b ial ▁materials . ▁An cient ▁civil izations ▁explo ited ▁the ▁ant im icro b ial ▁properties ▁of ▁co pper ▁long ▁before ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁micro bes ▁became ▁understood ▁in ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁several ▁co pper ▁medic inal ▁prepar ations , ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁observed ▁centuries ▁ago ▁that ▁water ▁contained ▁in ▁co pper ▁vessels ▁or ▁transport ed ▁in ▁co pper ▁convey ance ▁systems ▁was ▁of ▁better ▁quality ▁( i . e ., ▁no ▁or ▁little ▁visible ▁sl ime ▁or ▁bio f ou ling ▁formation ) ▁than ▁water ▁contained ▁or ▁transport ed ▁in ▁other ▁materials . ▁ ▁The ▁ant im icro b ial ▁properties ▁of ▁co pper ▁are ▁still ▁under ▁active ▁investigation . ▁M ole cular ▁mechan isms ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁ant ib acter ial ▁action ▁of ▁co pper ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁int ensive ▁research . ▁Scient ists ▁are ▁also ▁act ively ▁demonstr ating ▁the ▁intr insic ▁effic acy ▁of ▁co pper ▁al loy ▁" touch ▁surfaces " ▁to ▁destroy ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁micro organ isms ▁that ▁threaten ▁public ▁health . ▁ ▁Mechan isms ▁of ▁ant im icro b ial ▁action ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁Victor ▁Bur q ▁discovered ▁those ▁working ▁with ▁co pper ▁had ▁far ▁fewer ▁death s ▁to ▁ch ol era ▁than ▁anyone ▁else , ▁and ▁did ▁extensive ▁research ▁confirm ing ▁this . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁he ▁presented ▁his ▁find ings ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁Academ ies ▁of ▁Science ▁and ▁Medicine , ▁inform ing ▁them ▁that ▁putting ▁co