scholarly journals The prevention and eradication of smallpox: a commentary on Sloane (1755) ‘An account of inoculation’

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1666) ◽  
pp. 20140378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin A. Weiss ◽  
José Esparza
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Effective Procedure ◽  
Eventual Control ◽  
350Th Anniversary

Sir Hans Sloane's account of inoculation as a means to protect against smallpox followed several earlier articles published in Philosophical Transactions on this procedure. Inoculation (also called ‘variolation’) involved the introduction of small amounts of infectious material from smallpox vesicles into the skin of healthy subjects, with the goal of inducing mild symptoms that would result in protection against the more severe naturally acquired disease. It began to be practised in England in 1721 thanks to the efforts of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu who influenced Sloane to promote its use, including the inoculation of the royal family's children. When Edward Jenner's inoculation with the cow pox (‘vaccination’) followed 75 years later as a safer yet equally effective procedure, the scene was set for the eventual control of smallpox epidemics culminating in the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1977, officially proclaimed by WHO in 1980. Here, we discuss the significance of variolation and vaccination with respect to scientific, public health and ethical controversies concerning these ‘weapons of mass protection’. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society .

scholarly journals Notes for Contributors

1996 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-61
Author(s):  
J D Swales
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Economics ◽  
Medical History ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
International Circulation

The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, which offers a large international circulation, invites original reports and reviews relevant to any field of medicine. It publishes laboratory and clinical studies, papers on public health issues, epidemiology, health economics, medical history and ethics. All such submissions are subjected to peer review and revision may be required before acceptance.

scholarly journals Foreseeing fates: a commentary on Manton (1928) ‘On the embryology of a mysid crustacean, Hemimysis lamornae ’

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1666) ◽  
pp. 20140381
Author(s):  
Michael Akam
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Embryonic Development ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Subsequent Work ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Early Training ◽  
350Th Anniversary

Sidnie Manton became best known for her work on arthropod locomotion, and for proposing radical views on the evolution of arthropods that were accepted for a generation. However, her early training was as an embryologist, and the work that she carried out at the beginning of her career still stands as one of the major twentieth century contributions to the study of crustacean embryology. Here, I review her first major paper, largely completed while she was a graduate student, describing embryonic development in Hemimysis lamornae , a small shrimp-like animal found in the seas around the UK. The clarity of her writing and the quality of her figures set a standard that laid the basis for subsequent work, and although not all of her conclusions have stood the test of time, they remain a standard reference for work today. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society .

scholarly journals From plant extract to molecular panacea: a commentary on Stone (1763) ‘An account of the success of the bark of the willow in the cure of the agues’

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1666) ◽  
pp. 20140317 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Bark Extract ◽  
Late Eighteenth Century ◽  
Late Eighteenth ◽  
Willow Bark ◽  
Inflammatory Drugs ◽  
Anti Inflammatory ◽  
350Th Anniversary

The application of aspirin-like drugs in modern medicine is very broad, encompassing the treatment of inflammation, pain and a variety of cardiovascular conditions. Although anecdotal accounts of willow bark extract as an anti-inflammatory drug have occurred since written records began (for example by Hippocrates), the first convincing demonstration of a potent anti-pyretic effect of willow bark containing salicylates was made by the English cleric Edward Stone in the late eighteenth century. Here, we discuss the route to optimizing and understanding the mechanism of action of anti-inflammatory drugs that have their origins in Stone's seminal study, ‘An account of the success of the bark of the willow in the cure of agues’. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society .

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