What Is The Misunderstanding Of Disease During The War Of 1812

Diseases have long affected wars, often killing more soldiers than combat. During the War of 1812, for example, diseases like dysentery and malaria were the number one killer on the battlefield. Robert Koch’s germ theory was not introduced until 1890, so doctors had no reason to believe disease and infection was due to microscopic organisms or viruses. Treatments from the colonial era until the late 1800s show the extent of the misunderstanding of illnesses. Popular cures, such as bloodletting and a mercury compound called calomel, often left the patient weak and dehydrated, making them a prime target for further