History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

Medical Geography of Illinois 17of bloody bowel discbarges and should not be identified closely with ourmodern disease. Much of it came from drinking alkali and impure waters.On the other hand, Rush considered smallpox and venereal diseases asexotic in origin. He stated that scurvy was not an Indian disease and thatgout was rarely seen, though he believed it existed. He stated definitely thatIndians had no "worm diseases,"a significant statement since he was anearly important writer on helminthology. Rush further noted that diseasesof the teeth were rare—another statement of importance since he earlyinterested himself in these diseases. He named in summary only fevers, oldage, war and casualties as important afflictions of the Indians. He made noreference whatsoever to the existence of indigenous epidemic disease amongthe Indians.Medicine among the American Indians is set forth in compact form byStone." He stated that tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, puerperal sepsisand eclampsia were unknown. Digestive disturbances were common, dueto their manner of eating, their periodic fasts and semistarvation. Ricketswas fairly common in some tribes. In certain areas goiter and urinary calculiwere common. Tumors were rare because there were relatively fewold people. From excessive exposure, rheumatic and neuralgic diseases werefrequent, and in the Great Lakes region pleurisy and bronchial diseaseprevailed. Conjunctival troubles were rampant due to living in smokefilled huts and tents. Wounds, fractures and dislocations were common becauseof the Indian's life of warfare and exposure. He made no referenceto epidemic or contagious disease among the primitive peoples in the earlytimes, as contrasted with the prevalence of such diseases in the Indians oflater and today.MEDICAL REGIONALISM IN ILLINOISMedical regionalism refers to a limited territory, large or small, withinfrom thosewhich occur various disease phenomena differing more or lessobserved in adjacent territories.In his comprehensive studies Drake 8 was the first writer in this countryto emphasize the concept which may be described as medical regionalism.He began these studies locally in and about Cincinnati in 1822 and continuedto expand them for over 30 years. They were made largely by firsthandobservations upon the location and distribution of diseases at a timewhen the country had not been greatly altered by the advancement of thewhite man's civilization. Drake's descriptions concern certain regions, beginningin the deep South, extending north through the Mississippi Valleyto the Great Lakes and beyond to the Hudson Bay regions.7Stone, Eric: Medicine Among the American Indians, N. Y., P. B. Hoeber, Inc., 1932.8Drake, Daniel: see reference 1 in Chap. I.