Ideas about the causes of diseases and illness, advancements - industrial
Germ theory
Spontaneous Generation theory
Robert Koch and microbes
Some scientists argued that microbes were a product of decay, rather than a cause of it, spread through miasma
This was discovered due to the improvement of microscopes from 1700. By then they could form cloudy images. By 1850, very small objects could be seen vividly, allowing scientific breakthroughs.
1861, published by Louis Pasteur
Proved that germs were causing liquids ot decay, disproving spontaneous generation theory.
Led him to thetheory that germs cause disease in human body
Improvement of microscopes allowed this
Came to conclusion
Air contains living microorganisms
Microbes were killed by heating them
Microbes in the air cause decay
Microbes not evenly distributed in the air
Impact
British scientist, Joseph Lister read it and linked it to infection problems.
Pasteur wasn't a doctor - people didn't believe him
Work was on food and decay - not human illness
Wasn't British, meaning governement didn't want French scientist to be well-known over theirs.
Developed work of Pasteur by identifying different microbes that caused diseases
Identified...
1876: discovered the bacteria causing anthrax
1882: bacteria causing tuberculosis and typhoid
1883: discovered cholera – a year later found that it spread in water supplies (in India), thus proving Snow’s work
Made it easier for other scientists to study bacteria by making a way of growing them - agar jelly in a petri dish
Impact
Big breakthrough - the actual disease was studied
Identified causes of a cough/fever
Made it easier to see microbes by making a dye that would stain them
Mystery solved about causes of dieases and illness
Took time for treatment to be developed
British didn't believe Germ Theory, continued believe miasma