Germ Theories of Disease

Germ Theories of Disease

The germ theory states that the occurrence of most of the diseases is because of the presence and the action of certain microorganisms in the body.1 The theory went further to suggest that theses microorganisms are too small that necessitated the help of magnification for viewing. Apart from invading humans, these microorganisms also invade animals together with the other living hosts. The theory was developed during the mid-1800s where it gained instant popularity among the medics across Europe.1 The germ theory complemented the already existed contagion and miasma theories. As a result, the germ theory was used as a stepping stone for the advancement of the contemporary medicine. Besides, since it incorporated the ideas of several theories, historians always use the plural for its reference.1 Therefore, it can be argued that the approach is significant as far as the development of the contemporary medicine is concerned because it has served as the guiding theory for a very long time.1
The germ theory managed to challenge the earlier theories such as the miasma and contagion theories. These theories were propagating that the diseases were as a result of the punishment for their bad behaviors.1 In the event that a large number of the population suffered from a certain ailment, these theories blamed either the sewage odors or the swamp vapors. This idea was also bought by the earlier English physician, such as the legendary William Harvey, who advocated for the miasma to be responsible for the occurrence of the epidemic.

1 It is worth noting that miasma was a word that was used to describe a poisonous vapor that was released by the movements of the planetary objects around the earth. Some described miasmas as the poisonous vapors that were caused by the disturbances that were happening within the earth.1 Therefore, the germ theory managed to put an end to these unfounded theories by coming up with the scientifically proven idea of microorganism invasion as the main cause of diseases.1
Though the germ theory has been praised for its role in the advancement of the contemporary medicine during the nineteenth century, it can be argued to have some limitations. The main limitation of the germ theory is derived from the fact that it propagates the transmission of the diseases from one organism to the other to the microorganism.1 Narrowing down to the microorganism as the main cause of the diseases can be said to be oversimplified. This is because it fails to recognize the fact that some infections are possible without the microorganism.1 Therefore, it fails to recognize the role that other factors play such as the environment, genetic composition, socioeconomic factors, and the status of the host’s immune system, behaviors, or even the environment in deciding the transmission of the infections.1
The central significance of the germ theories of disease to the public health during the nineteenth century up to the First World War is its role in coming up with the idea of the microorganisms as the disease causing organisms. Prior to its inception, the exact cause of the diseases was unknown. People believed in funny and unproven ideas that had no scientific backing.1 However, with the coming of the germ theories, the public health practitioners were in a position of isolating the exact microorganisms that were responsible for a particular disease. The invention of the microscope also played a major role in popularizing the theory.1 As a result, the public health practitioners were able to prevent, control, and cure most of the infections.
References
1. Gooch JW. Germ Theory of Disease. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Diseases. 2011:895-895.