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Though miasma theory is typically associated with the spread of contagious diseases, some academics in the early nineteenth century suggested that the theory extended to other conditions as well, e.g. one could become obese by inhaling the odor of food.
People like Jan van Helmond who identified gases suggested that they were perhaps capable of transmitting diseases, hence initiating the miasma theory by suggesting that disease was transmitted by poisonous air (Roberts, 2015). However, such theories were difficult to reconcile with the Galenic view.
May 17, 2018 · Doctor Benjamin Rush, a prominent figure in the discussion of miasma wrote a treatise on the subject, the title of which tellingly included the phrase: “Facts Intended to Prove the Yellow Fever Not to Be Contagious.” [8] The purpose of his treatise was to list the sources of disease and methods for removing or preventing it.
From miasma to germ theory we trace the evolution of conceptions in infectious disease transmission. Starting from the unproved theories of contagiousness we move on to miasma theory, contagion theory and spontaneous generation theory up to the revolutionary germ theory of disease transmission.
- Marianna Karamanou, George Panayiotakopoulos, Gregory Tsoucalas, Antonis A Kousoulis, George Androut...
- 2012
Apr 24, 2024 · The miasma theory, a once-dominant belief regarding the transmission of diseases, provides a fascinating glimpse into the historical understanding of health and illness. Spanning from antiquity until the late 19th century, the miasma theory posited that diseases were caused by “bad air” emanating from decomposing material.
Jan 22, 2021 · Miasma theory, which posited that contagious diseases were caused by bad air, would persist well into the 1800s at the expense of contagionist theory. Only when an experimental germ theory was...
Oct 10, 2014 · The miasma theory was consistent with the observations that disease was associated with poor sanitation and foul odors, and that sanitary improvements were successful in reducing disease. Echoes of these two theories continue to compete even today.
