10 Bizarre Things We Used To Believe

We're pretty confident on how diseases are created and spread. A lot of boffins throughout the centuries have worked tirelessly to take theories and practices from the past and expand on them to make a more conclusive and sound theory.

Miasma theory has a certain grounding in reality but only to the degree that disease can be airborne. Beyond that it's a pretty nuts concept.

The theory was that diseases were caused by a toxic foul-smelling vapour called miasma.

Now in the case of say, the plague, this makes a lot of sense. Corpses give off a foul smell and are the black death's playground.

But the miasma theory was also applied to conditions like chlamydia and syphilis. If you have to ask how those last two are spread you're too young to know.

Even obesity was attributed to air vapour. It was believed a person could get fat from smelling too much food.

Homeopathy still uses a modified theory of miasma, so the belief is still in practice.