What would have killed your 19th-century doppelgänger?

Appendicitis at 8 almost did kill me, and likely would have even 20 years earlier. A few serious infections resulting from various accidents - I once spent 2 weeks in hospital on a high powered antibiotic IV drip to save my leg and life after a skiing accident got infected.

I’d certainly have horrible tooth pain, a hernia, horrific heartburn. My wrist would barely work, ditto my ankle. Most of my friends would be dead, my wife would have died before meeting me.

Who knows what diseases I haven’t caught as a result of vaccination?

Tragic story of medical advance: My aunt developed a significant ‘benign’ tumour in her brain as a teenager. The procedure at the time was very invasive - she flew to Scotland to have it done. Tumour cured but an infection from the surgery killed her. No more than a few weeks later a new, noninvasive procedure became available - it would not have killed her.