Ideas about the Causes of Disease

Prehistory

Illness was caused by a person's spirit leaving them or a bad spirit entering them.

Egypt

Illness was caused by food rotting in the bowel and producing bad gases which travelled through the channels and blocked blood flow.

Greek

Illness was caused by an inbalance of the four humours of the body (Black Bile, Yellow Bile, Blood and Phlegm.)

Roman

Illness was caused by an inbalance…