Medicine in New England Renaissance By Ashley Nedley 5/3/11
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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<http://museum.gov.ns.ca/sv/history/medicine/_1_4.html>.
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Works Cited