History of Science 2220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, Germ Theory Of Disease
11 Mar 2014
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Document Summary
Today: belief in existence of germs = widely accepted, governs modern everyday life in western society: all germs = capable of causing disease. Germ theory of disease consider: this phrase entered into common use in english language medical literature in 1870s, also used as scientific shorthand to refer to group of people aka experimentalists relevant between 1860 1910. Germ theory essentially consists of two propositions: animal and human disease caused by microorganisms (can"t be seen with naked eye, germs do not generate spontaneously don"t appear out of no where. Coming from previous case of exact same disease. Late 19th c: thinking of germ theory those living in western societies knew of certain diseases because they had experienced them in their everyday lives ex: Early 19th c: common wisdom was sick persons breath, skin, clothing, etc. could hold the seeds of disease and spread (contagionous idea) Counselled people against spitting in public, coughing etc.
