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I find this, 1806 letter from Thomas Jefferson to Edward Jenner, so moving 🥺

(Also love the line about William Harvey's discovery of blood circulation and the idea that that knowledge was not practically useful.. kinda hilarious in retrospect)

7/8/26, 12:58 pm0 reposts18 likes

Bitsy Perlman

@bitsyperlman.bsky.social

7 Aug

Another example of contemporaries being bad at predicting what's going to be useful in the future

Saloni

@scientificdiscovery.dev

7 Aug

Fondly imagining him saying 'The heart pumps blood around the body.. SO WHAT?!'

Compton Scatterbrained

@comptonscatter.bsky.social

7 Aug

eh, he was also, as personal physician to the King, the guy they asked to personally physically inspect those charged with witchcraft

Saloni

@scientificdiscovery.dev

7 Aug

I was talking about Jefferson!

Saloni

@scientificdiscovery.dev

7 Aug

Also lol the 'Edward Jenner Monticello' header almost blew my mind making me wonder if Edward Jenner was actually Italian?! But it's just the name of Jefferson's estate, where he wrote the letter.