How Long Would You Survive In The Past?

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Thanks to the technological advances of the modern age, in 2023 life is pretty safe. In the past however, many of the things we take for granted now were likely a death sentence for our ancestors.

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Credit:
Show Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Script: Jake Leigh-Howarth

Narrator:

Chris Kane

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[TheLastArbiter]

Can you imagine going through that amputation process only to die anyway from an infection? Brutal

[tdkreturns-batcavepictures]

I literally will never complain about my life in the 21st century ever again after seeing this.

[KnightSlasher]

Honestly I wouldn't survive in the past at all, in fact I wasn't even born yet

[thefishstick]

Whenever I have a major asthma attack without my inhaler readily avaliable it really makes me appreciate our medical advances. I can't even imagine struggling with it during ancient Greece or prior

[ScarletRebel]

Tuberculosis took our friend Arthur

Never forget that

[VinnyUnion]

The sheer fact they never gave up with advanced medical treatments is fascinating. From what they saw, all their attempts at trying anything advanced resulted mostly in less-than-ideal and often in failure. It seemed almost impossible to achieve perfectly ideal result. I think there was a massive turn on events when medical treatment surpassed on what's possible. Which makes us very briefly or closer to immortality. For example, heart transplant, it isn't immortality buy you can still live even if your is about to stop just by having one transplanted and thereof outliving your original date/fate.

[killtaro]

Last year I got stung by a mosquito, it was itching so I scratched it, a day later it infected my armed and was rapidly spreading, I went to the doc who gave me penicillin for a week and science happen… it’s funny to think that something as stupid as that would have killed me back in the good old day 🤷‍♂️

[eksbocks]

2:07
Germ Theory is a relatively modern concept. Back then, people had no idea how plagues started.

[ordelian]

I would count myself lucky in the 1920's as well for not being stupid enough to care about my looks so much that I put myself under a cruel machine.

[Daniel_McDonald]

Wow, this portion on the history of surgeries was so interesting and informative! It really highlights how much we take for granted with modern medical advancements. The thought of undergoing an amputation without anesthesia is unimaginable. It's incredible how far we've come and how lucky we are to live in a time where medical care is so advanced. Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us!

[cannonball]

"Doctor, don't you need to wash your hands?"
"Why? I'm not eating dinner."

[batman]

Future generations will probably look back on this time period and agonize over the fact that we can’t cure cancer or even the common cold. Personally, it would depend not only on when but where I lived. I wouldn’t want to live in the rural area that I live in now prior to the 1950s. If I traveled back to the 20s though the 40s, I would like to live in New York City. In the 19th century, I would love to live in London. I probably wouldn’t want to go back any further than the 19th century. I am curious about the Middle Ages, Shakespearean England, and Ancient Greece, but I would rather be just an observer, not a participant.

[DNU]

I'm surprised they never put together that guillotines could have been used for amputation as well.

[dickencider]

Imagine not having modern dentistry. No Anastasia, needing a tooth removal or god forbid a mouth infection. And getting those top wisdom teeth out would be almost if not impossible

[Jkim]

1:25
“Making sure to have a spare on hand in case it broke, ”
Yeesh. Imagine the story that necessitated that

[robgau]

I'd be ok. It'd be rough at first. I know how tough life was and I try not to take things for granted.

[eksbocks]

I mean, health care wasn't as advanced back then.

Even back in 1900, people didn't think washing your hands would make any difference in medicine.

[kaymuldoon]

One of the most excruciating things I learned from history is when John and Abigail Adams’ daughter had a mastectomy WITHOUT anesthesia. I think I would have rather died than undergo something like that.

[jpraise]

Crazy to believe our ancestors endured such conditions. Makes you really grateful to be alive

[supersentaipepsi]

Idk how I'd do, but I'm grateful I don't have to experience anything my grandfather experienced in early 20th century Louisiana.