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Medicine in Colonial America

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             "Comfrey was brought to North America by the settlers. It was believed to have the power to mend broken bones more rapidly and pastes made from the herb helped surface wounds heal faster. Garlic was used to treat many colonial ailments and it was also believed its' powers offered protection from evil spirits. It was brought to America from Europe but there was a local variety introduced by the Indians which was thought to cure everything from snakebites to intestinal worms. Valerian is an ancient herb, very highly treasured around the world. It was introduced to the Colonials by Canadian Indians and used as a wound antiseptic. Its root acts as a depressant and was used as a sedative. Chamomile was brewed into tea and used for stomach ailments and to ward off colds and aches." ("Herbs in Colonial Times." The Herbitage).
             Many other herbs were used for headaches, painful joints, indigestion and cramps. These herbs that were considered very valuable for their medicinal uses, we consider as weeds today. On the contrary, some remedies were not only herbal mixtures, there were also many different forms of home remedies such as "leeching." "Colonial doctors believed that when people were ill, it was because their body did not contain a balance in bodily fluids, such as water or blood. To cure an illness, they thought the "bad" fluids should be removed to restore balance. Colonial physicians had many different ways of eliminating the fluid, such as draining or "letting" blood from the human body. Leeches were commonly used for treatment. At times, these wormlike creatures were placed onto a sick person's body to suck out the "bad" blood." (Arundel, "Colonial Remedies.") Obviously, the colonials were very resourceful, utilizing what they had at the time being. Herbal treatments and home remedies were extremely important in terms of colonial medicine.


Essays Related to Medicine in Colonial America

1. Colonial Herbal Remedies and Medicine

... . At that time they had not yet discovered a way to use electricity. This information plays a huge role in the type of knowledge Colonial Americans had, especially regarding the field of medicine. In the 1700's, medical philosophies were very different from what they are now, as they were theories with great lack ... These small ideas were constantly evolving and growing for hundreds of years. Colonial physicians formed working ideas of medicine and treated patients with a good success rate with the knowledge and resources they had at their disposal for that period in time. In Colonial A...

  • Word Count: 1337
  • Approx Pages: 5

2. Early American Medicine

... to counter wide-spread diseases and common illnesses that are not considered a problem in our modern society. A form of medicine, used by early Americans, is herbal remedies. Some of the herbs used as medicine were: angelica, basil, betony, feverfew, foxglove, garden heliotrope, horehound, hyssop, ... lady's mantle, lamb's ear, lavender, lovage, parsley, rue, salad burnet, and sweet cicely. These are all herbs that were used by colonial doctors; they had a ... be able to heal bruises. Lady's mantle was thought to help stop bleeding if it was used in a lotion. Lamb's ear, like lady's ma...

  • Word Count: 810
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

3. European Colonialism in Africa

... governments sought to covert their grandiose territorial claims into valid title by effective occupation. (www.foreignaffairs.com). At the height of European colonialism in the 19th century, Portugal had lost its territory in South America and focused on expanding its outposts in Africa. (www.oxfordbibliographies.com). The British ultimatum of 1890 was imposed upon King Carlos 1 of Portugal and Portuguese colonialism ... charity) and founded the Rhodes scholarships. (www.foreignaffairs.com). By the early years of the twentieth century the French held most of what would come to be their co...

  • Word Count: 3051
  • Approx Pages: 12
  • Has Bibliography

4. A Brief History of Latin America

... would prove to be the largest and best ally for both Spaniards was the smallpox epidemic. Mark A. Burkholder, author of Colonial Latin America, states, "Probably more Indians died in the epidemic than from wounds received in battle" (Burkholder et al. 2012). However, especially in the case on Francisco Pizarro, smallpox killed of majority of a people that were already weak and wounded from a 5 year ... the arrival of the Spaniards, although they were amazed at the Spaniards and their attire, there is no evidence that the Incas thought that they were gods. Author of Latin America in Colo...

  • Word Count: 1949
  • Approx Pages: 8
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5. Death is in the Eye of the Beholder

... fear of death? Looking back at colonial America, life expectancy averaged a measly 30 years, driven down by the high infant mortality rate. With generations living closely together and no hospitals or nursing homes, people died in their own homes surrounded by family. Common illnesses such as malaria and typhoid fever (now obsolete with advances in medicine) and accidents in work and play due to few safety ... the power to play God. The art of cryonics is the process of placing the body of a recently deceased person in a deep freeze, preserving the body from decomposition, and lies on t...

  • Word Count: 1398
  • Approx Pages: 6
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6. History of Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

... . 1795 (Britain)- Lemon and Lime juice was used to prevent the disease of scurvy when mixed with grog. Primary Documents: Spirits in the Colonial Period In 1386, Charles II was struck with fever and paralysis, so they used distillation of wine as a medicine. This proves that many spirits are not used only for one's consumption, but also used for many medical remedies. The Whiskey ... their freedom. Which came from raising tea taxes. Timeline: Coca-Cola and the Rise of America 1767 (England)- The direct ancestor of Coca-Cola and all other artificially flavored, carbonated soft drinks were...

  • Word Count: 2292
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Grade Level: High School

7. The Reshaping Of Everyday Life

... and exchange gifts at dinner. They would have such activities as husking bees, greased pole climbing, greased pig chasing, hopscotch, jump rope, marbles, or tag. Hunting was a very popular pastime in colonial America. There were all kinds of animal hunts, like for instance, hare hunts, foxhunts, raccoon bunts, and opossum hunts. Other animal-related included horse racing, cock fighting, and bull baiting ... many different kinds of diseases were spreading that doctors did not have any cures for. Doctors lacked the proper equipment to help treat patients and they lacked different kinds of...

  • Word Count: 3125
  • Approx Pages: 13
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  • Grade Level: High School

8. Marijuana Users & What You Los

... was used to make rope. (Erriod's Cannabis Vault) Marijuana was introduced into New England in 1629 and from then until after the Civil War, the marijuana plant was a major crop in North America. The Marijuana Plant played an important role in both colonial and national economic policy. In 1762, Virginia awarded bounties for hemp culture and manufacture, and imposed penalties upon those who did ... by an estimated 200,000,000 persons for pleasure, an escape from reality, or relaxation. Marijuana serves to diminish inhibitions and acts as a euphoriant. (New York State Journal of Medicine)...

  • Word Count: 3100
  • Approx Pages: 12
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9. What Caused The Pueblo Revolt Of 1680

... influence? Were the tribal revolts the sole idea of el Pope, a San Juan medicine man or was a former African slave to blame for the plot? (Oh, I do love a good conspiracy theory!) And what exactly was the role of mestizos, or mixed Spanish-tribal peoples in Spanish colonial and Tribal America? So, in a sense, I started reading the assigned readings with a feeling that I already understood the cause ... move freely and capitalize upon tribal frustrations at the time. One would assume that the revolts were planned and executed by the Pueblo tribesmen. El Pope, a San Juan medicine man, is ...

  • Word Count: 2263
  • Approx Pages: 9
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