🌳 TREE 96: Barry Marshall drank bacterial soup to give himself an ulcer.
Doctors used to believe stomach ulcers were caused by stress. Dr Barry Marshall thought they were caused by bacterial infection and could be cured by antibiotics. Of course, the medical establishment thought Barry Marshall was crazy. The establishment’s job is to maintain the status quo. Barry Marshall was determined to prove the real cause of ulcers. Lab animals were unsuitable subjects. The law prohibited testing on people. So he took bacteria from an ulcer patient, mixed it into a broth and drank it. He developed an ulcer soon after. Antibiotics cured it. Ulcer treatments changed. Lives were saved. Well done, Barry Marshall.
It can be good to be a little crazy about the thing you’re crazy about.Â
This week I’m thinking about work, doing work you love, and success.
Grow slowly.
Jeff
That feeling after you drink bacterial broth.
Here’s a proper telling of Barry Marshall’s story:https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-doctor-who-drank-infectious-broth-gave-himself-an-ulcer-and-solved-a-medical-mystery