Colonial Medicine

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     Medicine was practiced differently in colonial times than from today. Treatments sometimes worked, but often led to weakness and or death. Most family illnesses were treated at home. There was always a supply of medicinal herbs and other remedies because each family grew their own herbs and made their own medicine. They believed that herbs could cure anything.

     Sometimes the cures were very different. For itching, it was recommended to use one quart of fish worms, one pound of hog's fat, half a pint of turpentine and good brandy to be rubbed on the infected part. For a chill, it was thought that the dry shell of a turtle boiled in water would be good if the person drank 2 to 3 doses of the liquid. Wild daisy mixed with animal fat was good for rubbing on a cut. Sage mixed with fat and cornmeal was supposed to cure a headache. Sometimes a cure was worse than the illness, so people learned not to complain much.

     There were hardly any doctors in colonial times and they were not well trained. There were no stethoscopes or thermometers. They had not been invented yet. Doctors had to do a lot of guessing as to what was wrong with his patients. Many doctors thought that illnesses could be cured by cleaning out the germs. They would cut open a vein in the sick man's arm and let some blood come out. Sometimes they would give their patients something to make them throw up. Leeches were also used to suck blood from a patient's body. Many times this would weaken a sick person and he would die. It was definitely dangerous to get sick.

     There were no dentists, but there were apothecaries. These were like drugstores. They would sell herbs and other cures for sickness. Chalk was sold for upset stomachs, bark from trees for fever, and other potions that were believed to heal the sick. The apothecary also served as the dentist. He would pull the rotten teeth of the colonists. 

Colonial Apothecary

A doctor cutting a sick man's vein to release blood.

Two men work, as one holds down the patient while the other pulls her tooth.

Created by Yarden and Steven

Solomon Schechter Day School

June 2006