The Sun Monument to an immunology pioneer

During the early days of the pandemic I wrote a series of articles about the history of immunology and vaccination. I firmly believe that the discovery of vaccination has been one of the greatest advances in the history of medicine.

The 2023 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Katlin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their discoveries that led to the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19. Their prize is well deserved and the world has much to thank them for.

Dr Edward Jenner’s discovery of smallpox vaccination in 1796 is generally regarded as the start of it all. He demonstrated that an infection with the relatively mild cowpox virus that milkmaids were susceptible to, gave immunity against the deadly smallpox.

Yet the story goes back further to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a relatively unsung heroine in the history of immunology. At Wentworth Castle in South Yorkshire, there is an impressive tall obelisk, framed by an avenue of trees. It is known as the Sun Monument because a glistening globe representing the sun tops it. It was dedicated to Lady Mary Wortley-Montagu (16891763), for introducing smallpox inoculation to England from Turkey.

As the wife of the British Ambassador to Turkey she lived in Constantinople, where she heard about a process called variolation that had been used in China since the tenth century, and which merchants brought back to Turkey. It involved exposing healthy non-infected people to the scabs of people who had smallpox. These were either put under the skin or powdered and inhaled up the nose like snuff.

Back in London, during another outbreak of smallpox she had her six-year-old son variolated and was so convinced of its efficacy that she championed the cause to have it accepted. Several members of the royal family were inoculated, the result being that variolation became fashionable. It gave protection to many until 1796 when Dr Jenner discovered vaccination.