Germ Theory: Medical Pioneers in Infectious Diseases,
SECOND EDITION
From the ancient worlds of Hippocrates and Avicenna to the early 20th century hospitals of Paul Ehrlich and Lillian Wald to the modern-day laboratories of François Barré-Sinoussi and Barry Marshall, Germ Theory brings to life the inspiring stories of medical pioneers whose work helped change the very fabric of our understanding of how we think about and treat infectious diseases.
In beautifully crafted narratives, author Robert Gaynes describes and presents compelling stories, including
- How Edward Jenner, the pioneer of vaccination, faced down scores of naysayers
- How a chance discovery led Louis Pasteur to the idea that the virulence of microbes can be altered
- How scientists in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark produced penicillin during World War 2 while keeping their efforts hidden from the Nazis
The second edition features three new chapters based on interviews with Nobel Laureates François Barré-Sinoussi and Barry Marshall, and former NIAID Director and medical advisor to seven U.S. presidents Anthony Fauci, detailing fascinating accounts from their careers, including their groundbreaking work in the areas of HIV, peptic ulcers, and COVID-19, respectively.
Winner of a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title award for its first edition, Germ Theory is required reading for anyone training or working in the field of infectious diseases or with an interest in microbes, the history of medicine, or how new discoveries can bring about paradigmatic shifts in thinking.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Special Note xv
Acknowledgments xvii
About the Author xix
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine 11
Chapter 3 Avicenna, a Thousand Years Ahead of His Time 29
Chapter 4 Girolamo Fracastoro and Contagion in Renaissance Medicine 41
Chapter 5 Antony van Leeuwenhoek and the Birth of Microscopy 57
Chapter 6 The Demise of the Humoral Theory of Medicine 71
Chapter 7 Edward Jenner and the Discovery of Vaccination 85
Chapter 8 Ignaz Semmelweis and the Control of Puerperal Sepsis 105
Chapter 9 Louis Pasteur and the Germ Theory of Disease 127
Chapter 10 Robert Koch and the Rise of Bacteriology 153
Chapter 11 Joseph Lister, the Man Who Made Surgery Safe 181
Chapter 12 Paul Ehrlich and the Magic Bullet 205
Chapter 13 Lillian Wald and the Foundations of Modern Public Health 229
Chapter 14 Alexander Fleming and the Discovery of Penicillin 243
Chapter 15 Françoise Barré- Sinoussi and the Discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus 273
Chapter 16 Barry Marshall and Helicobacter pylori in Peptic Ulcer Disease 295
Chapter 17 Anthony Fauci: America’s Top Infectious Disease Doctor 315
Chapter 18 Conclusions 343
Index 351
