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Original poster

Can anyone tell me honestly that back in the 70s they didn't know.....

243 replies

Jux · 26/10/2022 18:58

... that hitting your head badly could result in brain damage? And that hitting your head repeatedly, badly or not, could also result in brain damage?

I was 12 in 1970; it seemed self-evident that head bang could lead to brain damage. Like a punch the lower back could injure something inside (wasn't sure what, mind, v ignorant of biology at the time!).

OP posts:
Foolsandtheirmoney · 26/10/2022 19:00

Who is 'they'? Medical professionals?

Florenz · 26/10/2022 19:00

Of course people know. Punch drunk boxers have been around for almost as long as boxing has, and that's hundreds of years.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 26/10/2022 19:03

Is this going to be a Life In The 70s thread?

Because I was querying recently in my head what Old Money was like and that I have no understanding of it, and also going shopping pre ATMs and Bank Cards, were people just in the bank to get cash every day?

If this is a hijack OP just tell me off!

bigbluebus · 26/10/2022 19:05

Is this heading the ball in football or concussion in rugby related?

Octomore · 26/10/2022 19:05

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 26/10/2022 19:03

Is this going to be a Life In The 70s thread?

Because I was querying recently in my head what Old Money was like and that I have no understanding of it, and also going shopping pre ATMs and Bank Cards, were people just in the bank to get cash every day?

If this is a hijack OP just tell me off!

People used to get out enough cash from the branch to last the week.

A few things were also paid for by cheque/postal order.

StillWeRise · 26/10/2022 19:06

I'm sure some people knew, but it suited those with power and influence to ignore this

see also, but more seriously, tobacco

JeniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 26/10/2022 19:06

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit I remember getting my wage in cash in a little brown envelope at the end of the week. Didn’t need to have much to do with a bank for a while.

IncompleteSenten · 26/10/2022 19:06

Who do you mean by they?

Octomore · 26/10/2022 19:07

In the 80s, people certainly knew that a blow to the head could injure the brain.

Not sure about the 70s.

That's not the same as being aware of the dementia link though. I don't think anyone knew about the dementia risk from blows to the head.

Octomore · 26/10/2022 19:07

JeniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 26/10/2022 19:06

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit I remember getting my wage in cash in a little brown envelope at the end of the week. Didn’t need to have much to do with a bank for a while.

This too. A lot of wages were paid cash.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 26/10/2022 19:08

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 26/10/2022 19:03

Is this going to be a Life In The 70s thread?

Because I was querying recently in my head what Old Money was like and that I have no understanding of it, and also going shopping pre ATMs and Bank Cards, were people just in the bank to get cash every day?

If this is a hijack OP just tell me off!

Loads of people were paid in cash, they didnt need to have anything to do with banks. They got an actual pay packet each week.

FarmerRefuted · 26/10/2022 19:08

Because I was querying recently in my head what Old Money was like and that I have no understanding of it, and also going shopping pre ATMs and Bank Cards, were people just in the bank to get cash every day?

Basically, yes. If you had a bank account and wanted cash from it then you had to go in branch to get the money so most people would bank with whichever bank had a branch on their nearest High Street.

A lot of people were paid cash too, it was in a little envelope with your pay slip details written on it. I wasn't around in the 70s but even as recently as the early 00s our village didn't have a bank (still doesn't) so lots of the local businesses would pay staff cash. I used to get my pay packet once a week which was my whole wages minus NI/tax, then I'd spend from it over the course of the week. It was easier in some ways as you could physically see exactly how much you had left.

x2boys · 26/10/2022 19:09

Florenz · 26/10/2022 19:00

Of course people know. Punch drunk boxers have been around for almost as long as boxing has, and that's hundreds of years.

Yep when i firtst qualified as a nurse in the 90,s and worked in Dementia care we had quite a few elderly gents ,who had been boxers ,some had been bare knuckle fighters

Dotcheck · 26/10/2022 19:09

Who, what?

Pixiedust1234 · 26/10/2022 19:11

Is this boxing or football heading, etc?

We allowed (and encouraged) kids to aim at each other with dodgem cars at full speed in the name of fun, now its a whiplash claim.

A punch to the lower back was to do with the kidneys.

User17956743 · 26/10/2022 19:11

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 26/10/2022 19:03

Is this going to be a Life In The 70s thread?

Because I was querying recently in my head what Old Money was like and that I have no understanding of it, and also going shopping pre ATMs and Bank Cards, were people just in the bank to get cash every day?

If this is a hijack OP just tell me off!

DF used to get paid for the week in cash in a brown envelope and used to pass housekeeping money to DM so they only needed to go to the bank about once a week to pay in savings, you would only need to get cash out for larger purchases bought out of savings so not every day

UnaOfStormhold · 26/10/2022 19:11

I suspect the issue is that they knew it affected the people who had obvious symptoms at the time, but not that this was the tip of an iceberg of people who, despite having no immediate signs, had laid the foundation for longer-term problems.

Weepingwillows12 · 26/10/2022 19:11

I wasn't around in the 70s but talking to older colleagues about the rugby concussion stuff, they obviously knew that you could get concussion. I don't think they understood the potential risk of dementia, mnd and the other things being investigated for links to repeat brain injury now. I think they saw it more like a bruise. It happens then it got better.

Wintermoonandstars · 26/10/2022 19:11

Presume the OP is talking about violence to her by parents or caregivers.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 26/10/2022 19:12

@JeniferAllisonPhillipaSue @Octomore

So most people worked cash in hand? Of course, no tech systems so how did you know that it was accurate or what got deducted for tax?

Also really interested in the general lifestyle/cost of things compared to now

AriettyHomily · 26/10/2022 19:12

Florenz · 26/10/2022 19:00

Of course people know. Punch drunk boxers have been around for almost as long as boxing has, and that's hundreds of years.

I never realised that was behind the phrase punch drunk, just assumed it meant they had drunk a lot of punch!

Ofcourseshecan · 26/10/2022 19:13

I think we all knew a blow to the head could be dangerous. But we tended to think that if the person got up and seemed ok afterwards, then it hadn’t done any real harm. Maybe keep an eye on them for the next few hours just in case. Concussion wasn’t considered very serious, as far as I know. And I’d never heard it might cause dementia decades later. I wasn’t a medical professional, so that’s just a layperson’s view.

dottiedodah · 26/10/2022 19:13

Dad used to get paid weekly in cash .he would give mum housekeeping and buy me a Friday present. Could be som fruit or toy chocolate and so on .not so many people with a bank account

midgetastic · 26/10/2022 19:14

Yes I was aware a bad hit could lead to brain damage

No I was barely aware that dementia existed never mind it could be triggered by milder head impacts

CredibilityProblem · 26/10/2022 19:16

I think everyone knew that being repeatedly hit hard enough in the head to cause unconsciousness would cause long term damage.

I don't think people understood that repeated impacts below that level were as dangerous as they are. There was concern about schoolboy rugby but it focused on the risk of breaking your neck. And the risk of heading wet leather footballs wasn't talked about.