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Thumbnail for The empress and the English doctor [text(large print)] : how Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus

The empress and the English doctor [text(large print)] : how Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus

Ward, Lucy2023
Large Print
In the 18th century, as smallpox swept Europe, the first rumours emerged of an effective treatment: a mysterious method called inoculation. But a key problem remained: convincing people to accept the preventative remedy, the forerunner of vaccination. Arguments raged over risks and benefits, and public resistance ran high. With her empire ravaged by disease, Catherine the Great took the momentous decision to summon the Quaker physician Thomas Dimsdale to carry out a secret mission that would transform both their lives. Lucy Ward expertly unveils the extraordinary story of Enlightenment ideals, female leadership and the fight to promote science over superstition.
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