Health care in 19th century Richmond

July 7, 2009

Fred A. Engle The Richmond Register Tue Jul 07, 2009, 06:50 AM EDT

Referring again to Arthur Akers’ manuscript we can learn about health care in the late 19th century in Richmond. Akers lists the following local doctors: Dr. Poyntz, Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Holton (a homeopath).

A major medicine for children was Calomal, which tasted terrible and was administered via large white tablets. Akers’ mother also protected his health by making him wear flannel underclothes — very scratchy! Later Dr. Poyntz retired and was succeed by Dr. Dunn, who had a small brown beard.

The main Richmond dentist was Dr. A. Wilkes Smith. He was also chair of dental surgery at Central University’s College of Dentistry in Louisville. Central also had a College of Medicine in Louisville. Extractions cost 50 cents and “laughing gas” cost extra. Dr. Hobson also practiced dentistry, although he had never been to Central’s school. Apparently, he was self taught. Dr. Harris was another dentist.

Druggists also provided health care, compounding their prescriptions in mortars and pestles. Two major drug stores were Middleton’s and Stockton’s. Stockon’s was our family drug store into the 1970s. They also sold patent medicines. Black Draught and Lydia Pinkham’s were two such medicines, which still existed in my day. Unknown to me were Dr. Sloan’s Kidney Pills and Dr. Williams’ Pills for Pale People.

Drug stores also sold merchandise, such as combs, hair brushes, hand mirrors, stationery, toothbrushes, liniments, perfumes, mouth harps, salves, etc. At Christmas, new items were added. Christmas cards were not yet popular. Gifts for sale included sleds, skates, books and peppermint candy. For more affluent gift givers, bicycles were available. We were not rich, so my first bicycle came from Montgomery Wards in the late 1930s.

What were the prevalent diseases in the late 19th century? Many were similar to diseases in later years — measles, mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough, diphtheria, scarlet fever, pneumonia and typhoid. In the 1930s, I had all of these diseases with the exceptions of diphtheria, typhoid and pneumonia.

For those in the 1890s who had smallpox, there was the pest house. Polio came later. For ill adults, there was a poorhouse — out on the road to Union City, if I remember correctly.

Needless to say, there was no Medicare in the 19th century. The Pattie A. Clay Infirmary operated on Glyndon Avenue in 1892.

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