In the second century, the physician-philosopher Galen of Pergamon proposed that there were six external factors, which he called ‘non-naturals,’ that could affect human health.

The first of Galen’s non-naturals was, surprisingly, air. Even in the centuries before we understood the mechanics of viruses and contagion, or identified the causality between a chilly draft and a runny nose, there was general agreement that the qualities of the air and the state of one’s health were inextricably interlinked.

In 1816, as the result of two major volcanic eruptions in the Philippines and Indonesia, Europe experienced a profound climate abnormality known as ‘The Year Without a Summer.’ It had far-reaching consequences, from worsening crop yields that precipitated a famine, to a wave of typhus epidemics that killed more than 65,000. But many in the bourgeoisie experienced only positive effects of the lower temperatures, such as milder allergies, reduced inflammation, and fewer mosquitos, and word spread quickly about the miraculous benefits of taking in les vapeurs hollandaises. In 1817 came the first windowsill devices purporting to deliver the revitalizing effects of the so-called ‘Dutch Air,’ never mind that these machines operated on no scientific principles, had no palliative properties, and generally had no moving parts. But these ‘Galens,’ as they were called, remain a fascinating fossil, both cynical and cyanic, of a short-lived and troubled time, unbothered by the particulars of science.

Published January 2, 2023. Copyright © 2023 Jonathan Hoefler.