| Date | 1721 |
| Author | Bradley |
| Contribution | b. Postulated that parasitic worms must enter the human body by inhalation or ingestion. |
| Reference | Wilson |
| Notes | Richard Bradley, see 1718 and the previous entry for 1721. See Catherine Wilson's 1995 book. Bradley made the astute [ahead of his time] observation that parasitic worms in humans must come from outside, entering the body as worms or eggs either in breath or "unwholesome food." The writings of Farley on Spontaneous Generation make it clear that this postulate was by no means obvious. For long after Bradley's time, it seemed possible that worms (regardless of whether they were spontaneously generated) could propagate, by means of eggs, within the host body. |
| Category | Miscellany |
| Pathogen Class | Helminths |
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