@pauldrye @thomasfuchs this is literally an attempt at variolation, the low-tech precursor go vaccination - which would be considered unconscionable today due to the extreme risks involved.
Worse, it's being done as self medication. At least in the early modern era it was done under medical supervision. And still lots of people died, variolation reduced overall deaths from diseases but killed lots of the people receiving the treatment. In contrast vaccination associated deaths are near zero.