Final answer:
Girolamo Fracastoro first proposed the idea that microorganisms in the air could cause infections in wounds in 1546, paving the way for the germ theory of disease. This theory was later supported by evidence from scientists like Anton van Leeuwenhoek, and the adoption of antiseptic surgical practices by Joseph Lister.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept that microorganisms in the air might be responsible for the infection of open wounds was first proposed by the Italian physician Girolamo Fracastoro in 1546. Although not widely accepted at that time, his idea laid the groundwork for the germ theory of disease.
As the theory gained evidence through the observations of microorganisms by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in the 1670s and the practices of physicians like Joseph Lister in the 1860s, the idea that microorganisms caused infections became more accepted, leading to better sanitary practices in medicine.
Joseph Lister took Fracastoro's idea further and, being familiar with the works of Semmelweis and Pasteur, implemented handwashing, extreme cleanliness during surgery, and the use of carbolic acid as a disinfectant, significantly reducing the rate of postsurgical infections. Hence, Lister's protocols eventually became a standard in medical practice.
The germ theory was further supported and expanded upon by scientists such as Louis Pasteur, who debunked spontaneous generation, and Robert Koch who developed Koch's postulates for identifying specific microbes causing specific diseases. These advances cemented the acceptance of germ theory over the miasma theory of disease transmission.