The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great Defied a Deadly Virus

by Lucy Ward

A TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022 SO FAR Shortlisted for the Pushkin House Book Prize 2022 ‘Sparkling history…with a fairytale atmosphere of sleigh rides, royal palaces and heroic risk-taking’ The Times A killer virus…an all-powerful Empress…an encounter cloaked in secrecy…the astonishing true story. Within living memory, smallpox was a dreaded disease. Over human history it has killed untold millions. Back in the eighteenth century, as epidemics swept Europe, the first rumours emerged of an effective a mysterious method called inoculation. But a key problem convincing people to accept the preventative remedy, the forerunner of vaccination. Arguments raged over risks and benefits, and public resistance ran high. As smallpox ravaged her empire and threatened her court, Catherine the Great took the momentous decision to summon the Quaker physician Thomas Dimsdale to St Petersburg to carry out a secret mission that would transform both their lives. Lucy Ward expertly unveils the extraordinary story of Enlightenment ideals, female leadership and the fight to promote science over superstition. ‘A rich and wonderfully urgent work of history’ Tristram Hunt

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Russia, Science, Medicine, Russian History, 18th Century

393 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2022

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting book about small pox and the development of innocuation/vaccination and catherine the great and her being injected with the deadly virus to get immunity

[Meg Briers · Rating 3 out of 5]

light history of medicine that was well written, and an interesting story. does feel a bit fleshed out/stretched around the main part of the story which seems to happen quite early on.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and fascinating true story of Catherine the Great's powerful leadership and fight to promote the vaccination for the deadly smallpox.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of how an English physician, Dr. Thomas Dimsdale, comes to inoculate Catherine the Great of Russia and her son, Grand Duke Paul, against small pox. It is a fascinating story and the author gives equal time to the Empress and the doctor. The book also details issues with a epidemic (small pox) and the fears of people regarding inoculation. Attention to the religious communities who either did or did not approve is also given. About 2 days after I began reading the book, I found a 10-episode TV series titled Ekaterina (Catherine) of Russia on Amazon Prime. The series was produced by the Russian government and is in Russian with English subtitles. Reading the book at the same time as watching the series gave a larger dimension to both venues.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fascinating title. It absolutely made me pick this book up. I have always been fascinated by Kings and Queens, and Emperors and Empresses, and Czars, etc. But I find whenever I start reading about one, that the minutiae of their lives or what they were doing, well, frankly it bores me. So I was hoping that this story, with a clear focus would keep my attention. Alas, it did not.

My assumption, is that there wasn't enough material to have a book focused on just Catherine the Great and Dr Thomas Dimsdale. Which is too bad because when the story was focused on them, I was completely entranced. I found the rest of the book to be 'filler' material.

However I do want to applaud the use of maps and pictures throughout the book. I found them exceedingly helpful and interesting.

So here's the basic breakdown. In Europe, England, Russia (really the world), Smallpox was a huge problem that caused millions of deaths. Quarantine was the only reliable method of surviving smallpox (which is not maintainable).

In 1750s/1760s (I'm really bad with dates, I know I just read this but I don't remember exactly) a woman named Mary something traveled to Turkey from England. There she saw a woman take pus from a person infected with smallpox and insert it into a cut on a person who did not have smallpox. She brought this inoculation process back to Britain and it gained credulence.

Dr Thomas Dimsdale was a quaker who left his faith to marry the woman he wanted. Sadly she died and he married her cousin. They had 7 children (I think). He learned of the inoculation and began treating people in his area. He wrote a paper about it and Catherine the Great read it. She had decided she wanted to be inoculated, as well as her son Paul. She arranged to have Dimsdale brought to her in St Petersburg.

So in 1768, Thomas and his son Nathaniel went to Russia and met the Empress. They were equally pleased with each other and after examining Catherine and her son, imposing a diet, Catherine was inoculated. It went well. She then had her son inoculated (he was a teenager at this time). Both mother and son grew close to the Doctor during this time. They recovered and Catherine used this to promote inoculation for her people. Soon all the nobles were requesting the services of the Doctor. When he finally left Russia, he was showered with money and gifts and Catherine made him and his son, Barons.

Thomas returned in 1781 with his 3rd wife Elizabeth (the second died of illness) to inoculate Paul's sons, Alexander and Constantine. This was another successful trip.

Thomas was also asked by King George III to inoculate a 'native' from the South Pacific, named
Omai. He asked to join Cook's crew back to Britain. When he arrived, the King feared he would fall to disease like other natives who visited, asked Dimsdale to inoculate him. Omai stayed with Dimsdale's family during this time and they all grew quite close. Omai did return to Tahiti where they learned later that he died in his 20s of illness.

The bulk of this story speaks to the history of smallpox and the various men and women who influenced its eventual eradication. While somewhat interesting, I'd find that there'd be a couple pages about a person who did a specific THING, then a couple pages on a different person doing a THING, and on and on. So they all blended together and frankly it didn't hold my attention.

What I did learn from reading this, is that Catherine the Great sounds FASCINATING. I mean, I've heard the standard references to her (specifically sexual references), but more than that she just sounds interesting. At the age of 14 when she was brought to the Russian Court, she showed amazing savvy to start navigating her future. I would love to find a great book on the life of Catherine II.

Would I recommend this book? Probably not, unless you were really interested in the history of smallpox. But I am glad I read it.

[Andrew Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account of an almost totally unknown story. Lucy Ward writes very well and keeps the reader fully engaged throughout.

Thomas Dimsdale was above all a man of very high integrity and I couldn't help but reflect on the lack of people with similar values in the 2020's!

Definitely recommended.

[historic_chronicles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smallpox was one of the single most deadliest killers to have existed. It didn't matter if you were poor or rich, male or female, old or young. It killed millions, obliterating villages and tearing through towns. It tore through many of the leading Royal Families leaving them fragile or wiped out altogether. There was no cure and those who were lucky enough to survive were left with horrific scarring that covered their bodies for the rest of their lives.

In the 18th Century, a distinguished English physician named Dr Thomas Dinsdale was one of the leading experts in a practice known as smallpox inoculation. An early stepping stone to the vaccination, inoculation was saving millions of lives throughout Britain and had caught the attention of none other than Empress Catherine II of Russia herself. As the virus decimated her country, the empress arranged a meeting with the unassuming doctor to inoculate her and her son, Grand Duke Paul the heir to the Russian throne.

Immensely fascinating and thought-provoking, Ward writes with a flowing yet compelling narrative while discussing topics such as the experience of a brutal epidemic along with the fears of inoculation including essential analysis on the religious tensions, scientific approval and public acceptance of the time.

The level of research is commendable with such attention to detail shown towards the history of the smallpox virus along with the progression of the inoculation process.

The Empress and the English Doctor is an engaging story of a vivacious and enthralling woman who crossed paths with a man of the uppermost levels of integrity and brought about progressive change to healthcare for all.

I wish to share my greatest thanks to @oneworldpublications for being so kind to send me a copy of this book to review.

[Mary Kesson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book that covers the history of the smallpox inoculation (and then vaccination) in the context of the doctor who traveled to Russia to inoculate Catherine the Great. There's a list on Goodreads titled Microhistory, and I suppose this book falls into that category. I'm unlikely to pick up a biography of Catherine the Great or digest a full history of smallpox, but this story focused on the changes taking place in the 18th century was the perfect dose for me. (Similar to Longitude and The Arcanum (about porcelain), as a point of reference.)

My compliments also to the author for touching on aspects of social history (think gender, race, income) without being too preachy about it. I'm annoyed by authors who go overboard pointing out (obvious) disparities and chastising the past by the standards of the present. In my opinion, it's just not necessary and distracts from the reader's enjoyment of the book.

[Eitakbackwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prescient tale of inoculation against small pox framed initially in the context of the covid 19 pandemic.

I enjoy learning about female figures in history who are often misconstrued and I enjoyed the wider discussion about inoculation/vaccination scepticism which is so recognisable even today alongside issues of data collection, safety and iterative methodologies.

I think things got a bit lost in the middle with the story of individuals. The discussion at the beginning and in the epilogue of the wider issues and parallels with modern day was the most compelling part. We often learn about Edward Jenner when it comes to small pox so it’s refreshing to get another aspect of the story.

3.5

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm grateful that despite anti-vaxxers inoculation and later vaccination took off and smallpox was eventually eradicated before I was born. I found this a fascinating look at Catherine the Great, Thomas Dimsdale, and how their lives played out. I haven't read much on Quakers either and appreciated the background information given. I found the hx of smallpox and how it and inoculation were perceived in society interesting as well as heartbreaking when it described the resisters to the new tech and the consequences they faced with higher mortality rates. I enjoyed this work and thought it was put together in a thoughtful manner. The science of medicine is interesting in general. I'd read future works by this author. I also want to dig in more and find Catherine the Greats memoirs.

[Adrian]

Thomas Dimsdale, a provincial English doctor became famous for perfecting the inoculation of smallpox but became a celebrity when he was invited by Russia's Catherine the Great to come to her country to inoculate her and the heir to the Russian throne, her son Paul. He did so and spent 9 months inoculating Russians of all stripes. In fact thirteen years later he went back to treat Catherine's case of pleurisy. This book is also a very able history of smallpox and the effort to eradicate it. A mission that was greatly hampered by anti-vaccination sentiment as alive then as it is today. A half billion people died of smallpox after Edward Jenner's discovery of smallpox vaccination. That gives one pause for thought.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

The doctor has no name, the whole ”West” is responsible. Add the Empress is also Western, so it's a racist tale of the civilized Whites bringing the fire to the savage Slavs.

It is an idiotic story, a legend, because the people who have worked are irrelevant, the Western Empress single-handedly fought with the armies of the evil virus, and won.

And what are the morals? Well, Russia has today a hard time understanding freedom as anything beyond the options put forward by the party officials. So the solution is pretty much how to make a Soviet-style union of Republics in the West, now that Bill Gates has warned more viruses are around the corner.

[Lisa May · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Smallpox, that fearsome 'speckled monster' as eighteenth-century England knew it for its distinctive raised rash, was a disease unparalleled in its horror and lethal power. There was no cure, and none would ever be found. Today, as the world faces new health crises, we have lost the inherited memory of the monster's terrible impact . . . Bringing down empires and devastating populations, smallpox rampaged around the globe for millennia, changing the course of history as it killed and maimed millions of all strata of society. . . Over the first eight decades of the twentieth century alone, it had killed an estimated 300 million people."

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing narrative about the early days of inoculation. Developed in England and becoming a cultural lightning rod almost instantly, inoculation saved millions of lives across Europe in the 18th century. Catherine the Great, wanting to be seen as a progressive, Enlightenment absolute monarch, was the first reigning monarch to be inoculated herself, encouraging others in her court and country to follow her example. The parallels between the smallpox vaccine debates and the COVID vaccine debates 250+ years later were unmistakeable. Really thought-provoking and a highly entertaining historical narrative about two polar opposites.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting historic book looking into the beginnings of vaccination by inoculation and groundbreaking work done by Catherine the great and Thomas Dimsdale to show the world the benefit of in inoculation when before millions were dying of smallpox, this was not the necessary future for all the tread in fear. Very impressed that these practices were adopted from laypeople doing this as regular practice in Turkey. Also known in other countries. The benefits of the affluent ones that could travel and therefore learn and spread the new information and techniques. Fascinating!

[Pam Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the 18th century, Catherine the Great brought Dr. Thomas Dimsdale from England to help her introduce the new procedure of inoculation to the Russian people. She was a brave, intelligent and forward-thinking woman. Outbreaks of smallpox were everywhere and the mortality was high. Innoculation was an important step in the development of vaccinations. The book is well-researched but not well-edited. There was a lot of repetition and it could have easily been shortened to make a better book.

[Caffa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like small pox? No? Me neither! Neither did Catherine the Great so she bravely and brilliantly collaborated with an English doctor to inoculate the people of Russia, aristocrat and serf. She led by example, having the somewhat experimental treatment done on herself and her heir before rolling it out for all. Loved this.

[Colin Donaldson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story about medical history. I find it interesting to compare the time period when inoculation started to other events in history, such as Voltaire's writings, Ben Franklin, and the American Revolution.

The author makes a few comparisons to the introduction of the Covid vaccine, but they are limited. People have not changed much in the last 250 years or so.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ward provides a dual, or perhaps, triple biography, covering Catherine II, Dr Thomas Dimsdale, and the disease itself. Using English and Russian archival sources as well as a wide variety of published material, she places the history of inoculation in its scientific, religious, intellectual, and social contexts, spanning Europe from Hertford to Moscow and everywhere in between.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Thomas Dimsdale is a name that more people should know. And a lot more people should know the story of the bravery of Catherine the Great. This is the kind of stuff she should be remembered for.

[Brad Angle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am now an expert in smallpox inoculation and vaccination. Also nice to learn that Catherine the Great was kind of similar to her TV version. Pretty good read.

[Sara Hindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the life of Catherine the Great, and the treatment of smallpox

[Diane Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating true account of the creation of the smallpox inoculation from the perspective of Thomas Dimsdale, English doctor famed for inoculating Katherine the Great of Russia.

[Angus Willson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tour-de-force of detailed research. A story which chimed at the point of publication. Perhaps over-long.

[Melissa Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book - can't believe I didn't know this history! Just went a little long at the end...

[Daniel Gusev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminded me of “The Ghost Map” by Steven Johnson of equally daring doctor, John Snow, and eradication of a cholera outbreak in London - several decades after a mesmerising relationship of Dymsdale and Catherine the Great - and her promotion of rational virtues of progressive philosophies of her age, including inoculation.

[Jane Wilson-Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched and fascinating. Who'd have thought that Catherine the Great's husband's murder was passed off as a death due to haemorrhoids!
I did wonder whether Ward might have examined Dimsdale's observation of the poor and desperate of the Russian Empire and Catherines despotic regime, although the book stay faithfully to the focus of the first inoculations when lead to the eradication of a virus that killed a sixth of all it attacked. Definitely worth reading