The Forgotten Cure: Chapters 1-4
The Forgotten Cure was a fascinating book that introduced topics and background to discoveries that I had not known to exist. World War I was consuming the countries, as many families had loved ones who were being put in unsanitary and unsafe conditions throughout the years. Dysentery had begun to impact many involved in the war, leading to a greater need for a cure to be found. The book revealed that the outbreak of dysentery caused by close quarters and a lifestyle susceptible to the transmitting of diseases allowed for the breakthrough to be made on bacteriophage discovery. Felix d’Herelle had previously seen “plaques” in his own experiments concerning locusts; however, when he began researching dysentery, the presence of plaques occurred again. d’Herelle began to realize the importance of his discovery when it was observed that phage presence in the body began to cure the effects of dysentery. This allowed for the world to turn an eye to the presence and discovery of the bacteriophages.
It was evident that d’Herelle possessed a thirst for knowledge and a passion for the sciences, rather than using it was a means for a career. He took up an unpaid position at a point in his life because he enjoyed the field, which showed that he was not swayed by other motives. d’Herelle displayed dedication and drive for his passions, which was evident in his works. Georgy Eliava was also a scientist that expressed drive and hard work for what he was passionate about. Eliava seemed to conduct himself in a more outgoing manner than d’Herelle however. The Elivia’s ultimately faced death due to the regime of the Soviet Union.
War and politics ultimately played a large role in the spread of phage therapy. War dramatically increased the number of diseases and problems present in the world. With the increase of problems came an increase in the need for a solution in troubling times. The discovery of bacteriophages and phage therapy during the time period allowed for their application and presence on the minds of others. War increased the use and demand for phage therapy to combat the problems being presented. However, while the presence of phage therapy was spread, little was done to advance the knowledge on the topic. Politics during the time period was very tense in all aspects. Many different countries and sides wanted an edge on the newest innovation and technology. I would imagine that scientific phage research was another aspect that many countries were trying to grasp and understand in order to not be behind in the race to discovery.
In my opinion, a major contributor as to why the spread of phage therapy failed was the lack of understanding of the topic. Its presence was known, as well as its potential uses, however, it is not nearly to the extent that it is today. Due to a large number of unknowns, alternatives to phage therapy were used instead to attempt to combat the diseases present, such as the use of antibiotics. While there were some means of spreading new knowledge about phage therapy, there was also a lack of media present during the time. In the present day, new scientific discoveries are extremely accessible to anyone who so chooses to find it. Back during that era, it was significantly harder to communicate and spread knowledge on the topic.
Delbruck’s and Luria’s work and collaboration enabled them to be introduced to the world. While searching for organisms to research, the two physicists came across bacteriophages and became integrated into the Phage Group. The pair, along with the collaborations with Hershey, won a Nobel Prize for their work. They became known for their strides in bacteriophage mutations and their genetic structure. Phage biology began to die out due to the lack of work being conducted on the subject. Delbruck and Luria ultimately moved on from their work on phages and other scientists devoted their time elsewhere.
