Sadly I'm indoors with an oil burner infusing the air around me with Eucalyptus pure essential oil- a couple of the family have had a cold and now it's got me- always happens during half terms when everyone is home and exposure is at the maximum- while they recover I get poor breathing...
As much as I'd have liked to spend time in the 18th/19th century, I really wouldn't want to have lived there forever- I would never have survived the various bugs and germs that were lurking...
There's some info about medicine through the ages, here.
Having blood tests done for valid reasons nowadays is bad enough, but bleeding someone as a general treatment for curing many ills as was done in the past, I can only say thank goodness we've moved on!
And you'll find some of the medical equipment used at the time displayed on Pinterest, here.
The local chemist, near where I grew up, still had the big glass jars in the window, (like the big one filled with blue liquid here) and at the back behind the counter area, the chemist's domain, still had the original polished and labelled wooden draws and counters- must have been a high class pharmacy in it's heyday. Sadly the shop is long gone...
Those old shops really had character...
Carol Bevitt's blog on her writing and inspirations, along with occasional literature related news...
3 comments:
You're right, Carol - the good old days weren't that good. Mind you - sometimes "bleeding" was used to lower high blood pressure and I believe that worked better than the drugs you get today!
Hi Carol. I hope you're soon feeling much better.
Yes, they were truly scary times. I've had 3 cesareans due to pre-eclampsia and if I'd lived a hundred years ago, my first born and I wouldn't have survived and therefore my later sons wouldn't have existed. We must count our blessings, no matter how the NHS is struggling.
Ange
Love looking at old medicines etc, Carol. Ange's comment reminds us just how much we've progressed. Hope you get rid of that cold soon.
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