Bacterial pneumonia historical perspective

Since the 20th century, bacterial pneumonia has been identified as a formidable infectious disease and was largely held responsible for deaths during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. It was often referred to as “captain of the men of death” during this timeframe. The most common causative bacterial strain, Streptococcus pneumoniae, was first isolated in 1880 by Louis Pasteur and George Sternberg. In general, the disease has varying outcomes. The discovery of modern-day antibiotics have entirely changed how treatment is approached but, before then, blood letting was a common method of treatment as was described by William Osler in his textbook, The Principles and Practice of Medicine, written in 1892.

Pneumonia is a disease that has been prevalent for centuries and is a condition that many physicians can claim to have seen and treated in healthcare environments.

One of the earliest confirmed cases of bacterial pneumonia can be traced back to 1880, when Louis Pasteur and George Sternberg first isolated the most common microorganism responsible, Streptococcus pneumoniae. Due to its high mortality rate, pneumonia was often referred to as “captain of the men of death” in the 20th century.^[1] In fact, a majority of deaths during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 were attributed to a fatal bacterial pneumonia following the initial viral infection.^[2]

Before the discovery of present-day formidable antibiotics, a common method of treating the disease included bloodletting or the use of leeches, as described by William Osler in his textbook, The Principles and Practice of Medicine, written in 1892.^[3] Affected patients would be drained of their blood in hopes of ridding the body of toxins and illnesses. With the discovery of modern medicine, such practices have become sparse with the exception of a few diseases.

Template:WH Template:WS