Viral Hepatitis, Type B

The disease that is recognized as type B hepatitis today was first described in 1885 by Lurman (1). He observed an outbreak of jaundice among shipyard workers who were inoculated with smallpox vaccine two months previously. Later it became clear that the human lymph component of the vaccine was obtained from a donor who undoubtedly was a hepatitis B carrier. Although type B hepatitis was first recognized during this past century, it is likely that it existed as an unrecognized disease for many hundreds of past generations.