The Life and Death of SmallpoxThis is an engaging and fascinating story of a conditional human success story. Smallpox has been one of the most devastating scourges of humanity throughout recorded history, and it is the only human illness to have been eradicated, though polio may soon follow it to official extinction through human agency. However, while smallpox is officially extinct in nature, our fears that stocks of smallpox virus may return as a weapon of bioterrorists have led to the stockpiling of vaccine, and continuing vigilance, even though the official victory over smallpox is now 15 years old. The Life and Death of Smallpox presents the entire engaging history of our struggle and ultimate victory over one of our oldest and worst enemies. The story of the campaign to track down and eradicate the virus, throughout the world--the difficulties, setbacks, and the challenges successfully met--is a highlight of a fascinating book, but we can't be confident of the ending. The final chapter of the book clearly and authoritatively explains the current status of the threat, from the deliberate release of smallpox or other potential agents of biological terrorism. |
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Contents
AD o to 15oo | 14 |
150017oo | 30 |
News from the East | 43 |
The heyday of inoculation | 75 |
From cuckoos to cowpox | 95 |
The worldwide spread | 115 |
Confusion and compulsion | 130 |
A hundred years on | 143 |
Bring hither the fatted calf | 165 |
the beginning of the end | 190 |
And out of good still to find means of evil | 228 |
Notes | 246 |
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Common terms and phrases
Account of Inoculation Africa American arm-to-arm attack BARON Baxby became biological biological warfare Biopreparat Boston British Medical Journal calf camelpox campaign Carro caused cells cent century chickenpox China Chinese cination Cotton Mather cowpox died disease doctor early Edward Jenner effective endemic England epidemic eradication of smallpox eradication programme eruption Europe experiments France French Geneva Haygarth Henderson History HoPKINS human Ibid immunity India infection inoculation isolation Jenner wrote John John Haygarth Lady Mary Lancet later Letter Lettsom London Luigi Sacco lymph mass vaccination matter measles Medicine mild million monkeypox Moore outbreak patients person physician plague population practice problem proteins pustules quoted reported Reproduced by permission revaccination Rhazes risk Royal Society Russian sent ships skin Sloane smallpox deaths smallpox eradication Smallpox Hospital Somalia spread story strain success suffered surgeon tion town University Press unvaccinated variola minor variola virus villages won G World Health Assembly
References to this book
Why Cooperate?:The Incentive to Supply Global Public Goods: The Incentive to ... Scott Barrett No preview available - 2007 |
Epidemic Disease and Human Understanding: A Historical Analysis of ... Charles De Paolo Limited preview - 2006 |
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Life and Death of Smallpox |
| Authors | Ian Glynn, Jenifer Glynn |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, 2004 |
| ISBN | 0521845424, 9780521845427 |
| Length | 278 pages |
| Subjects | › › Health & Fitness / Diseases / Contagious Medical / History Science / Life Sciences / Microbiology |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |