Note:

Below you will find a few suggestions for searching this topic. These suggestions aren't the only way to find materials, but they may help to get you started.

Smallpox

I. Find Background

Reference Sources:

II. Search the Library Catalog

To find medical texts, histories,  and “popular” materials (written for non-specialists) along with some primary sources.

  1. Open the Library Catalog
  2. Search terms: smallpox
  3. Note: For more precise searching, you can also Limit Your Search (left-hand menu) by Subject and more to see all the subheadings (for example,  “History”)  Some promising subject headings: Letters , Smallpox > Vaccination > History , Smallpox > history,  and Smallpox > Vaccination > History > 19th century

III. Find current Scholarly Journal Articles (secondary sources)

  1. On the first line, enter your search term, smallpox
  2.  On the next line, enter the term, history

IV. Find historical, “popular” (i.e. written for the general public, rather than for specialists) articles about smallpox

  • Proquest Historical Newspapers
    • Select the Advanced Search.
    • Add your search terms
    • Scroll down to choose Document types (Articles, Advertisements maybe?)
    • If you wish, use the date limits on the right to restrict your results to a particular date range.
  • American Magazines
    This database contains periodicals published between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines and many other historically-significant periodicals.
    • Select the Advanced Search.
    • Add your search terms
    • Scroll down to choose Document type(s)
    • Adjust date ranges, if desired.

V. Find more articles about the history of smallpox

Including some historical articles that may be considered primary sources (how the condition was understood at various points in history).