When a book that had the impact of Edward Jenner’s An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae comes into the conservation lab we get fairly excited. This 1798 first edition, part of the Dibner Library, outlines the technique of infecting patients with the mild cowpox virus to create immunity from the highly contagious and often deadly smallpox virus. As a result of his findings Jenner is considered the father of immunology and is credited with saving more lives than any man in history.
Tag: Medicine
The Swiss naturalist Konrad Gesner was born in Zurich on March 26, 1516. A true polymath, he studied theology, ancient languages, medicine, and botany at the universities of Strassburg, Bourges, more »
A Repository for Bottled Monsters, a blog that features all things from the National Museum of Health and Medicine, recently featured the Libraries' exhibition, Picturing Words: the Power of Book more »