[qwytw]

> watching too many of your children die before their 4th birthday

It was that much better for aristocracy/middle class. Obviously access to better nutrition and conditions improved the chances of survival. However mortality was still huge and not really that distinguishable between social classes from a modern perspective.

> True medicine was not there, surgery unheard of for the peasant class

Which might have been a good thing in some cases. For many illnesses and diseases the methods used by highly paid 'doctors' might have as well done more harm than good.

I agree with the general sentiment however. Yet in many ways life for upper classes wasn't that great either.

[frostburg]

Yes, the upper class was actually endlessly tormented by doctors during most of history. Until germ theory you would generally have been better off avoiding them.