Treasures of Gloucestershire
Treasures of Gloucestershire
Horn believed to be from Blossom the Cow The silver mount with inscription Blossom has a lasting place in the history of medicine. When Dr Edward Jenner inoculated 8 year old James Phipps to test his theories, he did so using pus from the hands of Sarah Nelmes who had caught cow-pox from Blossom. Vaccination takes its name from the Latin ‘vacca’ meaning cow, in this way Blossom’s part in the eradication of smallpox has been honoured. Lent by Dr Jenner’s House (formerly The Edward Jenner Museum)
Portrait of Dr Edward Jenner by Daniel Gardner (1750-1805) Oil on canvas Edward Anthony Jenner (1749-1823), a physician and scientist from Berkeley, Gloucestershire, is considered the father of immunology. Thanks to his work in developing the smallpox vaccine it is thought that he saved more lives than any other man; the last case of naturally occurring smallpox was in 1977 and eradication was declared by the World Health Organization in 1980. In this portrait, Jenner is seated at his desk beside a window through which Blossom the cow can be seen in the pasture beyond. Lent by Berkeley Castle
Page 46
Page 47