Page 26 - All About History - Issue 56-17

EpidEmics

Hall of Fame

PIONEERING SCIENTISTS & MEDICS

In a time when diseases like polio, TB and smallpox struck fear in

communities, meet 10 medical marvels who helped turn the tide

EDWARD JENNER ENGLISH, 1749-1823 The
Smallpox killed millions across the centuries and was a word ‘vaccine’
particular danger to children but, thanks to Edward Jenner,
the deadly disease was eventually eradicated. The doctor was coined by
made his breakthrough in 1796 with an experiment on an Jenner following
eight-year-old boy, James Phipps. Taking pus from a cowpox his famous
pustule, he placed it in an incision in James’ arm, proving
there was truth to the old folk tale that milkmaids suffering smallpox experiments.
from cowpox never contracted smallpox. Some were He took it from the
horrified by Jenner’s methods — particularly the clergy, who
Edward Jenner is credited Latin ‘vacca’
pronounced it ungodly to insert humans with matter from
with removing the threat
of smallpox diseased animals — but the vaccine became widely popular. for cow
LOUIS PASTEUR ALEXANDER FLEMING
FRENCH, 1822-95 SCOTTISH, 1881-1955
French national hero Louis Pasteur dipped his toes Known for his discovery of penicillin, Alexander
in many a scientific project and was a microbiology Fleming was one of a flurry of innovators across
pioneer. The chemist’s vaccines have protected the 19th and 20th centuries. The microbiologist,
millions and his research into germ theory proved who researched causes of maladies such as tetanus
that food goes off due to contamination by microbes and gangrene, stumbled across penicillin in 1928.
rather than miasma. Pasteur, who lost two daughters Observing mould growing in a petri dish, he
to typhoid, made strides in tackling diseases such as realised a culture of bacteria had killed the germs
cholera and rabies, while his former assistants Emile around it. The antibiotic was mass produced during
Roux and Alexandre Yersin assisted in the journey World War II by Howard Walter Florey Ernst Boris
towards preventative action for diphtheria. Pasteur Chain, who came came across Fleming’s research
experimented on chickens for his cholera tests, Louis Pasteur researched when looking for such a treatment. Many lives were
injecting them with old bacteria, which left them human diseases, silkworms saved and the trio shared a Nobel Prize in 1945.
and wine contamination
immune from fresh cholera intakes.
“In fields of observation, chance favours only

the prepared mind” Louis Pasteur

JONAS SALK AMERICAN, 1914-95
Polio was widespread in the 20th century and it was
the focus of much panic in post-war America. President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who died in the final year of
World War II, was thought to have contracted the disease
himself, aged 39, and became paraplegic, though some
today believe he was instead suffering from Guillain-
Barre syndrome. Jonas Salk created the first successful
polio vaccine in 1953, rolled out in 1955, and the doctor,
his wife and children had been among those to first test
the formula. Cases of polio dropped dramatically and its Jonas Salk combated the Alexander Fleming made his
growing epidemic of polio famous discovery of penicillin
threat globally was significantly reduced. by accident

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