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You may not even reach the West -

Isn't that fact astonishing? But it was quite probable that you'd perish in the saddle long before reaching your final destination.

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Oregon Trail -

The Oregon Trail served as a key passage to the West. Roughly 300,000 to 400,000 individuals embarked on the trail between the 1840s and 1860s.

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Numerous perished on the journey -

Approximately 10% of these people died while making their way across the frontier. 

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Cause of their death? -

Illness, accidents, gunshot injuries, rattlesnake bites, and bison stampedes were some of the causes of a premature death. 

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Illness -

During the Wild West era, disease was widespread and proved to be deadlier than bullets, with cholera being among the primary culprits.

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Disease -

In addition, there were numerous other causes of death, including pneumonia, dysentery, measles, and smallpox.

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Epidemic -

Smallpox and other diseases were  introduced to the Americas from Europe, resulting in the deaths of approximately 90% of the indigenous populations in North and South America.

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Improvised cures -

During that time, doctors relied on a limited set of medical principles and improvised as necessary. Regrettably, they overlooked numerous valuable medicinal insights provided by local tribes.

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Bizarre therapies -

If you were ill and in need of medical attention, you could expect to be treated with the bizarre medical 'therapies' offered at that time, like bloodletting.

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Self-medication -

When all other methods proved ineffective, individuals resorted to treating themselves with alcohol or opium, or sometimes both!

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Murder rates were off the charts -

During the time span from 1876 to 1885, the inhabitants of Dodge City, Kansas, faced a 1 in 61 probability of encountering a violent demise. The rate of homicides was approximately 165 out of every 100,000. 

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Living in the Wild West could be murder -

Although it may not appear significant, in 2020 the homicide rate stood at approximately 7.8 per 100,000 individuals nationwide. Comparatively, the probability of ending up murdered in the Wild West era was considerably greater.

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Low survival odds for Native Americans -

The impact of Europeans arriving in the Americas had devastating effects on the indigenous populations. It's believed that the initial population of five to 15 million drastically plummeted to less than 238,000 by the end of the 19th century.

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Good chance of dying -

Diseases and wars took the lives of millions of Native Americans. So if you happened to be a member of a tribe in the Wild West, the chances were high that you'd either be killed or forcibly relocated.

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The Chinese were no better off -

Around 20,000 Chinese individuals migrated to California in 1852 during the Gold Rush. But they were obliged to pay for the privilege to work.

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High price to pay -

Chinese miners had to part with US$20 per month under the Foreign Miners License Law, equivalent to approximately US$675 in today's currency.

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Mistreatment -

Chinese people, similar to Native Americans and individuals of African descent, faced mistreatment, racism, and xenophobia, despite their contributions in nation-building.

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Deadly drinks -

Drinking cocktails in the Wild West could be dangerous, so it was wiser to opt for beer or whiskey at the local saloon. This was because ordering a cocktail could have fatal consequences.

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A bottle of poison -

A specific "cocktail" drink included strychnine, a dangerous substance. When combined with strong alcohol, it not only caused hallucinations but usually proved deadly. 

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Chemically-enhanced booze -

Certain saloons got quite creative by mixing their alcoholic beverages with various unappealing substances like gunpowder, turpentine, and ammonia.

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Alcohol addiction -

Becoming dependent on alcohol didn't necessarily involve imbibing lethal concoctions. In reality, countless individuals began their alcoholic freefall by casually sampling their parents' beverages. Over time they'd become heavy drinkers. 

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Drink of choice -

Whiskey in particular was readily available and consequently became the beverage of choice for numerous alcoholics. According to estimates from the 1830s, a person with a heavy drinking habit would consume around 3.5 bottles of whiskey per week.

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Hazardous mining operations -

Mining in the Old West was a perilous undertaking. The 1849 California Gold Rush enticed countless individuals to seek their fortune. Regrettably, safety protocols were non-existent back then. 

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You'd probably die at work -

Mine explosions, tunnel collapses, accidents from falling, and death by sheer exhaustion were frequent. Furthermore, sanitation posed a significant challenge.

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Bad hygiene -

Miners resided in dense communities, often facing challenging living conditions which facilitated the transmission of disease. 

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STDs were widespread -

The number of fatalities resulting from STD complications remains unknown, yet approximately half of the sex workers in the Old West reportedly contracted venereal diseases. Consequently, these ailments were likely transmitted to their clients.

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Harmful antiseptics -

Sex workers employed antiseptic solutions comprising potent substances like mercury, carbolic acid, and boric acid, in an effort to prevent infection. However, it is evident that frequent use of these solutions for douching resulted in substantial harm.

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The past unearthed -

Excavations conducted in 1998 at the burial ground of Seven Rivers, an Old West town near present-day Carlsbad, New Mexico, unveiled the causes of death of certain residents.

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Violent deaths -

A total of 52 bodies were discovered, with ten of them having died violently. Notably, one individual was fatally shot in the face, apparently by their father-in-law.

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A dangerous age to live in -

According to sources, the remaining individuals, which included 14 children, succumbed to illnesses like dysentery, measles, and scarlet fever. While these diseases are now mostly treatable, they were fatal during that period.

Sources: (Grunge)

See also: Most wanted! Notorious outlaws of the Old West

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