Death was a constant companion for emigrants headed west, and an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 people died and were buried along the trails between 1843 and 1869. Cholera and other diseases were the most common cause of death, and because people did not know cholera came from drinking contaminated water, poor sanitation and burial practices helped spread it. People infected long before might die by a river crossing and be buried near the river, which in turn infected more people. Cholera killed by dehydrating the body, yet many recommended remedies, such as wearing flannel shirts, increased body temperature and dehydration. Other treatments also reduced the likelihood of survival: amputation was often used for broken bones, bleeding the sick was common, and some treatments for dehydration and heat exhaustion cautioned against giving the patient water when lack of water was the real danger. Accidental gunshots, drownings, murder, starvation, and exposure also claimed lives, with the very young and the very old most likely to perish. Each grave along the way stood as a grim reminder of the hazards of overland travel.