The Final Part
After Edward Jenner completed numerous inoculations of cowpox and observed that all of his patients became resistant to smallpox afterwards, he concluded that a cowpox infection prevented the body from attaining the fatal smallpox disease. Dr. Jenner wrote a manuscript of the procedure he performed on James Phipps and sent his findings to the Royal Society of London. Due to the skepticism of the time, Jenner's work was initially rejected. [33]
An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae or Cow-Pox
Dr. Jenner decided to prove that the cowpox injection did prevent a person from catching smallpox. Therefore, he published An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae or Cow-Pox in 1798, adding more examples of his success. He proved that his hypothesis not only worked on an eight year old boy but also saved the lives of many people in his community. Dr. Jenner submitted this improved work to the Royal Society in three parts. The first contained an explanation of the possible origin of cowpox, the second pointed out his hypothesis, and the last provided a discussion related to smallpox. An important innovation Dr. Jenner included in his account was the name vaccination, deriving this term from the Latin words vacca (cow) and vaccinia (cow-pox). [35] Despite the controversy Jenner received on his procedure, vaccination spread throughout England and by 1800 it reached many other European countries. [36]
Edward Jenner's work was known worldwide and most people recognized it as an effective way to prevent smallpox. In 1802, the British Parliament granted Jenner £10,000 for his discovery. In five years, he was given an additional £20,000. Edward Jenner appreciated the Parliament's generosity but didn't use this money to enrich his life. In fact, he further continued to devote himself to the study of vaccination. [39]
[33] "Edward Jenner and the Discovery of Vaccination." last modified October 28, 2012, <http://library.sc.edu/spcoll/nathist/jenner1.html>.
[34] [35] “Edward Jenner (1749-1823).” last modified October 28, 2012, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/jenner_edward.shtml>.
[36] [37] [39] "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." last modified December 1, 2012,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200696/>.
[38]"Letter from Thomas Jefferson." last modified October 28, 2012, <http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/lit/jeff06.htm>.
[3*] “Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.” last modified December 2, 2012,<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IRMYuE1hI>.
[9**] “Edward Jenner’s Vaccination Against Smallpox.” last modified December 3, 2012,<http://blog.inexactitu.de/archives/483>.
[34] [35] “Edward Jenner (1749-1823).” last modified October 28, 2012, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/jenner_edward.shtml>.
[36] [37] [39] "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." last modified December 1, 2012,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200696/>.
[38]"Letter from Thomas Jefferson." last modified October 28, 2012, <http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/lit/jeff06.htm>.
[3*] “Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.” last modified December 2, 2012,<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IRMYuE1hI>.
[9**] “Edward Jenner’s Vaccination Against Smallpox.” last modified December 3, 2012,<http://blog.inexactitu.de/archives/483>.