Page 98 - Historical Fiction.pdf
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Y o u 'r e          Imagine you are a person living in   which  is  flat  spots  which  change  into  raised  bumps   The Good, The Bad of the Parties
   then  firm  fluid  filled  blisters  which  then  scab.  If
 the  1770?s.  You  and  your  family  are
 I n v i t e d    exposed  to  the  smallpox  disease.  In   someone  had  it  worse  then  they  would  have  a  lot  of          Before  the  smallpox  and  chickenpox  vaccine
 order  to  escape  the  wrath  of   skin rash and it would sometimes spread to the throat   was  created,  pox  parties  were  held  to  build  up
 t o  a  (Po x )   smallpox you have decided to attend   which made it hard to breath and their throat always   immunity to the disease and virus. Even after the
 a  pox  party  at  a  local  slave  owner's   itches. This is how most people died. Few would just   vaccine  was  created  pox  parties  were  still  held
 Pa r t y  house.  You  and  about  30  others  are   die from the disease itself. Now, these parties are called   because  some  people  did  not  want  to  get  the

 gathered  in  a  room  to  be  infected.   chickenpox parties. Chickenpox parties now are more
 W e 'l l  Pa r t y  Y o u  t o    for just kids and not adults. Parents invite kids to their   vaccine  or  they  could  not  pay  for  it.  Catching
 De a t h  Once  you  have  been  infected  you              chickenpox  once or getting  a  vaccine against the
 begin  to  live  out  your  life  as  you   house to get the kids infected. People also mail items   virus makes most healthy people immune for life.
 BY GABBY MARTIN  normally would in the house. You are   the infected child has touched to someone so they get   (Johnson  What  are the  risks and  benefits of  pox
 here  for  about  2  weeks.  The  slaves   the sickness as well. They do not last nearly as long as
 are  taking  of  you  and  getting  you   they used too.    parties?)  If  someone  gets  the  vaccine,  they  still
 everything you need. As the days go                         have a chance to get the disease or virus but with
 by  you  symptoms.  You  have  a  few                       milder  symptoms.  Pox  parties  can  be  very
 bumps on your skin and it?s hard to                         harmful. People who get infected with the disease
 breathe. You then wonder, ?Will I live                      or virus will get the full effect  and may still have
 to see the end of this?? All you can do                     complications  after  getting  the  disease  or  virus.
 is hope.                                                                                       People  can  also

        Over  the  course  of  the  next  few                                                   get  the disease so
 days you get better while others get                                                           bad  that they end
 worse.  You  now  have  fewer  bumps                                                           up  dying.  This
 and it?s easier to breathe. There have                                                         does  not  happen
 now been a few deaths in the house                                                             when        getting
 but none were your family. You are so
                                                                                                chickenpox,       it
   Illust rat ion of  t wo diseases. Smallpox (left )
 relieved  that  you  and  your  family  will  still  see  each   The Not So Fun Parties        only happens with
 other when this is all over. Until, on the last day, your   and chickenpox (right ).           smallpox.
 sibling starts to have a very itchy throat. It gets worse          Pox  parties  were  very  popular  during  the
 as the day goes on and nothing has helped. Soon, your   Revolutionary  War.  This  was  used  to  help  fight  the   Solving the Problem
 sibling stops breathing. The medics confirm that they   smallpox disease because the vaccine was not created   The Smallpox Virus
 are dead. The bumps had closed up the airways in the   until 1789. A group of people from a similar place would         Their  were  a  few  different  ways  smallpox  was
 throat. You think, ?It should have been me. They didn?t   come  together  at  one  household  and  live  there  for   treated  including  pox  parties.  One  way  to  treat  this
 deserve this.? The rest of your family had made it out   about  2  weeks.  They  would  purposely  give  the  group   disease was bloodletting from the tongue. Another way
 alive  but  they  would  always  remember  how  bad  the   smallpox in order to get lifelong immunity from  it. In   to  prevent  the  disease  is  the  smallpox  inoculation.
 smallpox  disease  really  is.  Now  that  you  have  gotten   that  time,  it  was  better  to  get  it  sooner  rather  than   This needle would pierce the skin. This was their form
 smallpox once you won?t get it again. You are lucky.   later.   of  vaccine  to  protect  the  people  from  smallpox.
   (Smallpox: inoculation and vaccination
       The year is 1789. The smallpox vaccine has just been
 invented. You think, ?Finally. The pox parties can end.?
 More and more people are now getting the vaccine but  Smallpox vs. Chickenpox  Bloodlet t ing is t he wit hdrawal of

 some people don?t think the vaccine can help so they   blood from a pat ient  t o prevent  or
       During a smallpox party, there was a routine. The
 still hold pox parties. When you have children, would   cure illness and disease. The
 people would do the same thing every day. Throughout
 you get the vaccine or attend another pox party? The   Smallpox inoculat ion  was t he first
 the  day,  everyone  would  socialize  and  they  would
 choice is yours.
 always  be  close  so  if  one  person  ended  up  with   successful vaccine t o  be developed .
                                                                            The last  nat ural
 smallpox,  everyone  would  get  smallpox.  Some  people   It  was creat ed by Edward Jenner in
 got  it  worse  than  others.  If  someone  was  lucky  they               occurrence of smallpox.
    1796.
 would have minor symptoms of smallpox like fever and
 malaise.  There  would  be  some  widespread  skin  rash
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