Introduction 3 



mind. It is possible to name a number of diseases not caused by 

 bacteria or other microbes, and with a httle further probing one 

 could undoubtedly think of many uses to which mankind has 

 pressed microbes for useful ends. Yet if a psychologist uttered the 

 word "bacteria" in an association test where the test subject is re- 

 quested to give the first word that comes to his mind, the response 

 would undoubtedly be "disease," "sickness," or some similar con- 

 notation more times than not. 



Just how did this young branch of science originate? To state 

 with finality that a given day of a given year launched microbiology 

 is an impossibility. It is probably easier to pinpoint the beginning 

 of the atomic age to the first successful application of the cyclotron 

 or to that early morning hour on July 16, 1945, when the first man- 

 made atomic bomb was set off in the desert near Alamo^ordo, New 

 Mexico. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that a great deal of 

 both pure and applied research preceded the first atomic blast. 

 The same statement can be made with respect to microbiology. 

 A number of modern inventions are the product of the accumulation 

 of vast storehouses of smaller, minor discoveries which, when tied 

 together, provided background material for the development of 

 the finished product. The fortunate accidents which have been 

 capitalized upon by clever observers should not be ignored. 



At the same time that mention is made of the harmful effects 

 produced by these organisms, the tremendous good that they 

 accomplish for mankind should not be overlooked. The statement 

 has been made that were it not for microbes, you and I would not 

 be here. That is a rather strong assertion, yet there is plenty of 

 evidence to add weight to such a contention. Without the 

 chemical activity of organisms in their never-ending quest for food, 

 no trees, plants, or animals would be consumed after their death 

 unless they were burned or destroyed by some means other than 

 biological activity. The vast accumulation of ancestors, plant and 

 animal, would soon leave little room for the living. The chemical 

 elements borrowed for a while by living things in the past would 

 not be available for present generations, and in time life could very 

 well grind to a creaking^ halt. Bacteria and other microorganisms 



