Edward jenner

Edward Jenner /1749-1823/ is English physician who discovered that inoculation with cowpox vaccine creates immunity to smallpox. Smallpox was a terrible illness. In the 15th century Europe was like a great smallpox hospital in which 1,5 million people died every year.

In 17th century an epidemic of smallpox broke out in Siberia. Half of population died. People were helpless to fight smallpox. Smallpox has almost disappeared thanks to the work of Edward Jenner.

Edward Jenner was born in 1749 in Berkeley. His mother and father died when he was young. Edward liked birds and animals and he decided to become a doctor. He studied medicine under Doctor Hunter in London. Then he came home and settled as a doctor.

A young countrywoman told him that she could not catch smallpox because she had already had cow-pox. On May 14, 1796, Jenner took some of the matter from one of the pock-marks on the woman's hand, cut the skin on the arm of an 8-year old boy James Phipps, and put the matter into the cut. Then he gave him smallpox. The smallpox had no effect on the boy at aLl. He never caught smallpox! It was a great victory.

Jenner called his work vaccination /from Latin vacca - a cow/. Jenner's discovery was attacked by many doctors. War was declared against Jenner. At last doctors in London started to vaccinate people. It saved 45,000 people a year. Honours and gifts came to Jenner. He built a house for James Phipps and planted roses in the garden. In Germany, May 14 was declared a national holiday.

Jenner received many invitations from London but he refused to go here and worked in Berkley He died in 1823 at 74. As Jenner wished, he was buried in Berkley. In 35 years a monument showing Edward Jenner vaccinating a child was unveiled in London.

James cook

James Cook /1728-79/ is British naval captain, navigator and explorer. He was born on October 27, 1728, in a farmer's family. The house they lived in there is now in Australia. It was brought from Eng­land as a memorial.

James went to school until he was 12. He was sent to work in a fishing village. He wanted to go to sea. He was given a job on a ship which carried coal from Newcastle to London. When the Seven Years War broke James served in the Royal Navy. He was made captain of the ship and went to take part in the siege of Quebec and to chart the River Saint Lawrence and the coastline of Newfoundland. Cook has be­come famous as a mapmaker and navigator.

In 1768 Captain Cook led an expedition to the south Pacific. He explored New Zealand and pro­claimed it British territory. On the 20^th of April he reached Australia. Cook called it New South Wales. On June 10 his ship Endeavour ran onto а с coral reef. The ship was repaired as quickly as possible. During the repairs, the men saw for the first time kangaroo. Then the Endeavour sailed back to England.

He sailed once more on July 13, 1772 with two ships. On January 17, 1773, after 6 months at sea the Antarctic Circle was crossed for the first time in history. He returned to England on July 30, 1775 and received a great welcome.

On July 11, 1776, he sailed once again, first to New Zealand, then to Tahiti. In 1778 he visited the Bering Strait in search of the Northwest Passage. On finding his way blocked by ice, he became convinced that there was no passage. Winter forced him to return south. Cook decided to sail to Hawaii. The people of the islands were friendly. After refitting his ships Cook found a boat missing. Cook began to look for it and wanted to arrest the native king. A fight began in which Cook was killed. The survivors gave him аn honourable burial at sea.