Song physicians refine smallpox inoculation

1166

Chinese physicians in the Southern Song dynasty refined the daring practice of variolation - blowing finely powdered smallpox scabs into the nostrils of healthy patients to induce a mild infection and confer lasting immunity against the full disease. The technique, carefully documented in Song medical treatises with detailed instructions for preparation and dosage, preceded Edward Jenner's cowpox vaccination by six full centuries and saved untold thousands of lives across East Asia.