Mosquito theory instead of Miasma theory

Suppose that, in classical times, the medical wisdom of the day concluded that diseases such as Malaria were not spread through bad air but by mosquitos. I’m not supposing that they actually scientifically prove this, just that they make a guess (which is ultimately all the miasma theory was) that happens to be right.

Now, given that the solution to both miasma and mosquitos is pretty much the same (get rid of swampland and stagnant water), it might not change much - except that people would be more cautious with smaller bodies of stagnant water (such as barrels). Societies would sill drain swampland when they had the resources to do so, or avoid swamps when they didn’t.

One thing that will change is an appreciation for the benefits of mosquito nets. No longer just a matter of comfort, they are treated as medically useful - as they are. They could also be used to quarantine any malaria patients from mosquitos (assuming anyone makes that connection). And the same thing happens once metal window screens are invented (i suppose mosquito nets could bd used as a low tech alternative).

Thoughts?
 
Interesting idea. I get the feeling, however, that the miasma theory wasn't simply an idea that was postulated in ancient times and universally accepted ever afterwards. Rather, it was a conclusion that just about everyone came to over the ages until science proved otherwise. After all, one is very likely to get sick if they're around something that smells really bad, like a rotting corpse or a big pile of waste.

In other words, one could believe in the miasma theory without ever reading a classical source on it.
 
I guess you'd need to challenge the largely widespread acceptance of spontaneous generations : while insects were a plague and probably seen as being a factor, they were seen as being literally born out inanimate matter. And what good killing off or preventing mosquitoes entering in the house if they can appear out of miasma?
Your idea does have merit, really, but we need some serious medical/philosophical changes on this regard.
 
There's some 19th century accounts in which Doctors dismiss as superstition the idea that mosquitos are linked to malaria. So clearly the idea existed, it just wasn't accepted.
 
Also, Miasma theory does make sense-you have muggy lowlying areas, people get sick a lot there but not in other areas, ergo clearly the miasma had something to do with it. It's not that dumb, just reliant on limited information.
 
Of all the pre modern medical theories I have the most time for the miasma, it makes sense how people who didn't know about germs would interpret why people got sick. Which is more than you can say for the humours theory.
 
I guess you'd need to challenge the largely widespread acceptance of spontaneous generations : while insects were a plague and probably seen as being a factor, they were seen as being literally born out inanimate matter. And what good killing off or preventing mosquitoes entering in the house if they can appear out of miasma?
Your idea does have merit, really, but we need some serious medical/philosophical changes on this regard.

Even if that is an insurmountable problem, we could posit this happening after spontaneous generation is disproved.
 
Top