HLTH 385W Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Smallpox Vaccine, Peloponnesian War, Variolation

• School: Emory University
• Department: Human Health Program
• Course: HLTH 385W
• Professor: Bob Gaynes

Document Summary

Germ theory - single most important medical discovery in history. A disease caused by the variola virus, which usually enters the body via respiratory tract. First symptoms are high fever, malaise, headache, and extreme prostration. Within 4-5 days a rash appears on face and distal extremities; less so on the trunk. Chicken pox is more on the trunk. In eurasia, and africa, overall 30% of people infected with smallpox died but variations affected this figure. Children <1 year had a much higher mortality, 45-80% If pustules became confluent, mortality could be about 50-80% Credible evidence of infection can be found as early as 3,000 bce in mummies from ancient egypt. Smallpox thought to be a major component in the plague of athens during peloponnesian wars. Clearest description of smallpox from pre-modern times was given in 9th century by persian physician, was the first to differentiate smallpox from measles and chickenpox.