Smallpox is a deadly virus that arose in northeastern Africa around 10,000 years ago. The virus attacked the skin cells, bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes of its victims, causing fevers, vomiting, and rashes. It was highly contagious and had a mortality rate of 30%. Those who survived bore scars and scabs for the rest of their lives, and smallpox spread around the world, killing billions of people.
In 1350 B.C., the first smallpox epidemics hit during the Egypt-Hittite war. Egyptian prisoners spread smallpox to the Hittites, which killed their king and devastated his civilization. Smallpox then made its way around the world via Egyptian merchants, through the Arab world with the Crusades, and all the way to the Americas with the Spanish and Portuguese conquests. It continued to kill millions of people throughout history, with an estimated 300 to 500 million people killed in the 20th century alone.
Smallpox may have been a deadly virus, but it was not unbeatable. In fact, the fall of smallpox started long before modern medicine. It began all the way back in 1022 A.D. when a Buddhist nun living in a famous mountain named O Mei Shan in the southern province of Sichuan came up with an unusual treatment called variolation. She would grind up smallpox scabs and blow the powder into the nostrils of healthy people. The procedure slowly evolved and by the 1700s, doctors were taking material from sores and putting them into healthy people through scratches on the arm. This worked pretty well, but it wasn’t foolproof, and up to 3% of people would still die after being exposed to the pus.
In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner discovered something interesting about dairy maids. He heard a dairy maid say, “I shall never have smallpox, for I have had cowpox.” Jenner wondered if the cowpox virus could be used to protect people from smallpox. In May 1796, Jenner found a young dairy maid, Sarah Nelmes, who had cowpox lesions on her hand and arm from the udders of a cow named Blossom. He used matter from her pustules to inoculate James Phipps, the eight-year-old son of his gardener. After a few days of fever and discomfort, the boy seemed to recover. Two months later, Jenner inoculated the boy again, this time with matter from a fresh smallpox lesion. No disease developed, and Jenner concluded that protection was complete. His plan had worked, and Jenner later used the cowpox virus on several other people and challenged them repeatedly with smallpox, proving that they were immune to the disease. Jenner had invented the smallpox vaccination, which used the far less dangerous cowpox virus instead of the actual smallpox virus.
The medical establishment was cautious and deliberated at length over Jenner’s findings before accepting them. But eventually, vaccination was gradually accepted and variolation became prohibited in England in 1840. After large vaccination campaigns throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the World Health Organization certified smallpox’s eradication in 1979. Jenner is forever remembered as the father of immunology, but let’s not forget the Buddhist nun, dairymaid Sarah Nelmes, and James Phipps, all heroes in this great adventure of vaccination who helped eradicate smallpox.
Create a timeline of the history of smallpox, starting from its origin in northeastern Africa to its eradication in 1979. Include key events such as the first epidemic, the spread of the disease, the discovery of variolation and vaccination, and the eventual eradication of the disease. Use a variety of sources to gather your information and make sure to cite them properly.
In groups, role-play the discovery of vaccination by Edward Jenner. Assign roles such as Edward Jenner, Sarah Nelmes, and James Phipps. Research their roles and recreate the events leading to the discovery of the smallpox vaccine. Reflect on the significance of this discovery in the history of medicine.
Conduct a research project on the practice of variolation. Investigate its origin, how it was performed, its effectiveness, and why it was eventually replaced by vaccination. Present your findings in a report or presentation.
Participate in a class debate on the acceptance of vaccination in the 19th century. Divide into two groups: one arguing for the immediate acceptance of Jenner’s findings and the other arguing for caution and further testing. Use evidence from the article and additional research to support your arguments.
Create a poster highlighting the key figures in the eradication of smallpox, including the Buddhist nun, Edward Jenner, Sarah Nelmes, and James Phipps. Include a brief biography of each person and their contribution to the eradication of smallpox. Use visuals and text to make your poster engaging and informative.
Smallpox – a contagious viral disease with fever and pustules usually leaving permanent scars – The last known case of smallpox occurred in Somalia in 1977.
Virus – a microscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism – COVID-19 is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2.
Mortality rate – the proportion of deaths to a population – The mortality rate for COVID-19 is estimated to be around 1-2%.
Epidemic – a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected – The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919 was one of the deadliest epidemics in history.
Global spread – the worldwide distribution of a disease or other phenomenon – COVID-19 has rapidly spread to all corners of the globe.
Variolation – the deliberate inoculation with the smallpox virus in order to induce immunity – Variolation was widely practiced in China and the Middle East before it was adopted by Western medicine.
Vaccination – the administration of a vaccine to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen – Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Cowpox – a mild viral disease of cattle that can be transmitted to humans and provides immunity to smallpox – Edward Jenner discovered that cowpox could be used to protect against smallpox.
Edward Jenner – an English physician who discovered the smallpox vaccine – Edward Jenner is often called the “father of immunology.”
Immunology – the study of the immune system and how it functions to protect against pathogens – Immunology is a rapidly advancing field that has led to many important medical breakthroughs.
Eradication – the complete elimination of a disease or pathogen from the world – Smallpox is the only human disease to have been eradicated.
World Health Organization – a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health – The World Health Organization has played a major role in the global response to COVID-19.
