Medicine in New England Renaissance

By Ashley Nedley5/3/11

Inventions

SURGERY

ANESTHESI

AVaccination

Stethescope

INVENTIONS - ANESTHESIAWilliam Morton

- October 16th, 1846

Purposeful Sleeping

No Pain

Ether mixed with other odors

Letheon* This form of anesthesia was less effective than the anesthesia used today*

Inventions - surgeryBefore anesthesia

-painful and hard to perform

Punching and unconsciousness

Opium and alcohol

Effects would cause death rather than a cure

*surgery was more dangerous due to no ways to take precautionary measures to protect patients and surgeons*

Inventions - vaccinesEdward Jenner

Exposure to the disease first

Immunity

injections

Developments - surgery- No Sanitation- No Protection- Open Spaces

No Gowns or Gloves

Kitchen Tables or in a bedroom

Surgical tools were not sanitized or cleaned between surgeries

No such thing as “precautionary measures”

Developments – home remedies

Home made “cures”

Cutting or Draining blood from the body

Different teas and types of milk

Lavender and chamomile

Rituals

stews

* MANY HOME REMEDIES ARE STILL USED TODAY BUT MAY BE CONSIDERED “OUT THERE” OR INSANE*

DEVELOPMENTS – DISiNFECTING SURGICAL

TOOLSDisinfecting surgical tools was presented as a proposal in 1850 but was not accepted as a development until the mid-1860s

Developments – preventative medicine

Vaccines- horrible

pain- dangerous

Medicines- equal to

the definition of allergy medications or neurological medications

* These measures were highly dangerous due to the exposure to diseases and how painful the vaccinations were*

Developments – alternative medicine

Medieval tactics

Home remedies

Cutting and draining blood from the body

Other forms of treatment

- household items

Breaking bones

*Very dangerous*

*cutting/bleeding usually lead to death*

* Broken bones led to disease/death*

Role of Women in Medicine

THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS

WOMEN IN MEDICINE!!!!!

• Good for making babies and being a wife to their husbands

Scientific Research - anatomical

Physicals- checking for signs

of disease- “neurological”

exams

Scientific research – preventative medicine

Vaccines- exposure- immunity

Cures/ medical preventatives

- home remedies- tonics

Scientific research – Clinical Studies

Scientific research – postmortem findings

Autopsy

Study of organs after death

Dangerous – no protection

Bodies sold on the black market

Grave robbing for money

Used as a business

Diseases – syphilisTreated with mercury and arsenic

- many deaths

Painless sores

Fever

Fatigue

Rash

Neurological problems

• Picture shows sores on the palms of hands

• these sores will be painless but very irritating

• Many died from mercury poisoning

Diseases - tuberculosis• Treatment:

– Mercury

– Smoking tobacco

– Cod liver stew

– Onion stew

Symptoms

- coughing up blood

- Fatigue

- Fever

- weight loss

- sewating

Diseases - choleraCaused by poor sanitation of water and facilities

Large intestine infectionSymptoms:

- watery diarrhea- cramps- excess thirst- vomiting* Picture shows poor

sanitation in a 19th century “hospital”*

Diseases - influenzaCommon flu

Many die due to lack of treatment

Many were placed in a room (to the left) and were left to either die or let the symptoms dissipate

DISEASES - MALARIA

Spread by mosquitoes

Symptoms:- HIGH FEVERS- ANEMIA- SHAKING CHILLS- FLU LIKE

SYMPTOMS

* TODAY MALARIA IS NOT CONTAGIOUS OR LIFE THREATENING (IF TREATED PROPERLY) BUT IN THE 19TH CENTURY THE DISEASE KILLED MANY*

DISEASES – FOOD POISONING

[ MOST COMMON ]Most common disease in the 19th century

Poor sanitation

No way to preserve food

e.Coli

Diseases – smallpoxSerious contagious disease

Causes a rash on the skin

Other symptoms may include vomiting

- aches- fever- shakes

In the 19th century, smallpox was the #1 killing disease

Treatments• Cutting veins – Fever• Dover’s Powder

– Opium and I Pecae– Treated: pain and induced sweating

• Black Drops– Opium in vinegar

• Laudanam– Opium, alcohol, sugar

• Dragon’s Blood– Red pain resin– Treat impressions in the blood

TreatmentsJuniper berries

opium

calomel

Carbonate of magnesia

TreatmentsDRAGON’S

BLOOD

LAUDANAM

DOVER’S POWDER

BLACK

DROPS

Treatments• Glue• Soap• Castor Oil• Carbonate (milk)

of Magnesia• Opium• Iobelia• Juniper Berries

• Tree Bark• Chili Peppers• Garlic• Calomel• Hypnotism

ALL OF THESE WERE TRIED TO CURE SEVERAL DISEASES BUT NONE PREVAILED

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of- the-oregon-trail-history/oregon-trail-history/104-doctorsdiseases>.

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<http://museum.gov.ns.ca/sv/history/medicine/_1_4.html>.

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Works Cited