IamNobuddyTIL Amou Haji, known as the "world’s dirtiest man", avoided bathing for over 60 years due to a superstition. After villagers finally convinced him to wash, he died just weeks later at the age of 94.
I imagine that if they managed to convince him is because he wasn’t feeling too well.
In other words, maybe what killed him wasn’t having bath but what made him change his mind about the bath.
That’s also why some people believe in snake oil. People get desperate to try something after a few days of illness and then suddenly feel better after doing the thing. They would have gotten better without it, but the timing makes it seem like the thing cured them. It’s why we use double blind studies instead of anecdotes like this.
Did you know actual snake oil was used in traditional Chinese medicine for arthritis. Aparently it’s quite high in Omega-3. But it got popular and then grifters started selling random concoctions and calling it snake oil and that’s how it became synonymous with quackery.
Not really related to the point of your comment, I just read about it recently and thought it was interesting.
Neat! Thanks for sharing