The miasma theory was an abandoned medical theory holding that diseases such as cholera and plague were caused by a miasma, a noxious form of bad air, rather than by germs.
Facts
Proposed BySourced to the subject's own account Connections
Belongs To
Critiqued By
John Snow, Scientists John Snow's 1854 investigation of the Broad Street cholera outbreak traced the disease to a contaminated water pump rather than foul air, undermining the miasma explanation for cholera transmission.
Sources
1. Miasma Theory (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section (entity-description)
The miasma theory (also called the miasmic theory) is an abandoned medical theory that held that diseases were caused by a miasma, a noxious form of bad air, also known as night air.
Views worldwide, Europe section
advanced by Hippocrates in the fifth century BC
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.