Jan 18, 11 02:23 am — THE YEAR 1909.

This will boggle your mind. The year is 1909. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes!

Here are some statistics for the Year 1909:

* The average life expectancy was 47 years.
* Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
* Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
* There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
* The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
* The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !
* The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
* The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
* A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
* More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.
* Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
* Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as substandard.'
* Sugar cost four cents a pound.
* Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
* Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
* Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
* Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

Facts.

* The American flag had 45 stars.
* The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!
* Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
* There was no Mother's Day or Father's day.
* Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
* Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
* Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.'
* Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant of domestic help.
* There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE! U.S.A.!

Wow!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

Voters (0)

Jan 21, 11 06:23 am
  reply      new comment      top   

100 years from now:

The average life expectancy will be 47 years

The Eiffel what?

The average wage will be 22 cents per hour

95 percent of all births will take place outside of hospitals

Canada's law that prohibits poor people from entering into their country for any reason is adopted elsewhere

Five leading causes of death: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke

The population of Las Vegas will be 30 (it's a desert, man, and water is finite)

Two out of every 10 adults can't read or write

6 percent of all Americans may graduate from high school

My sex life in a nutshell? My sex life would actually fit in a nutshell. With lots o' room left over. ~S.L.

 
Jan 21, 11 12:59 pm
  reply      new comment      top   

Reply to Maude_Lynne:

You might think you are joking ML but most people have no idea how bad the TB problem is in parts of the US. I found this out almost by accident when I had to comply with new rules for visiting hospitals by people who work in the health care industry.

Almost every hospital now requires annual TB testing, which I have now had for the second time, once last year and now this year again.

I asked a nurse I know why they picked TB and not some other old-timey disease like scurvy or The Vapors.

She assured me that it was necessary to be tested before you walk into the hospital where she works (luckily I don't have to) where TB is one of the most common reasons for admission by patients.

I thought she was kidding at first, but she wasn't.

There are now so many undocumented people here from Haiti, Mexico, and who knows where that we are trending toward Third World style problems in health care.

Ultimate Link Whore

 
Jan 21, 11 01:46 pm
  reply      new comment      top   

Reply to Gramps:

TB And MDR-TB Coming

To America - Illegal (And Legal) Immigrants

Spreading Infection


anutter TB article

A good friend got Whooping Cough last year and really wiped him out - although there is a vaccine for that - many foreigners have never had them ... and it turns out this vaccine is only good for ~ 5 years. A lot of cases of that in Cali last year.


 
Jan 21, 11 01:50 pm
  reply      new comment      top   

Reply to Big_T:

And don't forget that some religious groups, including Scientology, frown on vaccinations as do some well meaning but loony parent groups, like the ones that Jenny McCarthy lent her expertise to.

The combination of more exotic diseases running around without documentation and fewer people getting inoculated means big trouble is ahead.

Ultimate Link Whore

 
Jan 21, 11 04:54 pm
  reply      new comment      top   

Reply to Gramps:

Sadly, I was being serious. Just in a somewhat joking manner. I work with doctors and hospitals & know about the TB testing - I get to verify that the physicians comply.

My sex life in a nutshell? My sex life would actually fit in a nutshell. With lots o' room left over. ~S.L.

 
Jan 21, 11 09:46 pm
  reply      new comment      top   

Reply to Maude_Lynne:

We have to get TB tested every year and if you ever get a positive you have to get a chest XR annually for the rest of your career.

Evil, a healthy alternative to goodness!

 
Jan 21, 11 09:52 pm
  reply      new comment      top   

Reply to MacThulhu:

Unrelated but reminded me of a friend who was in a horrible car wreck and her arm nearly severed. While one EMT was doing EMT-type things to her & the other shouting about blood type, she came to a bit and said "B positive

My sex life in a nutshell? My sex life would actually fit in a nutshell. With lots o' room left over. ~S.L.



Jan 21, 11 03:48 pm
  reply      new comment      top   

good times...good times

Religion is like a penis. It is fine to have one. It is fine to be proud of it. But please don't whip it out in public and start showing everyone. And please don't shove it down our childrens throat.


Want to Post Comments?
Register for a free account or log in to an existing account.




Take a Tour

Popular Stories

Today's Top Users
1
36 points
2
1 points
3
1 points
4
1 points
5
0 points