variolation

[Rajesh Kochhar]

 1. Variolation  was being  practised in various countries. It was
introduced into Europe from Turkey. by Lady Montagu in  circa 1720.
2. J Z Holwell wrote an account of the Indian practice in 1757.It was
reprinted by Dharampal in his edited volume(1983)  :Indian Science and
Technology in the 18th Century: Some Contemporary European
Accounts.(Hyderabad:Academy of Gandhian Studies)


Prof Rajesh Kochhar
Director
National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies
Pusa Gate , K S Krishnan Marg , New Delhi 110012
ph + 91 11  5764064 / 5743227   fax 5754640
altenative email rkochhar2000 at yahoo.com
web site  http://nistads.res.in
-----Original Message-----
From: Rajarshi Banerjee <rajarshi.banerjee at SMGINC.COM>
To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Date: Thursday, July 13, 2000 12:01 AM
Subject: New book


>Inoculation against chicken pox was practiced in India and China before the
>practice was discovered by western medicine.
>
>A book by dharampal lists extensive records kept by the british on
>innoculation practices in India. Weakened germ cultures were mantained in
>Varanasi and people were sent out as far as bengal to innoculate people.
>
>The cultures are referred to as consisting of animaliculae as told to a
>british chronicler by an indian physician.
>
>I also remember the the story of visuchika (cholera). VisUchika the
>RAkshashi ( Demoness ) assumes the form of a needle , enters the body of
her
>victims and devours them from inside. I heard this story long back from my
>great grand mother and want to know the source of this story.
>
>RB