[Sabertooth]

Question: approximately when did science actually figure out how diseases and viruses, such as small-pox spread? Thanks.

Funny you should ask. Historical overview of smallpox here...

Smallpox: The Triumph over the Most Terrible
of the Ministers of Death

[vikingchick]

From the other thread:Variolation soon reached the New World, and in 1721,

So how likely is it that Amherst would have had all his troops variolated (proper usage?)against small-pox so that he would be able to infect the Indians with complete confidence that it wouldn't backlash on him and his?