Bibliograph

The empress and the English doctor, how Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus, Lucy Ward

Type

Label

The empress and the English doctor, how Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus, Lucy Ward

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Illustrations

mapsillustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The empress and the English doctor

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1259508567

Responsibility statement

Lucy Ward

Sub title

how Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus

Summary

A killer disease ... an all-powerful Empress ... an extraordinary encounter ... the astonishing true story. No disease sparked as much dread in the eighteenth century as smallpox. It killed children all across Europe with ruthless efficiency and those lucky enough to survive were disfigured with the tell-tale pitted scars. But a method offered hope in preventing serious infection: inoculation, the practice of inserting smallpox pustules into an open wound. Those inoculated were protected from death. Only one problem remained: convincing people to take the treatment. A pamphleteering war raged in Europe about the risks and benefits of inoculation, and public resistance ran high. Catherine the Great broke the deadlock by requesting that a young Essex doctor, Thomas Dimsdale, inoculate her. Lucy Ward expertly unveils how this extraordinary situation came about - and how it kickstarted a trend of inoculations all over Europe. This is a fascinating history of Enlightenment ideals, political intrigue, and the human quest to cure disease

Classification