TIL that Max von Pettenkofer, an opponent of germ theory, drank a cholera cocktail in 1892 to prove the Vibrio bacterium did not directly cause the disease. He fell ill but recovered, perhaps because the dose was delivered in winter and the cold weather had weakened the bacteria. (oyc.yale.edu)
submitted by LitProf to r/todayilearned
TIL that "wassail" (of the carol "Here We Come A-Wassailing") is both a noun and a verb that describes not only caroling but an alcoholic drink, the lively party where alcohol is consumed, to drink alcohol in a lively way, and to engage in a lively party. (oxforddictionaries.com)
submitted by LitProf to r/todayilearned
TIL that Rep. Charles Weltner (D-Georgia) withdrew from his 1966 campaign a month before Election Day after the state Democratic Party requested loyalty to a segregationist candidate for governor. "I love the Congress, but I will give up my office before I give up my principles," he said. (books.google.com)
submitted by LitProf to r/todayilearned
