Miserable History of Medicine | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Sailors in the 16th to 18th century suffered from scurvy due to a lack of vitamin C, the Bubonic Plague ravaged Europe during the Middle Ages with various ineffective cures, and the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920 caused widespread death and devastation.

Key Insights

• 🖤 Scurvy among sailors in the 16th to 18th century was caused by a lack of vitamin C in their diets, highlighting the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• 💅 The Bubonic Plague during the Middle Ages had devastating effects on Europe, and various ineffective cures were attempted to combat the disease.
• 👯 The Spanish Flu of 1918-1920 resulted in a global pandemic, where millions of people died, and immune responses and mutations of the virus may have contributed to its severity.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What caused sailors in the 16th to 18th century to suffer from scurvy?

Sailors suffered from scurvy due to their diets lacking fresh fruits and vegetables, which resulted in a deficiency of vitamin C. The standard naval diet at the time consisted mainly of salted meat, biscuit, and alcohol.

Q: How did sailors try to cure scurvy during that time?

The Royal Navy introduced measures like increasing the beer ration, eating sauerkraut, and issuing a sugary drink made of malt and a byproduct of the brewing process called wart. However, these measures were not very effective and sometimes posed health risks.

Q: What were some of the ineffective cures for the Bubonic Plague during the Middle Ages?

Some of the ineffective cures included bloodletting, sweating, treacle syrup aged for 10 years, and bathing in urine. These treatments were based on theories of balancing bodily humors and expelling corruption.

Q: How did the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920 affect the world?

The Spanish Flu infected one third of the world's population and caused a death toll estimated between 50 to 100 million. It disproportionately affected healthy young adults, and its spread was facilitated by the movement of troops during World War One.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Sailors in the 16th to 18th century suffered from scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, due to their diets lacking fresh fruits and vegetables.

• The Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death, spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, causing widespread death and devastation. Various ineffective cures, such as bloodletting and sweating, were attempted.

• The Spanish Flu of 1918-1920 infected one third of the world's population, killed millions, and disproportionately affected healthy young adults. Vaccines and antibiotics were not yet available to combat the disease.