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“The history of major advances in medicine were previously told through the lens of the discoverers, like Louis Pasteur, and discoveries, such as the identification of the pathogen that caused TB. Nancy Tomes pivots to a new history of the germ theory era by examining how ordinary Americans changed their views and behaviors during the late 19th and early 20th century about these invisible microorganisms. The Gospel of Germs is about how bacteriology became relevant in the homes, the kitchens, the churches, and the streets…The title The Gospel of Germs refers to how the belief in germ theory was spread with almost religious zeal by public health reformers. It was a very different moment in the politics of US public health than today, although many aspects of the gospel mentality have endured.” Read more...
Best History of Medicine Books
Keith Wailoo, Historian
