Medical knowledge has progressed greatly since Fanny’s time! In the 1800s, various horrible diseases swept through the world, including tuberculosis and smallpox. Germ theory had not been discovered at that point, and people didn’t know that they needed to wash their hands after dealing with the sick. They also didn’t understand that some substances were poisonous, such as arsenic!

“Mother and I did some shopping, went to Dr Brigham’s he filled a tooth for me with white composition and put in Arsenic to kill the nerve of another, both front teeth--I made a great fuss I am afraid.” March 31, 1859