Smallpox is one of the oldest and most dangerous diseases. People infected with this disease died. The number of victims was not calculated in the thousands, but reached millions. The course of the disease is very severe, the patient suffers from fever, purulent blisters cover his body. It was not easy for those who had luck to survive: many lost their sight, scars covered the body. Doctor Edward Jenner became the man who saved the world from this disease. He was the first to offer vaccination.
Edward Jenner short biography
In May 1749, in England, in the town of Berkeley, 3 children were born to a priest by the name of Jenner, he was given the name Edward. The young man had no desire to follow in his father's footsteps and be a clergyman. Therefore, from the age of 12, he began to study medicine, studied as a surgeon.
After a while, he began to engage in human anatomy and began to practice in the hospital.
In 1770, the young man moved to London, where he was able to complete a medical education. He worked under the guidance of the famous surgeon and anatomist, who helped him masterfully master all the intricacies of surgery. The young man was interested not only in medicine, but also in natural sciences, naturalistics.
Edward Jenner in 1792 received a medical degree, which he was awarded at the University of St. Andrew.
At the age of 32, he was already known as a competent surgeon. His biggest achievement is the invention of a vaccine that creates immunity to smallpox.
However, it cannot be said that he invented the vaccine itself, since the practice of vaccinating smallpox from a sick person was healthy before that. The procedure was called “variolation”; it was not always successful: often after variolation people became seriously ill. Edward himself in childhood was vaccinated in a similar way and suffered for a long time from the consequences.
He was motivated by interest in working in this direction by the primitive belief of uneducated people that if he was sick with smallpox, then the disease that affects people is no longer terrible.
He experimentally, based on his intuition, proved that the peasants were not mistaken. Work consumed him, he devoted all his time to research.
In 1796, Edward Jenner, whose photo is presented in the article, inoculated an eight-year-old boy with a substance that he took from smallpox pustules.
The experiment was successful, the scientist continued his work.
In 1823, the scientist died.
Worldwide recognition
The scientist scrupulously investigated the results of his experiments and later presented them in a brochure, which was published in 1798. After a while, 5 more works were written on the topic of vaccination. The purpose of the scientist's work was to disseminate knowledge about vaccination and to learn the techniques for its implementation.
The great work of a scientist-doctor has received worldwide recognition. He became an honorary member of many scientific societies in Europe.
In 1840, variation was banned in the UK. In 1853, vaccination with cowpox became mandatory for all.
Honorary Positions
In 1803, the Institution of Opportunity, which is also called the Jenner Institute and the Royal Jenner Society, was founded. For his services to the world, Edward Jenner was appointed the first head of the institute. This post was for him for life.
In 1806, the scientist received an award from the government - 10 thousand sterling, in 1808 another, which amounted to 20 thousand sterling.
In 1813, Jenner was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine, this happened in Oxford. The scientist was named an honorary citizen of London, he was awarded a diploma decorated with diamonds.
The Russian Empress Maria Fyodorovna, at that time heading the Office of the Empress Maria, who was the patron of all scientific, medical and medical institutions, sent Jenner a letter of thanks and a precious ring.
In honor of the great scientist of that time, a medal was knocked out, on it was the inscription "Jenner."
The essence of the scientist’s experiment
Edward Anthony Jenner doubted for a long time before testing his theory. He could not conduct an experiment on himself, since in childhood he fell ill with smallpox after unsuccessful variolation.
The scientist was constantly tormented by doubts whether he was confident enough in his theory to risk someone else's life.
When the peasant woman Nelms got sick with smallpox, then bubbles appeared on her skin. Jenner took a chance and planted the contents of one vial with eight-year-old James Phipps. He took a great risk, since the fact that the boy was ill with smallpox was not enough. To confirm the theory, it was still necessary to infect it with smallpox.
Edward knew that if the boy died, he would not live.
After the child recovered from the cow, the scientist introduced human smallpox to him. Despite the fact that incisions were made on both hands of the patient and rubbing matter with poison thoroughly, there was no reaction. This meant that the experiment was successful: thanks to Jenner, Phipps became immune to smallpox, which is one of the most serious diseases. Although the child he did not realize the severity and responsibility of the situation.
The scientist became very attached to James, he loved him as his own son. On the day of the 20th anniversary of the publication of information about the experiment, the scientist gave Phipps a house with a garden in which he planted many flowers.
The origin of the name "vaccination"
The vaccine created by the scientist was called vaccination, since "vacca" in translation from Latin means "cow." The term has become so firmly established that today any vaccine that is performed as a preventive measure is called this word. Literally, it can be translated as “cowing,” but this does not mean that the vaccine is prepared using the antibodies of this particular animal. In the case of rabies, for example, it is prepared from the brain of an infected rabbit. And in the case of typhus - from the lung tissue of mice.
Jenner's Opponents
Despite all the grandeur of the discovery, it was just the beginning of a thorny path. The scientist had to endure misunderstanding, bullying. Even modern scientists did not understand him and turned to the scientist with a request not to compromise his scientific reputation. Even when he was at the beginning of the journey, he often shared his thoughts with his colleagues, as he was a sociable person. But no one shared his interests.
He published his book, which showed the results of research over the last 25 years of Jenner's life, at his own expense.
Edward Jenner and his followers were not immediately well received, after he published his book, he had to endure a lot of taunts in his address. The main argument of the opponents of vaccination was that in this way they go against the will of God. Caricatures were printed in newspapers, on which people who had been vaccinated grew horns and hair.
But the disease came, and more and more people were in a hurry to try Jenner's way of protecting herself from her.
At the end of the 18th century, vaccination was used in the English fleet and in the army.
Napoleon Bonaparte ordered all French soldiers to be vaccinated. In Sicily, where he arrived with the vaccine, the population was so glad to be saved from the disease that they made a procession.
The method of prevention. English doctor Edward Jenner
Smallpox is one of the diseases in the group of especially dangerous. Along with her there is yellow fever, plague, cholera. The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets, through objects. It penetrates the epithelium, because of this, bubbles form on the skin. The patient's immunity decreases, therefore, suppuration of the vesicles begins, which turn into purulent wounds. If the patient survives, then scars will be in place of the abscesses.
Edward Jenner is the founder of vaccination, the one who made it possible to protect himself from the threat of getting sick. Thanks to the work of the scientist, smallpox became the first disease that was defeated by vaccination.
1977 marks the last case of smallpox. In May 1980, WHO announced victory over the disease worldwide. To date, smallpox virus has remained only in well-guarded laboratories.
The smallpox virus is being protected from terrorists. If he is kidnapped, the consequences will be terrifying, since antibiotics do not apply to him, and vaccinations have not been carried out for a long time.
Monument to the doctor
From smallpox, 1/6 of all cases died, if this case concerned young children, then the mortality rate was 1/3. Therefore, the gratitude to the scientist was indescribable.
Edward Jenner, whose biography is known to many today, is considered the father of immunology. In honor of him, in Kensington Gardens in a picturesque corner, which is called "Italian Gardens", there is a monument. It was staged in 1862. The tablet, which tells about the merits of the scientist, was embedded in the sidewalk in 1996.
Many now do not realize the full significance of the discovery of the scientist. According to experts, this man saved as many human lives as no one else.
Streets, departments in hospitals, towns and villages are named after the scientist. In the house where he used to work, a museum is open.
William Calder Marshall worked on the monument to the scientist. Initially, it was located on Trafalgar Square, but four years later it was moved to the park due to protests by people opposed to vaccinations.
To date , doctors and scientists have organized a campaign that is trying to return the monument to the square. According to experts, people protesting against vaccinations simply do not know the horror of diseases such as smallpox.
Personal life
The scientist married in 1788, bought an estate in Berkeley. His wife was in poor health, so the family spent the summer in Cheltenham Spa. The doctor had a lot of practice. He had 3 children.
Other discoveries of the scientist
The scientist devoted most of his life to the development of a smallpox vaccine. Despite this, he also had enough time to deal with other diseases. He owns the discovery that angina pectoris is a disease that affects the coronary arteries. The supply of blood to the heart muscle depends on the coronary arteries.