Lessons of Edward Jenner, father of vaccination
Richard Gunderman
Jenner saved the lives of more people than any other figure in history.
As the US Covid-19 vaccination pro gramme reaches full stride, approximating three million shots per day, the time is ripe to recall the contributions of the physician-scientist who first put vaccines on the map, Edward Jenner. Some claim that Jenner saved the lives of more people than any other figure in history, yet his approach is often poorly understood.
1. He built on the work of others Born in England in 1749, Jenner was inoculated as a child against smallpox, a dreaded disease that appears to have scarred 3,000-yearold Egyptian mummies. Caused by the Variola virus, the disease manifested as fever and the development of a blistering skin rash referred to as pox. It is thought that about 30 per cent of infected people died of the disease, especially infants and young children.
By sb admin on April 6, 2021.
Imagine trying to cope with a pandemic like COVID-19 in a world where microscopic life was unknown. Prior to the 17th century, people were limited by what they could see with their own two eyes. But then a Dutch cloth merchant changed everything.
His name was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and he lived from 1632 to 1723. Although untrained in science, Leeuwenhoek became the greatest lens-maker of his day, discovered microscopic life forms and is known today as the “father of microbiology.”
Visualizing ‘animalcules’ with a ‘small see-er’
Leeuwenhoek didn’t set out to identify microbes. Instead, he was trying to assess the quality of thread. He developed a method for making lenses by heating thin filaments of glass to make tiny spheres. His lenses were of such high quality he saw things no one else could.
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The 17th-century cloth merchant who discovered the vast realm of tiny microbes - an appreciation of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Richard Gunderman, Indiana University
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Richard Gunderman, Indiana University
(THE CONVERSATION) Imagine trying to cope with a pandemic like COVID-19 in a world where microscopic life was unknown. Prior to the 17th century, people were limited by what they could see with their own two eyes. But then a Dutch cloth merchant changed everything.
His name was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and he lived from 1632 to 1723. Although untrained in science, van Leeuwenhoek became the greatest lens-maker of his day, discovered microscopic life forms and is known today as the “father of microbiology.”
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In an era when there was little room for women in higher education or science, Marie Curie forged a career that changed our understanding of the world forever.
Trevor spoke with Professor Richard Gunderman, author of Marie Curie: The Pioneer, The Nobel Laureate.
Duration: 36min 8sec
Treasurer John Schroder talks with Jim, and Dr Richard Gunderman discusses the COVID-19 Pandemic and his book: 'Contagion: Plagues, Pandemics and Cures