The Discovery of the Germ

The Discovery of the Germ: Twenty Years That Transformed the Way We Think About Disease (Revolutions in Science) [Hardcover]

Author: John Waller | Language: English | ISBN: 023113150X | Format: PDF, EPUB

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The Discovery of the Germ: Twenty Years That Transformed the Way We Think About Disease
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From the time of Hippocrates to that of Louis Pasteur, the medical profession relied on plausible but almost wholly mistaken ideas about the causes of and best treatments for infectious illness. Bleeding, purging, and mysterious nostrums remained staple remedies, and surgeons, often wearing filthy butcher's aprons, blithely spread infection from patient to patient. Then between 1879 and 1900 came the germ revolution. After two decades of scientific virtuosity, outstanding feats of intellectual courage, bitter personal rivalries, and a large dose of good fortune, doctors came to realize infectious diseases are caused by microscopic organisms. The discovery of the germ led to safe surgery, large-scale vaccination programs, dramatic improvements in hygiene and sanitation, and the pasteurization of dairy products. Above all, it set the stage for the emergence of antibiotic medicine.

John Waller provides insight into twenty years in the history of medicine that profoundly changed the way we view disease. He shows how the germ revolution was made possible not only by the risk taking and raw ambition of several brilliant late-century pioneers, but also by the groundwork -- including mistakes and near misses -- of earlier generations of scientists. Rich in human drama, The Discovery of the Germ charts how, why, and by whom germ theory was transformed from a hotly disputed speculation to a central tenet of modern medicine. It examines the ideas and experiments of the giants of microbiology, Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch, as well as less well known figures such as Casimir-Joseph Davaine, Waldemar Haffkine, and Almroth Wright.

Direct download links available for The Discovery of the Germ: Twenty Years That Transformed the Way We Think About Disease

• Series: Revolutions in Science
• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press; 1 edition (October 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 023113150X
• ISBN-13: 978-0231131506
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Textbooks > Medicine & Health Sciences > Medicine > Diagnostics & Labs > Laboratory Medicine
  • #51 in Books > Textbooks > Medicine & Health Sciences > Medicine > Special Topics > History
  • #55 in Books > Medical Books > Medicine > Internal Medicine > Pathology > Laboratory Medicine

Compact little book but through and well written -- easy read and entertaining. The Germ Theory is under attack because of Drug Resistance -- bacteria are fighting back. The reader should also research Hygiene Theory, Biome Depletion Theory and NDM-1. See also documentary Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria. This book will prepare you for the shifts in understanding of germs that are sure to come..

By Teacher

Amazingly well written and energetic throughout. Waller has accomplished a feat in making the history of germs intriguing and leaving the reader thirsting for more. I found myself marveling at his intelligence, wit and depth of field. A must buy for scientists with even the slightest interest in microbiology.

By E Tman

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