] When I read reports of the regimen of bleeding, purging, no fresh air, etc., I sometimes wonder if the cure wasn't worse than the disease! With no clear understanding of the causes of disease, I guess they had to use their imagination (which were sometimes vivid).

Laurie,I'm sure you have heard of the phrase doctors used when writing reports after the death of a patient "the operation was a success but the patient died". I doubt doctors were always prepared to accept the consequences of their deeds.However, one scientist ( Pasteur?) injected himself with a disease presumably to test a vaccination. I agree it's interesting to follow medical ideas over the ceturies (if abit ikky!)