Germ theory proved to be revolutionary for healthcare in the United States since it produced insight into the origins of diseases and provided further support for the scientific method. Contemporary doctors and scientists understood the potential applications of the theory. As explained in the assigned readings, germ theory found many supporters, but its promise remained unrealized until the development of new drugs in the 1930s-1940s, such as antibiotics (Warner & Tighe, 2001).
However, some researchers believe that germ theory was not a revolutionary new approach to treating and studying disease, but rather an improvement of the previous way of thinking about illness (Leavitt, 1992). As explained by Leavitt (1992), “the search for microorganisms took place in a context that was characterized by broad social concerns” (p. 609). Perceptions of moral responsibility made population health the focus of most healthcare activities, and care providers and scholars took steps to disseminate knowledge benefitting multiple populations.
When germ theory was developed, it fit into the existing context of public health by enhancing doctors’ understanding of origins of illness, and thus was viewed mainly as a source of powerful knowledge that could help to address broad population health concerns (Warner & Tighe, 2001).
Consequently, the two strains of thought merged, causing a change in public health campaigns. Whereas 19th-century campaigns focused more on hygiene, 20th-century public health activities focused on popularizing and domesticating germ theory (Leavitt, 1992). In this way, the unique context into which germ theory was born shaped health professionals’ response to it and its use in public health promotion. As a result, germ theory made a significant contribution to the development of medicine as a whole, as well as to the well-being of people in 20th century.
References
Leavitt, J. W. (1992). “Typhoid Mary” strikes back: Bacteriological theory and practice in early twentieth-century public health. ISIS, 83(4), 608-629.
Warner, J. H., & Tighe, J. A. (Eds.) (2001). Major problems in the history of American medicine and public health. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.