History, or Just Horror? On Historical Medical Images

In the last several months, I listened to the Hardcore History podcast about World War I. I am still struggling with the same question as the article poses, but applied to war instead of disease. I want to believe that it's respectful to try to understand these experiences on their own terms, maybe especially because of how horrible they were. But at other times I remember that I can walk away whenever I want, and so I can never understand, and if I enjoy the podcast (for example), is that exploitative?

I think it is important not to forget these people, but aside from that, no answer here.

The horror is the history.

Forgetting that the history is horrible is where the actually dangerous anti-vaccine lunatics came from, for instance.

The article, of course, ignores this.