18th century: treatments included poultices, broths, blood letting with leaches. No examination was required for physicians prior to practicing. Surgeons were ‘below’ physicians and performed operations and drew blood. Operations were done quickly (no anesthetic). Next was apothecary who sold drugs. Then midwives, nurses.
19th century: Asiatic cholera started in England in fall of 1831 on the Durham coast and then spread north to Scotland and south to London. It eventually killed 52,000. Symptoms were diarrhoea with increasing intensity and vomiting; dehydration, thirst, pain in limbs and stomach. Skin appeared blue-grey. At the same time, England was hit by an influenza epidemic. Cholera, spread through contaminated water hit the poor hardest, while influenza hit everyone. Then typhus struck, later in the 1830’s (1837-8) Also at that time was smallpox and scarletina or scarlet fever.
