variolation
noun
var·i·o·la·tion
ˌvar-ē-ə-ˈlā-shən
: the deliberate inoculation of an uninfected person with the smallpox virus (as by contact with pustular matter) that was widely practiced before the era of vaccination as prophylaxis against the severe form of smallpox
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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