Primitive Physic and Witchcraft

WEEK 3

Reading I: Buchan (primary source)

You should know the age, sex, temper of mind, constitution, and manner of life when treating disease Children: fibers soft and lex, nerves irritable, and fluids thin Old: rigid fibers,, insensible nerves, impervious vessels Females: more liable to disease, irritable nerves, require greater caution of treatment, large evacuations The mind can cause ailments Climate is also important (air, diet) Occupation and situation in life can cause different disease It makes a difference whether the disease is constitutional or accidental, of long or short duration, if there has been a change in diet, ease of performance in vital functions

Diet can cure most things, but first you should be concerned with the treatment of the disease

Some mistakenly believe that a lot of drugs can cure something

Medicines only work when used properly Disease weakens digestion, so the diet of the sick should be light

Even no food can help

Good diet will make the humors better; milk will often cure after everything else has been tried Exercise can also be considered a medicine Clean clothes and stuff are important too Regimen is important too apparently Fevers are the most complex disease

Attack suddenly, gradual, continual eruptions, never fully leaves during the course

Reading II: Ehrenreich

Witches, Midwives, and Nurses About this piece

About (continued)

Second edition The first is from the second wave so its angry Meant to confront womens ignorance on their own bodies This book came from these women thinking that women hadnt always been so ignorant about their bodies But knowledge on women in medicine wasnt perfect in the 70s

Prior research that witches met in covens has been discredited The only primary source they had was about witch hunters Lay healers accused of witchcraft

Even white witchcraft was a sign of Satan Interfering with Gods work

Ex. Women killed as witches Physicians benefited from witch oppression They still stand by the assertion that male physicians werent as good as female healers

Reading II: Ehrenreich (continued)

Actual Historical Information Likely that witches were related to the peasant rebellions Witches were accused of both hurting and healing Church didnt want peasants to be helped

Witches relied on senses rather than faith or doctrine

Church discredited material world

WOMEN AND THE RISE OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL PROFESSION US men taking over of the medical profession happened in Europe first but it was more intense in the US

But it was alright for kings and nobles Saw healers as an attack on MAGIC, not medicine

Only 7% of doctors are women in the US

Witch remedies had been tested over the years

Church saw labor pain as punishment for original sin

We can believe white guys were always in charge because people started to respect doctors in the 19th century

Changed from the Peoples medicine

Witches used pain killers in childbirth

The industrial revolution helped to end that

Reading II: Ehrenreich (continued)

Medicine had nothing to do with university training into the 1800s Regular male, middle class doctors were just for the rich Regulars used heroic measures Others used herbal medication, dietary changes and some light stuff that wasnt quite heroic BUT regulars were tied in with the legislation and they made laws against irregular practitioners

Ran the banner for

Frequent bathing Loose fitting womens clothing Whole grain cereal Womens issues

Radical assault on the medical elite Slogan: Every man his own doctor Radicals rejected doctoring as an occupation Moderates started their own sects in medical schools Beginning of the feminist movement Both sides argued that women were better equipped to handle medicine Regular medical schools wouldnt allow women

But there was not the popular support behind this move yet

THE POPULAR HEALTH MOVEMENT Usually dismissed as a high tide of quackery Women were the backbone of the movement

Reading III: Vogel

THE ENGLISH COLONIES

Virginia