150 Years Of Trips And Falls In Halifax

At a time when the health service is under severe pressure, resulting from a toxic combination of chronic underfunding and rampant influenza, it is interesting to find a list of "Infirmary Cases" from the Halifax Courier of 150 years ago. Three admissions to Halifax Infirmary during the previous week are listed:

•  GEORGE APPLEYARD who fell from a wall and sustained a severe scalp wound and contused eye;
•  BENJAMIN WRIGLEY who fractured his right arm when a heavy weight fell on it at work;
•  JOHN WHITEHOUSE who fell in his house and fractured his ankle.

If this was just a small proportion of the people turning up at the Infirmary in 1868, the waiting room would have still been a lot less hectic than it is now. Nevertheless, I think I would prefer to take my chances with the queues and crowds (and antibiotics and anaesthetics) of 2018.