Written by:  Rick Garner Case Filed:  2/29/20 - New York City, New York Executive Producer:  Rick Garner    Smallpox. It was a dreaded killer and disfigurer for more than 3,000 years in all parts of the world. Prior to the vaccine’s discovery in 1796, more than 400,000 people a year died from smallpox in Europe alone. Worldwide vaccination efforts led to the disease eradication in 1979.  The highly contagious and deadly viral disease once contracted either killed the victim or left them with significant scarring - especially on the face, arms, and legs.  Before the late 1800s, many cities built hospitals specifically for treating smallpox sufferers. In New York City, on the southern tip of Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island), one such hospital opened on December 18, 1856, to keep infected patients isolated far away from the population.  James Renwick Jr. designed the smallpox hospital. Better known for Grace Church on Br...