Calvin Coolidge Jr. died from sepsis in 1924. He was playing tennis and got a blister on his foot, it was infected and there were no meds to stop the infection.
Comment on A simpler time
Avicenna@programming.dev 2 months ago
you get a scratch, you die in pain from infection a week later
DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 months ago
hansolo@lemmy.today 2 months ago
Bob Marley died from gangrene following a football injury on his toe.
DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 months ago
I assume he had ‘reasons’ not to go to a doctor?
I used to work in the American medical system and I can speak for hours about all the abuses and stupid mistakes Western medicine can make. But I can do even more on how people hurt themselves by not going to doctors.
There was a fellow who had arm apin and went to a chiropractor. Heart attack.
hansolo@lemmy.today 2 months ago
Marley rejected his doctors’ advice to have his toe amputated, which would have hindered his performing career, citing religious beliefs.
massive_bereavement@fedia.io 2 months ago
Tennis: Not even once.
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Coolidge Jr got the blister playing tennis barefoot, and probably ignored it until the ensuing staph infection was well underway. People of that time (1924) who paid attention to their little injuries - wash with soap and water, hit it with some alcohol, cover it (i.e. don’t keep going barefoot on it) didn’t tend to die from them.
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Mortality rate was higher than today but life wasn’t anywhere near that extreme. Most people don’t die from minor untreated infections - that’s what our immune system is for.
ICastFist@programming.dev 2 months ago
If you’re lucky, the scratch didn’t come with the predator’s fangs on your throat
thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s part of “no growing old 😃”