| Date | 1863 |
| Author | Davaine |
| Contribution | a. Reported evidence of the bacterial causation of anthrax in sheep. |
| Reference | Garrison |
| Notes | Work prompted by similarity of rods seen by himself and Rayer (see 1850) and the organism reported by Pasteur as the butyric acid "ferment." Called the organisms in anthrax "bacteria" and later "bacterida" (bacteridies). Experiments similar to those of Brauell (see 1857) showed (a) that bacteria are always present in anthrax, (b) that anthrax can be transmitted by inoculation of infected blood, (c) that the bacteria are not present in healthy animals. From this he concluded that the disease is caused by the bacteria. Davaine, a practicing physician, used rabbits and guinea-pigs for much of his anthrax work. The papers he published from 1863 to 1870 were influential, especially in France. See article by Jean Théodoridès in Dictionary of Sci. Biog. |
| Category | Causation |
| Pathogen Class | Bacteria |
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