Everything about Miasma Theory Of Disease totally explained
The
miasmatic theory of disease held that
diseases such as
cholera or the
Black Death were caused by a
miasma (Greek language: "pollution"), a noxious form of "bad air". In general, this concept has been supplanted by the more scientifically founded
germ theory of disease.
Miasma is considered to be a poisonous vapor or mist that's filled with particles from decomposed matter (miasmata) that could cause illnesses and is identifiable by its nasty, foul smell (which, of course, came from the decomposed material). A prominent supporter of the miasmatic theory was
Abaris the Hyperborean, who famously cleaned
Sparta under Mount
Taygetus from miasmata coming downhill.
The miasmatic theory of disease began in the
Middle Ages and continued to the mid 1800s, when it was used to explain the spread of
cholera in
London and in
Paris, partly explaining
Haussmann's latter renovation of the French capital. The disease was said to be preventable by cleansing and scouring of the body and items.
Dr. William Farr, the assistant commissioner for the 1851 London census, was an important supporter of the miasma theory. He believed that cholera was transmitted by air, and that there was a deadly concentration of miasmata near the
River Thames' banks. The wide acceptance of Miasma theory during the cholera outbreaks overshadowed the theory brought forth by
John Snow that cholera was spread through water. This slowed the response to the major outbreaks in the Soho district of London and other areas. Another proponent of the miasmatic theory was
Crimean War nurse,
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who was made famous for her work in making hospitals sanitary and fresh-smelling.
Sanitary Reforms
The theory of miasma made sense to the English Sanitary reformers of the mid-nineteenth century. Miasma explained why
cholera and other diseases were epidemic in places where the water was undrained and very foul-smelling. The theory led to improvements in the sanitation systems, which led to decreased episodes of
cholera, which helped to support the theory.
Even though the miasmatic theory has been disproven, by the knowledge of
viruses and
bacteria, it made the connection between dirtiness and diseases. This caused public health reforms and encouraged cleanliness, even though some doctors still didn't wash their hands between patients. They believed that the miasmata were only airborne, and wouldn't be stuck on the doctors' hands.
The miasmatic theory was consistent with the observations that:
Cholera
So far as cholera is concerned, the miasmatic theory was disproved by
John Snow following an epidemic in
Soho, central
London in
1854. Because of the miasmatic theory's predominance among Italian scientists, the 1854 discovery by
Filippo Pacini of the bacillum that caused the disease was completely ignored, and the bacteria had to be rediscovered thirty years later by
Robert Koch.
A remnant of this theory is the name of
malaria, from Italian
mala aria ("bad air").
Further Information
Get more info on 'Miasma Theory Of Disease'.
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