[The last victims of smallpox in Ytre Nordhordland. Experiences of a local physician].

Smallpox caused devastating epidemics in Bergen and surrounding areas down to the early 19th century. A few attempts at variolisation were performed after 1765, and vaccination started in Bergen during a new wave of smallpox in 1803. The more distant rural parish of Manger did not start vaccination until 1829, and was heavily struck by the 1803 epidemic. That year, 208 died out of a total population of 3500. In 1859 Manger again experienced a serious smallpox epidemic. The local doctor ordered mass vaccination, but the peasants were uncooperative, and the campaign was even sabotaged by the assistant vaccinator. Eventually, 27 people died of smallpox that year, the last persons ever to die of smallpox in Manger.