Although the therapy struck many observers as being radical, in large part it grew from premises that had substantial support. Rush was convinced that it worked and that heroic methods were the key to conquering disease. In particular, massive bleeding became central to his therapeutics.
Full Answer
How did Benjamin Rush influence American medicine?
By virtue of his social and professional prominence, his position as teacher and his facile pen Benjamin Rush had more influence upon American medicine and was more potent in propagation and long perpetuation of medical errors than any man of his day.
What did Benjamin Rush do to treat yellow fever?
In 1793, during a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, Benjamin Rush adopted a therapy that centered on rapid depletion through purgation and bleeding. His method, especially his reliance on copious bloodletting, was at first widely condemned, but many American practitioners eventually adopted it.
How were the medicines in Rush’s letters dissolved?
They were dissolved in liquids (either alcohols or water). The medicines described in Rush’s letters as “powders” are most likely diuretics and/or purgatives designed to rid the body of Yellow Fever. Practice: Professional actions. In this context, how doctors decide to treat their patients.
What did William Cobbett say about Rush?
By 1797, William Cobbett, the satiric journalist who frequently targeted Rush, was in full cry. He reviewed the 1793 bills of mortality for Philadelphia and showed that the mortality rates increased significantly following the institution of Rush's remedies.
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Did Benjamin Rush use bloodletting?
Abstract. In 1793, during a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, Benjamin Rush adopted a therapy that centered on rapid depletion through purgation and bleeding. His method, especially his reliance on copious bloodletting, was at first widely condemned, but many American practitioners eventually adopted it.
How did Dr Benjamin Rush treat yellow fever?
Benjamin Rush did find his own treatment for Yellow Fever by October. By blood leeching and purging patients Dr. Rush decreased mortality. In some cases, he would remove a very high proportion of blood from the body.
What was Benjamin Rush's contribution to the treatment of the mentally ill?
Benjamin Rush designed two mechanical contrivances to aid in the treatment of the insane. The belief at the time was that "madness" was an arterial disease, an inflammation of the brain. Pictured here is the "tranquilizing chair" in which patients were confined.
What did Benjamin Rush think caused yellow fever?
Debate Over Yellow Fever's Causes Others—including the city's leading physician, Dr. Benjamin Rush—believed it originated in the poor sanitary conditions and contaminated air of the city itself.
Did bloodletting help yellow fever?
summary: In 1793, during a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, Benjamin Rush adopted a therapy that centered on rapid depletion through purgation and bleeding. His method, especially his reliance on copious bloodletting, was at first widely condemned, but many American practitioners eventually adopted it.
Does yellow fever still exist?
Today, yellow fever is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of South America and Africa. While the development of a yellow fever vaccine (Theiler won a Nobel prize for this work) has saved countless lives over the years, the global burden of this disease is still high.
What did Benjamin Rush do?
Benjamin Rush, (born Jan. 4, 1746, [Dec. 24, 1745, Old Style], Byberry, near Philadelphia—died April 19, 1813, Philadelphia), American physician and political leader, a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
What is the moral treatment movement?
Moral treatment was an approach to mental disorder based on humane psychosocial care or moral discipline that emerged in the 18th century and came to the fore for much of the 19th century, deriving partly from psychiatry or psychology and partly from religious or moral concerns.
How did Benjamin Rush feel about the American Revolution?
In June 1776, Benjamin became a member of the Provincial Congress and a leading advocate of independence. A month later he joined the Pennsylvania delegation to the Continental Congress, and signed the Declaration of Independence.
Who was blamed for yellow fever?
The city was the nation's biggest at the time, the seat of the federal government and home to the largest population of free blacks in America. Foreigners were to blame, said one political faction, charging that immigrants were bringing the contagion into the country and spreading it from person to person.
What did Benjamin Rush do for the temperance movement?
Benjamin Rush took a logos approach to promoting temperance, noting the harmful physiological effects of alcohol. He did not appeal to pathos until the end of "The Effect of Ardent Spirits Upon Man," when he described the moral depravity and social ills caused by alcohol consumption.
How did the French doctors treat yellow fever?
Deveze's “French cure” used stimulants and quinine and is somewhat similar to today's treatments for yellow fever. People also soaked cloth in vinegar, carried twists of tobacco, fired rifles and smoked cigars, hoping the odors would overpower the “putrid miasma,” or bad air, that was thought to cause the disease.
Who was the scientist who wanted to assess the efficacy of bloodletting?
The tide turns. In Paris Dr Pierre Louis (1787–1872) was another scientific-minded physician who wanted to assess the efficacy of bloodletting. He examined the clinical course and outcomes of 77 patients with acute pneumonia taken from his own and hospital records.
Who was the first person to explain bloodletting?
Humors, Hippocrates , and Galen. To appreciate the rationale for bloodletting one must first understand the paradigm of disease 2300 years ago in the time of Hippocrates (~460–370 BC).
What is bloodletting done by?
Bloodletting was divided into a generalized method done by venesection and arteriotomy, and a localized method done by scarification with cupping and leeches. Venesection was the most common procedure and usually involved the median cubital vein at the elbow, but many different veins could be used.
How long has bloodletting been around?
With a history spanning at least 3000 years, bloodletting has only recently—in the late 19th century—been discredited as a treatment for most ailments. With a history spanning at least 3000 years, bloodletting has only recently—in the late 19th century—been discredited as a treatment for most ailments.
Why is a leech used in grafts?
The leech can help reduce venous congestion and prevent tissue necrosis. In this way it can be used in the postoperative care of skin grafts and reimplanted fingers, ears, and toes. Because of concern regarding secondary infections a “mechanical leech” has been developed at the University of Wisconsin.
How much blood did Charles II have?
When Charles II (1630–1685) suffered a seizure he was immediately treated with 16 ounces of bloodletting from the left arm followed by another 8 ounces from cupping. [ 6] . Then he endured a vigorous regimen of emetics, enemas, purgatives, and mustard plasters followed by more bleeding from the jugular veins.
What school was Rush Medical College in?
However, Rush Medical College in Chicago was named in his honor and gained its charter in 1837. At the Edinburgh School of Medicine Dr William Alison (1790–1859) and Dr Hughes Bennett (1812–1875) were a study in contrasts.
Where did Rush get his education?
Rush received his basic education at the academy in Nottingham, Maryland, which was run by his uncle. He later studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton College), where he trained as a physician. He was persuaded to obtain his doctorate in medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
Where was Benjamin Rush born?
The early years of Benjamin Rush. Benjamin Rush was born in Philadelphia on January 4, 1746. He came from a family of British immigrants. They arrived in the country less than a century earlier. His father died when he was just six years old. Nevertheless, his mother made sure he received an excellent liberal education.
How did Dr. Aztec make his laxative?
This was a strong laxative he made by mixing mercury and jalap, an ancient Aztec medicine. Then, he’d use the process of bloodletting. This meant cutting the patient and letting the blood flow out. He used this procedure on up to 100 patients per day.
What was Dr. John F. Kennedy's most famous book?
However, his most famous book was Medical Inquiries and Observations, Upon Diseases of the Mind. He wrote it in 1812. It’s believed to be the first book of the new continent to be written on psychiatry. Indeed, his interesting notes boosted this branch of medicine in America.
What was Dr. John Dewey's first work on the subject?
One of his first works on the subject was An Inquiry Into the Influence of Physical Causes Upon the Moral Faculty: in 1786.
Was Benjamin Rush a good physician?
Indeed, it was often successful in calming patients. We remember Benjamin Rush as a great physician and humanist. He was opposed to slavery and believed that respecting the rights of the individual was the basis of a successful society. In the spring of 1813, he contracted a fever and died five days later.
Where did Dr. King get his doctorate?
He was persuaded to obtain his doctorate in medicine at the University of Edinburgh. At the time, this was one of the most prestigious universities. He earned his medical degree there. During this period, he met some of the most important intellectuals of the time, including Benjamin Franklin.
Of Hydroxychloroquine and Bloodletting
If Dr. Fauci is our patron saint of infectious diseases, then Benjamin Rush was the Fauci of 18th-century America. Born in Philadelphia on Christmas Eve, 1745, Dr. Rush was a true Renaissance Man.
Refugees and spoiled coffee
In 1793, Philadelphia was a city upon a hill, sitting at the intersection of politics, culture, science, and commerce. A vital port town, it was flush with cash. With a booming economy, however, comes woeful caveats: poor sanitation, squalor, overcrowding, and a burgeoning social hierarchy.
Hamilton pens a letter
To advance their political and personal ambitions, party leaders took to the streets and ingratiated themselves with grassroots advocates. National parties found themselves embroiled in local conflicts, including the yellow fever epidemic.
Blood in the streets
As the disease ravaged the city, Rush went on his merry way, bleeding as many as 100 patients per day; and when I say “bleeding,” I mean really bleeding.
The pathologizing of blackness
Rush justified his request for assistance on the belief that Blacks were immune to yellow fever. This dubious claim gained steam in 1748 when a well-regarded physician named John Lining documented his observations of the Charleston, South Carolina, yellow fever outbreak.
1793 and beyond
Race-based medicine has not gone away. Despite increasing evidence suggesting otherwise, the assumption that race is a reliable proxy for genetic difference persists.