Smallpox: The fight begins

against infectious diseases.

 What we will learn today:
1. Why was smallpox so deadly.
2. Who was Edward Jenner.
3. What was his theory?
4. What was the significance of his idea.
 Smallpox
• In the eighteenth century, smallpox was a
killer disease.
• The victims who contracted the disease
had frightening symptoms.
• The symptoms were a high fever, sores
over the body and when the disease
spread to the organs it was a certain
death.
• People who survived were terribly scarred.
 Inoculation
• One idea to combat
smallpox was
inoculation.
• This was when
people deliberately
infected themselves
with a weakened
version.
• It did not often work.
Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823)
• Doctor from rural
Gloucestershire.
• Studied under a great
doctor (James Hunter) in
scientific observations.
• Jenner noted that an old
tale that milk maids did not
catch smallpox appeared to
be true.
 The Theory in Practice
• In 1796, Jenner decided to test out his
theory by experimentation. He heeded the
words of his mentor John Hunter “don’t
think – try the experiment.”
• He needed two things for his experiment.
• Someone who has never had either
cowpox or smallpox.
• And the diseases
 The experiment
• Sarah Nelmes,
milkmaid had
cowpox matter
taken from her
hand and placed
via a cut into
James Phipps, an
8 year old.
 The experiment
• The boy caught cowpox
and was ill. Six weeks
later, he was given
smallpox by Jenner.
• He had no symptoms – he
was vaccinated.
• The term Vaccination
comes from Vacca
meaning cow – Blossom
the cow was famous!
 Reaction
1. Not everyone welcomed it.
1. Some people thought that they would turn
into cows
2. Others argued that as Jenner did not know
why it worked they feared it would not.
3. Doctors who got rich by inoculation did not
like it.
Reaction to smallpox vaccine
 Long term reaction
• By 1800, 100,000 people had been
vaccinated.
• Napoleon vaccinated his entire army in
1805.
• In 1980, smallpox was deemed to have
been eradicated by the WHO (World
Health Organisation).