Louis Pasteur: Antiseptic, Germ Theory And Pasteurisation

Antiseptic

Who is given credit as the inventor? Antiseptic is a medicated substance preventing disease, and the inventor of was Hungarian Ignaz Semmelweis in 1847. However, Joseph Lister is said to have successfully introduced carbolic acid (now known as phenol) to sterilize surgical instruments and to clean wounds (after applying for Louis Pasteur’s advances in microbiology).

Where and when is the invention said to have taken place? Semmelweis proposed the practice of washing hands with chlorinated lime solutions in 1847 while working in Vienna General Hospital’s First Obstetrical Clinic.

Are there any discrepancies as to by whom, where and when the invention took place? No, but Semmelweis and his theories were ridiculed by some medical practitioners. It wasn’t until Louis Pasteur confirmed the germ theory, and Joseph Lister practiced and operated using hygienic methods, that Semmelweis was proven correct when it came to hygiene practices and antiseptic in surgery.

How did it affect life at the time? At the time, antiseptics reduced the number of deaths in surgery or during childbirth as doctors practiced better hygiene and sterilized equipment, preventing the spread of diseases.

What was the significance of the invention? This invention was life-changing – it saved many lives and has prevented human suffering. Handwashing between patients is now recognized as the best way to prevent spreading illness in health care, and using sterile techniques and sterile instruments in surgery has been very successful for many years.

Germ Theory and Pasteurisation

Who is given credit as the inventor? Louis Pasteur came up with the theory that diseases were caused by microscopic organisms. He was inspired by Robert Koch’s discoveries that specific germs could cause a specific disease, and Louis also invented pasteurization.

Where and when is the invention said to have taken place? The first pasteurization test was completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard in France in 1862 (the process is named after Pasteur, and unlike sterilization, pasteurization is not intended to kill all microorganisms). In 1877 to 1887, Pasteur also created and published the Germ Theory of Disease.

Are there any discrepancies as to by whom, where and when the invention took place? No, but it is linked to Semmelweis and his ideas of that poor hygiene caused diseases and Robert Koch’s discoveries on germs.

How did it affect life at the time? Many people didn’t believe Pasteur as it opposed the theory of spontaneous generation (the idea that living organisms could come from non-living organisms). The germ theory helped establish the cause of diseases, which in turn helped to prevent and treat diseases through hygiene, reducing such diseases as dysentery and typhoid fever, lowering death rates.

What was the significance of the invention? His inventions have saved many lives, and they have prevented human suffering and death. Pasteur’s scientific and medical accomplishments include a cure for rabies, anthrax, chicken cholera, and silkworm diseases, and he contributed to the development of the first vaccines. His discoveries of germ theory and pasteurization are still used today.