Variolation Meaning
In the history of the ancient world different dangerous diseases were found among the people. Sometimes the disease is used to turn into a pandemic. At that time, medical Science was not much advanced. For the prevention of diseases, vaccines were not invented. Smallpox was a terrible disease in the 18th century. At that time, many people died from smallpox for lack of treatment. In England, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu invented a method so that the harm of smallpox can be reduced. This process is known as variolation. In this method, people were immunized by infecting the substances from the patients' pustules. Variolation was able to control the spread and harm of smallpox. In this article, we will discuss the variolation method in detail.
History of Smallpox
Smallpox was a dangerous infectious disease in the ancient world. In different centuries, smallpox was spread among people at different rates. In the 6th century, it was spread in China, Korea, and Japan. In the 7th century, smallpox was found among the people of Spain, Arab, Northern Africa, and Portugal. In Europe, smallpox was first found in the 11th century. With the European settlers and African slaves, smallpox was imported into South and Central America due to trading. In the 17th century, European settlers brought smallpox to North America. In the 18th century, British people spread smallpox in different countries of the world with the spread of their colonial empire. At that time, smallpox became an extremely terrible disease. Among 100% of affected people, 30% people died from smallpox.
Invention of Variolation
In the 18th century, smallpox became an extremely terrible disease. The spread of smallpox was out of control in the world. Medical science was not much advanced at that time. There was no specific treatment for smallpox. People were dying from the disease due to a lack of treatment. Many doctors and scientists tried different ways to prevent and cure the disease. No one could find a proper treatment for the disease. In England, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu invented a method of preventing smallpox, which is known as variolation. Through this process, the people were immunized. Though it was not the treatment of smallpox, it was able to reduce the harm of the disease to an extent. Variolation was the prevention method of smallpox at that time.
How Does Variolation Work?
Variolation is not the treatment process of smallpox. In this method, smallpox can be prevented only. Also, the harm of smallpox can be reduced through this process. People were immunized in this method by infecting the substances from the patients' pustules. After injecting the substances into the body of the unaffected people, they are infected with a mild form of smallpox (variola minor). Thus, the people are affected less dangerously and an immune system against smallpox is believed in their body. Through variolation, smallpox was prevented in the ancient world.
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Problems of Variolation
Variolation was the only method to control the spread and harm of smallpox. Though variolation was the first prevention method of smallpox, there are some problems with the method. The problems are mentioned below.
Variolation is not a risk-free method. With the substances of smallpox from the patients' pustules, other harmful substances can enter into the body of the unaffected people.
The mild form of the disease spreads to many people and it can cause an epidemic.
Due to the lack of sincerity of the physician, the process of variolation can dangerously harm the unaffected people. The patient can even die.
Vaccination From Variolation
Variolation can only prevent smallpox. It is not the treatment procedure of the disease. Also, variolation can protect people from smallpox to a particular extent. In some cases, variolation was unable to protect the patient from the second attack. Therefore, a permanent treatment process of smallpox was necessary. In the 18th century, many scientists tried to bring a permanent solution to this problem. British scientist Edward Jenner used cowpox to build protection against smallpox. In 1796, he vaccinated James Phipps successfully using cowpox substances. In 1798, more vaccination was done using this process. Thus, a vaccine for smallpox was invented, which is more safe and effective than variolation.
Did You Know?
Now, we are going to discuss some unknown facts about variolation.
There was a widely believed idea that cowpox can be used to immunize against smallpox.
Depending on the concept of variolation, British scientist Edward Jenner invented the vaccine of smallpox.
India and China were the first civilizations, who inoculated their children against smallpox using variolation.
FAQs on Variolation
1. What is variolation?
Variolation was an early method of immunisation against smallpox. The process involved intentionally exposing a healthy person to material from the pustules or scabs of someone suffering from a mild case of smallpox (known as Variola minor). The material was typically introduced into the skin through a small scratch or inhaled. The goal was to induce a mild, controlled infection that would provide lifelong immunity against the more deadly form of the disease. This practice is also sometimes referred to as inoculation.
2. What is the main difference between variolation and vaccination?
The primary difference lies in the source of the infectious material used for immunisation.
- Variolation used live, active smallpox virus (Variola virus) taken from a human patient. This carried a significant risk of causing a full-blown, potentially fatal case of smallpox.
- Vaccination, as developed by Edward Jenner, uses a related but much less harmful virus, cowpox (vaccinia virus). This virus stimulates a protective immune response against smallpox without causing the disease itself, making it a far safer method.
3. What were the main risks and problems associated with variolation?
While variolation was a step forward in combating smallpox, it had several significant problems:
- Risk of Severe Disease: The individual being variolated could develop a severe, life-threatening case of smallpox instead of the intended mild one. The mortality rate was estimated to be around 1-2%, which was much lower than the 30% from natural infection but still dangerous.
- Spreading the Disease: A variolated person became contagious and could start new outbreaks of smallpox in the community, infecting those who were not immune.
- Inconsistent Potency: There was no standardisation. The potency of the material used could vary, leading to unpredictable results.
4. How did the practice of variolation lead to the development of the first modern vaccine?
Variolation established the fundamental principle of acquired immunity: that a controlled, initial exposure to a pathogen could protect against future, more severe infections. This concept directly inspired the work of Edward Jenner. He observed that milkmaids who contracted cowpox, a mild disease, seemed to be immune to smallpox. He hypothesised that exposure to the weaker cowpox virus could provide immunity to the deadlier smallpox virus. In 1796, he tested this by inoculating a boy with cowpox and later exposing him to smallpox, to which the boy proved immune. This safer method became the world's first vaccine.
5. What is the immunological principle that allowed variolation to work?
Variolation works based on the principle of active acquired immunity, a key concept in the CBSE Class 12 syllabus. When the smallpox virus was introduced into the body through the skin, the immune system was triggered to respond. It produced antibodies and memory cells (B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes) specific to the Variola virus. Although this initial infection could be risky, if the person recovered, these memory cells would remain in their body. Upon a subsequent encounter with the naturally transmitted smallpox virus, the immune system could mount a much faster and stronger response, preventing the disease from taking hold.
6. Who is credited with popularising variolation in Europe, and where did the practice originate?
The practice of variolation has ancient roots and is believed to have originated independently in several parts of the world, including China and India, centuries before its adoption in the West. The practice was introduced and popularised in Europe, particularly in England, in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. She had observed the procedure in the Ottoman Empire and had her own children successfully variolated, championing its use to prevent smallpox deaths.
7. Why is variolation no longer practised today for any disease?
Variolation is no longer practised because it has been entirely superseded by modern vaccination, which is far safer and more effective. The core reason for its discontinuation is the unacceptable risk of using a live, virulent pathogen. Using a live, untamed virus for immunisation can cause the very disease it is meant to prevent and can lead to new outbreaks. Modern vaccines use attenuated (weakened) viruses, killed viruses, or just specific parts of a pathogen, which stimulate immunity without causing disease. This makes vaccination a predictable, controlled, and safe public health tool.
8. How effective was variolation in controlling smallpox outbreaks before vaccines were available?
Despite its risks, variolation was remarkably effective for its time and significantly reduced the mortality rate of smallpox. In communities where it was widely adopted, it lowered the death rate from smallpox from as high as 30% for natural infection down to approximately 1-2% for those who were variolated. It was the best available tool in the 18th century to combat the disease, saving countless lives and paving the way for public acceptance of immunisation.
