Why didn't Dr. Marshall's colleagues believe that peptic ulcers could be caused by bacteria?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To understand why Dr. Marshall's colleagues doubted a bacterial cause for peptic ulcers, we need to consider the historical beliefs about ulcer etiology.
Option 1: 'There was strong evidence that peptic ulcers are caused by eating spicy foods.' This claim reflects a common myth rather than scientific consensus; at the time, spicy foods were blamed, but there was no rigorous evidence linking them to ulcers, so this statement misstates the scientific basis.
Option 2: 'There was strong evidence that peptic ulcers are caused by high levels of stress.' Similar to spicy foods, stress was proposed as a contributing factor, but it lacked definitive causal proof; claiming strong evidence here is inaccurate and oversimplifies the debate.
Option 3: 'They did not think that bacteria could survive in the acidic environment of the stomach.' This is the core misconception. The stomach’s harsh acidity was believed to sterilize and prevent bacteria from thriving there, so bacteria were not considered viable ulcer culprits under that assumption.
Option 4: 'They did not think that bacteria could survive at body temperature.' While body temperature is compatible with bacterial life, the key issue was the stomach’s acidity, not the temperature alone; however, the prevailing belief emphasized acid resistance rather than viability at normal body temperature.
In sum, the principal reason for skepticism about a bacterial cause was the belief that the stomach’s acidic environment would prevent bacteria from surviving there, making a bacterial etiology seem implausible given the knowledge at the time.

HUMNNTR 2200 SP2025 (15810) Clinical Application: Common GI Disorders

Why didn't Dr. Marshall's colleagues believe that peptic ulcers could be caused by bacteria?

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