METC: Special Exhibits

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Special Exhibits

New Exhibit Opens March 4, 2008

CRAFTING CURES:
The Practice of Medicine in Early America

Ever wonder how people cured a stomach ailment or toothache back in the 18th and 19th centuries?

Learn about the miracle of "modern" medicine during Early America in this new exhibit and discover the various remedies, medicines, instruments and tools commonly used in the practice of medicine during this time period.

The reasons people became ill were not understood in the 1700s and early 1800s. It was known that some plants and foods could make people sick, but why this happened and what damage these substances did to the body was not clear. Crafted with plants and minerals, these cures were based on centuries of trial and error or, in many cases,on theories rooted in early Roman beliefs about the causes of sickness. Treatment usually meant removing the obstructions and excesses that were thought to be causing the illness.
“… I had read in the news that Bohea tea would cure the dropsy. I gave it to him very strong and in a week the swilling was gone. Then he was taken with rheumatism in his head till his neck was stiff, for that I did through cold water on his head every morning about nine or ten days and it removed into hip and there gathered and broke and he is now recovered to his usual health.”

Excerpt from a letter by Betsey Crane to her
brother Daniel Mulford. November 19, 1805

People living in New Jersey and across America in the late 17th century made most of their own cures from plants grown in their gardens or picked in the wild. They later relied on shops and apothecaries, which carried specially imported medicinal plants from around the world and early commercially-made patent medicines. These medicines claimed to contain secret ingredients and made promises of miracle cures, but rarely worked as well as the patient had hoped. Attempts at curing disease were frequently much harsher than just swallowing a specially prepared tonic. Doctors bled their patients, created blisters on their skin and gave them potentially deadly medicines to purge their bodies.

Visitors will have the unique opportunity to view a period medicine chest still filled with preparations in hand-blown bottles, surgical kits complete with head saws and spectacles made by America's first optometrist. Explore diary entries and letters written by real people complaining about their ills and the ways in which they attempted to cure themselves. Discover the story of the men and women whose experiments with primitive remedies paved the way for today's medical marvels.

New Exhibit Opens March 4, 2008
CRAFTING CURES: The Practice of Medicine in Early America
Ever wonder how people cured a stomach ailment or toothache back in the 18th and 19th centuries?
Learn about the miracle of "modern" medicine during Early America in this new exhibit and discover the various remedies, medicines, instruments and tools commonly used in the practice of medicine during this time period. The reasons people became ill were not understood in the 1700s and early 1800s. It was known that some plants and foods could make people sick, but why this happened and what damage these substances did to the body was not clear. Crafted with plants and minerals, these cures were based on centuries of trial and error or, in many cases,on theories rooted in early Roman beliefs about the causes of sickness. Treatment usually meant removing the obstructions and excesses that were thought to be causing the illness.	“… I had read in the news that Bohea tea would cure the dropsy. I gave it to him very strong and in a week the swilling was gone. Then he was taken with rheumatism in his head till his neck was stiff, for that I did through cold water on his head every morning about nine or ten days and it removed into hip and there gathered and broke and he is now recovered to his usual health.” Excerpt from a letter by Betsey Crane to her brother Daniel Mulford. November 19, 1805
People living in New Jersey and across America in the late 17th century made most of their own cures from plants grown in their gardens or picked in the wild. They later relied on shops and apothecaries, which carried specially imported medicinal plants from around the world and early commercially-made patent medicines. These medicines claimed to contain secret ingredients and made promises of miracle cures, but rarely worked as well as the patient had hoped. Attempts at curing disease were frequently much harsher than just swallowing a specially prepared tonic. Doctors bled their patients, created blisters on their skin and gave them potentially deadly medicines to purge their bodies. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to view a period medicine chest still filled with preparations in hand-blown bottles, surgical kits complete with head saws and spectacles made by America's first optometrist. Explore diary entries and letters written by real people complaining about their ills and the ways in which they attempted to cure themselves. Discover the story of the men and women whose experiments with primitive remedies paved the way for today's medical marvels.