History Fact Finder | Medicine and Disease - What Are Louis Pasteur's Contributions To The Study Of Disease?

What are Louis Pasteur's contributions to the study of disease?

Although French chemist and microbiologist (a person who studies microorganisms, organisms too small to be seen by the naked eye) Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) may be best known for developing pasteurization, (the process of heating food or beverages to kill organisms that cause disease) he contributed to medicine in other important ways as well. For example, he discovered vaccines to prevent diseases caused by bacteria, such as anthrax in cattle and cholera (a serious, often fatal disease of the intestines) in chickens. In 1876 German doctor Robert Koch (1843–1910) identified the bacteria that causes anthrax. Building on this knowledge, Pasteur weakened the anthrax germ in his laboratory. Then he injected the weakened microbe into test animals, which developed immunity (resistance) to anthrax.

In 1881 Pasteur turned his attention to...

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