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| | '''Anthrax''' is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis.'' Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals and can also infect humans. | | '''Anthrax''' is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis.'' Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals and can also infect humans. |
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| − | Anthrax is important in the history of medicine. In 1875, the pioneering bacteriologist [[Robert Koch]] convincingly proved for the first time that a particular disease, anthrax, was caused by a specific microbe, ''Bacillus anthracis.'' Koch's proof involved performing four steps, which have become known as [[Koch's postulates]]: | + | Anthrax is important in the history of medicine. In 1875, the pioneering bacteriologist [[Robert Koch]] convincingly proved for the first time that a particular disease, anthrax, was caused by a specific microbe, ''Bacillus anthracis.'' Koch's proof involved four steps, which have become known as [[Koch's postulates]]: |
| | *The microbe must always be present in animals showing the disease, and never in healthy animals. | | *The microbe must always be present in animals showing the disease, and never in healthy animals. |
| | *It must be possible to isolate the microbe and grow it in pure culture. | | *It must be possible to isolate the microbe and grow it in pure culture. |
| | *Inoculating a healthy animal with the cultured microbe must cause the animal to develop the disease. | | *Inoculating a healthy animal with the cultured microbe must cause the animal to develop the disease. |
| | *It must be to isolate the microbe from the infected animal, culture it, and show that it is the same kind microbe with which it had been inoculated. | | *It must be to isolate the microbe from the infected animal, culture it, and show that it is the same kind microbe with which it had been inoculated. |