History of medicine: Louis Pasteur

Life

• 1822: Born in Dole, France.
• 1843: Gained entry to École Normale Supérieure in Paris.
• 1845: Received a master of science degree.
• 1857: Became director of scientific studies at École Normale Supérieure.
• 1861: Discovered that aeration increases the rate of yeast cell growth, but reduces the rate of fermentation. This was named 'the pasteur effect'.
• 1862: Won the Alhumbert Prize for disproving the theory of spontaneous generation.
• 1865: Patented his new technique of food processing: Pasteurisation.
• 1879: Worked on chicken cholera.
• 1881: Worked on anthrax bacteria.
• 1885: Began administeration of his rabies vaccine to patients.
• 1887: The Pasteur Institute opens in Paris.
• 1895: Died in Paris, France (aged 72).

 

Significance in history

• Provided evidence which supported the germ theory of disease, against the theory of spontaneous generation.
• Advanced knowledge of fermentation.
• Advanced knowledge of food processing.
• Advanced knowledge of vaccination.

 

See also

• Robert Koch
• Edward Jenner