Jewish Invention Myths: Microbiology and Bacteriology
Let’s do a double debunk this time as we have two closely related ‘jewish invention’ claims in the form of the idea that jews invented microbiology and bacteriology.
‘MNews’ claims that:
‘Ferdinand Julius Cohn – Microbiology
Ferdinand Cohn is one of the founding fathers of modern bacteriology and microbiology.’ (1)
As with so many jewish invention myths there is a grain of truth in this claim – perhaps more than in many other similar claims - but it is massively overstated and lacks context.
In the first instance it is true that Ferdinand Cohn’s scientific work in botany which ultimate led to his work on bacteriology was both important and valuable, but while he is considered a significant figure in early bacteriology (a subdiscipline of microbiology); (2) he generally isn’t considered the ‘Father of Microbiology’ or the ‘Father of Bacteriology’ as ‘MNews’ necessarily implies.
In fact, the ‘Father of Bacteriology’ is usually considered to be German scientist Robert Koch – who also founded medical microbiology – (3) since it was his discovery of the anthrax bacterium in 1876 that created the field of modern bacteriology. (4)
Sometimes the famous French scientist Louis Pasteur is also argued to be ‘Father of Bacteriology’ (5) but is more normally (and correctly) just styled the ‘Father of Microbiology’. (6)
However, Milton Wainwright has also forcefully argued that the true father of both bacteriology and microbiology is either the 17th century Dutch draper and haberdasher Antonie van Leeuwenhoek or the Jesuit Fr. Athanasius Kircher (7) and has received support from others in his views. (8)
So while Cohn certainly did contribute to bacteriology: he certainly is not the ‘Father of Bacteriology’ or the ‘Father of Microbiology’!
References
(1) https://mnews.world/en/news/the-great-jews-and-their-inventions
(2) Gerhart Drews, 1999, ‘Ferdinand Cohn, among the Founders of Microbiology’, ASM News, Vol. 65, No. 8, p. 547; also, Gerhart Drews, 2000, ‘The roots of microbiology and the influence of Ferdinand Cohn on microbiology of the 19th century’, FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Vol. 24, No. 3, p. 225
(3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19037548/
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC501383/
(5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14870064/
(6) cf. Stephen Feinstein, 1999, ‘Louis Pasteur: The Father of Microbiology’, 1st Edition, Enslow: Berkeley Heights
(7) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S006521640301013X?via%3Dihub
(8) For example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4360124/