vaccina
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A specific medical procedure: A localized infection deliberately induced in humans through inoculation with the virus that causes cowpox. The purpose of this procedure is to confer immunity or resistance to smallpox. The infection typically runs its course over about three weeks and results in a characteristic pitted scar at the inoculation site.
Usage and Examples
- As a subject: " was a crucial precursor to modern vaccination techniques."
- As an object: "Doctors in the 18th century would induce to protect against smallpox."
- With a modifier: "The successful left a small scar on the patient's arm."
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Literary Context: The term is primarily used in historical, medical, or scientific writing to describe the specific procedure and its effects, distinguishing it from general modern vaccination.
- Example: "The text described the process of inducing vaccina in detail, noting the expected progression of the lesion."
Variants and Related Words
- Vaccination (n): The broader act of administering a vaccine to produce immunity. is a historical type of vaccination.
- Vaccine (n): A biological preparation that provides immunity to a particular disease. The cowpox virus used to induce was an early vaccine.
- Cowpox (n): The viral disease of cattle that is the source of the virus used to induce .
Synonyms
- Inoculation: The broader act of introducing a pathogen or antigen into a body to induce immunity. is a form of inoculation.
- Variolation (Historical): A related but distinct historical practice of inoculating with actual smallpox virus matter. used the safer cowpox virus.
Notes on Meaning
- Specificity: refers specifically to the infection and resulting scar caused by the cowpox virus inoculation, not to the act of administering it (which is vaccination) or the agent used (which is the vaccine).
- Historical Term: This word is largely historical, as smallpox has been eradicated and modern smallpox vaccines are developed differently. It is key for understanding the history of immunology.
Noun
- a local infection induced in humans by inoculation with the virus causing cowpox in order to confer resistance to smallpox; normally lasts three weeks and leaves a pitted scar