Comments on: Forget scarlet fever: What really blinded Mary Ingalls http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:53:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Splash http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1647019 Splash Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1647019 You might be right. I had a strep throat turn into meningitis and it's the same bacteria right? So that could happen. I think the odds of surviving bacterial meningitis without antibiotics are close enough to 0% though.   You might be right. I had a strep throat turn into meningitis and it’s the same bacteria right? So that could happen. I think the odds of surviving bacterial meningitis without antibiotics are close enough to 0% though.  

]]> By: Kevin Donaldson http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1646009 Kevin Donaldson Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1646009 TOTALLY ANECTDOTAL:  In second grade (~1964) I myself contracted scarlet fever.  Can't completely remember but, I think I was out (as in, not completely conscious) for a couple of days, with VERY high fever.  Eventually, went back to school and my grades TANKED immediately.  After weeks of harassment by the nuns, my parents finally took me to an eye doctor who discovered that my eyesight had gotten bad, quickly, and when informed of my illness, claimed that my retinas had been "warped" from the prolonged high fever.--basically, I couldn't see the chalkboards so I couldn't learn...  As noted, anectdotal, but is it such a stretch to think that a child on the prairie without any real benefit of medicine could have had a visual impairment to be EQUATED with blindness? TOTALLY ANECTDOTAL:  In second grade (~1964) I myself contracted scarlet fever.  Can’t completely remember but, I think I was out (as in, not completely conscious) for a couple of days, with VERY high fever.  Eventually, went back to school and my grades TANKED immediately.  After weeks of harassment by the nuns, my parents finally took me to an eye doctor who discovered that my eyesight had gotten bad, quickly, and when informed of my illness, claimed that my retinas had been “warped” from the prolonged high fever.–basically, I couldn’t see the chalkboards so I couldn’t learn…  As noted, anectdotal, but is it such a stretch to think that a child on the prairie without any real benefit of medicine could have had a visual impairment to be EQUATED with blindness?

]]> By: Joshua Books http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645879 Joshua Books Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645879 Actually Scarlet Fever can lead to Bacterial Meningitis which can cause blindness.  So it could have been the result of the Scarlett Fever.  Although if it was it is pretty amazing she lived through the Meningitis. Actually Scarlet Fever can lead to Bacterial Meningitis which can cause blindness.  So it could have been the result of the Scarlett Fever.  Although if it was it is pretty amazing she lived through the Meningitis.

]]> By: Deidzoeb http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645865 Deidzoeb Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645865 I'm not sure what you mean about Mary being a hero "before her disability", and why that would preclude showing her illness and transition to blindness in more detail. There might have been several reasons why Laura or Rose decided to skip that section, as they skipped some other segments of Laura's actual childhood, or re-arranged elements. Maybe the publisher or author(s) felt it would frighten young children, but they already show the family threatened by Indians, all of them nearly dying of malaria or whatever, plus that relentless horror novel The Long Winter. Oh well. There's lots of good stuff in there anyway. I’m not sure what you mean about Mary being a hero “before her disability”, and why that would preclude showing her illness and transition to blindness in more detail. There might have been several reasons why Laura or Rose decided to skip that section, as they skipped some other segments of Laura’s actual childhood, or re-arranged elements.

Maybe the publisher or author(s) felt it would frighten young children, but they already show the family threatened by Indians, all of them nearly dying of malaria or whatever, plus that relentless horror novel The Long Winter.

Oh well. There’s lots of good stuff in there anyway.

]]> By: Festus http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645703 Festus Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645703  I think you are right about her illness coming between books. But have you considered that maybe Laura (and daughter Rose, who co-wrote) in fact chose NOT to dramatize Mary's illness? It was a different time. In the book Mary is a hero for her actions before her disability, not after.  I think you are right about her illness coming between books. But have you considered that maybe Laura (and daughter Rose, who co-wrote) in fact chose NOT to dramatize Mary’s illness? It was a different time. In the book Mary is a hero for her actions before her disability, not after.

]]> By: Rebecca Kreston http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645700 Rebecca Kreston Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645700 I love science stories like these, tying in historical literature and ties to infectious disease. Thanks Maggie!  I love science stories like these, tying in historical literature and ties to infectious disease. Thanks Maggie! 

]]> By: Ian Wood http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645691 Ian Wood Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645691 When I was a young 'un Kenny Rogers released a song titled <i>Scarlet Fever</i>. You know: "Now I get scarlet feeeverrr every time I seee her." Etc. I knew it was supposed to be a play on the lady's name, but whenever I heard the song I thought of a bright red tongue and a rash. Which--being the sort of kid I was--immediately reminded me of Monty Python's <i><a href="http://youtu.be/TfHCxIiZ_4M" rel="nofollow">Medical Love Song</a></i>. tl;dr: Kenny Rogers' romantic metaphor reminded me of syphilis. When I was a young ‘un Kenny Rogers released a song titled Scarlet Fever. You know: “Now I get scarlet feeeverrr every time I seee her.” Etc.

I knew it was supposed to be a play on the lady’s name, but whenever I heard the song I thought of a bright red tongue and a rash. Which–being the sort of kid I was–immediately reminded me of Monty Python’s Medical Love Song.

tl;dr: Kenny Rogers’ romantic metaphor reminded me of syphilis.

]]> By: ChickieD http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645620 ChickieD Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645620 It seems like in older books people are always suffering from these horrible diseases that we never hear about today. I assume most of the diseases still exist but have modern names. Ok, so then I did a Google search and found this: http://www.homeoint.org/cazalet/oldnames.htm Awesome!!! It seems like in older books people are always suffering from these horrible diseases that we never hear about today. I assume most of the diseases still exist but have modern names. Ok, so then I did a Google search and found this:

http://www.homeoint.org/cazalet/oldnames.htm

Awesome!!!

]]> By: foobar http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645593 foobar Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645593 57% is a "vast majority?" 57% is a “vast majority?”

]]> By: Deidzoeb http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645591 Deidzoeb Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645591 Am I remembering correctly that Mary's illness and becoming blind basically happened in between the events of two books? She's okay at the end of one book, then she's blind from the start of the next. Seems like a missed opportunity to dramatize her illness. Am I remembering correctly that Mary’s illness and becoming blind basically happened in between the events of two books? She’s okay at the end of one book, then she’s blind from the start of the next. Seems like a missed opportunity to dramatize her illness.

]]> By: Andrew Singleton http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645573 Andrew Singleton Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645573 Likely cost several thousand dollars. Never liked how expensive braille is. Sure it's far more mechanical than traditional print but it's always struck me as price gouging in a market that can't really afford to have more barriers put up. Likely cost several thousand dollars.

Never liked how expensive braille is. Sure it’s far more mechanical than traditional print but it’s always struck me as price gouging in a market that can’t really afford to have more barriers put up.

]]> By: DewiMorgan http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forget-scarlet-fever-what.html#comment-1645517 DewiMorgan Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210592#comment-1645517 Hrm. Looking at that pic, two-sided Braille printers must be calibrated pretty tightly to prevent overprinting of the dots. Hrm. Looking at that pic, two-sided Braille printers must be calibrated pretty tightly to prevent overprinting of the dots.

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