– How and why were people dying from diarrhea back in olden times?

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Diarrhea was, apparently, a common cause of death about 100 years ago or so. How? I ate some bad food, and my poop stopped being solid, and now *I’m going to die?!?*

I ate some really, really delicious General Tso’s Chicken yesterday from a local restaurant. Hours later, well, I think you can do the math. The after-effects are still hitting me today. Annoying, sure, but if this were 100 years ago, apparently my current state means I need to whip out my fountain pen and start writing letters to my beloveds, telling them to please take care of my poor cow Bessie, such a good little lady over all these years, please give her the love she deserves as I slip the surly bonds of earth and touch the face of God. Either that, or, I could just drink a bit of water and eat some incredibly inoffensive food like bread (wasn’t everyone basically eating bread and little else back then anyway) and regain my health?

Can someone explain?

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13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Diarrhea is currently the second leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years of age globally, killing 525 000 children every year. In 2019 around 1.5 million people died from diarrheal diseases. That was more than all violent deaths combined.

Diseases are carried in water in poor neighbourhoods and countries, which lead to diarrhea and dehydration, which leads to drinking more infected water and eventually death, which leads to more disease infection in the water other people drink and so on.

You’re just lucky to live in a country where diarrhea is a bit of a joke.

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