rev in diseases

• The discovery of ‘magic bullets’ by Paul Ehrlich is one of the most important discoveries in treating specific diseases. It was the first time a disease could actually be cured and meant that germ theory was finally making an impact on the way people treated diseases.
• Magic Bullets


  • Ehrlich started out by dyeing microorganisms so he could see them better under a microscope. He thought that if he could attach a chemical to germs to stain them, he could find chemicals that would attack & kill them.
  • He called these magic bullets
  • In 1909 he discovered Salvarsan 606, which was a tablet (pill) that cured syphilis (a sexually transmitted disease). He had attempted this 606 times in all.
  •  In 1932, Domagk used Prontosil to create the second magic bullet (pill) targeting blood poisoning.
• Germ theory solved the mystery of what causes disease. It took a lot of work before it was widely accepted, but eventually had a huge impact on everyday medical treatments and remedies in Britain.  
• At the beginning of the 20th century, beliefs about what caused disease started to include germs. The traditional ideas still carried on for a while but gradually everyone came to accept germ theory.
• Acceptance of germ theory

  • The work of many people played a crucial role: Pasteur, Koch, Lister and Ehrlich.
  • Remember it was only after the work of these people and others that germ theory was accepted.
  • By the 20th century, Germ theories impact on everyday medical treatments and remedies was huge.
• Louis Pasteur


  • Background – 1822-95. French Chemist
  • Achievements – discovered Germ Theory (got rid of Spontaneous
  • Generation), pasteurization, introduced vaccines for chicken cholera, anthrax
  • and rabies (1880s)
  • Factors – Nationalism – competition with Koch, Technology – swan neck
  • flask.
  • Application in Britain – Contagionists (quarantine) v Anti-Contagionists
  • (disease for weaker people); Contagionists win, Germ Theory proven, John
  • Tyndall heats and kills bacteria, typhoid outbreaks and Cattle Plague 1866.
• Robert Koch


  • Background – 1843 -1910. German doctor
  • Achievements – Found germ for TB (1882) and found the germ that caused
  • cholera (1883)
  • Factors – Technology – microscopes and dyes. Nationalism – competition
  • with Pasteur
  • Application in Britain – William Cheyne translates his work, persuades anti-
  • contagionists. William Roberts worked with bacteria and nearly found
  • penicillin.
• Paul Ehrlich

  • Background – 1854 – 1915. German. Part of Koch’s research team.
  • Achievements – F “Magic bullet”. Salvarsan 606 – cured syphilis.
  • Factors – Built on other’s work – Koch’s use of dyes. Technology –
  • chemicals.