Would this Kill me in the 1800s: Leprosy

Princess Mononoke, 1997. My first introduction to leprosy was through a Miyazaki film, Princess Mononoke, which I got on VHS in middle school and wore out through successive watchings. In the film, a town on the edge of the forest is a sanctuary for those otherwise ostracized by society. Among them, a group of lepers…

Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Strep Throat

I don't know about the rest of you, but strep throat was the bane of my existence in middle school. I think I caught it 4 times in sixth grade, and there was talk of having my tonsils removed. But what is strep? What causes it and how dangerous is it if untreated? The Disease…

Would this Kill me in the 1800s: Asthma

Asthma is a common enough problem in the US. It affects roughly 7-8% of people worldwide, though in the developed world at least, it doesn't trigger much concern. Many children are diagnosed with it and then outgrow their symptoms. But statistics show that asthma cases have been steadily rising since the 1960s, likely due to…

Would this Kill me in the 1800s: Influenza

I am not the only one who has been drawing parallels between Covid-19 and our current crisis and the 1918 influenza pandemic. So, for those curious, I thought I would talk about some of the similarities and differences, as well as how the flu was treated prior to 1918. If, like so many, discussions of…

Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Anemia

Feeling tired? Run down? Memory problems? Muscle aches and weakness? You might have anemia and not know it. There a many different forms of anemia, so I won't be able to delve into all of them here, but basically anemia is a shortage of red blood cells. This can have many causes from outside factors…

Would This Kill Me in the 1800s: Appendicitis

You voted, and I'm here to answer the question: Would appendicitis kill me in the 1800s? Why do we even have an appendix?  Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine. Doctors and anatomical experts are divided on the subject. The appendix is a little flesh tube that dangles from the point between your large…

Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Autism

CW: This post discusses historical and contemporary medical treatments for autism and mental illness patients that range from unpleasant to downright abusive and may be triggering for some readers.  I confess, out of all the WtKM posts thus far, this one has benefited from the most research. It's also been the hardest to write. I…

Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Diabetes

Diabetes--both Type 1 & Type 2--are very common diseases in the US today. Changes in diet and lifestyle have led to an increase of Type 2 diagnoses in the past few decades.  If, for some reason you aren't familiar with diabetes or the difference between the two forms, I'll give you a minute to check…