Edward Jenner (1749–1823) was an English physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccination, one of the most significant medical breakthroughs in history. His groundbreaking work led to the development of the smallpox vaccine, which effectively protected against smallpox, a highly contagious and deadly disease that plagued humanity for centuries. Jenner’s insight came from his observation that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox, a mild disease, seemed to be immune to smallpox. In 1796, he conducted an experiment where he inoculated a young boy with material from a cowpox lesion and then later exposed him to smallpox, demonstrating that the boy was indeed immune. This laid the foundation for the practice of vaccination, derived from the Latin word “vacca” meaning cow. Jenner’s discovery ultimately led to the global eradication of smallpox, saving countless lives and inspiring further advancements in immunology and vaccination against other diseases.

Edward Jenner Quotes

1. “The deviation of man from the state in which he was originally placed by nature seems to have proved to him a prolific source of diseases.”
— Edward Jenner

2. “I hope that some day the practice of producing cowpox in human beings will spread over the world – when that day comes, there will be no more smallpox. …”
— Edward Jenner

3. “I shall endeavour still further to prosecute this inquiry, an inquiry I trust not merely speculative, but of sufficient moment to inspire the pleasing hope of its becoming essentially beneficial to mankind.”
— Edward Jenner

4. “While the vaccine discovery was progressive, the joy I felt at the prospect before me of being the instrument destined to take away from the world one of its greatest calamities [smallpox], blended with the fond hope of enjoying independence and domestic peace and happiness, was often so excessive that, in pursuing my favourite subject among the meadows, I have sometimes found myself in a kind of reverie.”
— Edward Jenner

5. “The joy I felt at the prospect before me of being the instrument destined to take away from the world one of its greatest calamities was so excessive that I sometimes found myself in a kind of reverie.”
― Edward Jenner