Americans’ life expectancy has grown significantly. We used to live 35-40 years on the average 150 years ago, today in the United States we live for almost 80 years. In the past, smallpox didn’t kill you because it was eradicated by a massive global vaccine drive. You never contracted cholera because you drink filtered and chemically treated water. Historians attribute the massive drop in mortality rates in the U.S. to clean water. Soap is another life saver as soap helps to prevent both deadly and lingering infections. Improved nutrition in modern times is another life saver. Federal laws such as the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 made it a crime to sell poisoned food, this also led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration. And lets never forget what vaccinations have done to our life expectancy. De Hart Plumbing Heating and Cooling, serving Manhattan Kansas, Junction City Kansas and Wamego Kansas.