Category: Vaccines
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The WHO Task Force on Vaccines for Fertility Regulation
The WHO Task Force on Vaccines for Fertility Regulation a name that sounds like the title of a dystopian novel or the punchline to a conspiracy theorist’s fever dream. But no, this was a real initiative, launched in 1972, with the goal of developing birth control vaccines. Yes, you read that right—vaccines for birth control. Because…
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Wolf Szmuness, epidemiologist and former roommate of a future Pope John Paul II, is named in an AIDS origin theory involving his hepatitis B vaccine trials
Wolf Szmuness (1919 – 1982) was a Polish-born epidemiologist who emigrated to and worked in the United States. He conducted research at the New York Blood Center and, from 1973, he was director of the Center’s epidemiology laboratory. He designed and conducted the trials for the first vaccine to prove effective against hepatitis B. European beginnings Szmuness was born in Warsaw, Poland on 12 March 1919.…
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The Lady Who Brought Pox to the Party
Picture this: It’s 1717, and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu is living her best life in Constantinople, sipping Turkish coffee and learning about the latest beauty trends when she stumbles upon a local practice that would change medical history forever. Instead of bringing back exotic spices or fancy rugs, she decides to import something truly wild…
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Leavell, B S. “Thomas Jefferson and smallpox vaccination.” Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association vol. 88 (1977): 119-27 and a few notes
Little Turtle, mentioned in the main article, suffered gout and rheumatism before he died in 1812 Wikipedia says Little Turtle, who also met Washington and Adams, made two trips to Washington, D.C., in 1801–02 and 1809–09 to meet with President Jefferson. Little Turtle died on July 14, 1812, and had suffered from gout and rheumatism for some time. He was honored…
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“Account of the Introduction of Vaccine Inoculation into America.” Annals of medicine, for the year … : exhibiting a concise view of the latest and most important discoveries in medicine and medical philosophy vol. 5 (1800): 477-479.
Kine Pox search turns up a couple of pages..these are some of the older articles Medical Intelligence Edinb Med Surg J. 1812 Jul 1; 8(31): 374–384.PMCID: PMC5744547 Summary Page Browse PDF–9.6M Select item 5689258 Observations on Certain Cases of Secondary Disease, Subsequent to the Measles, in a Letter to Benjamin Rush, M. D. Med Phys J. 1808 Feb; 19(108): 133–157.PMCID: PMC5689258…
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Mithridatism
Mithridatism is the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering non-lethal amounts. The word is derived from Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus, who so feared being poisoned that he regularly ingested small doses, aiming to develop immunity. Not to be confused with Mithraism. Background Mithridates VI‘s father, Mithridates V, was assassinated by poisoning by a conspiracy among his attendants. After…