Comments on: Cures, Quacks, and Medicine Men

By: Diane Q. Forti

Diane Q. Forti — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:08:13 +0000

Wonderful, fascinating program.
I grew up on Long Island, and my grandmother (born in 1890) swore by her “balsam-apple salve” as a remedy for skin injuries of all kinds. As a child with a badly scraped knee, I remember her binding a piece of balsam apple over the gravel-filled wound to “draw out the grit.”
I still have two jars of her homemade concoction in my medicine cabinet, although I suspect it is no longer safe to apply. It smells strongly of camphor. I wonder whether any of the other listeners have ever heard of this strange salve.

By: Mary Eliot Jackson, CNM (Pat)

Mary Eliot Jackson, CNM (Pat) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:20:53 +0000

Midwives are “experts in the normal”. The profession is pronounced ‘midwifery’ with a short second ‘i’. This program has been fascinating and I look forward to reading Prof. Dary’s book. However, I hope no one is misled by his account of the history of medicine and midwifery.

For example, in Massachusetts midwives were excluded from the medical establishment in 1909 with the conviction of Hannah Porn of practicing medicine without a license. She was a Finnish midwife from Gardner, MA who had better mortality statistics than the doctors. In contras, midwifery was included in the medical establishment in England in 1902 with creation of the Central Midwives Board.

Gov. Dukakis made midwifery legal in Mass in 1978 and most hospitals now have midwifery services. Dr. Fredrick Frigoletto (later President of the ACOG) restarted the OB service at the Massachusetts General Hospital (closed since 1951) in 1994 with midwives as an integral part of his very collegial service. They have their own case load and consult with, or refer their patients, to physicians as appropriate. Midwives see patients of all economic strata though, as in many cities, they particularly care for immigrant and low income patients in the outlying clinics.

By: steve

steve — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:07:09 +0000

My father practiced medicine in rural VA and East Tn for 35 years. He ran accross many bizarre remidies- some did more harm than good. He was facinated by them and kept records of them. He’d always remind me that, while many were rather odd, asprin was orignally derived from pine bark tea. Perhaps these remidies should be further studied?

By: Suzanne Coffin

Suzanne Coffin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:05:41 +0000

This sounds like a fascinating book. Of course, the writer knows that many modern pharmaceuticals are based on indigenous medicines derived from plants. Brimstone is indeed sulfur and is was used for congestion and indigestion among other things. Tansy, an herb of the aster family is still popular with herbalists for its wide range of benefits. Tansy is used internally to relieve of indigestion and can be used externally to relieve swelling a skin lesions. Good stuff!
Herbal medicine has been staging a come back in the past few years. Harvard Med School at one point around ten years ago, started contraction herbalists to teach a class to aspiring doctors. I’m not sure if they still do this.

By: Julie Summersquash

Julie Summersquash — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:02:04 +0000

Tansy can be toxic(contains the same volatile oil found in absinthe), but has been used to treat gout and other joint ailments & as a vermifuge. Also to repel insects.

By: Marianne

Marianne — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:58:36 +0000

I collect vintage and antique cookbooks. Almost without exception there is a section on home remedies. To me it is obvious that the first course of treatment for a burn, fever, bug bite etc. was the family cookbook. The pages appear to have been well used. I’ve tried a few, and they work.

By: Sadi Hut

Sadi Hut — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:41:59 +0000

My grandmother’s sister lived outside Watertown NY but was from Canada; part Native American and French. When we were pretty young she took us into the woods and covered our arms and legs with the juice from poison ivy. The theory was since we weren’t afraid of it we would never get it. And, I never have.

By: Jooanie MacPhee

Jooanie MacPhee — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:38:40 +0000

Tansy is a common rayless yellow daisy that grows wild in roadside Massachusetts, bitter in taste and highly scented like pyrethrum. and ferny leaves. Tanacetum is the genus name.

My kid says that brimstone refers to sulfur!

By: Lorna M.

Lorna M. — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:36:24 +0000

Tansy = a daisy-like flower

By: monica s

monica s — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:35:17 +0000

Brimstone = sulfur!

By: Sam E.

Sam E. — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:29:37 +0000

Oh my god, this makes a Stephen King book sound like a disney film yikes