Question

During the late 1800s, many Europeans believed that human diseases were caused by poisonous vapors rising from rotting material that were capable of initiating disease in people who breathed them. Such vapors were known as

Answer 1

The belief in the late 1800s that diseases were caused by poisonous vapors known as miasma was prevalent until the germ theory exposed pathogens as the true culprits of disease transmission.

Step-by-step explanation:

Miasma Theory :

The poisonous vapors that were believed to cause diseases during the late 1800s were known as miasma. This theory, which held that diseases were caused by a form of "bad air" emanating from rotting organic material, was prevalent until the germ theory of disease was widely accepted. Miasma was thought to be identifiable by its foul smell and to cause serious health issues such as cholera and plague when inhaled.

The miasma theory can be traced back to ancient Greeks and Galen in the second century B.C.E. Despite the fallacies of the theory, it motivated various public health improvements, including advancements in municipal planning and sanitation infrastructure like the modern sewer systems first implemented in Europe. Over time, as scientific knowledge progressed, it became clear that pathogens, not miasma, were responsible for the spread of diseases, leading to more effective ways of preventing and treating illnesses.