In the 18th century, there was a debate about the cause of smallpox. Popular belief was that it was due to imbalanced humors, but some questioned if an external organism was responsible. A doctor in India observed the practice of folk inoculation and an Italian doctor argued that elaborate regimens prescribed by physicians were unnecessary. He believed that a simple subcutaneous prick by a mother could successfully inoculate against smallpox. Despite advances in microbiology, traditional wisdom still holds value.
This is the second instalment a two-part discussion. Bestselling author, historian and broadcaster Simon Schama discusses Foreign Bodies, his new epic history of vulnerable humanity caught between the terror of contagion and the ingenuity of science. Produced in partnership with the British Library, the talk looks at how the narrative of cities and countries engulfed by panic and death, desperate for vaccines but fearful of what inoculation may bring, is one we have seen before in the past as well as during the Covid-19 pandemic. Joining Schama in conversation is our host, Kavita Puri, the award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author of Partition Voices: Untold British Stories.
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