Things that used to kill people

I have started getting these inspirational emails with quotes from famous people.
They work.
I like reading them.
Where are they coming from?  I have no idea!  But fine.
One thing I have noticed in the biographies is that people used to die from
tuberculosis --A LOT!
Several of these famous, inspirational people died from this
Thanks Wiki! (read more about it here)

Then there was Yellow fever...
Thanks again Wiki!

People do not die of these as much any more...
I mean they might die of this somewhere, but not here, and
the people who were inspiring me this week were
United Statesians, and they died of Tuberculosis and
Yellow Fever.

One of them was inspired to build railroads and in order
to ship supplies, he had to go ON A BOAT AROUND THE
TIP OF SOUTH AMERICA in order to get to California and
begin his project.
On the way there, yellow fever killed him!

It is interesting to me how there were these diseases that were so prevalent, and now, for the most part,
we are not afflicted with them any more.