How Did Louis Pasteur Contribute To The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great advancements marked by social and technological achievements that forever changed the fabric of time. Beginning in the 18th century to the mid-19th century societies experienced drastic changes that had a lasting impact on their lives both positive and negative. Technological advancements like the development of transport using the steam engine or the creation of the Bessemer Method which made steel out of iron are without a doubt major contributors to this era. While these advancements are arguably some of the most influential during the Industrial Revolution, it was the innovation and brilliant mind of the prominent French chemist Louis Pasteur that propelled medical advancements through the next
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hundred and fifty years. Pasteur’s studies brought about the concept and implementation of sterilization, pasteurization and vaccinations. Not only were his studies a major contributor to the medical community, it was his beliefs that served as the foundation to the Pasteur Institute and the breakthrough discovery of HIV. Without the guidance of scientists like Pasteur, vaccinations and the discovery of HIV would leave millions to succumb to disease and face death.
Cause for Concern
The growth of the Industrial Revolution caused cities and towns to greatly expand while the existing infrastructure remained static. As people flocked to the cities, poor housing was built but lacked the proper sanitation which fueled the spread of disease. This became great cause for concern and incentive to discover the ways diseases were spread. The rapid growth of the cities spurred the need for solutions to practical problems that the revolution cried for. It was this driving force behind additional research on the germ theory. Pasteur demonstrated that microorganisms were the culprit behind the spread of disease and proved his hypothesis through experimenting with wine and milk to prevent souring. The bacteria caused the souring so he invented a process that killed the bacteria through boiling and cooling. Today this process is known as pasteurization. This new process proved that diseases could be killed and the spread of disease controlled saving millions of lives.
Significant Findings
The germ theory laid the groundwork for the next remarkable discovery for Pasteur.
During his work on microorganisms, Pasteur began studies on chicken cholera. Using this bacteria, he injected it into chickens. After witnessing the chickens were asymptomatic, he then injected the same chickens as well as ones that were not previously exposed with the same bacteria. The chickens that had been exposed both times showed no signs of being sick however, the chickens that had only been exposed once, became sick and eventually died. It was this experiment that lead Pasteur to understand vaccinations. Without this breakthrough, millions of people would have succumbed to their deaths. Pasteur returned to his work on anthrax and produced his first vaccine. He also produced a rabies vaccine but was reluctant to test it on humans until a little boy was bit by a rabid dog. The youth was administered the rabies vaccine and returned home healthy. Pasteur eventually came to develop vaccines for smallpox, tuberculosis, and anthrax. He also pioneered the sterilization technique which is used in everyday medicine including surgery and surgical instruments. The advancements of Louis Pasteur were not only beneficial to the people in his time, but his techniques are used worldwide today in everyday
situations.
Pasteur lives on today
Millions of people living in substandard conditions today are at risk for contracting disease especially the habitants of Africa. In these extremely poor cities, the standard of living is very much like that of the growth and expansion seen in the Industrial Revolution. Rocks are used to hold down roofs and clean water is scarce. Disease and famine run rampant but the leading cause of death is due to HIV –AIDS. Approximately 25% of adults living in Africa have already been infected with HIV-AIDS. After Pasteur’s death and the creation of the Pasteur Institute, his work lives on. The institute became the first scientific entity to clearly identify the virus that causes HIV-AIDS. Although there is no cure, scientists are making remarkable strides every day. The work conducted by Pasteur in germ theory that created the pasteurization process, or the birth of isolating vaccines was years before his time.
Conclusion
Pasteur fought to convince surgeons that germs existed and unclean surgical instruments spread germs and therefore disease. Pasteur's pasteurization process killed germs and prevented the spread of disease. Louis Pasteur's main contributions to modern day medicine are implementing changes in medical practices to minimize the spread of disease, discovering that weak forms of disease could be used as immunization against stronger forms of the same disease and introduced the idea of viruses to the world. The single most greatest advancement during the time of the Industrial Revolution is and should always remain the efforts of Pasteur. Through his work, millions of lives are saved every year as the threat of constantly changing disease stalks the human race.
hundred and fifty years. Pasteur’s studies brought about the concept and implementation of sterilization, pasteurization and vaccinations. Not only were his studies a major contributor to the medical community, it was his beliefs that served as the foundation to the Pasteur Institute and the breakthrough discovery of HIV. Without the guidance of scientists like Pasteur, vaccinations and the discovery of HIV would leave millions to succumb to disease and face death.
Cause for Concern
The growth of the Industrial Revolution caused cities and towns to greatly expand while the existing infrastructure remained static. As people flocked to the cities, poor housing was built but lacked the proper sanitation which fueled the spread of disease. This became great cause for concern and incentive to discover the ways diseases were spread. The rapid growth of the cities spurred the need for solutions to practical problems that the revolution cried for. It was this driving force behind additional research on the germ theory. Pasteur demonstrated that microorganisms were the culprit behind the spread of disease and proved his hypothesis through experimenting with wine and milk to prevent souring. The bacteria caused the souring so he invented a process that killed the bacteria through boiling and cooling. Today this process is known as pasteurization. This new process proved that diseases could be killed and the spread of disease controlled saving millions of lives.
Significant Findings
The germ theory laid the groundwork for the next remarkable discovery for Pasteur.
During his work on microorganisms, Pasteur began studies on chicken cholera. Using this bacteria, he injected it into chickens. After witnessing the chickens were asymptomatic, he then injected the same chickens as well as ones that were not previously exposed with the same bacteria. The chickens that had been exposed both times showed no signs of being sick however, the chickens that had only been exposed once, became sick and eventually died. It was this experiment that lead Pasteur to understand vaccinations. Without this breakthrough, millions of people would have succumbed to their deaths. Pasteur returned to his work on anthrax and produced his first vaccine. He also produced a rabies vaccine but was reluctant to test it on humans until a little boy was bit by a rabid dog. The youth was administered the rabies vaccine and returned home healthy. Pasteur eventually came to develop vaccines for smallpox, tuberculosis, and anthrax. He also pioneered the sterilization technique which is used in everyday medicine including surgery and surgical instruments. The advancements of Louis Pasteur were not only beneficial to the people in his time, but his techniques are used worldwide today in everyday
situations.
Pasteur lives on today
Millions of people living in substandard conditions today are at risk for contracting disease especially the habitants of Africa. In these extremely poor cities, the standard of living is very much like that of the growth and expansion seen in the Industrial Revolution. Rocks are used to hold down roofs and clean water is scarce. Disease and famine run rampant but the leading cause of death is due to HIV –AIDS. Approximately 25% of adults living in Africa have already been infected with HIV-AIDS. After Pasteur’s death and the creation of the Pasteur Institute, his work lives on. The institute became the first scientific entity to clearly identify the virus that causes HIV-AIDS. Although there is no cure, scientists are making remarkable strides every day. The work conducted by Pasteur in germ theory that created the pasteurization process, or the birth of isolating vaccines was years before his time.
Conclusion
Pasteur fought to convince surgeons that germs existed and unclean surgical instruments spread germs and therefore disease. Pasteur's pasteurization process killed germs and prevented the spread of disease. Louis Pasteur's main contributions to modern day medicine are implementing changes in medical practices to minimize the spread of disease, discovering that weak forms of disease could be used as immunization against stronger forms of the same disease and introduced the idea of viruses to the world. The single most greatest advancement during the time of the Industrial Revolution is and should always remain the efforts of Pasteur. Through his work, millions of lives are saved every year as the threat of constantly changing disease stalks the human race.