The Germ of an Idea

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By Margaret Eisenstein DeLacy ‘80

Published April 8, 2016

Margaret Eisenstein DeLacy ’80’s The Germ of an Idea addresses the ties between religion and contagion in 18th century Britain. By citing the works of esteemed scholars such as Benjamin Marten and Van Leeuwenhoek, she explains how contagionism helped shape contemporary understandings of the nature and behavior of disease.

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PAW's October 2026 cover, featuring a photo of a loaf of challah bread and the headline "The Braids That Bind."
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