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Historical Bibliography Updated: May 30, 2020

Del mal del segno calcinaccio o moscardino malattia che affligge i bachi da seta e sul modo di liberarne le bigattaje anche le piu infestate. 2 vols.

Publication Details

Lodi: Tipografia Orcesi, 1835 CE–1836 CE.

Bassi preceded Louis Pasteur in the discovery that microorganisms can be the cause of disease (the germ theory of disease). He discovered that the muscardine disease of silkworms--a disease that was destroying the silk industry--was caused by a living, very small, parasitic organism, a fungus that would be named eventually Beauveria bassiana in his honor. To cure and prevent the disease Bassini recommended the use of disinfectants, separating the rows of feeding caterpillars, isolating and destroying infected caterpillars, and keeping the farms clean.

In demonstrating the parasitic nature of the muscardine disease of silkworms, Bassi also founded the doctrine of pathogenic microorganisms. His ideas inspired Henle (1840; No. 2533).

Catalog MetadataReference Information
Entry Number#2532
Permanent Linkhttps://staging.historyofmedicine.com/entry/3515
Author Bio LinkWikipedia ↗
External URLdel-mal-del-segno-calcinaccio-o-moscardino-malattia-che-affligge-i-bachi-da-seta-e-sul-modo-di-liberarne-le-bigattaje-anche-le-piu-infestate-2-vols

Geographic Context

Publication place: Lodi