Sometimes you have to just suck it up and bite the bullet. Of course, you may get lead poisoning in the
process.
Symptoms include: High
blood pressure, decline in mental functioning, muscular weakness, headache, memory
loss, and mood disorders
But seriously . . . not that lead poisoning isn’t serious .
. . did you ever ponder where the phrase ‘bite the bullet’ comes from? Believe it or not, it quite literally comes
from the act of biting a bullet. Again,
with the lead poisoning . . . it’s inescapable.
Biting the bullet may have actually been a cure for lead
poisoning . . . a direct and painful
dose of it.
The phrase dates back to the early 1800’s. During warfare when time was short or anesthesia
was unavailable, field doctors would shove a lead bullet between the teeth of
their patient’s teeth and advise them to bite down on it. It would distract the patient from the pain
associated with the extrication of said source of lead poisoning or whatever procedure
they had to endure. I can’t imagine that
biting on a bullet would be enough to keep someone from feeling a doctor
digging for a slug buried in the flesh or sawing through bone . . . so, maybe
it also kept them from screaming so as to not to disrupt the surgeon and his
task.
Also, the lead was somewhat pliable which would keep the
patient’s teeth from breaking while biting.
If you’re thinking one could get lead poisoning from biting
the bullet, it’s true. But what’s
worse? Dying of a gunshot wound or
gangrene or suffering from a little forgetfulness and a headache?
Suck it up, buttercup!
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