variolasyon

Variolation is a historical method of inoculation against smallpox. It involved deliberately infecting a healthy person with material taken from a smallpox pustule of a person with a mild case of the disease. The intention was to induce a milder form of smallpox that would confer immunity to future, more severe infections. This practice was known in various cultures, including in China, India, and Africa, long before its widespread adoption in Europe and the Americas.

The procedure typically involved scratching the skin and introducing the material, often referred to as "variolous matter." The resulting infection was usually less severe than naturally acquired smallpox, though it could still be dangerous and lead to death or disfigurement. Those who survived the variolation process were generally immune to smallpox.

Variolation was introduced to England in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who observed the practice in the Ottoman Empire. Despite initial skepticism and opposition from some medical professionals, it gained popularity and was widely practiced until the development of vaccination using cowpox by Edward Jenner in the late 18th century. Vaccination proved to be a safer and more effective method, eventually replacing variolation as the primary means of smallpox prevention. While variolation was a significant step in the fight against smallpox, it carried considerable risks and has been superseded by modern vaccination techniques.