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| 18th century Medicine; (Resource) | |
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| Topic Started: 22 Nov 2007, 11:01 PM (595 Views) | |
| Brendan | 22 Nov 2007, 11:01 PM Post #1 |
A Legend. In regimentals. Pwn.
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Medical treatments in the 18th century were, overall, crude and many times ineffective. Diseases and illness were common. Physicians - both civilian and military - adhered to a standard of practise that often did their patients more harm than good, though the theories of the time held these treatments to be beneficial and necessary. Introduction The purpose of this series of articles is to provide a very basic overview of standard medicine during the period in which PotC is set. Prevalent theories will be mentioned and summarised, but not discussed in depth. Sources are cited at the bottom of each article, with numbered notations to each source made within the article. The articles are designed to be informative, but are not meant to be taken as unimpeachable documents. Members who wish to know more are encouraged to do their own research. The topics of each article are as follows: - Diseases - Treatment of Injuries - Medical Theory - Other Forms of Medicine Diseases This article covers the most common diseases during the 18th century and the varying treatments for them. Diseases were common during the 18th century and there was little medical protection against them. Death rates from certain diseases were high. In Europe, the close-confines of cities were breeding grounds for illnesses and disease. The lack of understanding of how such ailments were passed along and a subsequent inability to adequately prevent the spread of diseases many times resulted in epidemics of varying severity. Smallpox Smallpox was first known as "variola", a name derived from the Latin varius (spotted) or varus (pimple). It was coined by Bishop Marius of Avenches (Switzerland) in the 6th century.1 The disease gained the English name of "pockes" around the 10th century and was given the prefix "small" in the 15th century, to differentiate it from the "great pox" - otherwise known as syphilis. The disease was spread from person to person by "inhaling droplets discharged from the nose and mouth of an infected person or by contact with infected blankets, linen, or clothing." 2 It was highly contagious and symptoms typically began showing after about twelve days. Fever, nausea, head and body aches, and vomiting are the usual signs, and are followed two to five days later by a rash that develops over the entire body. Over the course of a week or so, the rash develops into pustules. Smallpox becomes contagious when the rash appears. Deaths from smallpox were frequent. It was estimated that by the end of the 18th century, roughly 400,000 people died each year from smallpox.1 There were, however, efforts made to contain the disease. A Turkish practise of inoculation that was brought to England in the early 1700s, but it was dangerous. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was the chief force behind the spreading of this practise in England, but it was not until the end of the 18th century that the safer method of vaccinations came about.3 Typhus Typhus was also known as "ship fever", "hospital fever", and "jail fever". The disease became known in the 16th century and is associated with famine and war.4 Its various names result from the settings in which the disease typically appears. The disease was insect-borne, carried by body lice, and was most common in hospitals, jails, or other places where people were forced to live in close quarters in large numbers. It first appeared in Europe in 1489 and took root in the populace, spread by lice, fleas, and mites. "Lack of cleanliness fed the disease, as did poor diet, excessive fatigue and use of linen instead of woollen clothes in the summer."5 Sufferers of typhus typically exhibited "chills and fever, a tongue covered with a yellowish-green crust, some listlessness and headache."5 Peeling skin and loss of hair were other symptoms, and death was very possible. Use of emetics was an accepted means of treating the initial fever. Typhoid Also called "malignant bilious fever", typhoid was considered the same disease as typhus. Symptoms are very similar to those of typhus, with the most-often unnoticed differences of diarrhoea and rose-coloured spots on the chest and abdomen. The bacterial etiology is different as well, with typhoid being spread by contaminated excrement on food, clothing, or bedding.5 Dysentery Known also as "the bloody flux", dysentery is an inflammation of the lining of the large intestine. It is usually caused by drinking stagnant or marsh water, consuming tainted food, or sleeping in wet clothing.5 It could also be spread by hand-to-mouth contact from person to person. Outward signs of dysentery were fever and frequent stools of blood, pus, and mucus. Internal symptoms consisted of abdominal cramps. Sufferers were often nauseous and vomiting was possible. Death occurred if the sufferer became severely dehydrated. The disease was most common in areas where crowding, poor hygiene, and inadequate sanitation are prominent. An insufficient supply of safe water contributes greatly to dysentery as well. Water purification was primitive at best and dysentery was widespread in lower-class areas of cities. Diphtheria This disease was considered the same as scarlet fever. It was also known by a variety of other terms, such as "Throat Distemper", "Angina Suffocativa", "Bladder In The Throat", "Cynanche Trachealis", "Angina Maligna", "Epidermical Eruptive Military Fever", and "Angina Ulcusculosa".5 Infection occurred by coming into contact with contaminated objects or food, or by the cough or sneeze of an infected person. Symptoms became apparent within five days. The areas most commonly affected are the nose and throat. "The throat infection causes a gray-to-black, tough, fiber-like covering, which can block the airways. In some cases, diphtheria may first infect the skin, producing skin lesions."7 Other symptoms included hoarseness, drooling, chills, and difficulty breathing. Sufferers often died as a result of suffocation, caused by the closing-up of their throats. Epidemic outbreaks of the disease have occurred both in Europe and the American colonies. The usual treatment consists of bleeding the patient. Influenza The term "influenza", from the Italian word meaning "influence", was coined in 1357. It was believed at the time that the illness was the result of influence of the stars.8 Extreme tiredness, fever, head and body aches, and dry coughs are the hallmarks of the illness. It's typically spread by "droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled (usually less than 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Influenza viruses may also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose)."9 Treatment was largely restricted to bleeding patients. Widespread occurrences of influenza took place throughout the 1700s. "During the 18th century at least three pandemics occurred (1729-1730, 1732-1733, and 1781-1782). The 1781 pandemic was a major outbreak that caused high mortality among the elderly that spread across Russia from Asia."8 Yellow fever Also called "The Great Sickness", "The American Plague", "Barbadoes Distemper", "Bilious Plague", or "Yellow Jack". The term "yellow fever" was a result of the jaundice that was part of the illness. It was carried by mosquito, which, unless helped along by winds, did not travel far.5 Symptoms usually did not appear until five or six days after infection, and generally consisted of fever, muscle pain, headache, shivers, loss of appetite, nausea and/or vomiting.10 Most symptoms improved after a period of about four days. Yellow fever is often considered the same as typhoid, malaria, and other diseases, when the first symptoms begin to appear. Treatment included the use of vinegar as a mosquito deterrent. There was little else that could be done. A great outbreak of yellow fever occurred in Philadelphia in 1793 and killed more than four thousand people.11 Tuberculosis Known during the 18th century as "consumption". Sources 1 Smallpox and Vaccinia, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=vacc.chapter.3 2 Smallpox, http://www.thinktwice.com/smallpox.htm 3 History of Medicine, http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainT...graphid=kvb#kvb 4 Rickettsia typhi, http://www.ebi.ac.uk/2can/genomes/bacteria...tsia_typhi.html 5 Revolutionary Medicine 1700 - 1800, Second Edition; C. Keith Wilbur, M.D. (1997) 6 Dysentery, http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/dysentery1.shtml 7 Diphtheria, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001608.htm 8 Pandemic Influenza, http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops...c-influenza.htm 9 Influenza: The Disease, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease.htm 10 Yellow Fever, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/ 11 Yellow Fever Attacks, http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/yellowfever.htm 12 Tuberculosis, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tuberculosis.html |
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