Healthcare in Colonial America

What is healthcare?

• Healthcare is the helping with physical and mental illnesses by professionals.

• In the 1800’s, healthcare was very different than today.

• Why?

In the 1800’s…

• There were not many options for medical treatment.

• Also, it depended a lot on where you lived.

• For example, if you lived on a farm, out in the wilderness, or in town.

Usual options for medical treatment included…

• 1) the housewife• The mothers of the

home usually needed to know how to care for their families.

• Many remedies were passed down from Mother to Daughter (generations).

• 2) the midwife• Midwives were

experts in childbirth.

• Some midwives also helped with illness in children and adults.

• 3) the apothecary• Similar to a

pharmacist. • Apothecaries would

often create medicines through herbs and other items.

• 4) the surgeon• Many surgeons had

not been formally trained to perform surgeries.

• Surgeons frequently performed blood-letting, set bones, and performed amputations.

• 5) the physician• Most physicians did

have training in medicine.

• Physicians were expensive and usually only in larger cities or towns.

Common Medical Practices in the 1800’s

• Bloodletting• Bloodletting was

common until the late 19th century.

• It was the practice of removing large amounts of blood.

• People believed bloodletting would cure diseases.

Cold, the Flu and Fever

Although the cold, flu and fever are very common today, many people died from these sicknesses in the 1800’s.

Medical practices were different then and they did not have the same medicines to treat these sicknesses.