Yellow fever is one of those "old timey" diseases I've been aware of since I was a kid--not just because I read a lot of historical fiction as a kid, but also because I grew up in mosquito country. But knowing it exists isn't the same as knowing what it does. So what is yellow… Continue reading Would This Kill Me in the 1800s: Yellow Fever
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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… Continue reading Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Strep Throat
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… Continue reading Would this Kill me in the 1800s: Asthma
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… Continue reading Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Autism