Recently in medicine Category

Lewis Miller drawing--Dr. Kennedy waxenate (vaccinate) 1799.

Concern about the recent "Swine" N1H1 flu, and the precautions taken against it remind us of the days before many once virulent diseases were tamed by vaccines. About the only way to try to halt an epidemic was strict rule of quarantine.

As the notice below, which is from an 1872 York newspaper, shows that municipalities often stepped in to with ordinances to protect their citizens:

Truth in advertising? The item below from the May 11, 1911 York Gazette looks like a news item, but the further you read, the more it sounds like an advertisement for Quaker brand remedies. Perhaps it's both--you decide.

In the past I have written about some of the outrageous claims for cures made by York County manufacturers of tonics and by animal doctors.

Click here to read about Caldwell's cure-all tonic.

And click here to read about Heffner's medicine for your cattle, horses, and swine.

Doctors practicing on humans weren't any less immoderate in their claims, as shown by the ad below from the April 18, 1816 York Gazette. At least Dr. Delasell had long office hours.

I keep harping away that the “good old days” often weren’t as good as they are remembered to be. One thing that is certainly better now than it was then is medical knowledge and technology.

The article below, from the April 30, 1908 York Gazette, certainly points out how lucky we are to have the x-rays, MRIs, and various scans now, so that the surgeons can see where the problem is before they cut.

A few days ago I wrote about the "cure" for Murrain, several extremely serious diseases of horses, cattle, and swine. It was concocted and marketed by William Heffner, York Cattle Doctor.

Click hear to read about Heffner's horse, swine, and cattle cure claims.

It wasn't only veterinarians who promised that their mixtures would work wonders for just about any ailment. The following ad from the Gazette of 140 years ago hardly misses a malady:

Last week I wrote about several heroic citizens who saved a woman, a cow, and five horses from a raging five-building fire at South Queen and Prospect streets in 1857. The horses were saved by William Heffner, who ran naked into the stable and got them out.

To read the story of Mr. Heffner rescuing the horses from the fire, click here.

I just came across an ad placed in the Gazette 150 years ago by "Wm. Heffner, Cattle Doctor, Queen Street, York, PA." It shows that the veterinarians of the day not only treated the animals under their care, but often had to concoct the medications they used:

"Very Important to Farmers and Keepers of Cattle
DISCOVERED
The best Remedy against Murrian"

One hundred and ten years ago, most folks, especially in rural areas didn't have telephones. That wonderous invention was only 21 years old in 1897. As far as other media, Heinrich Hertz has only discovered radio waves ten years before and television was way in the future.

The way to keep up with news of your neighbors was to read the newspaper. Each small community had a stringer, and no event was too small to report, especially since those free-lance reporters were reportedly paid according to the length of their column. This practice continued well into the mid-twentieth century. I remember, when I was a child, reading in the Gazette & Daily that my parents, grandparents, and I were entertained by my aunt and uncle for Christmas dinner. (My aunt happened to be the stringer for the New Bridgeville area.)

In early December, 1897 the special correnspondent of the Gazette "Jacobus Notes" column reported that: