Luigi Marchelli, a Genoese surgeon, obtains from a sheep matter for inoculation against smallpox. Coloured etching, c. 1807.

Date:
[c. 1807]
Reference:
16149i
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view Luigi Marchelli, a Genoese surgeon, obtains from a sheep matter for inoculation against smallpox. Coloured etching, c. 1807.

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Credit

Luigi Marchelli, a Genoese surgeon, obtains from a sheep matter for inoculation against smallpox. Coloured etching, c. 1807. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Description

Luigi Marchelli published 'Memoria sull’inoculazione della vaccina' in Genoa in 1801 and 'Istruzione per ben conoscere il cowpox o vajuolo vaccinico e per eseguirne l’innesto con felice successo' in Genoa in 1808. According to Luigi Sacco (cited by Bercé, loc. cit.) three therapeutic measures emerged from his observations: sheep could be protected from sheep-pox by being inoculated with vaccine; humans could be protected from smallpox by being inoculated with sheep-pox; and sheep could be protected from sheep-pox by being inoculated with sheep-pox (i.e. variolated)

Publication/Creation

Paris (Rue des Mathurins Sorbonne aux deux pilastres d'or) : Depeuille, [c. 1807]

Physical description

1 print : etching, with watercolour ; image 14.6 x 26.6 cm

Lettering

Le nec plus ultra ... Lettering continues: Le C[itoyen]en Marchelli, chirurgien de Gênes, a découvert que l'inoculation de la clavelée ou petite vérole des brebis, préservoit plus sûrement et plus doucement de la petite vérole que la vaccine. Les observations sur cette nouvelle découverte paroîtront d'ici a peu de tems et ne manqueront pas d'exiter, parmis les partisans de la vaccine, le scandale que l'introduction de celle-ci exita parmi les inoculateurs, et ceux-ci dans l'ancienne faculté. Tel est le sort de toutes les découvertes. Galilée fut condamné par l'inquisition; Harvey fut traité de visionnaire par ses confreres, et Descartes est mort loin de son pays.

References note

Yves-Marie Bercé, Le chaudron et la lancette, Paris: Presses de la Renaissance, 1984, p. 291

Reference

Wellcome Collection 16149i

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