Lady Mary Wortley Montagu introduced variolation (in the form of inoculation) to Europe in 1721 after observing the practice in the Ottoman Empire, where her husband was stationed as ambassador to Turkey.
Sources
- History of smallpox vaccination (who.int)
- https://royalsociety.org/blog/2024/04/lady-marys-letters/ (royalsociety.org)
- https://historyofparliament.com/2021/01/07/mary-wortley-montagu/ (historyofparliament.com)
- https://theconversation.com/lady-mary-wortley-montagu-the-forgotten-immunisation-pioneer-164256 (theconversation.com)
- https://hekint.org/2020/07/13/lady-mary-wortley-montagu-and-smallpox/ (hekint.org)
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsnr/article/77/2/235/48403/A-thankless-enterprise-Lady-Mary-Wortley-Montagu-s (royalsocietypublishing.org)
- https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Lady-Mary-Wortley-Montagu-Campaign-Against-Smallpox/ (historic-uk.com)
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