"Pasteur’s contribution to medicine was more important than Koch’s during the 19th century." To what extent would you agree?

You may refer to:

• Germ Theory

• Bacteriology

You must use your own understanding and knowledge as well.

Both Pasteur's contributions to medicine and Koch's contributions to medicine were huge. Pasteur developed Germ Theory and Koch built upon this to develop bacteriology. However, both of their contributions to medicine were made possible by Germ Theory. For this reason, Pasteur's contribution must be viewed as more significant.

Germ Theory changed how disease was understood. Pasteur found that sterilised water was still sterile if the flask was closed, but was not sterile if the flask was open. This suggested that there were germs in the air. Pasteur’s Germ Theory suggested that germs were causing infections. This was confirmed after the invention of microscopes in the 16th and 17th centuries. Pasteur’s Germ Theory completely changed how disease was understood. The significance of Pasteur's Germ Theory is demonstrated by the fact that it has not been challenged and that it was the foundation for future discoveries, such as Lister's antiseptic surgery and various different vaccinations.

The implications of Germ Theory are very important. Germ Theory challenged ideas of spontaneous generation. Surgeons thought that microbes were a symptom and that diseases developed randomly, creating bacteria. Germ Theory challenged ideas about how miasma caused disease. Germ Theory proved that disease was not spread by miasma. Diseases such as the plague had been blamed on miasma. Germ Theory challenged the theory of the four humours. It proved that an imbalance of the four humours did not cause disease, thus meaning the four humours were wrong. This idea, proposed by Hippocrates, had been the foundation of medicine since Ancient Greece. Germ Theory, therefore, forced scientists to question their existing knowledge of disease and how to treat illness. The importance of Pasteur's work is reflected in the fact that it has not yet been challenged. Pasteur's work is still the foundation for understanding disease today.

Koch applied Pasteur’s theory to humans. Pasteur’s analysis of germs only focussed on liquids (such as milk). Koch translated Pasteur’s ideas to humans. This allowed Germ Theory to change how doctors treated disease. Therefore, Koch's contribution to medicine is very important because he allowed the implications of Pasteur's theory to be fully realised for the benefit of humanity.

Koch showed that germs are not all the same. He identified the different microbes that caused anthrax in 1876, septicaemia in 1878, tuberculosis in 1882 and cholera in 1883 by injecting animals with diseases. He then dyed bacteria and viewed them using microscopes. Koch was able to build upon Pasteur’s Germ Theory. By identifying specific microbes Koch enabled scientists to develop specific responses. Koch used Germ Theory to prove that there were different types of microbes. This was the basis of vaccinations. Koch's work is significant because it provided the foundation of bacteriology and inspired a generation of future "microbe hunters". For example, Koch's work was the basis for Ehrlich's work on magic bullets.

In evaluation, between Pasteur and Koch, Pasteur’s Germ Theory is the most significant contribution to medicine. Pasteur changed the way people thought about disease and this influenced generations of doctors, from Koch to Ehrlich. Without Pasteur, Koch may not have been able to explain disease in humans. That said, we must also acknowledge that the significance of Germ Theory reached its full potential with Koch’s contribution. Therefore, both scientists enabled Germ Theory to completely alter how disease was understood and could be prevented. However, I agree that Pasteur's contribution was more important than Koch's.