Edward Jenner, MD, and the scourge that was.

This article was inspired by the global eradication of smallpox in 1980. Rather than reiterate the recent history of this remarkable achievement, we have chosen to celebrate the event by reviewing the early history of smallpox immunization and the contribution of Edward Jenner, MD, to this endeavor. In addition, we present these historical events within the context of knowledge acquired by modern virologists.