variolating

/ˈvɛriəˌleɪtɪŋ/
verb
  1. The act of inoculating someone with the smallpox virus to produce immunity.
    • They spent the afternoon variolating the children who had not yet been exposed to smallpox.
    • The doctor was variolating the villagers one by one during the outbreak.
    • Variolating was a risky procedure, but it saved many lives before modern vaccines.