The Prussian state and microbiological research--Friedrich Loeffler and his approach to the "invisible" virus.
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The Prussian state and microbiological research--Friedrich Loeffler and his approach to the "invisible" virus. / Schmiedebach, Heinz-Peter.
In: Arch Virol Suppl, Vol. 15, 1999, p. 9-23.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The Prussian state and microbiological research--Friedrich Loeffler and his approach to the "invisible" virus.
AU - Schmiedebach, Heinz-Peter
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - When Loeffler took his first steps in the newly-emerging field of virology, the aim and the methods of his research activities were influenced by two different issues: 1) Loeffler was rooted in the scientific paradigm of bacteriology, but during the progress of his research on foot-and-mouth-disease (FMD) he recognized that the classical techniques derived from bacteriology were useless in identifying the agent of this disease. Thus he focussed on the properties of the pathogen and--though he could not find a method in order to visualize the 'virus'--he tried to develop a vaccine against the disease. 2) The Prussian Government was highly interested in effectively combatting FMD. In 1897 Loeffler was appointed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to the newly-established commission for exploring that disease. The agricultural lobbies and the public pursued the activities of the commission with a mixture of hope and serious scepticism and demanded convincing results. These circumstances caused a considerable degree of political pressure on Loeffler, pressure which determined that his research activities would take a pragmatic approach, that he would avoid sophisticated reflections and trials on the nature of the 'virus', and that his research strategies would have as a goal the development of an effective immunization.
AB - When Loeffler took his first steps in the newly-emerging field of virology, the aim and the methods of his research activities were influenced by two different issues: 1) Loeffler was rooted in the scientific paradigm of bacteriology, but during the progress of his research on foot-and-mouth-disease (FMD) he recognized that the classical techniques derived from bacteriology were useless in identifying the agent of this disease. Thus he focussed on the properties of the pathogen and--though he could not find a method in order to visualize the 'virus'--he tried to develop a vaccine against the disease. 2) The Prussian Government was highly interested in effectively combatting FMD. In 1897 Loeffler was appointed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to the newly-established commission for exploring that disease. The agricultural lobbies and the public pursued the activities of the commission with a mixture of hope and serious scepticism and demanded convincing results. These circumstances caused a considerable degree of political pressure on Loeffler, pressure which determined that his research activities would take a pragmatic approach, that he would avoid sophisticated reflections and trials on the nature of the 'virus', and that his research strategies would have as a goal the development of an effective immunization.
M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
VL - 15
SP - 9
EP - 23
ER -