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. This book deals with the ideas and experiments of the giants of microbiology, Pasteur and Koch, as well as less-well known figures such as Casimir-Joseph Davaine and Max von Pettenkofer.
John Waller is a research fellow at University College London's Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine. He is the author of Fabulous Science: Fact and Fiction in the History of Scientific Discovery.
"Waller skillfully tells the tale of mankind surfacing to scientific and medical enlightenment after millennia spent in a cave: little book, big story." -- Booklist "Waller presents a new telling of an old tale... The development of the germ theory was hardly linear; fields as diverse as agriculture, sericulture, or surgery contributed necessary pieces. Walter handles these diverse threads and weaves a coherent narrative out of them... Highly recommended." -- Choice "[A]n excellent read for a general audience and packs a lot of information on the beginnings of the microbiology of disease." -- Science Books and Films "large in human drama...It is a history book that reads like a novel. Highly recommended for all academic libraries" -- Jitka Hurych, E-Streams "This engaging book reads as a success story of scientific progress." -- Marjorie C. Malley, ISIS
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