Pietro Verri: The History of Smallpox Vaccination Through His Pencil

The last case of natural smallpox infection occurred in 1977, and the disease is considered eradicated since 1980. Throughout the history of medicine, early attempts to combat smallpox involved inoculation, a practice based on the observation that those who recovered from the disease became immune. The Lombard Enlightenment movement marked a period of intellectual flourishing in the 18th century, during which reason, science, and progress took center stage. Pietro Verri, a prominent intellectual, was a key figure in this movement on the Italian peninsula. Interestingly, he was deeply fascinated by medicine and what we now refer to as public health. His style was characterized by clarity, logic, and a profound understanding of human behavior. His writings are still influential today and could shed light on the history of variolation and smallpox vaccination. Pietro Verri practiced a form of proto-vaccination on his daughter even before Edward Jenner's experiment on his young son in 1790. Verri's figure could serve as an example of the promotion of vaccination both on a scientific and public level during an era characterized by a hesitant attitude towards such a practice.