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Edwin Klebs's Grundversuche
- Bulletin of the History of Medicine
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 75, Number 4, Winter 2001
- pp. 771-781
- 10.1353/bhm.2001.0164
- Article
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In 1876, discussions of the role of microorganisms in disease causation focused on anthrax and wound infections, and even in respect to these diseases there was controversy. In a series of papers on the pathologicality of bacteria, Edwin Klebs identified four "Grundversuche" (fundamental tests) that provided a basis for his own research strategy. The Grundversuche can be read as the following hypotheses: first, all bacteria are pathological; second, bacteria never occur spontaneously; third, every disease is caused only by bacteria; and fourth, the bacteria that cause distinguishable disease are distinguishable. Although some of these hypotheses are literally false, together they constitute part of a rational basis for a bacterial theory of disease, and, as such, they mark a true revolution in etiological thought.