Let's settle this once and for all

Let's settle this once and for all.

Would getting struck by a rusty blade cause "blood poisoning"?

Try it and find out

>Would getting struck by a rusty blade cause "blood poisoning"?

No? I mean, yes, but not 'really'?

Rusty metal is dangerous not because of the rust 'itself', but because rusted metal has usually been exposed to the elements, dirt, etc, and that's where the germ Tetanus lives and once IT gets into your blood it releases it's venom and you get sick..And spasm, etc..

That's what I remember at least.

Depending on the existence of Clostridium tetani.

I dunno maybe. Flip a coin.

Shitting on it usually works a charm.

Possibly, but a blade in good condition is still a lot more dangerous

So, rust doesn't cause tetanus, or even incubate tetanus, rust is a signifier of the conditions where tetanus thrives?

More that rusty metal is likely to injure you and expose you to tetanus.

Tetanus likes rust where it's got lots of nooks and crannies to cultivate and the existence of rust typically implies moisture to help it grow. Of course you also have to consider that in the olden days you would likely be more resilient to tetanus since there were no immunizations back then and you would either survive or die.

Yes, just as getting struck by anything else that's not a sterilized instrument anywhere that isn't a sterilized patch of skin in anyplace except a sterile operating room.

Immunization works by giving you a weakened infection so your body can practice fighting it. Saying that lack of immunizations makes you more resilient is the exact same as saying lack of military exercises makes an army more resilient.

Not really, you don't often pass on your genes in the military.

If you're dead from tetanus good luck getting in anyway.

Only if you're anti-vax

depends on how long it's in you

No way Nurglefag.

What killed most people with any grievous wounds in the pre-antibiotic days was septic shock, if that's what you mean by 'blood poisoning'. A rust-free sword with a sharp edge would likely give a cleaner cut, which would be easier for the body to heal provided no infection developed; a rust-free jagged-edged sword would cut and tear some flesh, and an irregular wound would have a higher chance of infection; a rusty blade could potentially have the edge so dulled that it wpouldn't even cut the flesh so bacteria wouldn't have a way into the body.

I dunno. Dirty blades and poor treatment of wounds are probably more relevant than rust. I'd guess rust and irregular surfaces have a higher chance of gettin a wound infected than a clean, sharp blade.

It's an odd situation where, whilst we are more immune then ever because of widespread immunisation programs, we've also made a more sterile enviroment overall and some diseases which people rarely had much issue with back then are more problematic these days.
To go straight for the low-hanging fruit, there is even some surviving Smallpox samples still around in two labs. Also grave sites and other ancient, buried locations. As impossible as it was, if there was an outbreak, anyone younger then a Babyboomer is fucked.

I doubt you would get blood poisoning, but you would proably get an infection, rusty blades are not clean. But i have never gotten blood poisoning from stepping on rusty nails etc

>anyone younger then a Babyboomer is fucked.
Anyone younger then a Babyboomer is fucked anyway, if you know what I mean.

Tetanus bacteria thrive in rust because oxygen kills it. It's the reason that you can be cut by rusty metal all day and not get tetanus but a deep piercing wound will fuck you (puts the bacteria in an oxygen-deprived environment)

That’s not really how that works.

That’s absolutely not how that works.

Not the guy you replied to. But sterile food sources are implicated in increased rates of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease in developed countries.

Sterile food sources don't play nice with your gut flora.

>implicated
And secondhand smoke is implicated in increased rates of lung cancer. Doesn't matter that the variance between those exposed and those not exposed is statistically insignificant, it's implicated.

You don’t pass physical fitness either. Most of the antibodies a baby has are through the mother milk for the first months, and later immunization.

Scientists think that the modern human appendix actually does serve a niche purpose, in that it has gut flora in it that repopulate the rest of your digestive system in the event of a system purge.

Not sure why everyone is focusing on tetanus, but pretty much any pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria can cause "blood poisoning".

Blood poisoning is pretty much the body's reaction to bacteria present in blood/circulation. (and yes, you can get blood poisoning/sepsis from viruses,fungi etc, btu let's not get into that)

So any bacterial infection by any weapon can introduce bacteria into circulation. Piercing wounds are typically worse becaue of the anaerobic conditions within the wound, and such wounds are a pain in the ass to clean.
But slashing wounds that become infected, and the infection can also spread into the circulation and cause blood poisoning a bit later.

So yes, getting struck by a rusty blade can cause blood poisoning, but getting struck by anything can cause an infection if the blade, or the wound is contaminated.

I mean if we're gonna be real here, assuming our unspecified fantasy system is roughly medieval themed, you've got good chances of getting an infection regardless of the blade's cleanliness. You're very likely covered in dirt and bacteria on account of not bathing and the local medical treatment for wounds is a wet compress or outright amputation.