President James Garfield’s life was tragically cut short when a deranged gunman shot him on a train platform, but could modern doctors have saved him? We travel back to the year 1881 to relive that fateful summer day and talk about bullets, miasma, scene safety, and why it’s a bad idea to go digging around in open wounds.
Key points in this episode
What were some events that occurred in 1881?
How many shots were fired at President Garfield?
What is miasma?
What does “shock” mean physiologically ?
What happens when blood cannot circulate?
What are two reasons why Dr. Bliss couldn’t find the bullet in Garfield?
How did President Garfield die?
When do doctors actually remove a bullet out of a patient?
Can you get lead poisoning from a bullet wound?
What is pus?
Does a bullet ever bring foreign matter into a body?
What are some things you should do if you witness someone getting shot?
Can you get lead poisoning from a bullet wound?
Most of the time, people do not get lead poisoning. Some do, though. There is a slight increase in chance that people who have a bullet in their body will have higher lead levels, but not enough to cause a toxic syndrome.
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