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Article: Smallpox Vaccination
- Article from:
- American Eras
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Gale Research Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Smallpox Vaccination
Source
The Scourge
. Smallpox was a deadly fact of life in early America, just as it had been in Europe for centuries. It came to the United States among the first settlers
—
and every ship that visited from Europe or the West Indies had the potential for starting another epidemic. Little was known about the disease, and nothing could be done about it except to fast and pray: smallpox was God
’
s punishment.
Early Immunization
. One fact about smallpox was understood: people who contracted the disease and survived were thereafter immune to it. A crude method of inoculation had developed (possibly in India or Africa) but was rarely used in Europe: inject ...