Colonial medicine is
a thriving field of study in the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century medicine
. Medicine can be used as a lens to view colonialism in action and as a way to critique colonialism.
What was colonial medicine?
Colonial medicine is
a thriving field of study in the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century medicine
. Medicine can be used as a lens to view colonialism in action and as a way to critique colonialism.
What was medical care like in Colonial America?
In colonial Philadelphia, physicians and other medical practitioners contended with
a difficult disease environment
. The best medical efforts of the day were often inadequate or even harmful in the face of chronic illness and epidemic disease. The health of the colonial population varied by race and region.
What did a colonial doctor do?
Colonial “physicians” practiced
medicine, surgery and apothecary together as needed
. As the colonies grew and prospered, some could afford to be trained at the universities abroad and earn their medical degree.
How did colonial doctors try to cure patients?
The doctor would cure the patient
by reducing the amount of blood in the body or cooling the body
.
What diseases killed the colonists?
Dysentery
was the number two killer of colonists. The next most fatal illnesses were the respiratory complaints: influenza, pneumonia, pleurisy, and colds. After that, the ranking would be small pox, yellow fever, diphtheria and scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough, mumps, typhus, and typhoid fever.
What tools did colonial doctors use?
Apothecary tools in Colonial times included
scales, mortar and pestles, surgical equipment, herbs and jars
.
What diseases did British bring to America?
- Smallpox.
- Measles.
- Influenza.
- Bubonic plague.
- Diphtheria.
- Typhus.
- Cholera.
- Scarlet fever.
What was used to cure skin irritations in colonial times?
Calendula was cultivated, dried, ground, and mixed with animal fat and placed on cuts. In order to cure sunburns, cramps, gout, plague, and remove freckles, women often used tansy. A common herb used in candy and gum today,
mint
, was used in colonial times to prevent indigestion and skin diseases.
What was the first known surgery in Colonial North America?
Dr. Zabdiel Boylston performed the first surgical operation by an American in the English American colonies. In 1710, he successfully performed
an operation for bladder stones
, and in 1718, for removal of a breast tumor. Both were firsts in their class performed by an American.
What is the oldest medicine?
The bark of the willow tree contains one of the oldest medicinal remedies in human history. In its modern form, we call it
aspirin
. More than 3,500 years ago, the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians used willow bark as a traditional medicine for pain relief.
What was the primary job of a colonial doctor?
Interesting Medicinal Methods
Colonial apothecaries were what we think of as doctors. They
treated patients, made and prescribed medicines, made house calls, and taught apprentices
. Some even performed surgeries – and remember most surgeries occurred at the time without anesthesia.
What was medicine like in the 1800s?
Through the first half of the 1800s, medicine was slow to
advance
since it was difficult to study the human body. The idea of a “good death” and the sacredness of the body ensured that few anatomy laws were passed in the United States prior to 1860.
How did the colonists deal with illnesses?
Colonists relied mainly on
home cures and folk remedies to treat diseases
. They often borrowed African and Indian cures. Such treatments typically involved the use of barks, herbs, and roots.
What herbs were used in colonial medicine?
- Basil.
- Bergamot (Bee Balm)
- Caraway.
- Catnip.
- Chamomile.
- Chives.
- Dill.
- Horehound.
Did plague doctors carry weapons?
The doctor carried a long wooden stick
which he used to communicate with his patients, examine them, and occasionally ward off the more desperate and aggressive ones. By other accounts, patients believed the plague to be a punishment sent from God and requested the plague doctor whip them in repentance.
