How Do You Spell BOVINE VARIOLATION?

1. Bovine variolation refers to a method of immunization or vaccination against smallpox that involves the use of cowpox virus. Derived from the Latin word "bovine" meaning relating to or characteristic of cows, bovine variolation involves infecting an individual with cowpox in order to protect against smallpox.

   Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, was a highly contagious and often fatal disease that afflicted millions of people worldwide. In the past, before the advent of modern vaccines, bovine variolation was commonly practiced as a means of preventing smallpox infection. The method involved transferring material from fresh cowpox lesions, often on the udders of cows, onto scratches or superficial cuts on the skin of humans. These inoculations resulted in a local infection with cowpox, which produced a mild illness characterized by skin lesions but generally caused less severe symptoms compared to smallpox.

   Bovine variolation had the beneficial effect of provoking a protective immune response in the individual, making them immune to subsequent smallpox infections. This method was used extensively and successfully in various parts of the world, most notably introduced to Europe by the English physician Edward Jenner in the late 18th century when he discovered the principle of vaccination. Bovine variolation played a crucial role in the development of vaccines and eventually led to the eradication of smallpox, as it provided the foundation for the modern smallpox vaccination using vaccinia virus, a close relative of cowpox.

2. Inoculation of a heifer with smallpox with the object of obtaining a virus for vaccination.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for BOVINE VARIOLATION

The word "bovine variolation" can be broken down into two parts: "bovine" and "variolation".

The term "bovine" relates to cattle or cows. It comes from the Latin word "bos", which means "ox" or "cow". "Bovine" is an adjective used to describe anything related to cattle.

On the other hand, "variolation" is derived from the Latin word "variolae", meaning "pustules" or "smallpox". Variolation was the early practice of deliberately infecting individuals with small amounts of smallpox virus in an attempt to confer immunity. This practice was used before the development of the smallpox vaccine.

The term "bovine variolation" specifically refers to the practice of using a similar technique on cows or cattle to induce immunity against bovine diseases, similar to how variolation was used in humans.

Plural form of BOVINE VARIOLATION is BOVINE VARIOLATIONS