The Germ Theory
I am still reading Bruno Latour; he is now running my personal educational project. I am reading about Louis Pasteur’s discovery of the fermentation process – which included the discovery of the yeast organism – which ended with the discovery of germs (and later viruses) – which completely revolutionized medical practice. We can no longer imagine being without it.
Since Pasteur was French, his discoveries were not appreciated by Scientific world when English became its dominant language. Latour, being French, is changing that. At first, in the middle of the 19th Century, no one could believe that microorganisms, so tiny they could hardly be seen by the microscopes of the time, could be important.
Even today, there are people who do not believe in the Germ Theory. I had one of these teachers myself once when I was involved in an esoteric Oriental healing practice in Southern California in the Eighties. I came down with the flu, and she tried to heal me – but failed.
No matter, faith conquers all – if it doesn’t kill you.
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