Saturday, May 14, 2005

Fact of the day

(Hat tip: The Scotsman daily e-mail.)

(Back dated)

A landmark in medical history today when Edward Jenner makes the first smallpox vaccination in 1796. By infecting a boy with cowpox (a much less dangerous infection) he was able to make him immune to the more dangerous and disfiguring smallpox. The word 'vaccination' was itself taken from the latin for cow: vacca.

No comments: