotheses of these theories suggest that smallpox was transmitted to Indigenous Australians by either: 1 the First Fleet of British settlers to arrive in the Colony of New South Wales, who arrived in January 1788 (whether deliberately or accidentally); or 2 Makassan mariners visiting northern Australia.
Where did variolation originate?
The practice of variolation (also known as inoculation) first came out of East Asia. First writings documenting variolation in China appear around 1500. Scabs from smallpox victims who had the disease in its mild form would be selected, and the powder was kept close to body temperature by means of keeping it close to the chest, killing the majority of the virus and resulting in a more mild case of smallpox. Scabs were generally used when a month old, but could be used more quickly in hot weather (15–20 days), and slower in winter (50 days). The process was carried out by taking eight smallpox scabs and crushing them in a mortar with two grains of Uvularia grandiflora in a mortar. The powder was administered nasally through a silver tube that was curved at its point, through the right nostril for boys and the left nostril for girls. A week after the procedure, those variolated would start to produce symptoms of smallpox, and recovery was guaranteed. In India, where the European colonizers came across variolation in the 17th century, a large, sharp needle was dipped into the pus collected from mature smallpox sores. Several punctures with this needle were made either below the deltoid muscle or in the forehead, and then were covered with a paste made from boiled rice. Variolation spread farther from India to other countries in south west Asia, and then to the Balkans.
What was the name of the disease that killed millions of natives in Mexico?
Mexico, Central America, South America. Smallpox kills millions of native inhabitants of Mexico. Unintentionally introduced at Veracruz with the arrival of Panfilo de Narvaez on April 23, 1520 and was credited with the victory of Cortes over the Aztec empire at Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) in 1521.
What was the name of the island that was wiped out by the Pohnpeian people?
The whaler ship Delta brought smallpox to the Micronesian island of Pohnpei on 28 February 1854. The Pohnpeians reacted by first feasting their offended spirits and then resorted hiding. The disease eventually wiped out more than half the island's population. The deaths of chiefs threw Pohnpeian society into disarray, and the people started blaming the God of the Christian missionaries. The Christian missionaries themselves saw the epidemic as God's punishment for the people and offered the natives inoculations, though often withheld such treatment from the priests. The epidemic abated in October 1854.
When did the timeline end for Smallpox?
Move the circle along the timeline to see how smallpox cases changed over time. The timeline ends in 1977, as smallpox was eradicated from most of the world by then. Interactive image by ourworldindata.org.
How many people died from smallpox in 1796?
Variolation came with risks, however as 2-3% of variolated people would die from the infection. It was a risk worth taking as in 18 th century Europe, 400,000 people were dying annually because of smallpox. But in 1796, that all changed.
How old was Jenner when he got cowpox?
Using fluid from her lesions, Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy with cowpox. A few months later, he inoculated him with smallpox and noted a much less severe response than normal. He responded as if he had already had cowpox or smallpox. Testing him again a few months later, the boy showed no response to smallpox.
What is the name of the disease that causes bumps on the body?
The doctor told them to leave her mother’s room and wait in the living room. Smallpox is a deadly disease that causes raised bumps, often called lesions.
What did Pasteur think about the germ theory?
The germ theory basically states that many diseases are caused by microorganisms too small to see with an unaided eye.
Why does the doctor ask the children to go to their aunt's house?
He tells the children that their mother is very sick and may not survive. He asks that they go to their aunt’s house to avoid being contaminated themselves.
Does cowpox protect you?
However, an inoculation with cowpox was less severe, and provided protection from smallpox. Image by the CDC. Jenner’s experiment, plus a few repeated experiments, showed that an inoculation with cowpox (which prouduced a less severe response to cowpox) could indeed protect someone from smallpox.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
The Smallpox story leads many people to believe that it was Edward Jenner who ‘discovered’ the concept of immunity and went on to invent vaccination.
WHO WAS EDWARD JENNER?
Edward Jenner was a British physician born in 1749 in a village called Berkeley in Gloucestershire. He attended grammar school in Cirencester and at the age of 16, he apprenticed to Mr. Ludlow, a surgeon operating near Bristol [6].
EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE
Important facts are often left out of the mainstream narrative regarding smallpox and one of them is the massive resistance to Jenner’s vaccine in the UK and abroad. As time went on, it became apparent that Jenner’s vaccine was not responsible for the decline in smallpox cases.
SMALLPOX and MODERN SCIENCE
Now it is worth discussing certain aspects of the smallpox narrative within the context of more recent scientific research. First is the notion that smallpox was a “highly contagious” and extremely deadly disease. Despite many sources claiming this to be the case, current wisdom holds that smallpox was not a highly infectious disease [40] [41].
When was smallpox first inoculated?
The first clear reference to smallpox inoculation was made by the Chinese author Wan Quan (1499–1582) in his Dòuzhěn xīnfǎ (痘疹心法) published in 1549, with earliest hints of the practice in China during the 10th century. In China, powdered smallpox scabs were blown up the noses of the healthy. People would then develop a mild case of the disease and from then on were immune to it. The technique did have a 0.5–2.0% mortality rate, but that was considerably less than the 20–30% mortality rate of the disease itself. Two reports on the Chinese practice of inoculation were received by the Royal Society in London in 1700; one by Dr. Martin Lister who received a report by an employee of the East India Company stationed in China and another by Clopton Havers. Voltaire (1742) reports that the Chinese had practiced smallpox inoculation "these hundred years". Variolation had also been witnessed in Turkey by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who later introduced it in the UK.
How long ago did smallpox first appear?
The date of the appearance of smallpox is not settled. It most probably evolved from a terrestrial African rodent virus between 68,000 and 16,000 years ago . The wide range of dates is due to the different records used to calibrate the molecular clock. One clade was the Variola major strains (the more clinically severe form of smallpox) which spread from Asia between 400 and 1,600 years ago. A second clade included both Alastrim minor (a phenotypically mild smallpox) described from the American continents and isolates from West Africa which diverged from an ancestral strain between 1,400 and 6,300 years before present. This clade further diverged into two subclades at least 800 years ago.
What is the name of the disease that causes black pox?
Hemorrhagic smallpox is a severe form accompanied by extensive bleeding into the skin, mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, and viscera. This form develops in approximately 2 percent of infections and occurs mostly in adults. Pustules do not typically form in hemorrhagic smallpox. Instead, bleeding occurs under the skin, making it look charred and black, hence this form of the disease is also referred to as variola nigra or "black pox." Hemorrhagic smallpox has very rarely been caused by Variola minor. While bleeding may occur in mild cases and not affect outcomes, hemorrhagic smallpox is typically fatal.
What is the last wild case of smallpox?
Frequency. Eradicated (last wild case in 1977) Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The agent of variola virus (VARV) belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus.
How long does it take for a smallpox rash to develop?
Smallpox virus tended to attack skin cells, causing the characteristic pimples, or macules, associated with the disease. A rash developed on the skin 24 to 48 hours after lesions on the mucous membranes appeared.
How many people died from smallpox in the 20th century?
Smallpox is estimated to have killed up to 300 million people in the 20th century and around 500 million people in the last 100 years of its existence, including six monarchs. As recently as 1967, 15 million cases occurred a year. Inoculation for smallpox appears to have started in China around the 1500s.
What is the definition of smallpox?
The clinical definition of ordinary smallpox is an illness with acute onset of fever equal to or greater than 38.3 °C (101 °F) followed by a rash characterized by firm, deep-seated vesicles or pustules in the same stage of development without other apparent cause. When a clinical case was observed, smallpox was confirmed using laboratory tests.
Overview
Eradication
Eurasian epidemics
African epidemics
Epidemics in the Americas
Early in history, it was observed that those who had contracted smallpox once were never struck by the disease again. Thought to have been discovered by accident, it became known that those who contracted smallpox through a break in the skin in which smallpox matter was inserted received a less severe reaction than those who contracted it naturally. This realization led to the prac…
Pacific epidemics
It has been suggested that smallpox was a major component of the Plague of Athens that occurred in 430 BCE, during the Peloponnesian Wars, and was described by Thucydides.
Galen's description of the Antonine Plague, which swept through the Roman Empire in 165–180 CE, indicates that it was probably caused by smallpox. Returning soldiers picked up the disease in Seleucia (in modern Iraq), and brought it home with them to Syria and Italy. It raged for fifteen ye…
Further reading
Smallpox is exogenous to Africa. One of the oldest records of what may have been an encounter with smallpox in Africa is associated with the elephant war circa AD 568 CE, when after fighting a siege in Mecca, Ethiopian troops contracted the disease which they carried with them back to Africa.
Arab ports in Coastal towns in Africa likely contributed to the importation of s…
External links
After first contacts with Europeans and Africans, some believe that the death of 90–95% of the native population of the New World was caused by Old World diseases. It is suspected that smallpox was the chief culprit and responsible for killing nearly all of the native inhabitants of the Americas. For more than 200 years, this disease affected all new world populations, mostly without intentional European transmission, from contact in the early 16th century until possibly …