Beds full of Lice
These widespread practices in the Wild West show how wild the times really were
By YEET MAGAZINE | Updated 1408 GMT (2208 HKT) September 29, 2021
Beds full of Lice
Not all beds in the American West were made of straw and hay, but most mattresses were.
This bedding was not changed often and the straw and hay attracted insects, resulting in an infestation with lice and other pests that were of course found on people sleeping there at the time. Lice, and other pests, especially fleas, were just one of the disturbing groups of insects that could make life in the Old West even less pleasant and hygienic than it already was.