[C19fan]

I believe George Washington ordered the inoculation of the whole Continental Army using this method. It was very risky because the army would be incapacitated for several weeks as the men fought off the infection.

[Pharmboy]

Yes...you are correct. And lucky for us, The General contracted smallpox the "natural" way on a trip to Barbados with his older half-brother Lawrence in 1750, so he was quite immune when it was the scourge of the colonies during the RevWar.

The pox left him with a pitted nose.

[purpleraine]

There was a book about small pox in America about three years ago. The author said that the inoculations may have been the most strategic decision Washington made. The Brits had introduced the pox in blankets to Indians and were believed to be condsidering it for the “traitor.”