Lotions, Potions, Pills and Magic: Health Care in Early America by Dr. Elaine G. Breslaw

Modern medicine is only about 100 years old, and before that time, little was known about how to cure any disease or how to preserve good health.  What was it like to be sick in the days before antibiotics, anesthetics, clean drinking water, underground sewers, or vaccination against diseases?  Elaine G. Breslaw will provide a fascinating look at early health care, from physicians and traditional methods to folk healers, midwives, Native American shamans, African obeahs, and new cure advocates.  Retired as professor of history from Morgan State University, Baltimore, Dr. Breslaw’s books include Tituba: Reluctant Witch of Salem, Witches of the Atlantic World, and Dr. Alexander Hamilton and Provincial America.

For additional information, call the East Tennessee Historical Society at 865-215-8824.