Don’t dilute it that much, or it won’t work. We should give this a name: “reduced-strength homeopathy”, maybe, or perhaps “variolation” (because it’s a variant of homeopathy).
The success of variolation led many, including medical professionals, to overlook its drawbacks. Variolation was practiced on the basis that it protected against smallpox for life, and was far less likely to kill than natural infection. In some cases however, natural smallpox or variolation failed to protect from a second attack. These cases were a result of a lapse of immune “memory”, while others may have been misdiagnosed (experts often confused smallpox with chickenpox). Variolation also required a level of skill and attention to detail which some physicians lacked. Many physicians failed to take note of local redness and discharge to assure the variolation had taken, resulting in inadequate treatment. However, it was its great risk to others that led to the end of the practice. The collateral smallpox cases spread by variolated subjects shortly after variolation began to outweigh the benefits of the procedure.
Well of course from a public perspective we should only do this if we expect everyone to contract it anyway. A straightforward way to avoid the danger of unilateralism is for each state to decide whether to recommend such measures as not being careful about touching things to the populace.
Who knew that after all this time my grandmother would be right. Homeopathy is the answer.
Don’t dilute it that much, or it won’t work. We should give this a name: “reduced-strength homeopathy”, maybe, or perhaps “variolation” (because it’s a variant of homeopathy).
Oh hey, look, there’s a Wikipedia article on Variolation:
Hmm… We’d have to be careful.
Well of course from a public perspective we should only do this if we expect everyone to contract it anyway. A straightforward way to avoid the danger of unilateralism is for each state to decide whether to recommend such measures as not being careful about touching things to the populace.