3.1.2

Magic Bullets & the Impact of Germ Theory

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The Work of Paul Ehrlich – Magic Bullets

In the 1890s, a German doctor called Paul Ehrlich built upon Koch’s work. This is an example which shows how scientists build upon each other’s work. Discoveries could only be made because of what others have done before. Ehrlich won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1908.

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Magic bullets

  • People knew that antibodies (found in the body) attacked different types of microbes.
    • Because of this, they were called magic bullets.
  • Paul Ehrlich decided to create magic bullets that behaved like antibodies using chemicals.
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Dyes

  • Ehlrich argued that if certain dyes could stain bacteria, certain chemicals could also kill bacteria.
    • This was the foundation of the idea of ‘chemotherapy’.
  • Ehrlich found a dye (methylene blue) that killed malaria germs and he tried hundreds of compounds to kill the bacteria behind syphilis.
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Salvarsan 606

  • He thought he had failed to find a dye to kill syphilis bacteria, but the 606th compound tried – Salvarsan 606 – worked.
    • It was used on humans in 1911.
  • This was the start of the modern pharmaceutical industry.
  • However, the second magic bullet to treat a different disease (not syphilis) wasn’t discovered until 1935.

The Impact of Germ Theory on Medical Treatment

Germ Theory could be applied to everyday medical treatments.

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Everyday medical treatments

  • People gradually began to believe (and treat people in accordance with) Germ Theory.
    • Most of the gains from Germ Theory came in the 20th century.
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Implications of Germ Theory

  • It proved that disease was not spread by miasma.
  • It proved that spontaneous generation was wrong.
  • It proved that an imbalance of the Four Humours did not cause disease, thus meaning the Four Humours were wrong.
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Safer medical treatment

  • In 19th century Britain, medical treatments became safer.
    • The survival rate in surgery increased, hospitals became cleaner and vaccinations became more popular.
  • Technological developments meant that diseases could be identified and stopped more effectively.
    • Following Germ Theory, drugs were developed and became far more popular.

Jump to other topics

1Medicine Stands Still

2The Beginnings of Change

3A Revolution in Medicine

4Modern Medicine

5Themes in Public Health

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