Microbes and men

by Robert William Reid

One of the most important and influential scientific theories of all time - the germ theory - was established in the quarter of a century after 1856. During this period bacteria which cause disease and death were identified and soon cures or vaccines against them were developed. Medicine was revolutionised. Many men of prodigious talent took part in this momentous transformation. The story shifts from country to country - from Jenner's rural practice in England to Pasteur's laboratories in the breweries and silk farms of France, and on to Koch's surgery in Prussia. It is a narrative as exciting as any novel. But it is more than just that. Robert Reid is able to use the germ theory as a case-study in the methods and responsibilities of scientists. A great discovery may turn out to be a double-edged sword, yet the process of discovering ways to control nature must go on if a world saved from disease is not to see, instead, men dying of starvation.

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1974

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatively brief and readable account of the coming of the germ theory told as the stories of the great men (and one woman) who did the work. Mary Montagu, Edward Jenner, Ignaz Semmelweis, Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, Robert Koch, Paul Ehrlich, Elie Metchnikoff, Alexander Fleming, and Almoth Wright are the principal workers scrutinized, but the stories are rich enough to include many others, e.g. Emile Roux, Leonard Colebrook, Emil Behring, Friedrich Löffler, Shibasaburo Kitasato, and Sahachiro Hata. The author has a special interest in these men's personalities and the source of their achievements; I don't know if this aspect of the book is very successful, but it adds a lot of zest to what might otherwise be pretty dry accounts. Several of the protagonists were manic-depressive, some were highly argumentative, and most were obsessive. Ideas were stolen and some projects were published without mention of an idea's source, or even of who had done the work. There are some nice black and white images, but no references, and no bibliography.

[andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fairly brief text presents a very engaging and interesting account of those men and women whose scientific work led to the establishment of the germ theory of disease, and who thereby changed the history of medicine and affected countless lives. In addition to the famous names of Semmelwiess, Pasteur, Koch, Ehrlich, and Flemming, the account includes the important contributions of individuals not as well known. The story is enhanced by fascinating details regarding the personality quirks of these individuals and their sometimes contentious interactions.