ly ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁ ▁Pre - 1 9 6 0 s ▁ ▁Small po x ▁is ▁a ▁highly ▁cont ag ious ▁disease ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁fatal ▁throughout ▁most ▁of ▁recorded ▁human ▁history . ▁Vari ous ▁techniques ▁of ▁vari olation ▁( prote ction ▁against ▁small po x ) ▁have ▁been ▁documented ▁glob ally , ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁records ▁of ▁established ▁practice ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁M ing ▁dynast y ▁( present - day ▁China ) ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁In ▁Europe , ▁vari olation ▁was ▁taken ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁via ▁Constantin ople . ▁At ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 th , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁individuals ▁including ▁Benjamin ▁J esty ▁and ▁Edward ▁Jen ner ▁began ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁considerable ▁success ▁using ▁a ▁v acc ine ▁made ▁from ▁cow po x ▁material . ▁Vari olation ▁eventually ▁decl ined ▁as ▁v acc ines ▁were ▁shown ▁to ▁be ▁effective ▁and ▁became ▁better ▁appreciated . ▁ ▁In ▁present - day ▁Canada , ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁small po x ▁st ret ches ▁back ▁to ▁European ▁contact ▁with ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Since ▁the ▁ab original ▁dem ographic ▁had ▁no ▁natural ▁imm unity , ▁small po x ▁dev ast ated ▁populations ▁that ▁sett lers ▁made ▁contact ▁with . ▁It ▁spread ▁first ▁in ▁New ▁France ▁near ▁T ad ouss ac ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 6 ▁and ▁quickly ▁reached ▁tribes ▁in ▁the ▁Mar it