ameliaglitter:

cerulean-beekeeper:

ameliaglitter:

feministism:

Specifically, children died.

Don’t believe me? Go to an old cemetary (preferably one dating back to at least 1800s) and start reading. See those stones that say “Baby [Last Name]”? Those are children that didn’t survive long enough to be named and/or baptized. Now count them. Every family will have at least one or two. Many families will have 3+. Now check out the other stones and start using some basic math skills. Spoiler alert: you are going to find quite a few that didn’t make it to their teens.

And even those that did…

I mean, my history professor in college was from the time before vaccines.  He had polio as a kid.  It didn’t kill him, but it forever paralyzed his one leg.

Oh definitely! My grandfather was a “lucky one” with a twisted spine and hips thanks to polio. Fun fact: he camped on the sidewalk to make sure his three kids got the polio vaccine ASAP when it came out.