Mail Online
Woman, 101, details gruesome ways doctors treated ear infections
Anita Astor, who was born in 1924, recently opened up about the horrific ordeal that she was put through after she developed an ear infection as a to…
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101-Year-Old Recalls Life-Saving Brain Surgery for Ear Infection in the 1920s
London, UK – A remarkable 101-year-old woman, born in 1924, has captivated online audiences by sharing her vivid recollections of medical treatment for ear infections in the early 20th century. In a recent video, the centenarian detailed the stark differences between historical and modern medical approaches. She recounted her personal experience with severe ear infections during her childhood, a time when antibiotics were not yet available. "Today, you get an ear infection, they give you a prescription for an antibiotic, and it's gone in a week," she explained. "But in those days, if they wanted to save your life, they had to make a hole in your… I mean, I've got a hole literally in my head." The woman described undergoing a mastoid operation, a surgical procedure that involved drilling into the mastoid bone behind the ear to drain infection and prevent it from spreading to the brain. She revealed that she had the operation twice, first at the age of two and a half, and again around five or six years old. Her account offers a poignant glimpse into the medical realities of a bygone era, underscoring the profound advancements in healthcare that have occurred over the past century. She noted that even young doctors today are often fascinated by her scar, having never encountered such a procedure in modern practice.
Newsweek
Shock as 101-year-old recalls childhood ear infection treatment: "brutal"
Newsweek spoke to the centenarian's grandson who said that the hospital was compared to "hell" back in the 1920s.
