Evolution of Disease Theories and the Germ Theory

Exploring the historical shift from miasma theory to the germ theory of disease, tracing the pivotal contributions of key figures in microbiology like Pasteur, Koch, and Semmelweis.

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For thousands of years, many theories have been put forward as to the cause of communicable diseases.

These theories ranged from the religious to the magical and sometimes quasiscientific, but what they all had in common was that there was no proof for anything.

Over the centuries these theories became dogma and often prevented a better understanding of diseases. It wasn’t until the 19th century that we got a clear picture of what the cause actually was.

Learn more about the germ theory of disease and why it took so long to recognize on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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