Legal measures on vaccination against smallpox in the Principality of Serbia in the 1830s-1840s

Abstract

The paper addresses the legal measures regarding vaccination against smallpox in the Principality of Serbia in the 1830s-1840s. The main focus is on two normative acts-Rules for the inoculation of pox of 1839 and a Supplement to these Rules of 1842. Relying on archive material, the paper strives to show both the normative content of these acts (including a comparison with the Austrian regulations of 1836), as well as the circumstances in which they were passed and their application in practice. Particular attention is paid to the main obstacles to effective vaccination-distrust and fear of the procedure among the general population and insufficient available medical staff-and steps that were taken to overcome these difficulties.