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The Germ Theory of Disease
Letter/Communication   Open access   Peer reviewed

The Germ Theory of Disease

Henry Skinner
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), v 31(799), pp 617-618
22 Apr 1910
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.31.799.617.b
PMID: 17834774
url
https://zenodo.org/record/2498442View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC0 V1.0,  Open

Abstract

In Science for April 1, p. 500 Dr. Fielding H. Garrison has pointed out the true author of the germ theory. We can readily accept this until an earlier author is discovered by some one. Knowledge in most cases seems to be built up from the investigations of a number of observers. Dr. Garrison closes his very interesting account by saying: "But no one ever thought of mosquitoes in relation to yellow fever before the time of Finlay and Walter Reed." Dr. Reed and his associates proved the theory, which was the all-important event, but it may not be amiss to call attention to an article published by Dr. Josiah C. Nott in 1848. He was evidently a learned physician of wide experience, a keen observer and reasoner, and in addition had a profound knowledge of the literature of zoology, particularly entomology. To what extent he anticipated present knowledge of the mosquito transmission of yellow fever may be somewhat a matter of opinion. The article is a most interesting one and will well repay perusal. It should be read in its entirety to get the proper conception of it and realize to what a remarkable degree the man was ahead of his day. The title is "Yellow Fever contrasted with Bilious Fever - Reasons for believing it a disease sui generis - Its mode of Propagation - Remote cause - Probable insect or animalcular origin, etc., by Josiah C. Nott, M.D., Mobile, Alabama. New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, IV., pp. 563-601, 1848." A few extracts may prove interesting, as this journal is not accessible to many persons. [1st paragraph]

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