BetaThis search tool is in development. Find out more.
Digital Images
Spratley-type vaccinator, York, England, 1820-1910
- Science Museum, London
Available online
License
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
You can use this work for any purpose, including commercial uses, without restriction under copyright law. You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) terms and conditions https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Credit: Spratley-type vaccinator, York, England, 1820-1910.
Credit: Science Museum, London.
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Selected images from this work
About this work
Description
The Spratley vaccinator used for smallpox vaccination has a spear-like head to prevent the blade going too deep into the skin. The blade would have been dipped in lymph material from a smallpox pustule. Pustules are skin blisters filled with pus that appear approximately five to eight days after vaccination. The blade would then be used to vaccinate another person. This type of arm-to-arm vaccination was made illegal in 1898, as it could transmit other diseases such as syphilis. Specially prepared animal lymph was used instead. Vaccination did not give life-long immunity and had to be repeated.
maker: Aitken, Henry
Place made: York, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Contributors
Subjects
Permanent link
We’re improving the information on this page. Find out more.