The introduction of variolation 'A La Turca' to the West by Lady Mary Montagu and Turkey's contribution to this

Since variolation carried the risk of infection, it was replaced by a safer method called vaccination discovered by Jenner (1789), which led to the eradication of smallpox from the world. Despite the fact that vaccination ultimately superseded variolation in Western medical practice, Turkey played a key role as a bridge between civilizations in the transfer of this earlier treatment method to the West.