Annihilating Infectious Diseases

Book Reviews classical medical training. Following a six year apprenticeship in an English country surgery and a brief period in London, he returned to Berkeley in 1792 to practice variolation, a method that had been popularized to com-The Eradication of Small Pox: Edward bat the smallpox. As the author points out, variolation Jenner and the First and Only Eradication was a highly dangerous practice involving inoculating of a Human Infectious Disease smallpox virus–containing material into people. How-By Hervé Bazin ever, despite its limitations this was the only viable medi-San Diego, CA: Academic Press (2000). cal approach for combating the disease until 1798 when 246 pp. $49.95 Jenner realized that individuals with a prior exposure to cowpox lesions were protected against the smallpox. The annihilation of Small Pox, the most dreadful scourge This insight led to the famous " experiment " in which of the human species, must be the final result of this vaccine material from a cowpox lesion that was har-practice (vaccination). bored by Sarah Nelmes was transferred to the arm of the —Jenner (1801) 8-year old James Phipps, affording the boy protection against the smallpox. Imagine a viral infection that is spread worldwide and Although he initially encountered resistance to his causes a disease beginning with violent shivers, convul-idea from some members of the medical establishment, sions, and a severe fever and progressing to eruptions Jenner's arm-to-arm vaccination method soon spread of pimples, pustules and blisters that cover the body. rapidly throughout the world, and as a consequence, The faces of those infected are so swollen that they are the number of smallpox cases declined dramatically. unrecognizable, with eyelids forced shut, and lips turned This technique was highly successful, and was later outward with fungal infection. As time progresses, the refined to use material produced directly from cows. As blisters rupture releasing large quantities of pus. The Dr. Bazin documents, Jenner was rewarded with many chances of survival are not good: one of every three distinguished honors and achieved worldwide fame, but infected will die. Those that survive this trauma will be he was not made rich. Instead, he preferred to spend maimed and disfigured, perhaps even blinded for life. most of his money on vaccinating the public without Then enters a hero who discovers a new way to stop compensation. this virus in its tracks. His method is highly effective and The Eradication of Smallpox: Edward Jenner …