Question

Which of the following statements regarding variolation is FALSE?

A) At the time no one knew how it worked.
B) It was administered to children as early as the 12th century.
C) It involves grinding smallpox scabs.
D) It reduced the incidence of smallpox.
E) It was risk-free.

Answer 1

The false statement about variolation is that (E) it was risk-free. Variolation could lead to serious infections and contribute to smallpox epidemics, making it not without risk.

Step-by-step explanation:

Variolation was the process of deliberately inoculating individuals with infectious material from scabs or pustules of smallpox victims to confer immunity against smallpox.

However, while variolation often resulted in a milder infection than naturally acquired smallpox, the practice was not without risks. Serious and sometimes fatal infections could occur, and the procedure could inadvertently lead to smallpox epidemics. The introduction of vaccination by Edward Jenner, using cowpox to induce immunity against smallpox, presented a safer alternative to variolation and eventually led to its decline.