c1700-c1900: Ideas about the cause of disease and illness

Question 1

Change in causes

Answer 1

Theory of Four Humours was completely discarded and miasma was becoming less popular.

Question 2

Spontaneous Generation/Germ Theory

Answer 2

The Spontaneous Generation theory claimed rotting matter created microbes. This theory claimed that microbes spread through miasmata.
Pasteur’s Germ Theory claimed that microbes caused decay, and were not created by rotting matter. This theory claimed that microbes spread through the air.
The Germ Theory had small impact in the short term since many people still believed disease was caused by miasma, but it had a large long term impact as it helped in the diagnosis of illnesses (Koch’s work meant many different disease-causing microbes were discovered).

Question 3

Factors affecting the understanding of the causes of illness and disease - Individuals

Answer 3

Had it not been for Pasteur and Koch’s work, including Tyndall and Lister’s work, the Germ Theory would have taken a long time to develop.

Question 4

Factors affecting the understanding of the causes of illness and disease - Institutions (British Govt.)

Answer 4

They were not interested in getting involved with people’s everyday lives, until epidemics (cholera and typhoid) broke out. They did not promote the Germ Theory since it did not provide a practical solution to the problem of disease.

Question 5

Factors affecting the understanding of the causes of illness and disease - Technology

Answer 5

The improvement in microscopes enabled detailed observation of microbes, which in turn helped with the discovery of the cause of disease.

Question 6

Factors affecting the understanding of the causes of illness and disease - Attitudes in society

Answer 6

Due to the Enlightenment, people were more interested in rational explanations for disease, but they were slow to believe the Germ Theory since there was no evidence for it.

Question 7

Robert Koch

Answer 7

Identified that different germs cause different diseases. He discovered the microbe causing tuberculosis and cholera.
Came up with methods to produce a pure culture of bacteria, using Petri dishes and dyes.
Impact - inspired other scientists to discover other bacteria, e.g. diphtheria. But, not very big impact in Britain since govt. still believed in miasma as the cause of disease

Question 8

Tyndall, Lister

Answer 8

Lister linked problems with infection to Pasteur’s theory.

Tyndall found microbes on dust particles.