The Great Inoculator : Yale University Press : 9780300241440 : 0300241445 : 04 Aug 2020 : Smallpox was the scourge of the eighteenth century: it showed no mercy, almost wiping out whole societies. Young and old, poor and royalty were equally at risk &; unless they had survived a previous attack. Daniel Sutton, a young surgeon from Suffolk, used this knowledge to pioneer a simple and effective inoculation method to counter the disease. His technique paved the way for Edward Jenner&;s discovery of vaccination &; but, while Jenner is revered, Sutton has been vilified for not widely revealing his methods until later in life.   Gavin Weightman reclaims Sutton&;s importance, showing how the clinician&;s practical and observational discoveries advanced understanding of the nature of disease. Weightman explores Sutton&;s personal and professional development, and the wider world of eighteenth-century health in which he practised inoculation. Sutton&;s brilliant and exacting mind had a signific