Unforseen Consequences...

"...the plague (Black Death of 1347 to 1351) selectively took the already ill, while many of the otherwise healthy survived the infection.

Although it may not be surprising that healthy people would be more likely to survive an illness, it is not always the case. The Spanish flu of 1918 killed thousands of healthy people in their prime while sparing many children and the elderly, whose weaker immune systems did not overreact to the infection."

The same curious notion of unexpected results regarding sickness also applies to cleanliness and how it relates to cancer and disease. "As strange as it sounds, epidemiologists are starting to uncover some unexpected links between our exposure to dirt and germs, and our risk of cancer later in life. Children who attend daycare in their first few months are much less likely to develop leukaemia than those who stay at home, for instance, while some tuberculosis vaccines reduce the risk of skin cancer.infection. "

Last but not least, check out Allergic Reaction, a BRT blurb that shows that cleanliness is not next to godliness when it comes to the epidemic of allergy that is impacting every industrial country in the world.

Strange as it ever was. - Talking Heads