Medicine and the Mormons: An Introduction to the History of Latter-Day Saint Health Care

This captivating history begins in a time when the "old school" of American medicine over-emphasized bloodletting and purging, usually by means of massive doses of calomel, and use of "mineral" medications such as arsenic and strychnine, methods that eased many a person to a premature death. Is it any wonder that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and many others on the American frontier preferred faith healing and the botanic medicine of Samuel Thomson? This second edition of the classic "Medicine and the Mormons" provides a wealth of information presented in a readable and usable format on a subject that accommodates the interests of many including: * A thoroughly interesting and entertaining overview of medicine as it was practiced during the 18th through early 20th centuries * A close examination of the medical problems encountered by Joseph Smith and his family prior to the restoration of the Church in 1830 * Descriptions of the health issues encountered in the Mormon movement westward, including the cholera endemic that ravaged Zion's camp and the difficulties of the Missouri colonization * A revealing look at the severe medical challenges posed by the settlement of the city of Nauvoo, in the swampy lowlands of the Mississippi River shore. * Details of the formidable medical problems encountered in the westward migration of the Mormons and in the epic march of the Mormon Battalion. * Descriptions of botanical remedies used during the Utah territorial period * An account of Brigham Young's callings of missionaries and women to the East to attend medical schools * Glimpses into the important role of the Relief Society in the training of doctors, midwives and nurses and running of an early Utah hospital * Commentary on the LDS Hospital system