# How did people in 1850 deal with strep throat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747 "2022-02-18T17:19:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747/101 "2022-03-23T14:30:57Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Maybe in part because you also need large groups in order for it to work at all. When we were at lower population levels, it wouldn’t generally have been possible for any particular physician to come up with large enough numbers of patients with the same problem to apply statistical analysis to, even if they’d had sufficient knowledge of statistics to do so. You bring up a good point. Statistics is etymologically derived from a German word coined when the field was developed meaning essentially “pertaining to the State” in the very modern sense of the word. Until industrialized states existed, Statistics did not (because it lacked a sufficient sample size?). Expecting pre-modern people to apply statistical thinking is foolish. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747/102 "2022-03-23T16:20:15Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > But the idea of testing independent variables against a control group is SHOCKINGLY modern. And even long after the idea was well established infrequently applied. Not too many decades ago kids with untiring wore bar connecting shoes at night to correct it. Nearly all much better by age 5. It was a long time until anyone bothered with the study that determined they were just as fine by 5 without the godawful things. Current bit is the helmets you see babies in for flat head. Studies show that at least for up to moderately severe cases it corrects quite well with or without. They still sell well. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747/103 "2022-03-23T18:18:38Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Not too many decades ago kids with untiring wore bar connecting shoes at night to correct it. “untiring”? Auto-correct error? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747/104 "2022-03-23T19:42:59Z")
Untiring? What is that? Most likely autocorrect gone wild. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747/105 "2022-03-23T19:48:56Z")
Auto correct error. Intoeing. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747/106 "2022-03-23T21:59:09Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I diagnose Scarlet Fever with regularity. It is not a scary thing at all. Huh - youngest son got Scarlet Fever while off at school. He said that the doctor was surprised and had diagnosed very few (close to none, apparently) cases. I don’t know of anyone else who ever had it (and only knew what it was from old books read in elementary school), so I assumed it was mostly eradicated (or in reality the strep throat is treated early enough it doesn’t progress). So I learned something today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-in-1850-deal-with-strep-throat/959747.md?page=5)