Half of all children died in Roman times. Half of all children died in Saxon times. Half of all children died under Good Queen Bess, and Farmer George, and even dear old Victoria. Until we learned to do modern medicine.
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In the first book in demography, Bills on mortality by John Graunt in the mid 1600's indicated the age by which half the people died was 18. He calculated that women had to have a baby for each of their two years of living through reproductive years to keep the population alive. The can do more now.
aug 17, 2025, 12:26 am • 0 0 • view
Modern medicine? ... I think most of the added lifespan are due to the invention of soap and sewage systems.
aug 14, 2025, 12:00 pm • 1 0 • view
"The invention of soap"? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap
aug 14, 2025, 12:03 pm • 2 0 • view
Ugh, I said that wrong. I meant the realization that washing hands with soap is useful to prevent infections. Post Semmelweis.
aug 14, 2025, 12:07 pm • 1 0 • view
That was a medical advancement. Part of modern medicine.
aug 18, 2025, 5:52 am • 0 0 • view
I'm pretty sure that counts as modern medical science. It's an early example, but the establishment of germ theory and being able to trace the vectors of disease of pretty fundamental to today's medical practices.
aug 15, 2025, 12:09 pm • 5 0 • view
Yep, the doctor's dirty, unwashed hands (back then it was a 'mark of honor' to have bloody hands and apron) rooting around McKinley's abdomen to find the bullet was what killed him. He might well have lived if the dr's left him alone.
aug 14, 2025, 11:46 pm • 1 0 • view
You only have to wander around any regional Victorian cemetery to witness the anguish of those times. And read the gravestone engravings. Beloved. Tragically. Sorrowfully. Etc.
aug 14, 2025, 12:27 pm • 1 0 • view