Explore Courage
This section explores the nature of courage through profiles of courageous individuals, historical and philosophical analyses, and a presentation of scientific research relating to courage.
This is an example of an individual profiled in this section:
Barry Marshall
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Helicobacter pylori, the spiral shaped bacterium that causes gastric ulcers. Source: http://images.derstandard.at/20051003/ bakt.jpg |
Wherever Barry Marshall is right now, he's probably smiling. You see, Marshall has earned that savory satisfaction that comes with being able to justifiably say 'I told you so'. And this is no playground squabble; Marshall's (former) opponents are a worldwide audience of medical skeptics who doubted his claim that Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that is literally a bug, causes gastritis and ulcers in the stomach. That was largely because Marshall's idea ran so contrary to established beliefs (despite the fact that established beliefs never hinted at a cure), which were too deeply rooted for anyone to give his novel suggestion much credibility. Marshall contended that the bug infected and inflamed the stomach, a thought most researchers rejected since they considered the stomach's environment too acidic to accommodate a living host. Staunchly committed to his theory, however, Marshall willingly swallowed a sample of the bacterium that he had extracted from a patient of his. It contained Heliobacter pylori, so if it generated gastritis, a nauseating and often painful inflammation of the stomach, then the pathologist would have evidence of his audaciously proposed link. Marshall waited, feeling no immediate signs of the bug's presence. Then, in the middle of the night, he began throwing up profusely - he had been right.
True, the excitement of his discovery was likely moderated by the fact that it was confirmed only by a fierce bout of retching, but he could endure that with the knowledge that the doubtful medical community would eventually be swallowing his much-assailed hypothesis as proven fact. Marshall began treating patients with his own results in mind; their success rates rose. Other doctors soon followed, and now treatment of ulcers and gastritis has been significantly improved. The risk paid off in dollar signs, too, as Marshall has since been garlanded with numerous international awards and the research money that goes with them. He continues to study H. pylori, refining treatment and searching for applications toward other conditions, such as stomach cancer.
Sources:
http://www.helico.com/index.html
http://www.vianet.net.au/~bjmrshll/features2.html
http://www.time.com/time/reports/heroes/physician4.html