Inoculation in Boston from 1721 to American Independence.
In 1721, a smallpox epidemic in Boston occurred and inoculation was introduced. It has been said that the inoculation in Boston was under the influence of England, but it has been shown this is not correct. It was clergyman Mather and surgeon Boylston who promoted inoculation, while doctor Douglass, a graduate from Edinburgh University, strongly opposed inoculation. The selectmen in Boston opened a town-meeting and discussed inoculation, and finally rejected the introduction of inoculation into Boston. The Boston citizens were also strongly opposed to inoculation and they even threw a lighted hand grenade into Mather's room. Since then, controversies over inoculation broke out every time a smallpox epidemic occurred. In 1775, George Washington became the commander of the war of Independence. He took a countermeasure to get rid of the smallpox epidemic in his army and he inoculated all army and recruit members. Meanwhile the English commander Howe, who did not pay attention to smallpox, had to decide to withdraw from Boston, since the smallpox epidemic broke out among the English army. In this paper I tried to clarify the controversies over inoculation in Boston, and the fact that smallpox epidemic and inoculation were related to the success of the immigration of the Puritans and also to the success of the independence of the New World from the British Empire.
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D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000266:history*; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000266:history*; D008886:Military Hygiene / Q000266:history*; D011634:Public Health / Q000266:history; D012899:Smallpox / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States