Year 9 SSH Semester 2 SOSE History Assignment

Germ Theory of Disease

By Lucas van der Laan

Teacher: I. Wheatley

Pasteurs Germ Theory was a significant contribution to the scientific revolution. It changed peoples lives through the development of better surgical methods and an increase in sanitation and public health. Before the Germ Theory of disease was developed, medical understanding relied on the Miasma Theory. This failure to understand the true cause of disease led to cholera and typhoid epidemics from untreated sewage being pumped into the water supply. Before the work of Pasteur, some people believed that germs could cause disease, but they were unable to prove these theories and so people continued relying on the Miasma Theory as a means of explaining diseases and epidemics. The Miasma theory was the belief that smells caused disease and the severity of the disease was determined by how concentrated the poisonous fumes in the air were (Speed, 1975, p. 19). According to Speed, Typhus [typhoid] fever was fairly common. Like cholera it travelled along the water supplies, so bad sanitation helped it to spread (Speed, 1975, p. 18). This problem was especially bad for the poor as sanitation and bad drainage helped diseases to spread quickly. The main water source of the people of London was the river Thames and was the biggest cause of diseases to spread quickly the Thames was a danger to health. Since it took the sewage of most of London and was also used as a source of drinking water (Speed, 1975, p. 20). After many epidemics in the early nineteenth century, most people living in London, including physicians, believed that the Thames could possibly cause disease, because the smell that came from the river smelled of the sewage on the streets. But they didnt realise that the water they drank could be the problem as it didnt smell It could not possibly be the water as that was o bviously clean and fresh (Speed, 1975, p. 21). Because of the peoples lack of understanding of Germ Theory, cholera and typhoid ravaged the population in the crowded industrial cities. The 1848-9 cholera epidemic killed 15000 in over a year (Speed, 1975, p. 17). Typhoid outbreaks became very common due to the living conditions of the poor, and the hygiene of the individuals, the growth of the industrial towns with their water shortages, and masses of unwashed, underfed inhabitants, gave.Typhus another chance. (Speed, 1975, p. 18). Medical understanding relied on the Miasma Theory of disease. This lack of understanding of the real cause of disease, and poor sanitation and living conditions resulted in cholera and typhoid outbreaks which significantly impacted the population. A very significant discovery of the Scientific Revolution was the Germ Theory of Disease. Anthony van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch man, was the first person to discovery that microbes existed. He made the discovery after examining a food particle from his mouth (Driscoll, 1974, p. 12). Louis Pasteur, a Frenchman, built on the principles introduced by van Leeuwenhoek, and was the first person to realise that microbes might cause disease. He developed the Germ Theory of Disease in 1864, after his discovery that fermentation could be stopped by special heat treatment (pasteurisation) had led him to link microbes with disease. This led him to conclude that microbes could not only cause disease but were living organisms,

When, as the result of my first communications on the fermentations in 1857-1858, it appeared that the ferments, properly so-called, are living beings, that the germs of microscopic organisms abound in the surface of all objects, in the air and in water; that the theory of spontaneous generation is chimerical; that wines, beer, vinegar, the blood, urine and all the fluids of the body undergo none of their usual changes in pure air, both Medicine and Surgery received fresh stimulation -Louis Pasteur (Halsall, Fordham University, Modern History Sourcebook) This discovery proved the teachings of Jacob Henle, (the teacher of Robert Koch) who had written the substance of contagion is not only organic but living (Yount, 2002, p. 59). Due to Pasteurs discovery of Germ Theory opened the doorway for other scientists and Pasteur to cure various illnesses through vaccination. In 1885, a boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog was brought to Pasteurs laboratory. Pasteur collected a germ sample from another rabid dog, and from the specimen, he was able to treat the boy who then lived. The Advances by Pasteur led a German, Robert Koch, to discover the germ which caused cholera and develop a vaccine. As a result many other scientists discovered vaccines, Klebs found the cause of diphtheria. Robert Bruce developed an inoculation against sleeping sickness and Ronald Ross discovered that malaria was caused by the anopheles mosquito. (Driscoll, 1974, p. 12). The Germ Theory of Disease was a great and important discovery of the Scientific Revolution, and led many scientists to develop various vaccines to diseases. The development of the Germ Theory of Disease resulted in a revolution in the way surgery was carried out. It led to the development of antiseptics and saved countless lives. Joseph Lister, an Englishman, was a surgeon who even before the discovery of germ theory, believed in cleanliness in his surgical room. But according to Amy Sillup, Other surgeons utterly scorned these techniques (Sillup, 2010). This was because, at the time before Germ Theory, other surgeons still relied on the Miasma Theory, (Speed, 1975, p. 18). After the discovery of Germ Theory, Lister realised that pus (the outcome of inflammation) was caused by bacteria, Through Pasteur's researches, he realized that the formation of pus was due to bacteria, he proceeded to develop his antiseptic surgical methods (Halsall, 1998). His first development of antiseptic was carbolic acid, or phenol acid. The material which I have employed is carbolic or phenic acid, a volatile organic compound, which appears to exercise a peculiarly destructive influence upon low forms of life, and hence is the most powerful antiseptic with which we are at present acquainted Joseph Lister (Halsall, Fordham University, Modern History Sourcebook)

After seeing how many of Listers patients survived both his procedures and their recuperation periods as compared to their own patients appallingly low survival statistics the previously sceptical surgeons of Listers time now adopted the same practices as Lister (Sillup, 2010). As well as Lister, Pasteur and Koch, also recommended protective and sterile

equipment Pasteur and Koch had recommended the use of protective gowns, masks and gloves. (Louden, 1997, p. 111). During the Industrial Revolution, there were no safety guidelines and regulations in the way factory workers were protected from the large machines, therefore serious injuries in factories was common (Halsall, Industrial Revolution, 1998). Through the development of antiseptics and cleanliness recommended by Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch and Joseph Lister, (stimulated by the discovery of Germ Theory) 19 th century and modern surgery was revolutionised and resulted in saving many lives. Through the discovery of Germ Theory, Public health, hygiene and sanitation were improved and the spread of epidemic disease was prevented as a result. Edwin Chadwick, born in Manchester, had taken a very important part in the development of sanitation. He worked for the Poor Law Commission and did an extensive investigation into the poor. He discovered that, The various forms of epidemic, endemic, and other disease caused, or aggravated, or propagated chiefly amongst the labouring classes by atmospheric impurities produced by decomposing animal and vegetable substances, by damp and filth, and close and overcrowded dwellings prevail amongst the population in every part of the kingdom, whether dwelling in separate houses, in rural villages, in small towns, in the larger towns as they have been found to prevail in the lowest districts of the metropolis.

That such disease, wherever its attacks are frequent, is always found in connexion with the physical circumstances above specified, and that where those circumstances are removed by drainage, proper cleansing, better ventilation, and other means of diminishing atmospheric impurity, the frequency and intensity of such disease is abated; and where the removal of the noxious agencies appears to be complete, such disease almost entirely disappears Edwin Chadwick (Chadwick, 1842)

Now, minimum standards of public hygiene and workplace safety, the provision of cle an water and adequate sanitation all became increasing concerns. (Louden, 1997, p. 111). As a response to the report, the Public Health Act was put into place, which made the government uphold their responsibility for the health of the population (Artman, 2008). The government recognized the danger of overflowing cesspools in the streets of the London slums, and reacted by connecting the cesspools with the sewer system further infecting the Thames which already took all the sewage of the city (Hansen, 2004). The Thames was now recognized as posing a significant health risk to the people of London, and after the discovery by and Robert Koch John Snow (cholera is spread by contaminated water), preventing Cholera and cleaning the Thames was the priority of the government, It was agreed that the polluted River Thames, where the people of London drew their drinking water from, was to blame (Hansen, 2004). But an attempt for a city-wide waste

management system, made by Edwin Chadwick, massively infected the Thames even more, 20,000 cubic meters of sewage dumped into the Thames from March to May of 1848 and over 50,000 cubic meters from September to February, 1849. (Hansen, 2004). Joseph Bazalgette was the Chief Engineer of Londons Metropolitan Board of Works. He provided the solution of building a new sewage system which led the sewage out to sea, away from London, and resulted in the cleaning of the Thames and put an end to Cholera epidemics (last cholera outbreak: 1866, the sewage system installed: 1879) (Hansen, 2004). Through the discovery of the Germ Theory of disease, the public health and sanitation of industrialised people had significantly increased, which put a stop to epidemic disease outbreaks such as cholera and typhoid. As a result of the discovery of Germ Theory of Disease, better surgical methods were developed and an increase in public health and hygiene changed peoples lives.

Bibliography
Artman, K. (2008). Edwin Chadwick. Retrieved 11 4, 2012, from Cholera and the Thames: http://www.choleraandthethames.co.uk/cholera-in-london/the-big-thames-clean-up/ Chadwick, E. (1842). Poor Law Commissioners on an Inquiry into the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population of Great Britain. London: London Press. Driscoll. (1974). Flashback. Melbourne: MacMillan. Halsall, P. (1998, July). Industrial Revolution. Retrieved 11 4, 2012, from Modern Sourcebook: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook14.asp Halsall, P. (1998, August). Joseph Lister (1827-1912): . Retrieved November 4, 2012, from Modern History Sourcebook: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1867lister.asp Hansen, C. (2004). The Big Thames Clean Up. Retrieved 4 11, 2012, from Cholera and the Thames: http://www.choleraandthethames.co.uk/cholera-in-london/the-big-thames-clean-up/ Louden, I. (1997). Western Medicine. New York: Oxford Press. Sillup, A. (2010, May 24). The Impact and Development of the Germ Theory of Disease. Retrieved 11 4, 2012, from Suite 101: http://suite101.com/article/the-impact-and-development-of-thegerm-theory-of-disease-a240738 Speed, P. (1975). Social Problems of the Industrial Revolution. Michigan: Pergamon Press. Yount, L. (2002). The History of Medicine. San Diego: Lucent Books.