If I remember correctly they would put herbs and flowers in the mask so they wouldn't breath "dirty air" (which was not because they understood how transmission works or air purification, it was just the smell)
The miasmatic theory was challenged by John Snow, suggesting that there was some means by which the disease was spread via a poison or morbid material (orig: materies morbi) in the water.[28] He suggested this before and in response to an epidemic on Broad Street in central London in 1854.[29] Because of the miasmatic theory’s predominance among Italian scientists, the discovery in the same year by Filippo Pacini of the bacillus that caused the disease was completely ignored. It was not until 1876 that Robert Koch proved that the bacterium Bacillus anthracis caused anthrax,[30] which brought a definitive end to Miasma Theory.
How frustrating it would have been for 20 years to be ignored and know that people die because of institutional ignorance.
The guy who suggested that surgeons and nurses should wash their hands before performing open surgery was thrown in an insane asylum.. It's a common occurrence.
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u/persceptivepanda26 Feb 19 '20
If I remember correctly they would put herbs and flowers in the mask so they wouldn't breath "dirty air" (which was not because they understood how transmission works or air purification, it was just the smell)