12 Microbes and You 



unfolded to those who pursue the truth? They could read the 

 works of others written in fancy Latin, but they were not scientists 

 in any sense of the word, according to Leeuwenhoek. Just as it is 

 true today, this devoted scholar had little or no time for his 

 family. 



From all appearances Leeuwenhoek richly deserves the title 

 often given to him— "Father of Microbiology," although many 

 persons today reserve that honor for Louis Pasteur who lived nearly 

 two centuries later. If a father is one who gives origin, then we 

 must admit that Pasteur, as great as he was, must be relegated to 

 the rank of stepfather since he came after Leeuwenhoek. The 

 majority of persons today give the honor to Leeuwenhoek, and 

 apparently the Society of American Bacteriologists has leanings in 

 that same direction since this group prints a small picture of 

 Leeuwenhoek on the cover of its monthly publication, the Journal 

 of Bacteriology, and has done so since the Society was founded in 

 1899. 



The careful records compiled by this man and sent in great 

 volume to the Royal Societ)^ of London are sufficient evidence that 

 this microbe hunter was much more patient and much more con- 

 servative than many scientists are willing to be before publishing 

 results of their experimentations. We recognize from his draw- 

 ings many organisms which we associate with certain parts of our 

 bodies, such as scrapings from the teeth. The Royal Society to 

 which Antony sent his observations had a most humble origin. 

 A band of individuals, curious about the surrounding world and 

 strong-willed enough to overcome opposition, risked public ridicule 

 and even death to eke out the truths of science. They joined a 

 sort of secret fraternity and did not come out in the open until 

 the reign of Charles II when they emerged as the Royal Society 

 of London and gained respectability. The membership boasted 

 such names as the founder of the science of chemistry, Robert 

 Boyle, Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton, Christopher Wren, and others 

 of equal stature in the scientific world. 



While most of Leeuwenhoek's countrymen scoffed at his ex- 



