MAX JOSEPH von Pettenkofer (n. Lichtenheim, 1818-m. Munich, 1901)
On other occasions I have spoken to scientists who occupied the whole of his life to pursue theories that ultimately became true impasses and, ultimately, made them lose the recognition they deserved to follow another path and become mere anecdotes history of science. In other cases, a successful career and scientific advances that build an impeccable reputation is followed by a final stubbornness in an erroneous theory that detracts from the work of a lifetime and also in the story just by being passed into history despite past achievements. This would be more or less the case of Max Von Pettenkofer. Nephew
surgeon Bavarian court, Von Pettenkofer studied pharmacy and medicine at Munich, where he taught from 1853 and subsequently occupied the chairs of dietary chemistry (1847) and sanitation (1857), a field which would become a of the major pioneers, founded in 1875 the first Institute of Hygiene in the world. For his achievements was knighted in 1883 and became president of the Bavarian Academy in 1889. Initially
Von Pettenkofer was more attracted by the physiology field that also achieved notable successes as a technique for identifying bile acids, the discovery of the metabolic role of substances such as creatinine and creatine or development along to Karl von Voit a model of respiratory metabolism.
later became interested in public health and hygiene, which tried to apply the knowledge gained in the laboratory. In 1873 he published "On the value of health a city "and in 1882" Treaty of Hygiene "in which lays the foundations for the field, emphasizing the importance of good water and a good network of sewage disposal, but also in social causes disease such as overcrowding or poor nutrition, which hitherto were not considered so important.
However, despite these successes, von Pettenkofer was throughout his life an advocate of telluric theory, which was simply an update of the old miasma theory. Faced with new advances in microbiology began to see the origin of many diseases in microorganisms, the theory telluric argued that the origin of diseases such as typhoid or cholera was on fumes of the land and groundwater. In 1883
Robert Koch isolated the agent of cholera (Vibrio cholerae ) in Egypt and found that living in the human intestine and is transmitted through water. In fact the Vibrio cholerae had been isolated previously and by the Italian Filippo Pacini in 1854, but his work was ignored by a preponderance of the miasma theory. In addition, previously, John Snow British had already allocated to water the spread of cholera in 1849 and that same William Budd years had seen "microscopic objects" in the waters of Bristol infected quarters that were not present in the water in the neighborhoods free of infection. Snow in 1854 cut short an outbreak by closing a single public source of London's Soho which had observed that water got all concerned.
Even with all this evidence against Von Pettenkofer argued that although microorganisms were undoubtedly a role in the spread of infection, was passing through the ground which gave them their pathogenicity and, therefore, the infection came from the subsequent emanation in the air and not consumption contaminated water. To demonstrate this, in 1892 drank with several of his disciples water with a milliliter of a culture of Vibrio cholerae a sick after eating baking soda for stomach acid did not prevent the action of the microorganism. It seems that after Koch wrote the following note: "Herr Doctor Pettenkofer has drunk the entire crop and is happy to report to Herr Doctor Professor Koch that continues in his usual state of good health."
However, in reality, the thing was so beautiful it seems. Pettencofer suffered bowel sounds and mild diarrhea, and several of his disciples suffered the ravages of the disease for at least a week. Today it is known that gastric acidity than other factors that influence the degree of susceptibility to the disease in each person, and that not everyone who drinks contaminated water is passed. Obviously these factors are related to the microorganism and genetic characteristics and host constitutional, not interaction with the soil or groundwater. The call
Experimentum von Pettenkofer Cross has gone down in history of science as a case of self-sacrifice and heroism, but we should ask how much responsibility on him human stupidity and arrogance of the old professor who does not want to budge to new times. With time and the evidence miasma theory was finally abandoned. The apparent triumph of Pettenkofer proved to be his swansong. Nevertheless
to Pettenkofer is best remembered for his contributions to science by their particular time of blindness, and was a respected member of the scientific community throughout her long life. A life in fact it seems too long, which led to his suicide at age 81 before the loneliness at having lost all their loved ones.
On other occasions I have spoken to scientists who occupied the whole of his life to pursue theories that ultimately became true impasses and, ultimately, made them lose the recognition they deserved to follow another path and become mere anecdotes history of science. In other cases, a successful career and scientific advances that build an impeccable reputation is followed by a final stubbornness in an erroneous theory that detracts from the work of a lifetime and also in the story just by being passed into history despite past achievements. This would be more or less the case of Max Von Pettenkofer. Nephew
surgeon Bavarian court, Von Pettenkofer studied pharmacy and medicine at Munich, where he taught from 1853 and subsequently occupied the chairs of dietary chemistry (1847) and sanitation (1857), a field which would become a of the major pioneers, founded in 1875 the first Institute of Hygiene in the world. For his achievements was knighted in 1883 and became president of the Bavarian Academy in 1889. Initially
Von Pettenkofer was more attracted by the physiology field that also achieved notable successes as a technique for identifying bile acids, the discovery of the metabolic role of substances such as creatinine and creatine or development along to Karl von Voit a model of respiratory metabolism.
later became interested in public health and hygiene, which tried to apply the knowledge gained in the laboratory. In 1873 he published "On the value of health a city "and in 1882" Treaty of Hygiene "in which lays the foundations for the field, emphasizing the importance of good water and a good network of sewage disposal, but also in social causes disease such as overcrowding or poor nutrition, which hitherto were not considered so important.
However, despite these successes, von Pettenkofer was throughout his life an advocate of telluric theory, which was simply an update of the old miasma theory. Faced with new advances in microbiology began to see the origin of many diseases in microorganisms, the theory telluric argued that the origin of diseases such as typhoid or cholera was on fumes of the land and groundwater. In 1883
Robert Koch isolated the agent of cholera (Vibrio cholerae ) in Egypt and found that living in the human intestine and is transmitted through water. In fact the Vibrio cholerae had been isolated previously and by the Italian Filippo Pacini in 1854, but his work was ignored by a preponderance of the miasma theory. In addition, previously, John Snow British had already allocated to water the spread of cholera in 1849 and that same William Budd years had seen "microscopic objects" in the waters of Bristol infected quarters that were not present in the water in the neighborhoods free of infection. Snow in 1854 cut short an outbreak by closing a single public source of London's Soho which had observed that water got all concerned.
Even with all this evidence against Von Pettenkofer argued that although microorganisms were undoubtedly a role in the spread of infection, was passing through the ground which gave them their pathogenicity and, therefore, the infection came from the subsequent emanation in the air and not consumption contaminated water. To demonstrate this, in 1892 drank with several of his disciples water with a milliliter of a culture of Vibrio cholerae a sick after eating baking soda for stomach acid did not prevent the action of the microorganism. It seems that after Koch wrote the following note: "Herr Doctor Pettenkofer has drunk the entire crop and is happy to report to Herr Doctor Professor Koch that continues in his usual state of good health."
However, in reality, the thing was so beautiful it seems. Pettencofer suffered bowel sounds and mild diarrhea, and several of his disciples suffered the ravages of the disease for at least a week. Today it is known that gastric acidity than other factors that influence the degree of susceptibility to the disease in each person, and that not everyone who drinks contaminated water is passed. Obviously these factors are related to the microorganism and genetic characteristics and host constitutional, not interaction with the soil or groundwater. The call
Experimentum von Pettenkofer Cross has gone down in history of science as a case of self-sacrifice and heroism, but we should ask how much responsibility on him human stupidity and arrogance of the old professor who does not want to budge to new times. With time and the evidence miasma theory was finally abandoned. The apparent triumph of Pettenkofer proved to be his swansong. Nevertheless
to Pettenkofer is best remembered for his contributions to science by their particular time of blindness, and was a respected member of the scientific community throughout her long life. A life in fact it seems too long, which led to his suicide at age 81 before the loneliness at having lost all their loved ones.
0 comments:
Post a Comment