Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Cleft Palate

It's been a while since we had a good old fashioned WTKM. This time, we're exploring cleft palate. Cleft palate/lip occures when the tissue on the roof of the mouth doesn't fully form/develop, leaving a gap. We don't know why this happens, whether it's genetics, some kind of mutation, or if it's caused by environmental…

Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Nystagmus

We're doing something a little different this time around on WTKM. I'd be willing to bet that most of you have never heard the word nystagmus before, so let me break things down a little. Nystagmus is an involuntary, rapid eye movement. It can be caused by several things, including drug overdoses and head injuries,…

Would This Kill Me in the 1800s: Yellow Fever

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…

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: 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…