Medical treatment in 1700s Europe

[blueinkedfrost]

Any medical conditions from 1700s continental Europe where a wealthy person would have a better prognosis compared to a poor person?

I'm looking for a condition to kill off a poor middle aged woman, one where a wealthy woman of the same age would have been more likely to survive with period appropriate treatment. Until her illness and death, the woman was a labourer and quite physically active.

Comments

[lilysea]

Death via an infected tooth, because she couldn't afford to see someone to get it pulled?

whereas a wealthy person could get their tooth pulled, and then get dentures made from other people's teeth if neccessary

[blueinkedfrost]

That's a great suggestion! Thank you.

[lilacsigil]

Influenza. It will be difficult for the poor woman to get enough rest, food and warmth.

[blueinkedfrost]

Thanks! You're right, it would be much harder.

[rodo]

Tuberculosis? One factor that contributes to a poor outcome here is being poor - mainly due to lack of proper nutrition. Although the difference here is not due to the treatments of the time working that well, and the rich woman might not survive it in the long term either, but it's a cliche for a reason.

[blueinkedfrost]

Thank you! It's a good classic.

[conuly]

It's one of the reasons it's largely seen among the very poor today - that, and the generally poor living conditions that contribute to the spread of TB.

[dsrtao]

If you want something relatively fast acting: cholera.

You can survive cholera if you get enough clean water and electrolytes in you to replace the loss. (This was not known until much later.) It's transmitted via contaminated water supplies. (Also not known until much later.)

So a wealthy person being taken care of in bed with different servants feeding them tea and soft food and other servants dealing with the chamberpot is much more likely to survive.

[blueinkedfrost]

Thank you! I love the fast acting touch.

[nineveh_uk]

It couldn't be cholera, because that didn't reach Europe until the nineteenth century. The principle is a good one though, and you could replace it with typhoid.

[blueinkedfrost]

Thank you!

[oldshrewsburyian]

As some others have said, variables in prognosis are much more likely to come down to environment (as indeed they are today) than to the diagnosis/condition/catalyzing event in itself. I can't imagine anyone not getting an infected tooth pulled, for instance; it's something that could be done by any number of local specialists in a crowded medical marketplace.