Pioneers in Medicine and Their Impact on Tuberculosis

Throughout history, tuberculosis has been at or near the top of the list of infectious diseases that have plagued humankind. This pervasive disease has had a central position not only in causing illness but also in challenging medical scientists to understand it – and, in so doing, to further understand all of human health and illness. Pioneers in Medicine and Their Impact on Tuberculosis tells the stories of six of these individuals: Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec [pathology], Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch [bacteriology], Hermann Michael Biggs [public health], Clemens von Pirquet [immunology], Wade Hampton Frost [epidemiology], and Selman Abraham Waksman [antibiotics]. Itexamines not only their contributions in their own fields but also their special work in conquering tuberculosis. Presenting their fascinating lives and the seminal work they did in their disciplines, the author examines the importance of their discoveries and relates them to the dramatic expansion of medical science during the era in which they lived.

Thomas M. Daniel is Professor Emeritus of Medicine and International Health and Emeritus Director of the Center for International Health at Case Western Reserve University. His previous book, Captain of Death: The Story of Tuberculosis [University of Rochester Press, 1997] was strongly recommended by the NewEngland Journal of Medicine, and was selected by Choice for its Outstanding Academic Book List for 1998.