Air pollution was far worse everywhere besides the extremely rural areas since the middle ages in terms of the Asthma relevant particles and noxes. Combine that with a far worse indoor climate due to mold, animals, humidity, sooth, materials and that leads to a far higher prevalence for Asthma and respiratory illnesses. Which we basically know both from contemporary literature as well as bodies found.

Unless you worked mostly outside in a very very rural area your lungs were worse off 200 years ago than they are now.