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Six lancets, steel and tortoiseshell, by Weiss of London, in shagreen and silver case, 19th century, relic of Jenner.
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Six lancets, steel and tortoiseshell, in shagreen and silver case, by John Weiss of London, England, 1801-1823. As used by Edward Jenner.
The pioneer of vaccination Edward Jenner used lancets like these to insert pus, from a milkmaid suffering from cowpox, into the arm of a health 8-year-old boy. Several days later, he proved that the boy was immune to smallpox, a much more serious disease which killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world until it was eradicated in 1979.
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Edward Jenner's lancetsDetails
- Category:
- Public Health & Hygiene
- Materials:
- case, shagreen, case, silver, steel and tortoiseshell
- Identifier:
- A647698
- type:
- lancet
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- tools & equipment
- medical instrument
- furnishing and equipment
- tools & equipment
- medical instrument
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