ipl-logo

Louis Pasteur Accomplishments

1113 Words5 Pages

Louis Pasteur

A chemist, innovator, and microbiologist, Louis Pasteur brought forth a wide number of accomplishments; large and small. A list of the most renowned achievements includes the discovery and invention of pasteurization, vaccines for both rabies and anthrax, and germ theory; all significant advances in the world of science.

Beginning his life in the commune of Dole, located in France, Louis was now a part of the Pasteur family. He was described as an average student by his teachers in his early times, although having an artistic talent. The majority of Louis Pasteur’s portraits have claimed their place in galleries and museums. Jean-Joseph Pasteur, his father, disagreed with this aim. Supported by his father and other mentors, …show more content…

He was asked by a man named M. Bigo, who worked at a brewery, as to why the brewery’s beer was spoiling. Louis Pasteur conducted research at the brewery, and discovered hundreds and thousands of microbes in the samples after surveying them with a microscope; concluding that the germs were not a product of the spoilage, but a cause of it. This conclusion began the germ theory.

Continuing this research with other foods and liquids; such as milk, wine, and vinegar, Louis Pasteur invented the process of pasteurization. Following the discovery, he was appointed as the Director of Scientific Studies at the École Normale. While informing the community about his beliefs in germ theory, Louise Pasteur was often ridiculed by the scientific community who preferred the Miasma theory. In 1864, Pasteur held a presentation in front of many famous scientists and intellectuals where he conducted experiments to prove points. The majority of the scientists accepted germ theory after the …show more content…

Using many of the same principles from past works, though, Louis Pasteur developed a weaker form of the virus; testing the vaccine on groups of dogs returned positive results. Although these successes may have brought him some comfort, Pasteur was reportedly reluctant to test the vaccine on a person. In fact, Louis Pasteur was just about to use himself as a test subject, but was halted when a child named Joseph Meister who was bitten by a rabid dog was brought to him. The parents agreed to the injection, and the vaccine worked; the disease did not advance anymore. After testing the vaccine with other people of different backgrounds, hundreds of people came to Louis Pasteur for the

Open Document