C Rihan wrote: > Interesting, that they thought of doing that back then. I was surprised too. > I thought that was a bit early for Jenner, and I found this by Googling. > http://www.thedorsetpage.com/history/smallpox/smallpox.htm Thanks for that little gem :)) It wouldn't surprise me if there had been earlier inoculations than Benjamin JESTY's since it was a well known fact by 1774. It's interesting that the overseers in Walton instigated what must have been a similar process and on a large scale: 70 people. I'd love to know who they were but it obviously worked because there was only one burial after 1 Aug and that was a 5 wk old baby on September 5. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk