Was the word “inoculation” regularly used for introducing a disease for purposes other than inducing immunity

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While researching the history/historiography of the British potentially spreading smallpox via blankets at the siege of Fort Pitt during Pontiac's War, I came across General Amherst's letters. These state an intent to spread smallpox intentionally:

Amherst, July 16: P.S. You will Do well to try to Innoculate the Indians by means of Blanketts, as well as to try Every other method that can serve to Extirpate this Execreble Race. (emphasis added)

(Source: Wikipedia cites "Papers of Col. Henry Bouquet, ed. Stevens and Kent, ser. 21634, p. 161.", a digitized version of which can be viewed here)

What I'm curious about is the use of "inoculate" in the letters. From context, it certainly seems like Amherst's intention was to spread smallpox. However, I've only seen "inoculate" used to describe an early form of vaccination, introducing disease-related substances with the goal of inducing immunity. Was Amherst's usage of "inoculate" for generally spreading a disease a common usage at the time, or is this just a random misuse of a word by Amherst?

Best Answer

Etymology of inoculate: < Latin inoculāt-, participial stem of inoculāre to engraft, implant, < in- (in- prefix2) + oculus eye, bud.

Apart from the horticultural meaning - now supplanted by "to graft" - the verb to inoculate, at the time of Bouquet (1719-65) and Amherst was understood, as per the OED, as

2 b. To impregnate (a person or animal) with the virus or germs of a disease.

The reason for inoculating someone is not a part of the verb, which is neutral. The meaning was one of introducing one living thing into another.

At the time of Amherst's letter, inoculate was understood was

to engraft or implant (a disease, or the germ or virus) upon an individual, by a process of inoculation n.;

Jenner's discovery was not made until after 1796 - long after Amherst's (who died in 1797) statement and it was this that changed the common use and related it to the inoculation of cowpox for the purpose of protection against smallpox, and hence the OED continues

spec. for the purpose of inducing a milder form of the disease and rendering the subject immune from its ordinary attacks.

As armies lacked the knowledge to engage in germ warfare to a sophisticated degree, the negative use of inoculation was not common, but, in Amherst's case, correct.

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