How We Die (1900 v. 2010)

[Padawanbater2]

The first thing to notice here is how much our mortality rate has dropped over the course of a century, largely due to big reductions in infectious diseases like tuberculosis and influenza.The way we talk about medical conditions has changed, too. NEJM finds that, back in 1812 – the first year it published – reports of spontaneous combustion were taken quite seriously by the medical community, as were debates over how, exactly one would be injured by a close-call with a cannonball:

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Doctors agreed that even a near miss by a cannonball — without contact — could shatter bones, blind people, or even kill them (1812f). Reports of spontaneous combustion, especially of “brandy-drinking men and women,” received serious, if skeptical, consideration (1812g). And physicians were obsessed with fevers — puerperal, petechial, catarrhal, and even an outbreak of “spotted fever” in which some patients were neither spotted nor febrile (1812e).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/06/22/how-we-die-in-one-chart/
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[BlazedMonkey]

Cool chart, go science for figuring out those big diseases. Now we just need to conquer cancer and heart disease.

 

[Padawanbater2]

Those have to be correlated with all the awful shit we eat on a daily basis. Cancer was at the bottom of the list when processed foods weren't so prevalent and high fat diets increase the risk of heart disease..

 

[Nitegazer]

Unfortunately, the three biggest causes of death in the past influenza, pneumonia and TB are at risk of becoming major killers again. Microbes adapt, and we are still using the same basic techniques (antibiotics and immunizations) from 100 years ago-- well ok, immunizations are much more recent.

 

[cannabineer]

We didn't have antibiotics 100 year ago. I do agree that the careless and profligate use of those miracle molecules has bred a whole sea of nasties. If our medical establishment were driven entirely by reason, access to atbs would be as restricted as to schedule 2s.
I find it of interest that suicide has become a large enough portion to be counted. I predict growth in that stripe. cn

 

[ganjames]

actually they ate a lot of fattening foods, and they also only had fruits/vegetables when they were in season.
but red meat, potatoes, cheese, milk, eggs, a lot of bread ect.

the difference is how people used to work back then, there were no fancy tools and shit to make everything easier. plus men were actually manly back then, now when you see construction workers they all have cute little orange helmets and cute little bright shirts and fancy expensive equipment.

 

[ganjames]

Then:

Now:

 

[UncleBuck]

my fear of heights is so bad that just looking at those top photos sends me chills.

 

[cannabineer]

It makes me wanna get high. cn

 

[Nitegazer]

Feh, Penicillin discovered 84 years. Close to 100.

 

[Padawanbater2]

my fear of heights is so bad that just looking at those top photos sends me chills.

 

[cannabineer]

for a second there I thought i was staring down the wing of a glider doing Lazy Eights. Brought back memories. cn

 

[RyanTheRhino]

The first thing to notice here is how much our mortality rate has dropped over the course of a century, largely due to big reductions in infectious diseases like tuberculosis and influenza.The way we talk about medical conditions has changed, too. NEJM finds that, back in 1812 – the first year it published – reports of spontaneous combustion were taken quite seriously by the medical community, as were debates over how, exactly one would be injured by a close-call with a cannonball:

​

Doctors agreed that even a near miss by a cannonball — without contact — could shatter bones, blind people, or even kill them (1812f). Reports of spontaneous combustion, especially of “brandy-drinking men and women,” received serious, if skeptical, consideration (1812g). And physicians were obsessed with fevers — puerperal, petechial, catarrhal, and even an outbreak of “spotted fever” in which some patients were neither spotted nor febrile (1812e).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/06/22/how-we-die-in-one-chart/
​

Those have to be correlated with all the awful shit we eat on a daily basis. Cancer was at the bottom of the list when processed foods weren't so prevalent and high fat diets increase the risk of heart disease..

Hogwash... yes nice chart but like I have always said statistics can be shaped to prove any point. Heart disease & cancer are from prolonged exposure to lifestyle or heritage. This chart is unfair because it does not incorporate the percentage of people in 1900 that would have die from "heart disease & cancer" if other diseases were not prevalent.

Am I saying that our modern lifestyles is better? NO. I am saying with that chart we still know nothing. Am I bashing? NO. This is just a logical response that would be welcomed in any philosophy discussion.

(seeing that you are said mod)

 

[RyanTheRhino]

We didn't have antibiotics 100 year ago. cn

I think the first was penicillin which was first used in 1940 ish

 

[RyanTheRhino]

actually they ate a lot of fattening foods

I remember my father telling me my great grandfather used to cook bacon and let the fat congeal in a jar then use it like butter spread.

 

[ganjames]

I remember my father telling m e my great grandfather used to cook bacon and let the fat congeal in a jar then use it like butter spread.

never had pancakes cooked in the leftover bacon grease? so fucking good.
after you have those, regular pancakes just don't compare.

 

[RyanTheRhino]

Interesting fact: If that is the worlds tallest building the Burj Khalifa,you can actually see TWO sunsets in the same day. If you watch the sunset on the ground & take an elevator to the top you can watch the sun set in another 3 minuets.

Being a Muslim country they actually require residents on the top floors to fast longer during Ramadan because of this time difference

 

[Padawanbater2]

Hogwash... yes nice chart but like I have always said statistics can be shaped to prove any point. Heart disease & cancer are from prolonged exposure to lifestyle or heritage. This chart is unfair because it does not incorporate the percentage of people in 1900 that would have die from "heart disease & cancer" if other diseases were not prevalent.

Am I saying that our modern lifestyles is better? NO. I am saying with that chart we still know nothing. Am I bashing? NO. This is just a logical response that would be welcomed in any philosophy discussion.

(seeing that you are said mod)

I'm not sure if I understand what you mean

From what I understand the chart shows the leading causes of death in 1900 compared to the leading causes of death in 2010, as well as longevity.

How would more people die from cancer or heart disease if less people died from Pneumonia or influenza?

 

[RyanTheRhino]

Right but cancer & heart disease are typicaly found in older people. So the Pneumonia or influenza could have killed a lot of people before they were able to get cancer or have a heart attack.

 

[Padawanbater2]

That's an assumption based on speculation, no way of knowing that.