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Zabdiel Boylston
(9 Mar 1676 - 1 Mar 1766)
American physician who introduced smallpox inoculation into the American colonies, though he had no medical degree. His only education was from his father.
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Science Quotes by Zabdiel Boylston (1 quote)
I have patiently born with abundance of Clamour and Ralary [raillery], for beginning a new Practice here (for the Good of the Publick) which comes well Recommended, from Gentlemen of Figure & Learning, and which well agrees to Reason, when try’d & duly considered, viz. Artificially giving the Small Pocks, by Inoculation, to One of my Children, and Two of my Slaves, in order to prevent the hazard of Life… . and they never took one grain or drop of Medicine since, & are perfectly well.
— Zabdiel Boylston
By “clamour” he is referring to the public commotion in Boston reacting to his introduction of smallpox inoculation. Public statement in the Gazette (Jul 10-17), No. 85, 1721. As quoted and cited in Reginald H. Fitz, 'Zabdiel Boylston, Inoculator, and the Epidemic of Smallpox in Boston in 1721', Bulletin of the Johns Hopkins Hospital (1911), 22, 319.
See also:
- 9 Mar - short biography, births, deaths and events on date of Boylston's birth.
- Zabdiel Boylston - Biography - his difficulties and eventual success when he introduced smallpox inoculation.
- Zabdiel Boylston - Innoculation in Boston - concerning Mather and Boylston, from A History of the United States of America (1874).
- An Infectious Disease of Historical Importance: an extensive article on the smallpox disease.
- Smallpox on Death Row: transcript of a BBC Horizon program.
- The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling the Smallpox Epidemic, by Jennifer Lee Carrell. - book suggestion.
- Booklist for Smallpox.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
