| Date | 1379 |
| Author | Brie |
| Contribution | Recorded his observation of liver fluke in sheep. |
| Reference | Touratier |
| Notes | Jehan de Brie. Undoubtedly de Brie was referring to what would later be named Fasciola hepatica. His account is included here because it is a classic event in parasitological history, and thus serves as a convenient reminder that macroscopic parasites of humans and domestic animals have been observed since antiquity. Their significance as pathogens was not understood. The continued observation of these organisms over the centuries preserved the concept of animal parasitism; but as emphasized by Farley, their presence was an important obstacle to the dethronement of Spontaneous Generation. Few such early accounts are included in the Germ Theory Timeline, because the main relevance of helminths in this context is the later discovery of species that are microscopic or have pathogenic stages that are microscopic. See Touratier, L., Vet. Parasitol. 33: 45-63,1989. Also in Grove. See also entry for Bidloo. See also chapter by S. J. Andrews in Fasciolosis (J. P. Dalton, ed.) CABI Publishing, 1999. |
| Category | Miscellany |
| Pathogen Class | Helminths |
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