In Pursuit of Precision - University of Alabama at Birmingham

Feature Stories
LOUIS’S LETTERS
ON DISPLAY:
Pasteur’s Search for an Anthrax Vaccine
By Roger Shuler
Michael Flannery finds it difficult to overstate Louis Pasteur’s contributions
to modern medicine. “Pasteur developed the germ theory of medicine,
which led to our modern understanding of infectious diseases,” says
Flannery, associate director for historical collections at UAB. “He was a
chemist, not a physician, and he was very adept at methodology. Through
his investigations in fermentation, he developed the pasteurization process
in milk. And he later engaged in studies of anthrax and swine fever.”
When last fall’s terrorist attacks included anthrax-tainted mail, the
world received another reminder of Pasteur’s contributions to science.
Now, 17 letters on display at UAB’s Reynolds Historical Library provide
insight into Pasteur’s efforts to develop the vaccine for anthrax.
The letters are part of a lengthy correspondence between Pasteur, credited
with developing the first vaccine for anthrax, and his disciple Louis
Thuillier. The microbe responsible for the disease had been isolated in
1876; Pasteur announced the first successful anthrax vaccinations in
experimental animals in 1881, and he dispatched Thuillier to Germany
and Austria-Hungary for the next two years to further the research effort.
Meanwhile, anthrax was decimating livestock herds throughout Europe.
“Anthrax is most common in animals, and Pasteur’s first experiments
began with silkworms,” Flannery says. “Silkworms were a major French
industry at the time, and it was threatened by anthrax infections. Pasteur
used the microscope and his experience with fermentation to establish procedures
for dealing with these infections. Later he worked with cholera and
rabies. He opened a new window into the workings of infectious diseases.”
The Pasteur-Thuillier letters were in the collection of Lawrence
Reynolds, M.D., an Alabama native who donated his extensive library of
rare medical writings to the University of Alabama School of Medicine in
1958. In addition, the library holds a copy of Correspondence of Pasteur
and Thuillier, Concerning Anthrax and Swine Fever Vaccinations, published
in 1968 by the University of Alabama Press.
In the time period covered by the letters, Thuillier conducted a series
of vaccinations against anthrax in sheep and cattle in Germany and
Austria-Hungary. It is believed that Pasteur intended to conduct the vaccinations
himself but was constrained by other responsibilities. He relied
on Thuillier as a surrogate, prompting a steady stream of letters that
detailed the successes, failures, and obstacles encountered in the project.
“The letters are clearly a correspondence between a senior scientist and
a younger, developing colleague,” Flannery says. “Thuillier is at a distance,
and he’s asking for advice. Pasteur often says, ‘If this doesn’t work, try this.’
The letters are professional exchanges between a mentor and a protégé.”
Pasteur’s discovery that most infectious diseases are caused by germs is
one of the most important in medical history. His work, supported by
the later studies of German Robert Koch, became the foundation for the
science of microbiology and a cornerstone of modern medicine.
“The general notions of disease were very unclear until Pasteur, along
with Koch, began to flesh them out,” Flannery says. “It was believed that
diseases were carried by strange vapors or bad air. In fact, the term malaria
means, literally, ‘bad air.’ Scientists, at the time, did not know that many
of these diseases were actually caused by germs. When these microorganisms
became known, it was thought that they grew from spontaneous generation.
Pasteur’s work demolished that notion and went on to show that
specific microorganisms were responsible for specific diseases.”
David Green and Manisha Sharma (president,
class of 2005) join classmates in recognizing
the generosity of donors and their families.
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change their minds after attending the memorial
service. “When they hear the heartfelt
comments of the students, it drives home how
vital these donors are for medical students’
education,” says Casey.
Heinz Dueffer, a first-year student who
helped organize this year’s service, says that families
are comforted by the respect the students
express for their loved ones. “The approach is,
these are our first patients, and we need to take
very good care of them,” he says. “The family
members are thankful and impressed with how
grateful we are for what their loved ones did.”
Several members of the Class of 2005 are
musicians, so this year’s service included performances
by a pianist, a singer, and a cello
player in the class. Students lit a candle for each
of the donors as their names were read. Some
students read tributes to the donors.
“Knowledge of the human body is essential
in the undertaking of our lives as physicians,”
said Dave Williams. “However, the other gift
they gave to us—the example of unselfish giving
to our fellow mankind—may be even
more important, both in our future practices
and in our everyday lives.”
Another student, Suman Annambhotla,
said, “All my life I have been taught the idea of
selfless love and giving, but there is no gift
more selfless than this.”