Belle Epoque: The Impact on Biology and Medinine Today

During the latter half of the 19th century the world began to change very quickly. As telegraphs and locomotives became commonplace, communication and travel became possible as never before. Scientific methodology and knowledge gained prestige in the eyes of modern society and research was pursued with newfound gusto. Consequently, this was a period of time that gave rise to many scientific advances that would eventually form our understanding of the natural world. Certainly not smallest among these was a deeper understanding of organisms, biology, and the processes by which life on our planet came to be.

Investigations into the origin of life began to take shape as experimental science and empiricism began to gain popularity with scholars, who had to reconcile the previously-accepted biblical age of Earth with newly-understood geological evidence to the contrary. Thus, naturalists began the endeavor of explaining geologic processes, including James Hutton and Charles Lyell. Among those influenced by this work was Charles Darwin, whose investigations of the variations of animal species culminated in the publishing of his work On the Origin of Species in 1859. In this work, Darwin explained the process of natural selection, but was unable to specify the exact way in which species changed from one generation to the next. This was done in 1865 by Gregor Mendel, who proved that physical traits are passed down from one generation to the next in a predictable manner. This, along with similar work done by Hugo Marie de Vries, formed the beginnings of the field of genetics.

A title page of the 1859 edition of The Origin of Species

Charles Darwin

A diagram of Mendel's work: dominant and recessive phenotypes.

A water pump in London similar to the one contaminated.

Another forward leap in knowledge occurred during this time period in the field of disease research and prevention. Prior the mid-19th century infections were attributed to the inhalation or ingestion of "miasma," which was vaguely defined as bad air from decomposing organic matter. Prompted by a cholera outbreak in London in 1854, John Snow demonstrated this to be false, and stopped the outbreak by identifying a single infectious water pump. Louis Pasteur also developed the field microbiology by systematically proving that fermentation and bacterial growth were caused by micro-organisms, as opposed to the accepted principle of spontaneous generation. It was these studies, conducted in the 1860s and 1870s, that led Pasteur to develop vaccines, immunizations, and a method to extend the shelf life of perishable foods like beer and milk. He was also instrumental in causing physicians to sterilize their hands and equipment between patients. Another notable figure is Robert Koch, who identified the causative agents of anthrax and tuberculosis. During the mid-19th century, tuberculosis was responsible for 1 out of every 7 deaths. Koch also furthered the field of microbiology by developing a series of postulates to identify the relationship between a microbe and it's resulting disease. Using them, Koch's students found the organisms that cause bubonic plague, typhoid, pneumonia, syphilis, and many more.

The Institute of Pasteur de Lille, which honors Louis Pasteur and his many great accomplishments.

 The concepts pioneered by these and others in the fields of medicine and biology form an immeasurably crucial part of our understanding of medical science today. This understanding is responsible for the development of cures to diseases, vaccines, and gene therapies. Millions of people around the globe have been helped or saved by the technologies that were being discovered in the late 19th century.