Inoculation INOCULA'TION, n. [L. inoculatio.] The act or practice of
inserting buds of one plant under the bark of another for propagation.
1. The act or practice of communicating a disease to a person in health,
by inserting contagious matter in his skin or flesh. This practice is
limited chiefly to the communication of the small pox,and of the cow pox,
which is intended as a substitute for it. [See Vaccination.]
inoculation nounDate: 1714 1. the act or process or an instance of inoculating;
especially the introduction of a pathogen or antigen into a living
organism to stimulate the production of antibodies 2.inoculum
Inoculation is the introduction of disease germs into the system,
usually by puncture of the skin or hypodermic injection; many diseases so
introduced assume a mild form, and render the subject not liable to the
severe form. Inoculation for smallpox, the virus being taken from actual
smallpox pustules, was practised by the ancient Brahmans and by the
Chinese 600 years before Christ, and its practice continued in the East.
It was introduced to this country from Turkey in 1717, and extensively
practised until superseded by Jenner's discovery of vaccination at the
end of the century, and finally prohibited by law in 1840. Inoculation
has been found successful in the prevention of other diseases, notably
anthrax, hydrophobia, and recently malaria.
Inoculation \In*oc"u*la"tion\, n. [L. inoculatio: cf. F.
inoculation.]
1. The act or art of inoculating trees or plants.
2. (Med.) The act or practice of communicating a disease to a
person in health, by inserting contagious matter in his
skin or flesh.
Note: The use was formerly limited to the intentional
communication of the smallpox, but is now extended to
include any similar introduction of modified virus; as,
the inoculation of rabies by Pasteur.
3. Fig.: The communication of principles, especially false
principles, to the mind.
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