ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the dramatic discovery that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori causes gastric ulcers is explored. While this chapter more directly addresses a clinical problem, the cause of ulcers, it is nonetheless included for several reasons. First, the new findings challenged prevailing dogma at the time that Barry Marshall and Robin Warren made their discovery, and highlight the dedication of Marshall in scientifically proving his case: he ingested the bacteria to demonstrate a causative effect, before treating himself with antibiotics to cure himself. This chapter also illustrates that all manners of good science, whether they are basic or more clinically oriented in their origin, can lead to significant discoveries, as long as the researchers collect and properly analyze good data and continue to make relevant hypotheses.
