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