As it was introduced in 18th century Europe, the smallpox inoculation,presented by its supporters as a masterpiece of enlightened rationality,gave rise to passionate philosophical, medical, and theological debates. Thehistory of inoculation deals with public health as well as individual experienceand medical, progress. Too young to provide us with first-hand evidence, childrenare central, yet absent figures in this history. Focusing essentially onGeneva, this article firstly indicates what, according to dodors, the theorelically ideal age to be inoculated is.
