Medicine Without Physicians: A History of Home Remedies
Guides and Advice Literature
The genre of guides and advice literature on domestic medicine has persisted over centuries. On display as part of this exhibit are two instances of this type of literature that are 100 years apart. These provide some insight into the users of these materials and practicioners of domestic medicine and at-home herbalism.
The Laws ov Health is a booklet written in "reformed," phonetic, spelling by Klarence Wade Mak in 1898. This American publication instructs its readers on maintaining good health. The simplicity of the booklet, with cheap and simple binding and phonetic spelling, would have made the booklet accessible to people who were illiterate, had limited education, or were immigrants.
This text from 100 years before Wade's The Laws ov Helth is a good representation of the genre. Every Man His Own Doctor; Or the Poor Man's Family Physician, by Thomas Johnson, is a short book whose title alludes to the variety of circumstances which surrounded the usage of domestic medicine prior to the twentieth century.
"Every Man His Own Doctor" captures the populist attitude that often accompanied domestic medicine. Prior to the professionalization of medicine, people felt capable of tending to their own health. People would be informed by any combination of inherited intergenerational knowledge, practical experience, and familiarity and confidence in the botanical and herbal tradition.
The subtitle, "The Poor Man's Family Physician," reflects a finacial and class dimension that could influence people's decision to turn to domestic medicine. The cost of a physician was expensive, and the genre of health guides and advice literature often promised to be an enduring presence in the home that could replace the costly doctor.
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