Robert Koch’s Postulates and the Germ Theory of Disease
Overview
Robert Koch was a German microbiologist and one of the founders of modern bacteriology and epidemiology. Koch was the first researcher to postulate that a specific type of microbe causes a particular disease, as he isolated a pure culture of the anthrax pathogen (Sakula, 1983). He formulated the criteria for the etiological connection of an infectious disease with a microorganism known as Koch’s triad (Sakula, 1983).
The first criterion stated that a microbe must always be detected in all cases of a given disease. The second established that the number and distribution of microbes should explain all the phenomena of the disease. Finally, the third criterion postulated that in each infection case, the pathogen must be determined in the form of a well-morphologically characterized microorganism. Koch’s subsequent discovery of the tubercle bacillus in 1882 marked a turning point in the history of microbiology, further establishing his postulates and expanding knowledge about bacteria (Sakula, 1983). This discovery led to further research into the nature of bacterial diseases such as cholera, malaria, and blackwater fever.
Personal Opinion
I believe that, following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Robert Koch made a significant contribution to establishing bacteriology as a contemporary science. In my opinion, his findings about the microbes that cause anthrax, septicemia, TB, and cholera are among the most influential in all of medicine and bacteriology. Since these discoveries provide information for interventions that can prevent and eliminate bacterial diseases, they are of unparalleled significance.
The four criteria for determining the causal link between a bacterium and a disease are similarly vital. Koch’s postulates were crucial in defining the conditions by which the scientific community believes a microbe causes illness. Thus, I presume that Koch’s postulates and discoveries are valuable because they improved the methodology of research and established an accepted truth about bacteria.
Koch’s View of Louis Pasteur
Overview
At the time when Koch’s work gained widespread recognition, a heated debate emerged between him and Louis Pasteur, whose leadership in microbiology was challenged by Koch’s discoveries. With his research, Koch confirmed the microbial origin of the anthrax and described the method he used to isolate the pathogen (Lakhani, 1993). In fact, the results of his studies confirmed Pasteur’s previous claims about the nature of the anthrax.
In May 1881, Pasteur and his associates vaccinated a significant number of animals as part of an experiment. Three weeks after the vaccination, these animals and the same number of unvaccinated individuals were injected with a lethal dose of anthrax bacilli. A few days later, the unvaccinated animals died, while the vaccinated animals were alive and healthy.
For this scientific triumph, Pasteur received the title of academician and funds. However, when delivering a speech about this discovery at a congress, Pasteur did not mention that he used Koch’s methods for extracting the pathogen, which greatly offended the latter (Lakhani, 1993). A public response followed, in which Koch claimed that, unlike him, Pasteur had never been able to isolate a pure bacterium.
Personal Opinion
Pasteur is a controversial individual for me for several reasons. First, he emphasized personal achievement over scientific discovery, as observed in his reaction to Koch’s findings. Second, he undermined academic integrity by employing Koch’s extraction method while not mentioning Koch’s authorship and contribution to his own experiment.
Nevertheless, I believe science has always been a highly competitive endeavor, making Pasteur’s behavior more understandable. Despite the benefits of collaboration and teamwork, a lack of funding and employment opportunities made science a competitive field. In turn, fierce competition prompts researchers to strive for more, not only for the sake of discovery but also for dominance in the field. Thus, I might assume that rivalry is helpful and Pasteur’s actions are justifiable. Moreover, he achieved considerable success with his experiments and also made significant contributions to the field of bacteriology.
References
Lakhani, S. R. (1993). Early clinical pathologists: Robert Koch (1843-1910). Journal of Clinical Pathology, 46(7), 596–598.
Sakula, A. (1983). Robert Koch: Centenary of the discovery of the tubercle bacillus, 1882. The Canadian Veterinary Journal – La Revue Veterinaire Canadienne, 24(4), 127–131.