Louis Pasteur was not only an outstanding chemist but also a microbiologist and an achiever in the realm of science. He was born in Dole, France on the 27th of December in 1822 and died on the 28th of September 1895. Without a doubt, he was one of the greatest French personalities ever. With his discoveries, people benefited through reduced death rates. He is widely known for his invention of a technique of stopping both milk and wine from causing illness in a method that was identified as pasteurization. This paper will concentrate on Pasteur’s invention of pasteurization, reasons as to why he studied antiseptic pasteurization, how he started, who influenced him, the techniques that he employed, and what made him succeed in his studies of antiseptic pasteurization.
There must have been many challenges that most of the ancient people of France were going through before Louis’ invention of pasteurization. Louis Pasteur realized that a large number of people experienced numerous health complications which were found to be linked to the spoilage of food. There was also a need from the people for the increase in the periods of storage of food. After pasteurization was developed, the periods of storage for milk augmented and cases of poisoning from food reduced. Quick treatment of milk through subjection to extreme temperatures helped obliterate detrimental microbes (Bradley, 1976).
Regarding the fact that most people, especially fellow researchers succumbed to sepsis after contact with the surgical instruments in the process of an autopsy and Louis’ objective, need to arise for studies to counteract this problem. According to Greer Williams’s perception about Louis Pasteur profession, “Nothing in scientific research is more familiar to us or has loomed more importantly in the prevention of disease and death, of course, than the image of a Louis Pasteur, in his skullcap” (Geison, 1995, p. 38). One of the greatest objectives of Louis was to craft France to be the most successful state in Europe by reducing the number of deaths. Pasteur’s main aim was to initiate an immense societal as well financially viable revolutionization to his state. Louis thus came up with antiseptic pasteurization from the bacteria hypothesis of ailment through his close association with other scientists.
Pasteur’s learning on fermentation commenced in Lille after being talked to by a manufacturer who was troubled since detrimental products were usually noticed in the process of fermenting sugar to alcohol using yeast. Pasteur hypothesized that the products emerged from microscopic organisms such as germ apart from yeast that catalyzed the fermentation process. He exemplified this hypothesis with studies on sugar conversion. Pasteur emphasized the categories of microbes that could be isolated by appropriate methods based on the dietary necessities and their vulnerability to antiseptics. Pasteur related the germ to a disease. He later concluded that spontaneous generation never existed in microbes. Antisepsis emerged from the germ hypothesis. Based on Pasteur’s research, Joseph Lister invented the antisepsis technique by first inventing an anti-bacterial solution after apprehending that collapsing of tissues from contagion was pre disposed of by infinite organisms (Tomes, 1998).
Most of the inventions performed by Louis Pasteur were experienced during the 18th century. This was the period when Bonaparte Napoleon III was the emperor of France. Pasteur received maximum support from Napoleon III. He had high optimism to ensure development in all vicinities. He was more than enthusiastic to forfeit the whole of his life in hazard to support the scientific progression.
He had all his belief in discoveries thus going through an operation. Napoleon depended on scientific discoveries to boost industrialization in his country. The emperor created a lot of employment opportunities and chances for all the scientists. For instance, “blight to the grape roots could have severely hindered the wine industry in France” (Tomes, 1998). Through Pasteur’s discoveries, the industry that dealt with wine was kept away from the hazardous situation. The discoveries scientifically, the economy of France, as well as the upheaval of industries, were all found to be intertwined. Bonaparte Napoleon III is a man who greatly supported Pasteur.
The technique that was used was the Antiseptic and Aseptic method which afterward had a remarkable effect on the people who lived in France during that time. These methods were employed to help contest against the spread of dangerous organisms among the people. Antisepsis means the contemporary devastation of microbes. It emerged from the germ hypothesis. Asepsis refers to the inexistence of dangerous microbes.
Based on Pasteur’s research, Joseph Lister invented the antisepsis technique. Lister first came up with an anti-bacterial solution after apprehending that collapsing of tissues from contagion was pre-disposed of by infinite organisms. He foremost sprayed the solution in the air then on the operational appliances. He apprehended that the rates of infection drastically reduced after the application of the liquid on a wound. Regarding this, Lister came out to be the best person who was able to clean surgical instruments. Though the antiseptic technique was successful, it was never put into practice by the ancient physicians.
Conversely, Pasteur’s germ speculation twisted mystification in the ancient therapeutic society as most of the people had a reservation its clinical connotation. According to an Australian physician Ignaz Semmelweis in 1846, cleansing hands between attending to the sick lessened the rates of contagion. This was concluded after observing high death rates among women who needed an operation. His colleague succumbed to sepsis after contact with the surgical instruments in the process of an autopsy. He lastly emerged with his version that infectivity with the transmittable fabric increases the multiplication of the virus from one person to another. Nonetheless, washing hands with a solution of chloride, soap, and water could be a preventive measure. The hospital management was unenthusiastic in introducing changes thus the antiseptic method was not implemented.. Semmelwe succumbed to the cerebral organization in 1865.
Lister supported Pasteur’s idea in 1882 after using a carbolic spray in an operation. His inventions in antiseptic methods assisted in the transformation of surgical operations. It is during this period when antisepsis was sophisticated to asepsis that was attained through sterilization. Ernst von Bergmann emerged with surgical instruments sterilization in 1885 (Geison, 1995).
Not all the scientists could have emerged victoriously if they were in Louis Pasteur’s shoes. There must have been some extraordinary qualities in Pasteur that could have enabled him to achieve his objective in managing to come up with means of preventing diseases. It is, therefore, necessary to consider some of the influential conditions and principles that could have led to Pasteur’s achievement. Pasteur’s individuality and temperament while in the lab could have possibly led to his success. The means through which Pasteur has to manage to remain in many peoples minds all over the world and also in some educational materials is explained considerate, sensitive, and kind but not obsequious.
Louis Pasteur must have been very determined. He had a high level of fortitude that could have helped him achieve his goal. Determination is an unquestionable significant characteristic that an individual such as a scientist must have to be triumphant. Pasteur is said to have got the highest determination ever. Pasteur was also very highly enthusiastic. He was always eager and had that full-time urge to carry out his research on the cure to various diseases. He was ready to perform an investigation on rabies despite the fact that this research needed high expenditure to compensate for the services (Bradley, 1976).
Louis Pasteur’s devotion towards his duty is shown when he works through many intricacies. He was attacked by paralysis in 1868. However, this did not hinder him from working.
He continued performing his research in consistence with his routine until a short period to his death. He was very jingoistic towards his job (Windle, 1923).
Louis Pasteur was highly devoted to his duties. This character is evident in most of his writing materials such as notebooks. Forty years of exploration for Louis Pasteur are authenticated in his note pads. His note downs are described to be scrupulous as they were written in such a manner that they were comprehensive and explicit. This reached a point where most of Pasteur’s fellow researchers said that he was very incredible in scientific research. According to Gerald L. Geison as quoted by Debre and Forster (2000), “I have never counted the pages that Pasteur filled with experimental data in his sometimes crabbed and microscopic hand, but they probably exceed ten thousand” (p. 5). This also proves that Pasteur was enigmatic and defensive towards his work. He was responsible too since he was never supervised in performing his research on vaccines for diseases.
It is evident that Louis Pasteur was a great person who dedicated his life to saving other peoples lives. Louis having the best characters one could desire to emulate promotes him to be talked of by people all over the world.
Reference List
Bradley, P. (1976). The Battle Against Bacteria. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Debre, P. and Forster, E. (2000). Louis Pasteur. New York: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Geison, G. (1995) The Private Science of Louis Pasteur. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Tomes, N. (1998) The Gospel of Germs: Men, Women, and the Microbe in American Life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Windle, B. (1923) Twelve Catholic Men of Science. London: Catholic Truth Society.