10. German chemist crank broth deliberately infected with a large dose of Cholera Bacteria to disprove the theory of a fellow scientist.
Max von Pettenkofer was a Bavarian chemist and hygienist who lived and worked during the 19th century. In his early career, he worked on industrial chemical processes and analysis of urine and bile acids. But he is best remembered in connection with his work in practical hygiene, as an apostle of good water, fresh air and proper sewage disposal. He also developed standards for adequate ventilation in schools and hospitals. What truly made him popular within the scientific circles of his era, however, was his intense studies and experiments on cholera.
He was extremely passionate about his research on cholera… to the point where he drank broth deliberately infected with a large dose of cholera bacteria. He did this in order to disprove the theory of Robert Koch that the disease was caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae alone. The German chemist also took bicarbonate of soda to counter a claim by Koch that stomach acid killed the bacteria. Pettenkofer escaped with mild symptoms and claimed success, but the contemporary view is that he did indeed have cholera, luckily just a mild case, and possibly had some immunity from a previous episode.