Casimir Davaine
Born	March 19, 1812
Died	14 October 1882
Nationality	French
Fields	microbiology
Known for	Bacillus anthracis

Casimir Davaine (March 19, 1812 – 14 October 1882) was a French physician known for his work in the field of microbiology. He was a native of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, department of Nord.

In 1850, Davaine along with French dermatologist Pierre François Olive Rayer (1793-1867) discovered a certain microorganism in the blood of diseased and dying sheep. In the diseased blood, Rayer and Davaine isolated the bacillus which is known as Bacillus anthracis, the causative bacterium of anthrax. Soon afterwards, Rayer published an essay on anthrax, which contained the first description of Bacillus anthracis.

In 1863 Davaine demonstrated that the anthrax bacillus could be directly transmitted from one animal to another. He was able to identify the causative organism but was unaware of its true etiology. Later, German microbiologist Robert Koch researched the etiology of Bacillus anthracis, and discovered its ability to produce "resting spores" that could stay alive in the soil for a long period of time to serve as a future source of infection.^[1]

Casimir Davaine is also credited for pioneer work in the study of septicemia (blood poisoning).

[edit] References

• Nancy Tomes The Gospel of Germs: Men, Women, and the Microbe in American Life
• Théodoridès, J (1994). "[Former observations of urinary bilharziasis and wuchereriosis]". Bulletin de la Société de pathologie exotique (1990) 87 (3): 191–3. PMID 7827524. 
• Rocchietta, S (January 1970). "[Casimir Joseph Davaine (1812-1882), pioneer of medical microbiology]". Minerva Med. 61 (6): XI. PMID 4904892. 
• Théodoridès, J (April 1966). "Casimir Davaine (1812-1882): a precursor of Pasteur". Medical history 10 (2): 155–65. PMID 5325873. 
• LAGRANGE, E (February 1955). "[Casimir Davaine, pioneer in two fields.]". La Presse médicale 63 (12): 234–5. PMID 14371473.