Early Smallpox Vaccine

Before its eradication by the WHO in the 1970s smallpox probably had a greater effect on human history than any other disease.

Early attempts at vaccination, using scabs from sufferers, took place as early as 1000bc (In India), but this was still potentially deadly, and the vaccinated could still spread the disease. It wasnt until the end of the 18th century that Edward Jenner noticed people who worked with cattle (and had been exposed to the far less deadly cowpox virus) were immune to infection.

So WI this discovery had happened a great deal earlier? Smallpox first appeared in the Roman Empire around 2nd century AD, and is thought to be the cause of the Antonine plague. Galen, probably the greatest ancient doctor, was around at the time and could have feasibly made the connection. Galen was also familiar with the concepts of innoculation and even basic hyperdermic needles.

So WI he had? Did the Roman Empire possess the ability to actively innoculate people with cowpox? If they could get it working what effect would it have on the future of the world?
 
Before its eradication by the WHO in the 1970s smallpox probably had a greater effect on human history than any other disease.

Early attempts at vaccination, using scabs from sufferers, took place as early as 1000bc (In India), but this was still potentially deadly, and the vaccinated could still spread the disease. It wasnt until the end of the 18th century that Edward Jenner noticed people who worked with cattle (and had been exposed to the far less deadly cowpox virus) were immune to infection.

So WI this discovery had happened a great deal earlier? Smallpox first appeared in the Roman Empire around 2nd century AD, and is thought to be the cause of the Antonine plague. Galen, probably the greatest ancient doctor, was around at the time and could have feasibly made the connection. Galen was also familiar with the concepts of innoculation and even basic hyperdermic needles.

So WI he had? Did the Roman Empire possess the ability to actively innoculate people with cowpox? If they could get it working what effect would it have on the future of the world?
Hmmm... Interesting thought.

Firstly, of course, innoculating someone with smallpox is called variolation.

I think you'd have to have variolation as a first step, as otherwise, why on EARTH would one use the scabs from a different disease if you weren't already using scabs from the right one.

But, yes. Variolation could easily have made it west anytime after smallpox became a major threat, and could have been widely implemented. That would make a huge difference, right there.

OTOH, if variolation were next to universal, there wouldn't be the chance for 'cowpox' to be discovered, as everyone would already be immune (well, or dead:().

OK. Suppose only some of society does variolation (merchants? Germans?) while others don't, because of the risks (peasants or nobility? French?). Then you could find that milkmaids (or grooms or whomever) were relatively immune to smallpox.

(It is interesting that apparently cowpox is actually endemic to rodents, not cows - they get it from the rodents.)

The other thing to keep in mind is that cowpox wasn't universal. In the research various people have been doing for the 163x universe (Eric Flints ISOTing of West Virginians into the 30 years war), someone discovered that there was NO cowpox in the Germanies at the time....


Still, it's doable, and would have a major impact.

It would have an even more major impact on the New World, come the time of colonisation. (Smallpox was probably the biggest killer in North America, although the locals succumbed to LOTS of Eurasian microbres).
 
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