An Essay From Samuel

For school today, my 13 year old brother, Samuel wrote the following Essay:

In the colonial days, taking care of the sick was much different than today. The people didn't know what the flu or other sicknesses came from unless it was obvious. Because of their lack of knowledge, contagious sicknesses often proved deadly. There weren't many hospitals and very few doctors, so the mothers would resort to using herbs for remedies. Even though they didn't taste or smell very pleasant, many herbs like Mullein for coughs and Helichrysm for wounds proved very effective. The most popular herb--St. John's Wart--was believed to draw devils away. Herbs, however, were not the only means of treatment. Colonists also used tea for a cure that was made by burning frogs to a crisp and grinding them up into powder. Disgusting!!

There were many rumors about different diseases. Numerous colonists would blame the sickness on spells cast by witches or even evil spirits. There were also many queer thoughts about different cures. One of them was a cure for the fever. They would cut the sick person's fingernails and put them in a bag, which would be tied to an eel's neck. The eel would be put into water and when it died, they believed the patient's fever would leave.

Another superstition was that when babies teethed, doctors would have them wear a necklace with wolves teeth on it which they believed would help with the pain. The most common superstition, however was bloodletting. In trying to help the process of healing, patient's veins were cut open, and the blood was allowed to flow out. They believed in this cure so strongly that if a doctor was unavailable, the barber or the minister would do the bloodletting themselves. Today, we have found out how to heal the sick, but unfortunately we have gone too far.

The main problem with today's medical society is that many doctors care more about money than their patients. They sell them masses of unneeded drugs that take away pain and can lead to addiction without solving the root problem. Unfortunately, the people today don't realize that they are following a shepherd-disguised wolf. Even when information is discovered on how to heal most sicknesses, it is often criticized and suppressed. Home remedies also have their place, and thus the sensible will take the best of both worlds and disperse the love and kindness of mothers and the wisdom of doctors to all.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

~ Proverbs 23:24 ~