In ancient and medieval medicine, a theory or practice of preventing disease through various treatments or substances believed to strengthen the body's defenses.
From apo- (away) and phylaxis (protection), describing the ancient medical concept of disease prevention before germ theory was understood.
Apophylaxis in medieval medicine was like a hopeful forerunner to modern immunology—people instinctively knew preventing disease was better than treating it, they just didn't understand how immunity actually works yet!
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