Ethan Keyser
Mr. Blair
Discoveries and Inventions
16 February, 2015
3 Scientists And Their Impact On US Culture
Throughout history there have been many different great minds that have contributed to the advancement of technology in the United States. Many of these scientists and inventors were foreigners whose work dramatically impacts our lives today. When looking at the state of American medicine, (arguably the most advanced in the world) there are three foreign scientists who played a major role in making medicine what it is today. Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, and Marie Curie found ways to prevent illness, overcome disease, and pioneered revolutionary treatment methods. Together, these individuals greatly increased the quality of living in the United States.
Edward Jenner was born in England in 1749, and like many other children he was variolated for smallpox. At the time smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases known to mankind, killing 35% of its victims. The effects of smallpox where felt in America long before the Unites states was formed, the disease was the killer of up to 90% of the Native American population. The disease remained an ever-present threat and in Jenner’s day, the only method to combat it was variolation, a process where pus from an infected person was put under a healthy persons skin. Although variolation improved chances of survival, it only had around a 60% success rate.When Jenner invented the smallpox vaccine, it was the beginning of the end for smallpox. The vaccination proved to be highly effective at preventing deaths from
smallpox. Finally, the virus was officially declared eradicated in 1979. Eliminating smallpox was a great victory for mankind, and impacted the entire known world, including the United States.
Louis Pasteur was another scientist whose work in medicine affected the United States. Pasteur primarily studied microorganisms, and he showed that bacteria caused fermentation. This discovery led to Pasteur to develop the process of pasteurization, leading to beer and milk that were safer to drink and took longer to spoil. This innovation led to increased health and a more robust food supply. Although pasteurization is often taken for granted today, it made the large-scale production of milk and other perishable goods possible. Pasteur is also remembered because his study of germs led to increased sanitation standards at hospitals and the development of a rabies vaccine.
The third scientist was Marie Curie. Marie was groundbreaking on many levels. To start, she was a very successful scientist in a field that was the domain of men at the time. For her work she received a Nobel Prize in Physics and another Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Curie helped pave the way for women scientists who where to follow her. Marie focused most of her time on the study of various radioactive materials. In her effort to better understand the strange properties exhibited by elements such as uranium, Curie developed methods to measure radioactivity. However, Marie’s greatest contribution to the medical field was the development of X-ray imaging technology. By exposing a patient to X-rays doctors were now able to identify trauma inside the body without cutting the person open. Nowadays X-rays are a common practice in many fields, and many Americans have and continue to benefit from the technology.
Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, and Marie Curie were three scientists who helped set the foundation for modern medicine. Their work revolutionized not only their own country but also affected the United States. Many aspects of the American way of life in regards to medicine can be traced back to these great innovators.