“Sepsis and Septic Shock: A History”, Duane J. Funk, Joseph E. Parrillo, Anand Kumar2009 (microbiome)⁠:

Infectious disease has been a leading cause of death in humans since the first recorded tabulations. For example, available evidence suggests that one third to one half of the entire population of Europe and Asia were wiped out in the Black Death Plague of the early 15^th century. Evidence for the presence of sepsis in humans stretches into antiquity. Emperor Shen Nung’s 2375BC treatise on the treatment of fever using the herb, ch’ang shan, is one of the earliest known written references to pharmacological therapeutics.

From Hippocrates and Galen, to Lister, Fleming, and Semmelweiss, this article reviews the notable historical figures of sepsis research. The early descriptions and theories about the etiology (microbial pathogens), pathogenesis (toxins and mediators), and treatment of sepsis-associated disease are also discussed.