section 2

Disease Avoidance

Emotional disgust + cognitive avoidance to reduce infection risk.

Carrier Stigma

Fear/discrimination against healthy carriers; example = sickle-cell.

Pauling → carrier stigma significance

Suggesting tattooing carriers shows how stigma > science.

Four Humors Theory

Illness from imbalance of blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile.

Miasma Theory

Disease caused by "bad air" — dominant for centuries.

Germ Theory

Microbes cause disease — Pasteur, Koch, Lister.

Semmelweis Reflex

Rejection of new evidence (ex: handwashing to prevent childbed fever).

Barber-Surgeons

Medieval surgeons; barber pole = blood + bandages.

Quarantine vs Isolation

Quarantine = exposed; Isolation = infected.

Herd Immunity Threshold for Measles

92–94% vaccination rate needed.

Hygiene Hypothesis

Less childhood exposure → ↑ allergies, asthma, autoimmunity.

Disappearing Microbiota

Modern sanitation ↓ gut diversity → immune dysfunction.

Antigenic Drift

Small viral mutation → seasonal flu changes.

Antigenic Shift

Big genetic change → pandemics (ex: H1N1).

Viral Reassortment

Two viruses exchange genes → new strain.

Disease Mongering

Selling medical conditions for profit (ex: Listerine = halitosis).

Placebo Effect

Fake treatment works through expectation.

Open Placebo

Still works even when patient knows it's fake.

Informed Consent

Must know risks before trials; Tuskegee/Gelsinger examples.

Hippocratic Oath

Medical ethics code → modern versions still used.

Asclepian Symbol Meaning

Snake + staff = healing & medicine.

Printing Press Impact

Spread medical knowledge rapidly during Renaissance.

Asklepion

Ancient healing temple w/ dream therapy, ritual