While the World Allergy Organization (WAO) is addressing the need for greater awareness and understanding of atopic dermatitis including the role of food allergy as well as quality of life concerns, new treatment options, the socio-economic burden and the importance of skin care here, the Department of Immunology held a CME on the occasion of “World Allergy Week” let us remember a few pioneers in this field, whose work paved the way for modern day Immunology.
From various archaeological evidences, it is very clear that man knew about diseases and its ill effects from ancient times. In those days, diseases were considered as a punishment due to bad deeds or evil thoughts. The concept of immunity from disease dates back at least to Greece in the 5th century BC when Thucydides wrote about individuals who recovered from the plague, which was raging in Athens at the time. These individuals, who had already contracted the disease, recovered and became “immune” or “exempt.” However, the earliest recognized attempt to intentionally induce immunity to an infectious disease was in the 10th century in China, where smallpox was endemic. The process of “variolation” involved exposing healthy people to material from the lesions caused by the disease, either by putting it under the skin, or, more often, inserting powdered scabs from smallpox pustules into the nose. Variolation was known and practiced frequently in the Ottoman Empire, where it had been introduced by Circassian traders around 1670.
Although Jenner is rightly celebrated for his development of cowpox as a safe vaccine for smallpox, he was not the first to make use of a relatively non-pathogenic virus to induce immunity. In 1774, Benjamin Jesty, a farmer, inoculated his wife with the vaccinia virus obtained from “farmer Elford of Chittenhall, near Yetminster.” In 1796, Jenner inoculated James Phipps with material obtained from a cowpox lesion that appeared on the hand of a dairymaid. Six weeks later, he inoculated the experimental subject with smallpox without producing the disease. The word “Vaccination” coined by Jenner for his treatment (from the Latin, vacca means a cow), was adopted by Louis Pasteur for immunization against any disease.
My aim to recall this brief chronology of events is to focus on how these stalwarts were able to make such discoveries, as revolutionized not only the times they inhabited but continue to inspire and guide us even today. Every success is built on the desire to perform better than just good enough. Nothing is more exhilarating than discovering something for the first time-something which must have existed since the universe was born but was known to no one. These path breaking achievements were ushered in at a time when medicine was in its infancy and odds against such endeavours were high. Achievement is not just about success it is also about withstanding tough times and challenging situations. Resilience demonstrated under pressure is in many ways just as important as the more obvious markers of success. One of the few things that can be guaranteed is that everyone will experience failures in their career.
The capacity to pick oneself up, bounce back and carry on regardless, in times of difficulty is what is of value. We have to inculcate this attitude because it is an attribute which all do not possess. On the flip side thank God we are not all the same, for it would be incredibly boring. Different people bring different perceptions to the same problem and I am looking at how to do more of this across departments, to bring together insights from different disciplines. This way we can really forge ahead. We have to follow the work culture of the natural environment where different species interact congenially.
You need to appreciate the complexity of a system to effect positive changes. My approach is that I prefer to solve problems through consensus wherever possible and to leave a legacy that would extend beyond my own career and lifetime. A Final message to all of you, when someone says something is impossible, do not believe them but simply prove them wrong.
Dr Omar Shah is Director SKIMS, Srinagar