18th and 19th century + quackery Flashcards
what was quackery?
people began to invent and sell medicine in the 17th + 18th Centuries
what did “Quacks” do?
after Dutch word “quacksalver” ( someone who boasts loudly about cures) sold medicines knowing they didn’t work
what was quack medicine sold as?
preventative and cure, often made up claims
who invented Daffy’s Elixir?
Leicestershire Clergyman in 1647
what did Daffy’s Elixir claim to cure?
among other things, “ convulsion fits, consumption, agues, piles, fits, children’s distempers, worms, gout, rheumatism, kidney stones, colic and griping of thd bowels”
what were the ingredients of Daffy’s Elixir?
brandy, aniseed, raisins, cochineal, fennel seed , jalap, parsley seed, rhubarb, saffron, senna and Spanish liquorice
what was the impact at the time of Daffy’s Elixir?
very little impact, except suitable laxative
what were the 2 main ingredients in quack medicine?
alcohol and opium, numbed pain a little
what did success of quackery depend on?
- skill of salesman
- uncertainty of patient during epidemics like plague people were desperate, most likely to buy quack medicine
- good packaging
- grown of newspapers , advertise more widely for bigger market
what was an example for good packaging?
“Turlington’s Balsam of Life”
given royal patent by George 2 in 1744 (useless)
why was john hunter significant?
wrote books in 1771 The Natural History of Teeth
1786 on Venereal Disease and Blood Inflammation and gunshot wounds
what method did john hunter use?
used the scientific method, injected himself with gonorrhoea to see if he was protected from syphilis (wasnt)
what happened in 1785?
used pioneering surgery on an aneurysm, mans leg was saved
what was john hunters background?
- dealt with many gunshot wounds + amputations
- surgeon to King George 3rd
- Jenner one of his students
what was Hunter famous for?
famous surgeon and anatomist and famous teacher of anatomy, training the best surgeons of the time + spent long dissecting human bodies
what did john hunter believe was the best way to treat wounds?
best way to deal deep wounds = leave as much as possible to nature
what was john hunters opposition?
accused of “burking” - always had a supply of fresh bodies
in how many people died of small pox in Britain?
endemic in Britain, killed 35,000 people in 1796 and 1837-40 further 42,000
what did people think caused small pox?
created by miasma/ bad air
what were most survivors of small pox left as?
some survivors left blind and virtually disfigured by scars
when did queen mary die of smallpox?
1694
how did jenner discover his theory?
country doctor in Gloucestershire, heard rumours that milkmaids who caught cowpox never seemed to catch small pox, guessed they must be immune
how did jenner test his theory?
9 year old local boy, James Phipps injected him with pus from cowpox, developed the disease, once recovered was given small pox, immune
what did jenner do in 1797?
submitted paper to the Royal Society, needed more proof
