The Empress and the English Doctor : Oneworld : 9780861545186 : 0861545184 : 16 Feb 2023 : The astonishing true story of how Catherine the Great joined forces with a Quaker doctor from Essex to spearhead one of the first global public health campaigns. A TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022 SO FAR Shortlisted for the Pushkin House Book Prize 2022 ?Sparkling history?with a fairytale atmosphere of sleigh rides, royal palaces and heroic risk-taking' The Times A killer virus?an all-powerful Empress?an encounter cloaked in secrecy?the astonishing true story. Within living memory, smallpox was a dreaded disease. Over human history it has killed untold millions. Back in the eighteenth century, as epidemics 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. As sma