this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 74 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There's a whole study in a medical journal trying to figure out what disease Tiny Tim had in A Christmas Carol that

  1. crippled him, but only in one leg;
  2. would kill him over the course of a single year;
  3. could be healed with 19th century medicine if a sufferer had access to enough money.

The smart money is apparently on either rickets or distal renal tubular acidosis, the treatment for both basically being oranges and beach vacations (two things a rich guy could provide).

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 3 points 2 days ago

iirc Glenn Close had to die of poisoning in "Hamlet." She did her research and decided that she was being killed by strychnine

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 49 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Edward would probably eat asbestos in front of Elizabeth pretending it was cotton candy to make her laugh, because obviously laughter is the best medicine and not limiting exposure to toxic substances.

Elizabeth, i know you miss winter but it's summer. let us get some fake snow so you can enjoy it.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 37 points 3 days ago

It's probably tuberculosis. Seaside trips were a classic part of the doctor's recommendation for consumption.

There's even some evidence that vitamin D (which is produced when your body is exposed to sunlight) may help slow TB infection.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Not really. Hollywood has propagated a lot of myths about corsets, partly because of incorrect application of them on Hollywood sets.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Call me crazy, but I feel morally justified in not watching a 15 minute video about women's underwear. But I will accept the idea that modern folks might not have understood the right way to wear corsets.

[–] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I feel morally justified in not watching a 15 minute video about women's underwear.

How does that work? What does it mean to use moral justification to avoid being informed on a topic.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

https://youtu.be/-CxX8nvLalE

Here's a video explaining my moral justification. I hope it enlightens you.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

i feel morally justified in not watching a video about your moral justifications. here are two modern philosophers who discuss and back up my moral justification. and it's shorter.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

..and yet, even though you were justified, you chose to reach beyond your grasp and illuminate your consciousness with in intricacies of the sagacity of the perturbation. Thus alienating the cognition of the profundity.

I rest my case!

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

illuminate your consciousness

see there's your problem, you think i'm arguing with a brain but when i shake the water out my ears i hear rattling

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Thus you prove my point for me!

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago

I reiterate my previous exclamation and add a further redundancy

[–] antonim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I have no idea what "classic literature" this refers to?

[–] scops@reddthat.com 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If you want to approach it from the opposite angle, check out John Green's Everything is Tuberculosis.

In the Pre-Industrial Revolution period, TB was extremely commonplace and seen as a romantic disease that killed slowly but made the sufferer more beautiful and artistic. Different theories said that going to more humid (like seasides) or dry environments could help one treat or beat the disease. In reality, this sometimes worked because TB tends to be more common in population centers and the real aid was just getting away from others.

[–] prex@aussie.zone 5 points 2 days ago

Reminds me of the magic mountain. Its a big read but a good one

[–] proudblond@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago

I haven’t read much but this is definitely a thing in Jane Austen’s works.

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 days ago

Classic American literature.

So like max 250 years old, not like the Iliad.

[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Were houses by the seaside less packed with toxic substances?

[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 7 points 2 days ago

If we are talking about post-industrial revolution times, the air of cities was incredibly polluted, so getting out to the sea with its strong winds would definitely provide solace. I wouldn’t know about houses, hopefully someone can come to enlighten us

[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

Literaly in pokemon ruby, Wally is ill and moving to a town with fresh air cures him.

[–] JeanValjean@piefed.social 2 points 3 days ago