Brady Collins
The eighteenth century saw the emergence of new methods of immunisation, with the first vaccine being demonstrated in 1796. This was the result of centuries of efforts to protect against deadly diseases, with practices such as variolation (the intentional exposure of healthy people to smallpox) dating back to at least the 15th century. In the eighteenth century, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu popularised variolation in Europe, and the first vaccine was developed by English physician Edward Jenner, who inoculated an eight-year-old boy, James Phipps, with matter collected from a cowpox sore. This breakthrough discovery paved the way for the development of vaccines, which have since helped protect against numerous diseases and saved countless lives.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of first vaccine | 1796 |
| Name of first vaccine | Smallpox vaccine |
| Creator of first vaccine | Dr. Edward Jenner |
| First person to be vaccinated | James Phipps |
| First vaccine tested on | Cowpox |
| Date of first human vaccination | July 1796 |
| First person to be vaccinated against smallpox | Phipps |
| Date of eradication of smallpox | 1980 |
| Time taken to eradicate smallpox | 3000 years |
| Number of deaths caused by smallpox | Hundreds of millions |
| Date of introduction of inoculation in Europe | 1721 |
| Person who introduced inoculation in Europe | Lady Mary Wortley Montagu |
| Person who discovered cowpox as a substitute for smallpox inoculation | Benjamin Jesty |
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What You'll Learn
The first smallpox vaccine
For centuries, humans have attempted to protect each other against deadly diseases. The first vaccine ever created was the smallpox vaccine, which was developed in the 18th century.
In 1721, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu brought smallpox inoculation to Europe, having observed the practice in Turkey. In 1774, Benjamin Jesty made a breakthrough by hypothesising that infection with cowpox could protect a person from smallpox.
In May 1796, English physician Dr Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps with matter collected from a cowpox sore on the hand of a milkmaid. Phipps had a reaction to the cowpox matter and felt unwell for several days but made a full recovery. This was the world's first vaccine demonstrated, using the same principle as variolation but with a less dangerous viral source, cowpox.
In July 1796, Jenner inoculated Phipps with matter from a human smallpox sore to test his resistance. Phipps remained in perfect health and became the first human to be vaccinated against smallpox. The smallpox vaccine was later transmitted from one person to another through arm-to-arm vaccination from 1796 to the 1880s. The term 'vaccine' was coined from the Latin word for cow, 'vacca'.
The smallpox vaccine is administered by multiple punctures of the skin (scarification) with a bifurcated needle that holds the vaccine solution in the fork. The skin should be cleaned with water rather than alcohol, as alcohol could inactivate the vaccinia virus. After 2-3 weeks, the scab will fall off, leaving behind a vaccine scar. First-generation vaccines consist of live, unattenuated vaccinia virus, which can cause side effects such as high fever and difficulty sleeping.
The smallpox vaccine has gone through several generations of medical technology. Calf lymph vaccine became the leading smallpox vaccine in the 1880s, and second-generation vaccines were grown in a more sterile environment using chicken embryos. The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a global vaccination campaign from 1958 to 1977 that eradicated smallpox, making it the only human disease to be eradicated.
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Variolation
The eighteenth century saw the practice of variolation, also known as inoculation, to prevent smallpox. Variolation was a technique that involved the deliberate infection of an individual with smallpox, in the hope that they would contract a mild form of the disease and become immune to it. The origins of the practice are believed to be in Asia, in either China or India, and it was introduced to Europe in 1721 by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who had observed the procedure in the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey).
In China, scabs from smallpox pustules were dried in the sun and then inhaled by those seeking inoculation. This method reduced the amount of viable virus and, thus, the inoculated person would hopefully not develop severe smallpox symptoms. In India, a similar method was used as in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, where the pus from a pustule of someone recovering from smallpox would be transferred into the arm of a healthy person using a lance. Both methods had to be performed by someone experienced in the procedure.
By the late eighteenth century, Edward Jenner discovered a safer technique than variolation, known as vaccination. In May 1796, he inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps with matter collected from a cowpox sore, and Phipps made a full recovery despite some temporary side effects. Jenner later inoculated Phipps with matter from a human smallpox sore, and Phipps remained in perfect health, becoming the first human to be vaccinated against smallpox.
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Inoculation
In the late 18th century, Edward Jenner discovered a safer immunising technique than variolation, which is vaccination. He noticed that cows contracted a similar disease to smallpox, which was later named cowpox. In May 1796, Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps with matter collected from a cowpox sore on the hand of a milkmaid. Phipps suffered a local reaction and felt unwell for several days but made a full recovery. Jenner inoculated Phipps again, but this time with fresh matter from a smallpox lesion, and noted that Phipps did not acquire the disease, proving he was protected.
Jenner's discovery of the smallpox vaccine was a breakthrough in the history of vaccines. It was the world's first vaccine, and smallpox was eradicated in 1980 after 3000 years of infecting humans.
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Edward Jenner's discovery
For centuries, humans have sought ways to protect themselves from deadly diseases. From the 15th century onwards, people in different parts of the world attempted to prevent illness by intentionally exposing healthy people to smallpox, a practice known as variolation.
In the 18th century, English physician Edward Jenner, often regarded as the father of immunology and vaccination, made a groundbreaking discovery that changed the course of medicine. Jenner's work built upon the existing knowledge of variolation and transformed it into a safer and more effective procedure, now known as vaccination.
Jenner's interest in finding a safer alternative to variolation stemmed from his personal experience with the procedure as a boy and his understanding of the risks associated with it. He was also influenced by country-lore, which suggested that people who contracted cowpox from cows were immune to smallpox. Cowpox is a mild viral infection in cows characterised by a few weeping spots on their udders, which occasionally milkmaids would catch.
In May 1796, Jenner's hypothesis was put to the test when he examined a dairymaid, Sarah Nelmes, who had a rash on her hand. He diagnosed her with cowpox, and she confirmed that one of her cows had recently exhibited the same symptoms. Recognising the opportunity to test the protective properties of cowpox, Jenner selected James Phipps, the eight-year-old son of his gardener, as his subject. Jenner introduced material from the cowpox sore on Sarah's hand into James' body, and the boy developed a mild case of cowpox but recovered within a week.
To further test his theory, Jenner inoculated James with matter from a human smallpox sore in July 1796. Remarkably, James remained in perfect health, proving that he was immune to smallpox. This experiment marked the creation of the world's first successful vaccine and the first scientific attempt to control an infectious disease through deliberate vaccination. Jenner's discovery not only revolutionised the fight against infectious diseases but also laid the foundation for the field of modern immunology.
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The anti-vaccine movement
The first vaccines were created in the eighteenth century, with the first vaccine being demonstrated in May 1796. This was the smallpox vaccine, created by English physician Edward Jenner. However, the concept of inoculation has been around for much longer, with the first recorded instance of inoculation being in the 15th century. In the eighteenth century, vaccines for cholera and yellow fever were also reported.
In the eighteenth century, the practice of inoculation against smallpox was imported to Europe from the Ottoman Empire by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of an English ambassador to Constantinople. This practice was met with opposition from some members of the medical community, who were reluctant to abandon the more dangerous method of inoculating with the smallpox pustule.
Even after the creation of the smallpox vaccine, there was still opposition to it. In the nineteenth century, Dr Albert G. Mackey's letters provide a glimpse into the attitudes and practices of medical professionals at the time, with issues surrounding vaccine mandates sparring against the greater American principles of self-reliance, independence, and autonomy over one's body.
Today, critics of vaccines in Western countries argue that the complex production techniques, including those that use genetic engineering, have led to skyrocketing prices for vaccines. They also argue that the often financially hazy relationship between states and the global pharmaceutical industry is cause for concern, as four major laboratories produce most of the vaccines currently available.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the eighteenth century saw the development of vaccines for cholera and yellow fever. However, the world's first vaccine, created by English physician Edward Jenner, was demonstrated in 1796, in the nineteenth century.
The first vaccine was for smallpox.
The eighteenth century saw the implementation of a new process of immunization, vaccination, which required the inoculation of fresh matter from cowpox lesions into the skin of healthy individuals.
The development of the smallpox vaccine was a major breakthrough in the history of medicine. It led to the eradication of smallpox, a disease that had caused death and suffering for thousands of years.
