Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by one or two naturally occuring virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. Variola major was the severe and most common form. Variola minor was rare, causing less severe symptoms, with death rates of only one percent or less. The disease spread through contact and saliva, and symptoms could surface about 7 to 17 days after contact with an infected person. The first signs of Smallpox included fever and fatigue followed by the well-known rash. The rash began on the face and tongue and then rapidly spread to the rest of the body. After a couple of days the rash would fill with bumps that would eventually open. The rash would then scab and dry to eventually fall off leaving scars on the skin. The fatality rate of smallpox was about 30%, usually via respiratory issues including bronchitis and fatal pneumonia, but the causes of death varied and could also include toxemia (blood poisoning).

The original vaccine was founded by Edward Jenner in 1796 and was used throughout the 19th century. It incorporates a closely related virus called vaccinia. In some cases the vaccine can be fatal, which is why it is not recommended today. While the disease had been eliminated in most countries, it was declared officially eradicated in 1980 after a mutual agreement organized by the World Health Organization resulted in the destruction of laboratory samples in multiple countries. The last and only two laboratory locations of the variola virus is kept in the United States’ Center for Disease Control and Russia’s VECTOR Institute.

References

Benjamin Waterhouse papers. Harvard University Library.

"Frequently Asked Questions on Smallpox." World Health Organization.

"History of smallpox." CDC.gov.

"Smallpox." Healthline.com.

"Smallpox." National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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Smallpox outbreaks throughout history took many lives and caused widespread fear up to the year 1980, when it was finally declared eradicated. Since outbreaks were common, knowledge of the disease was studied and gathered over multiple centuries. Survivors of smallpox were known to be immune to the disease. The practice of inoculation, exposing a non-immune person, was developed around the 17th century in Europe and then used by English doctors in the 18th century. The remedy had many risks including the creation of asymptomatic carriers. European developments in the field of immunology eventually led to Edward Jenner’s contribution of the smallpox vaccine in 1796. The use of the vaccine spread throughout Europe and America in the 1800s. See the vaccination section for further information.