Pierce Dod facts for kids

Pierce Dod (1683–1754) was a British doctor who lived a long time ago. He was known for being against a medical treatment called smallpox inoculation. This treatment helped protect people from a very serious disease called smallpox.

Pierce Dod studied at Brasenose College at the University of Oxford. He earned different degrees there, becoming a doctor in 1714. Later, he became a member of important medical groups, like the Royal College of Physicians in 1720 and the Royal Society in 1730. From 1725 until he passed away, he worked as a doctor at St. Bartholomew's Hospital.

The Smallpox Debate

In 1746, Pierce Dod became part of a big discussion about smallpox inoculation. This was a time when doctors were trying to find the best ways to fight diseases. Smallpox was a terrible illness that caused rashes and often led to death. Inoculation was an early way to try and prevent it. It involved giving a person a small amount of the smallpox virus to make them mildly sick, hoping it would make them immune.

Dod's Views on Inoculation

Dr. Dod wrote a booklet called Several cases in physick. In this booklet, he shared stories that he believed showed inoculation did not work well. He talked about nine different cases. However, only one of these cases truly suggested that inoculation failed. This was about a child who got inoculated at age three but still caught smallpox when they were five years old.

Doctors Respond to Dod

Other doctors did not agree with Pierce Dod. Doctors J. Kirkpatrick, W. Barrowby, and I. Schomberg wrote their own booklet. It was called A letter to the real and genuine Pierce Dod, MD. This booklet was written in a funny, mocking way. It pretended that the real Pierce Dod could not have written the first booklet because it had mistakes. They argued that a good doctor like Dod would know that some people could get smallpox more than once. They also suggested that anyone against inoculation might be worried about their own medical business.

Impact on Dod's Career

The funny, mocking booklet caused problems for Dr. Dod. It hurt his good name and his medical practice. People might have trusted him less after reading it. Pierce Dod passed away on August 6, 1754.