History of Microbiology

Though it would be several thousand years before the first microorganisms were viewed and studied, ancient Egypt was already practising fermentation. The ancient Egyptians are the first known civilisation to use fermentation to brew beer. Historical evidence also suggests a knowledge of infectious disease. As evident from archeological excavations in Crete, India, Pakistan, and Scotland, early civilisations may have realised a connection between sewage and disease. Scientists uncovered lavatories dating from 2800 B.C.E. on the Orkney Islands and as far away as Pakistan. Ancient Rome, in 600 B.C.E., built elaborate aqueducts and employed a "Water Commissioner" to oversee to the safety of the public water supply. Contamination of the water system, presumably by microbes, was punishable by death. This early understanding of the communicability of diseases led to fear and quarantining of the sick, who consequently received little, if any, medical attention or care.