Variolization (Noun)
Meaning
The obsolete process of inoculating a susceptible person with material taken from a vesicle of a person who has smallpox.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The practice of variolization was widely used in the 18th century as a means of protecting against smallpox.
- Variolization was a deliberate attempt to infect a person with a mild form of smallpox in the hope of building immunity.
- The variolization process involved exposing a person to a small amount of material from a smallpox vesicle, usually through a scratch or cut in the skin.
- Many people in the 18th century underwent variolization as a way to avoid contracting a more severe form of smallpox.
- The risks associated with variolization led to its eventual replacement by vaccination, a safer and more effective method of preventing smallpox.