Medicine and Diseases in Colonial Times
Table of contents
Introduction………………………………………………Pg.1
Colonial Diseases………………………………………Pg.2
Colonial Medicine.…………………………………….Pg.3-4
Native American Medicine……………………..Pg.5-6
Conclusion…………………………………………………..Pg.6-7
Sources……………………………………………………….Pg.7
Introduction
In colonial times, diseases were huge problems.The
colonists did not have all the medicines like we have
today, so things like a cold could be deadly. Many
people had crazy ideas on cures and medicines, most of
the time they didn’t even work, sometimes they made
them sicker! So I hope you can learn some crazy
medicines people thought worked and what diseases
devastated Colonial America.
colonists did not have all the medicines like we have
today, so things like a cold could be deadly. Many
people had crazy ideas on cures and medicines, most of
the time they didn’t even work, sometimes they made
them sicker! So I hope you can learn some crazy
medicines people thought worked and what diseases
devastated Colonial America.
Colonial Diseases
Most of the first colonists arrived in North America and
were exhausted and weak. Especially in the southern
colonies, thousands didn’t even survive a year. Many
colonists died of diseases that are curable today, kinda
sad to be honest, diseases like smallpox,typhoid,fever,
and terrible pus filled boils came from Europe. Smallpox
was really bad and killed most Native Americans,
smallpox caused chills,fevers,and pus filled blisters,
(that’s gross) smallpox also spread quickly so it killed a
lot of people. Typhoid was another disease were fever
was spread through food and water. Influenza
(also known more commonly as the flu) spread through
coughing,sneezing, even talking! There was also
pneumonia which is an infection that inflames the air
sacs your lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid causing
fever and difficulty breathing. A number of things can
cause pneumonia including bacteria and viruses.
were exhausted and weak. Especially in the southern
colonies, thousands didn’t even survive a year. Many
colonists died of diseases that are curable today, kinda
sad to be honest, diseases like smallpox,typhoid,fever,
and terrible pus filled boils came from Europe. Smallpox
was really bad and killed most Native Americans,
smallpox caused chills,fevers,and pus filled blisters,
(that’s gross) smallpox also spread quickly so it killed a
lot of people. Typhoid was another disease were fever
was spread through food and water. Influenza
(also known more commonly as the flu) spread through
coughing,sneezing, even talking! There was also
pneumonia which is an infection that inflames the air
sacs your lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid causing
fever and difficulty breathing. A number of things can
cause pneumonia including bacteria and viruses.
Colonial Medicine
If you thought the diseases were bad, people had terrible
about ideas about medicine and cures for example, people
used leeches to suck out bad blood. People even thought a
tea made of ground-up roasted toads was supposed to be
good for you. People would write down how to “cure”
diseases so they remembered how to make the medicine,
John Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay Colony wrote what to
do when someone had a fever. “Cut the sick man’s nails and
put the nails in a bag of fine linen. Put a live eel into a tub of
water. Tie the bag of nails around the eels neck. The eel will
die and the sick man will get better.” I would honestly be
surprised if this worked. When a baby gets his first tooth he
usually doesn’t feel that good, in colonial days a mother
would tie a string of berries around the baby’s neck, this was
meant to make the baby feel better but if it didn’t his mother
would tie a string of wolf teeth around his neck. Why the
heck would you think this worked. In colonial times many
doctors thought a good cure was to cut open a vein in the sick
person's arm and let some blood flow out if the sick person
did not get better it was thought that it was the fault of
“witches”. People Also thought based on the color and shape
of a food that’s what it would help or cure, since an almond is
shaped like an eye it was thought to improve sight. Some
thought rubbing a pine cone against their skin would cure
wrinkles, it was also believed eating kidney beans would help
your kidneys. I can sort of see how they believed this one.
about ideas about medicine and cures for example, people
used leeches to suck out bad blood. People even thought a
tea made of ground-up roasted toads was supposed to be
good for you. People would write down how to “cure”
diseases so they remembered how to make the medicine,
John Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay Colony wrote what to
do when someone had a fever. “Cut the sick man’s nails and
put the nails in a bag of fine linen. Put a live eel into a tub of
water. Tie the bag of nails around the eels neck. The eel will
die and the sick man will get better.” I would honestly be
surprised if this worked. When a baby gets his first tooth he
usually doesn’t feel that good, in colonial days a mother
would tie a string of berries around the baby’s neck, this was
meant to make the baby feel better but if it didn’t his mother
would tie a string of wolf teeth around his neck. Why the
heck would you think this worked. In colonial times many
doctors thought a good cure was to cut open a vein in the sick
person's arm and let some blood flow out if the sick person
did not get better it was thought that it was the fault of
“witches”. People Also thought based on the color and shape
of a food that’s what it would help or cure, since an almond is
shaped like an eye it was thought to improve sight. Some
thought rubbing a pine cone against their skin would cure
wrinkles, it was also believed eating kidney beans would help
your kidneys. I can sort of see how they believed this one.
Native American Medicine
Native American thoughts on medicine were a bit
different then colonial Americans. Eastern Woodland
Native Americans used over 170 plant medicines such
as grinding up cherry tree bark to make cough syrup.
They also washed wounds with oak tree bark to prevent
infection. Some of their medicines are still used
today! That’s really impressive I wonder how they got
the ideas to make the medicine from all of their
resources. Many Native American tribes had little huts
called sweat lodges, hot steamy lodges that was used to
cure illness, then they ran outside and plunged into cold
water to wash the sweat away, but gathering in sweat
lodges spread European diseases that killed many
American Indians. (Well that stinks!) The sweat lodges
didn’t really cure diseases but was good for their bones.
For headaches the Indians chewed on bark from a willow
tree. We now know that the bark contains salicylic acid,
which is an important ingredient in aspirin. So they
weren't that far off.
different then colonial Americans. Eastern Woodland
Native Americans used over 170 plant medicines such
as grinding up cherry tree bark to make cough syrup.
They also washed wounds with oak tree bark to prevent
infection. Some of their medicines are still used
today! That’s really impressive I wonder how they got
the ideas to make the medicine from all of their
resources. Many Native American tribes had little huts
called sweat lodges, hot steamy lodges that was used to
cure illness, then they ran outside and plunged into cold
water to wash the sweat away, but gathering in sweat
lodges spread European diseases that killed many
American Indians. (Well that stinks!) The sweat lodges
didn’t really cure diseases but was good for their bones.
For headaches the Indians chewed on bark from a willow
tree. We now know that the bark contains salicylic acid,
which is an important ingredient in aspirin. So they
weren't that far off.
Conclusion
So now you know about peoples crazy thoughts on
medicine, some of them weren't that far off. I think the
Eastern Woodland Native Americans were smart
using ground up cherry tree bark to make cough syrup. I
wonder how the Eastern Woodland Native Americans
thought of the idea to make cough syrup from tree bark?
Did they one day just say ¨Hey lets grind up some tree
bark and use it as cough syrup, yaaay.¨ I don't think so,
but I'm sure they had their reasons. What do you think?
medicine, some of them weren't that far off. I think the
Eastern Woodland Native Americans were smart
using ground up cherry tree bark to make cough syrup. I
wonder how the Eastern Woodland Native Americans
thought of the idea to make cough syrup from tree bark?
Did they one day just say ¨Hey lets grind up some tree
bark and use it as cough syrup, yaaay.¨ I don't think so,
but I'm sure they had their reasons. What do you think?
Sources
The Cold Hard Facts About Science and Medicine in
Colonial America
Colonial America
If you Lived in Colonial times
Settler Sayings
Colonial Life
Your Life as a Settler in Colonial America
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