EARLY OHIO MEDICINE: A MUSEUM DISPLAY
By EDWARD S. THOMAS
As a compliment to the medical history
section of the Ohio
State Archaeological and Historical
Society, the Museum of the
Society arranged a special exhibit
featuring early days of Ohio
medicine, which attracted a great deal
of attention, not only on
the part of medical practitioners,
pharmacists and students, but
also the general public. Emphasis was
placed on medical practice
prior to 1860, but some concessions were
made so as to include
especially interesting material of a
later date.
As the visitor entered the display
alcove in the north end of
History Hall, his attention was
attracted to a large colored poster
of a pioneer doctor and his horse making
their weary way to a
cabin in the midst of a snow-covered
landscape in the cold dawn
of an early Ohio winter. The legend,
"Early Ohio Medicine"
appeared in large letters above.
The feature of the display was a replica
of a pioneer doctor's
office, carefully done in every detail.
On an authentic desk from
early times was shown an open ledger
owned by an early Ohio
physician, with a quill pen, sand
blotter and an old-time pair of
spectacles near by. The doctor's medical
saddle-bags were thrown
over an antique chair, just as he might
have left them upon his
return from a midnight call.
At one side was the room occupied by the
doctor's apprentice,
a veritable crow's nest, for the
apprentice led an unenviable ex-
istence, being "maid of all
work"--hostler, lackey, and pharmacist
when he was far enough advanced. In many
cases he even
washed the diapers of the numerous brood
in his master's home.
The apprentice's room showed his work
bench, with mortar,
pestle, other materials for concocting
medicines. Dried herbs
hung from the ceiling. There too, were
an old skeleton and some
medical books which the apprentice
studied as opportunity per-
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