Have We Always Known About Germs?

People have not always known about the existence of germs and microorganisms. For centuries it was widely believed that disease and illness were spread by foul odors (miasmas), bad air, or evil spirits.It is easy to understand why this was thought. Being exposed to rotting food, dead bodies and carcasses, or sewage can certainly make you sick - and all of those things certainly smell foul. People sick with disease and infection do not smell good either. They sweat, vomit, have diarrhea, or perhaps oozing pus. If you were a caretaker of someone ill, and in close proximity to them, you may become sick as well. It must be because of the miasmas! Some people thought these foul odors were carried about the world in pockets of “bad air”. Of course, when all else fails to compute, blame vile circumstances on evil spirits.It wasn’t until the late 1800s and early 1900s that it started to become widely understood that disease and infection are caused by germs spread in numerous ways. Finally, we started washing our hands frequently, sterilizing surgical instruments, and valuing clean clothes, households, hospitals, and businesses. Today, we are particularly aware of germs. Soap up!