Quote:
Originally Posted by Botnst
FYI, fleas on rats do not cause any disease in man.
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Oh well, I was under the impression that one of the possible causes of the black plague was rats, or rather the germs they carried, spread by fleas.
Nonetheless, my point is, I believe, valid. The guy who early on considered that lack of cleanliness, handwashing, etc., in hospitals was a major cause of illness was widely ridiculed by his fellows. One dramatization I saw on this (not sure if it's from an actual event) showed him presenting a bowl of hot soapy water to a colleague, who allowed him to place it in his hands only to drop it to the floor with a crash.
Point being, people can be highly self-assured of some "fact" and be utterly wrong.