Not a member? Sign Up

Reasons for Joining

    Address your challenges through knowledge sharing with peers from our global network of specialists.

    Benchmark your business initiatives with the who's who in the field.

    Hear from industry pioneers how to maximize ROI in today's challenging economy.

    And best of all It's FREE!
Sign in using your existing
Pharma IQ account
Username or Email:

Sign Up  |  Already a member? Sign In  |  Visit IQPC.com  
Pharma IQ


Thanksgiving: 5 Facts on Medical Practices of the Pilgrims in the New Colonies

Contributor:  Niamh Madigan
Posted:  11/22/2012  12:00:00 AM EST  |  0

Rate this Article: (Be the First!)
Tags:   Thanksgiving | Vaccines | smallpox | Plague | yellow fever

While reflecting on the meaning of thanksgiving, Pharma IQ looks back to the time of the 13 colonies where diseases like smallpox, plague and yellow fever meant short lives for the pilgrims living there. 

Here are 5 facts of medical practices at that time we’d like to share. While there’s much we can thank medicine for today, we continue to look for cures to many untreatable diseases and for ways to administer medicine fairly and globally.

  1. Surgery was often carried out by barbers as it was considered beneath the dignity of the trained physician
     
  2.  Two physicians who arrived with the Pilgrims to the colonies were the commander of the Mayflower, Miles Standish: a jack-of-all-trades, military man, explorer, engineer, interpreter, and merchant, as well as a physician and Dr. Samuel Fuller, who practiced as both a physician and surgeon.
     
  3. Doctors trained in English medicine used techniques based primarily upon the ancient Greek concepts of balance in the body, maintained with diet, herbs, and medicines. 
     
  4. Therapies used by conventional physicians commonly included bleeding, purging, blistering, and prescriptions of calomel, a form of mercury. 
     
  5. Surgeons did not gain a respectable status in the medical profession until 1745, officially separating from the barbershop as full-fledged doctors in their own right.


Niamh Madigan Contributor:   Niamh Madigan


* = required.

Not a member yet? Sign up
User Name:
Password:
You Should Check Out:


Be the first to leave a comment
Sign in or Sign up to post a comment

Advertisement

Events of Interest
Download Brochure

Please complete the information below to complete your download.

Please note: That all fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

First Name *
Last Name *
Job Title *
Company Name *
Email Address *
Telephone *
Country *
Where did you hear about us? *

I would like to receive information about sponsorship and exhibition opportunities

Yes, sign me up for the FREE Pharma IQ e-newsletter, including information on FREE Podcasts, Webinars, event discounts and online learning opportunities.

Advertisement

Recent Activity