variolation

Variolation was an early method used to protect people from smallpox before modern vaccines. It involved deliberately exposing a person to material from a smallpox sore, usually by scratching it into their skin. The goal was to induce a mild, controlled infection so the person would develop immunity without getting seriously ill. While it sometimes caused serious illness or death, variolation significantly reduced smallpox outbreaks and paved the way for later vaccine development. It was eventually replaced by safer, more effective vaccines like the one developed by Edward Jenner.