Debating Inoculation in Eighteenth-Century Europe

Edited by Yasmine Marcil

Book cover: Debating Inoculation in Eighteenth-Century Europe

Extent: 180 pages

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Subjects: Eighteenth-Century Studies, Medicine

Series: Techne

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(August 2025)

ISBN: 9782503601298

Price: $107.00

In stock

This volume uncovers transnational public debates on inoculation against small pox in eighteenth-century Europe, through the lens of periodical press sources.


Smallpox (known as “variole” or “petite verole” in French) spread relentlessly across Europe during the eighteenth century, gaining an unprecedented and deadly momentum. While there was no cure for this highly infectious and often fatal disease, those that recovered from it were immune to future infections. This phenomenon informed a practice of inoculation, whereby infectious material was introduced into the body to induce immunity. In Europe, this practice was initially experimented with in England, and it was subsequently adopted across the continent during the eighteenth century. Inoculation was, however, not without controversy-not least because the practice originated outside of Europe-and it became the subject of intense debate. This debate, this volume argues, extended beyond medical circles to include intellectuals and the broader public-a phenomenon driven by a growing periodical press. As books, scientific treatises, and plays crossed regional and national boundaries, debates on inoculation must, this volume shows, be examined within a European, transnational perspective, thereby considering how ideas were shaped by adaptation, translations, and citation. Doing so, this volume not only sheds new light on the history inoculation as a practice, but also illustrates how cultural history can enrich history of medicine

  • Edited by Yasmine Marcil