Inoculations are done to protect you from harmful diseases.
1796, in England
By using the method of inoculation.
Lauchlin Macleane has written: 'An essay on the expediency of inoculation and the seasons most proper for it' -- subject(s): Vaccination, Smallpox, Inoculation
mass inoculation
· He noticed that milkmaids, frequently exposed to cowpox from milking animals, were immune to smallpox. · He infected an eight year old boy named James Phipps with smallpox inoculation, but using material from a cowpox pustule. He was completely unaffected. · Discovered vaccination for small pox
Edward Jenner did not discover germs, he developed vaccination for smallpox (using cowpox pustules) which was much safer than the inoculation for smallpox (using smallpox pustules) then in use. However he had no idea what actually caused smallpox, only that it was something invisible in the pus from the pustules.
Actually smallpox inoculation had been done for more than 3000 years before Jenner in India and other places. It involved using pustules from a recovering smallpox victim to induce what was hoped to be a mild case of smallpox and immunity. However sometimes inoculation caused a full blown case of smallpox with all the scarring and occasionally death. But people were familiar with it and felt they understood its benefits and risks. Jenner introduced vaccination involving pustules from cows (in Latin vacca) with active cowpox. People were neither familiar or comfortable with this new method. Perhaps it might not produce immunity as effectively or long lasting as successful inoculation did. Might it produce unexpected side effects? Nobody (including Jenner) knew for certain and many rumors about vaccination began circulating.
Well, well, well, look who's curious! Inoculation was invented in the 10th century in China. So, if you're looking to thank someone for saving your butt from smallpox, you can start with those ancient Chinese folks.
John Addington has written: 'Practical observations on the inoculation of the cow-pox' -- subject(s): Vaccination, Vaccinia, Smallpox
Edmund Massey has written: 'A sermon against the dangerous and sinful practice of inoculation' -- subject(s): Vaccination, Smallpox
The story of vaccines did not begin with Edward Jenner’s use of material from cowpox for protection against smallpox. The Chinese employed smallpox inoculation as early as 1000 CE.Louis Pasteur produced the first laboratory-developed vaccine for chicken cholera.
George Washington saved his men from smallpox by implementing a strategy of inoculation during the Revolutionary War. In 1777, he ordered the inoculation of his troops with a controlled exposure to the virus, which aimed to build immunity and prevent widespread outbreaks. This proactive approach significantly reduced the impact of smallpox on his army, allowing them to remain more effective in battle and ultimately contributing to their success in the war. Washington's decision marked an early example of using vaccination as a public health measure.