Giordani:
People who died in the 1940's and way way beyond died of heart disease or any number of diseases because they could not survive the necessary surgery without blood. Yes they died from a disease ............but they also died because of the blood doctrine.
That is a good point. Adding those numbers, which could be quite high, to the other JW deaths that were blood refusal related, to the figure that Marvin gives of over 50,000 since 1961, would inflate that number by quite a bit. Medical technology prior to 1961 was not advanced as it was after that date.
Not only that, the consequences of refusing blood may not have resulted in death, but in some cases, resulted in life long health issues. Blood's most important role, which cannot be compensated for, by the use of saline, ringer's lactate, etc., is to transport oxygen. Deprivation of oxygen for any length of time results in permanent organ damage and tissue damage, which is irreversible. So, if you were one of the survivors of the noblood doctrine, and successfully came through a situation that where you should have received blood but didn't, you may have survived with permanent disability and a shortened life span. I have heard stories of people who refused blood, survived anyways, but had comprised health after - including inability to use their fingers or limbs in a functional way.