Doctors recommended cigarettes, and cures tasted suspiciously like wine.
Yes, those were the days. See how far medicine has come as you enjoy
this issue of Retroview, the quarterly e-newsletter that lets you explore
subjects across time via ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
Miracle Drugs
Today, we often take for granted the existence and availability of medications. Less than 70 years ago, though, drugs such as penicillin were considered "miracles."
Discovered in 1928 by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming, penicillin wasn't developed for human use until 1942 by scientists at Oxford University. Professor Howard Florey noted how the drug was successfully tested on mice first. The next hurtle: "A man is roughly 3000 times the weight of a mouse, so you can well imagine that the next step to produce enough to use on a man took months of labour...."
By 1944, 17 American plants were among those making the drug. These manufacturers were "turning out each month 100 times the entire output for the first half of 1943, and still there is not enough penicillin for all civilian needs." The Army and Navy were stocking the drug for use on the battlefields of Europe.
Health Care Fit for a President
The 1901 Pan-American Exposition was underway in Buffalo, New York. As President William McKinley shook hands with the public, he was shot twice, once in the breast and once in the abdomen.
Newspapers documented in detail the operation conducted to remove the bullets, even noting that a Dr. Rixey "held the light." While one bullet was easily extracted, doctors could not locate the abdominal bullet. They cleaned and closed the wounds. Thomas Edison sent one of his latest inventions, an X-ray machine, but it was never used for fear that it would sap the President's strength.
Although President James Garfield had died only two decades earlier from sepsis after being shot and undergoing an operation, McKinley's doctors were cautiously optimistic about his recovery, due to improvements in surgical techniques and antiseptic solutions. His physician put him on a diet of "whiskey, hot water, and raw egg, administered by injection." In spite of the best medical care available, President McKinley died of infection eight days after being wounded.
Doctors and Dentists Recommend...
Doctors, dentists, nurses, and even "Professor Kindly" have no shortage of advice in the pages of ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
How to Cure the Hiccups
It's been a mystery throughout time: how to cure the hiccups. Of course, everyone has a suggestion....
Let's Drink to Your Health
Who knew that a little sarsaparilla, cod liver oil and orange juice, or "wine like" elixir could cure so many maladies?
Laughter - The Best Medicine
We're sure that four out of five doctors recommend a good laugh each day. Why not start here?
Free Trials for Libraries
ProQuest Historical Newspapers is the definitive digital archive, with more than 20 million pages of searchable, wide-ranging content from three centuries. Librarians are invited to set up a free trial for their institutions. To do so, click here.
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