Simviation Forum - Vaccination !!

Dec 29^th, 2003 at 10:07am

Professor Brensec Offline
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Just a fact, that's little known, that may start of a worthwhile discussion about something Historical (other than my WWII...............lol Grin

)

Did you know that the word 'vaccine' comes from the Latin for 'Cow' (Vaccus - I think I recall).
The reason. The very first (successful) vaccination took place on a young boy, during a 'Small Pox epidemic (from which literally millions always died and more millions were horribly disfigured).
The inventor (name escapes me), found that 'Milk Maids' did not get small pox during even the most virulent epidemics, so he surmised that as they had all contracted 'Cowpox' (a far less harmful and non-disfiguring illness), that this must be the answer.

The boy was 'vaccinated' with 'cow pox' antibodies.

The inventor named the 'successful process' after the Cow. Grin

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Reply #1 - Dec 29^th, 2003 at 10:16am

Hagar Offline
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So do you know the name of that inventor?

Quote:

Edward Jenner was born in 1749 in Gloucestershire, England. He was the youngest son of the vicar of Berkeley. When he was twelve years old, he served as a surgeon's apprentice. He received a medical degree from St. Andrew's University in 1792 and became a successful physician and surgeon.

Dr. Jenner freely provided his technique to the medical community and promoted the practice of vaccination, which was adopted in most of the world. In 1802, he was awarded 10,000 sterling by the British Parliament and a few years later, 20,000 sterling. Jenner vaccinated the poor free of charge in a thatched hut, which he called his Temple of Vaccinia. For the rest of his life, he performed many scientific experiments, made detailed observations of birds and mammals, wrote medical articles and treated his patients

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Reply #2 - Dec 29^th, 2003 at 2:08pm

Professor Brensec Offline
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Quote:

So do you know the name of that inventor?

Thanks mate. As I said, I couldn't recall the name. I could have looked it up, but........................lazy I ; suppose...... Grin

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Reply #3 - Dec 29^th, 2003 at 2:13pm

Hagar Offline
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Did you spot this?
Quote:

he was awarded 10,000 sterling by the British Parliament and a few years later, 20,000 sterling.

It seems the British government appreciated & rewarded their pioneers in those days. A very different story to how they were treated in the 20th century. What happened? ???

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Reply #4 - Dec 29^th, 2003 at 4:16pm

Air-Geko Offline
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There were two people heavily involved with vaccinations -- Edward Jenner (obviously a man) and another woman who I recall was in South Africa (?). If I remember correct, she went to far as to vaccinate her son, but because she was a woman and not a part of the medical "old boys network" she didn't recieve her due. Man, I listen to waaaayyyyy too much NPR...

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Reply #5 - Dec 29^th, 2003 at 4:28pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
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Interesting topic...

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/montagu-smallpox.html

"Modern History Sourcebook:
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762): Smallpox Vaccination in Turkey

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 1717 Lady Montague arrived with her husband, the British ambassador, at the court of the Ottoman Empire. She wrote voluminously of her travels. In this selection she noted that the local practice of deliberately stimulating a mild form of the disease through innoculation conferred immunity. She had the procedure performed on both her children. By the end of the eighteenth century, the English physician Edwardjenner was able to cultivate a serum in cattle, which, when used in human vaccination, eventually led to the worldwide eradication of the illness.
"

(Emphasis mine)

So it appears that Jenner either scientifically verified the practice, or could it have been a case of "independent observation" ??? Could Jenner have heard of or read Lady Montague's observations?

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Reply #6 - Dec 29^th, 2003 at 7:38pm

Hagar Offline
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Many "discoveries" are made in the same way. Much of modern medicine has actually been used by primitive people for centuries. They knew it worked but didn't know how. I don't expect they were too worried about that. It takes someone like Jenner to verify it scientifically & get it approved. He sounds like a decent man to me. I'm almost certain he would have credited Lady Montagu if he had based his research on her discoveries. I say "almost certain" because of the amount of money involved. Whether he knew of this at the time is debatable.

I seem to remember reading that he actually tried vaccinating himself or his own child before trying it on a 3rd party. Maybe I'm confusing him with another pioneer. It takes a brave & committed person to do that. IMHO

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Reply #7 - Dec 30^th, 2003 at 8:12pm

Professor Brensec Offline
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I recall being taught in primary (elementary) school (something that is sadly lacking in corriculae these days), about the 'Cow Pox' story. Shocked

So I imagine it's pretty much accepted that his observations of the 'Milkmaids' led to his assumption about the 'lesser disease's' effect on the immune system, rather than any previous work by someone. 8)

Even if he had heard of the Lady's work, he would certainly have credited her, if Hagar's little story about his life is any kind of gauge of his personality. Grin

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