‘Levend geworden slijm’

Veranderende kennis over endoparasieten in vroegmodern Nederland

Samenvatting

During the early modern period, knowledge about endoparasites changed radically. For centuries, doctors believed parasites –such as intestinal worms –spontaneously emerged in viable intestinal slime stimulated by illness. Having a parasitic infection wastherefore seen as the consequence of having a weak disposition, instead of the cause. The increased use of microscopes in nineteenth-century experiments led to new insights about the origin and reproduction of intestinal worms. Doctors concluded that these parasites did not emerge within the body but entered the body from outside in the form of eggs. As a result, the focus shifted from treatment to prevention. Using medical journals, self-help books and domestic literature, this paper analyzes how the knowledge about intestinal parasites changed during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Moreover, it shows how ideas about treatment and prevention were disseminated in society through popular forms of writing.