By 1931, nothing on earth could stop a bacterial infection once it started. But the great killers of Europe, North America, and most of Asia-pneumonia, plague, tuberculosis, diphtheria, cholera, meningitis-were caused not by parasites but by bacteria, much smaller, far different microorganisms. A drug or two was available that could stop parasitic diseases once they hit, tropical maladies like malaria and sleeping sickness. For thousands of years, humans had sought medicines with which they could defeat contagion, and they had slowly, painstakingly, won a few battles: some vaccines to ward off disease, a handful of antitoxins. This is a fascinating scientific tale with all the excitement and intrigue of a great suspense novel. A strange and colorful story, ' The Demon Under the Microscope' illuminates the vivid characters, corporate strategy, individual idealism, careful planning, lucky breaks, cynicism, heroism, greed, hard work, and the central (though mistaken) idea that brought sulfa to the world. The very concept that chemicals created in a lab could cure disease revolutionized medicine, taking it from the treatment of symptoms and discomfort to the eradication of the root cause of illness. Sulfa changed the way new drugs were developed, approved, and sold transformed the way doctors treated patients and ushered in the era of modern medicine. Sulfa saved millions of lives-among them those of Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr.-but its real effects are even more far reaching. In' The Demon Under the Microscope, ' Thomas Hager chronicles the dramatic history of the drug that shaped modern medicine. This incredible discovery was sulfa, the first antibiotic. It conquered diseases, changed laws, and single-handedly launched the era of antibiotics. This University of Oregon Bookstore event was held in the Knight Library Browsing Room of the University of Oregon.Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (p. After his presentation the author responded to audience members' questions. Hager examined bacterial diseases and wartime medical care in the 1930s, portraying experiments, medicinal discoveries, and drug patents during World War II and detailing the challenges in creating antibiotics for bacterial threats of the 21st century. The demon under the microscope : from battlefield hospitals to Nazi labs, one doctors heroic search for the worlds first miracle drug / Thomas Hager. He described the life of physician Gerhard Domagk from his days as a German military medical assistant during World War I to his belated Nobel Prize. Hager argued that sulfa, not penicillin, was the first real miracle drug. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright. T08:02:16-04:00 Thomas Hager talked about his book, The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor’s Heroic Search for the World’s First Miracle Drug, published by Harmony.

Demon under the microscope