Epidemics in Western Society Since 1600 (HIST 234)

Although the development of the germ theory of disease in the latter half of the nineteenth century marks a major revolution in medical science, comparable to the discoveries of Galileo in astronomy or Darwin in biology, it cannot be reduced to the heroic efforts of a single researcher or group of researchers. Rather, a number of conceptual, technological and institutional preconditions made the germ theory possible. Among these, contagionism, microscopy and hospital medicine all played a major role. The germ theory of disease facilitated a wide range of scientific advances, including the isolation of pathogens, the creation of vaccines and the introduction of antiseptics in surgery.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Germ Theory of Disease
03:33 - Chapter 2. Preconditions
14:34 - Chapter 3. Louis Pasteur
24:17 - Chapter 4. Attenuation
33:28 - Chapter 5. Robert Koch'
39:31 - Chapter 6. Therapeutic Effects

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Spring 2010.