Disease in colonial America
Encyclopedia
Disease in colonial America was a very dangerous unknown entity with very few remedies at the beginning of Colonial America
. Throughout Colonial America many disease
s came, some deadly and others treatable but all had in common, that they were the first diseases that were seen by the new country. The most common way to purge one of any disease was blood letting. The method was crude due to the initial lack of knowledge about infection
and disease among medical practitioners. The diseases helped shape modern medicine and doctor
s, and allowed colonists to broaden their knowledge and experience with what was virtually unknown at the time.
s, churchmen, and educators administered medical care to the residents in their village or town. Each learned the art of medicine and healing through apprenticeship, learning from an instructor at a patient's bedside. He would help his instructor by doing various duties such as the housework. In Colonial America, there was no distinction between physician
s and surgeon
s; when an emergency occurred the person who was responsible for administering medical care was expected to handle all aspects of the problem. In some cases, there were families in which the practice of medicine was passed down through the generations. Because so many were "unqualified" in medicine and had only limited experience making a diagnosis, they were forced to rely on papers written by others or drugs. There were several noted physicians in Colonial America.
was an English Physician whose medical writings influenced American physicians like Thomas Thacher. Sydenham threw aside medical speculating, making him the first great modern clinical physician
. He wrote first hand accounts of diseases like malarial fever, gout
, dysentery
, and chorea. His separation of scarlatina from measles
was a medical breakthrough. His commonsense was found throughout Thomas Thacher's article based on his works.
was an outstanding Puritan
preacher and physician of his time. After coming to America at fifteen, Thacher received his early education under pastor Charles Chauncy
. Thomas Thacher's education was liberal, he learned Hebrew
, Arabic
, and "the elements of medicine". Thacher committed much of his time to the practice of medicine and was regarded by other colonists as a prominent physician in Boston
. Shortly before Thomas Thacher's death in 1677, he wrote a short article on smallpox and measles. It was the first medical paper written that was published in America. Although the article was only one page, it had great importance because it was an abbreviated portion of writings by Thomas Sydenham. The article was written to make colonists aware of the smallpox
epidemic in Boston at the time. Thacher's idea of broadcasting the article did not catch on; however, there was some endeavor to care for common illnesses.
was a deacon
in Boston, who came to America from England in 1632. While practicing medicine in Ipswich, Massachusetts
, Firmin became the first anatomical
lecturer in America. Firmin gave detailed lectures about dried bones stimulating an interest of the General Court
in 1647. The court recommended that his anatomical lectures be given at least once every four years. Nevertheless, like Thacher’s article broadcast it was not followed and anatomy went untaught.
was a physician who was in constant communication with England asking for advice on various medical topics. Winthrop realized the Colony needed trained doctors and received from a physician in England eight pages of notes on herb
s and their uses in curing diseases in 1643. Through these notes, Winthrop used the knowledge to advise the people in the Colony. He was untrained in medicine and had little experience in making a diagnosis relying a great deal on the notes from England. Winthrop's recommendations were for various ointments, nauseous remedies, cupping
, plasters and baths
. His practice was later taken over by his son.
, plague
, and yellow fever
.
Yellow Fever made its first appearance in America in 1668, in Philadelphia and New York
as well as Boston
in 1693 brought over from Barbados
. Throughout the Colonial period, there were several epidemics in those cities as well as Texas
, New Hampshire
, Florida
and up the Mississippi river
as far as St. Louis, Missouri
. During many of these epidemics, the residents who chose to stay in the area avoided others by shutting themselves in their houses away from friends and jobs. Unemployment and businesses coming to a halt was universal. The death rate was so high the people had to work day and night to bury the dead.
Colonists tried to prevent the spread of Smallpox by isolation and inoculation
. Inoculation was new to the country and very controversial among people because of the threat that the disease could become uncontrollable and spread. Introduced by Zabdiel Boylston
and Cotton Mather
in Boston in 1721. The procedure involved injecting the infection into the patient, which resulted in a mild form of the disease. This led to a shorter period a person had Smallpox than if they had contracted naturally.
s came to Colonial America.
lowlands for rice cultivation. The parasite found the Negro slaves as a reservoir for the infection of the mosquito. The mosquito then transmitted the parasite to other slaves and the white population, causing rapid development of highly malarious communities. The disease spread from Maryland
to Georgia
, Alabama
, and Florida, inland to Ohio
and Missouri
, and down the Gulf of Mexico
. As a result from this rapid spread, Malaria became established in Colonial America.
infections was first seen in 1845 Florida and 1850 Louisiana
. This disease is thought to have been introduced into Colonial America from the Eastern Hemisphere
, caused by a tropical parasite that was distributed throughout the moist soils of the southwest, from Virginia to Illinois
and down the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas. The Negro slaves were the carriers of the disease polluting the soil that they worked, depositing the parasitic eggs. As the eggs hatch, the parasite infects those near the soil where it lives.
is a treatable, preventable disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin B1. First seen in 1642 by the Dutch
physician Jacobus Bontius
, it was named for the Cingalese word meaning weakness-weakness. Beriberi is seen in two forms: wet and dry. When in the dry form the patient experience pains in their extremities, paresthesias, paralyses, and contracture
s due to being a paralytic type of disease. When beriberi is in its wet form the patient can expect swelling of the extremities and face along with an effusion of fluid into their joints, pleural cavity
, and pericardial cavity
. Beriberi in this form can lead to sudden death.
New England
fishermen first discovered the disease in Colonial America in the 19th century. There have been accounts that beriberi was seen in Jamestown
with people experiencing swellings and fluxes and high fevers as well as soldiers in the American Civil War
who experienced the same symptoms as the disease beriberi.
has a shorter duration then Typhoid but both cause bloody flux. These two diseases are deadly in their own right but when a person has both at the same time it is almost impossible to recover.
The Typhoid Fever causes a prolonged burning fever, is debilitating, and causes death more often than not. It occurs mostly in the hot months of the year but can flare up at any time. The first epidemic of the fever was located in Virginia
by Reverend Robert Hunt
after taking a voyage where Typhoid Fever transpired. Typhoid Fever was a huge component of military operations; because many soldiers would become afflicted with the disease the military had a shortage of men. More men died from Typhoid Fever than in action or from wounds.
For others not listed, see Colonial Diseases.
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
. Throughout Colonial America many disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s came, some deadly and others treatable but all had in common, that they were the first diseases that were seen by the new country. The most common way to purge one of any disease was blood letting. The method was crude due to the initial lack of knowledge about infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
and disease among medical practitioners. The diseases helped shape modern medicine and doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, and allowed colonists to broaden their knowledge and experience with what was virtually unknown at the time.
Physicians
In Colonial America, governorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
s, churchmen, and educators administered medical care to the residents in their village or town. Each learned the art of medicine and healing through apprenticeship, learning from an instructor at a patient's bedside. He would help his instructor by doing various duties such as the housework. In Colonial America, there was no distinction between physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s and surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s; when an emergency occurred the person who was responsible for administering medical care was expected to handle all aspects of the problem. In some cases, there were families in which the practice of medicine was passed down through the generations. Because so many were "unqualified" in medicine and had only limited experience making a diagnosis, they were forced to rely on papers written by others or drugs. There were several noted physicians in Colonial America.
Thomas Sydenham
Thomas SydenhamThomas Sydenham
Thomas Sydenham was an English physician. He was born at Wynford Eagle in Dorset, where his father was a gentleman of property. His brother was Colonel William Sydenham. Thomas fought for the Parliament throughout the English Civil War, and, at its end, resumed his medical studies at Oxford...
was an English Physician whose medical writings influenced American physicians like Thomas Thacher. Sydenham threw aside medical speculating, making him the first great modern clinical physician
Clinical Medicine
Clinical Medicine is a peer-reviewed medical journal published bimonthly by the Royal College of Physicians. It was established in 1966 as the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London. It was doubly named between 1998 and 2000, and since 2001 it has appeared as Clinical Medicine. Its...
. He wrote first hand accounts of diseases like malarial fever, gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
, dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
, and chorea. His separation of scarlatina from measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
was a medical breakthrough. His commonsense was found throughout Thomas Thacher's article based on his works.
Thomas Thacher
Thomas ThacherThomas Thacher
Thomas Thacher was a descendant of the Rev. Peter Thacher, the rector of St. Edmonds, Salisbury, England; and of his son, Thomas Thacher, who came to America in 1635, settled in Salem, Massachusetts, and later became the first minister of the Old South Church in Boston. His father, Thomas Anthony...
was an outstanding Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
preacher and physician of his time. After coming to America at fifteen, Thacher received his early education under pastor Charles Chauncy
Charles Chauncy
Charles Chauncy was an Anglo-American clergyman and educator.He was born at Yardleybury , Hertfordshire, England and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he later was a lecturer in Greek. After serving as a pastor in England at Marston St. Lawrence, Northamptonshire , he emigrated to...
. Thomas Thacher's education was liberal, he learned Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and "the elements of medicine". Thacher committed much of his time to the practice of medicine and was regarded by other colonists as a prominent physician in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Shortly before Thomas Thacher's death in 1677, he wrote a short article on smallpox and measles. It was the first medical paper written that was published in America. Although the article was only one page, it had great importance because it was an abbreviated portion of writings by Thomas Sydenham. The article was written to make colonists aware of the smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic in Boston at the time. Thacher's idea of broadcasting the article did not catch on; however, there was some endeavor to care for common illnesses.
Giles Firmin
Giles FirminGiles Firmin
Giles Firmin was an English minister and physician, deacon in the first church in Massachusetts of John Cotton, and ejected minister in 1662.-Life:...
was a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in Boston, who came to America from England in 1632. While practicing medicine in Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
, Firmin became the first anatomical
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
lecturer in America. Firmin gave detailed lectures about dried bones stimulating an interest of the General Court
General Court
The General Court is the shorthand name for the:* General Court * New Hampshire General Court* Massachusetts General CourtThis term also formally applied to the:* Vermont General Assembly, formerly the Vermont General Court...
in 1647. The court recommended that his anatomical lectures be given at least once every four years. Nevertheless, like Thacher’s article broadcast it was not followed and anatomy went untaught.
John Winthrop
John WinthropJohn Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
was a physician who was in constant communication with England asking for advice on various medical topics. Winthrop realized the Colony needed trained doctors and received from a physician in England eight pages of notes on herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s and their uses in curing diseases in 1643. Through these notes, Winthrop used the knowledge to advise the people in the Colony. He was untrained in medicine and had little experience in making a diagnosis relying a great deal on the notes from England. Winthrop's recommendations were for various ointments, nauseous remedies, cupping
Fire cupping
Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin; practitioners believe this mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing. Suction is created using heat or mechanical devices...
, plasters and baths
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....
. His practice was later taken over by his son.
Epidemic of Diseases
Epidemics of many diseases were repented during the colonial times. Particularly SmallpoxSmallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
, and yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
.
Yellow Fever
Yellow Fever was a disease that caused thousands of deaths and many people to flee the afflicted areas. It begins with a headache, backache, and fever making the patient extremely sick from the start, and gets its name from the yellow color of the skin, which develops in the third day of the illness. At the end of one week, the afflicted person is either dead or recovering. Yellow Fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, when it bites an infected person it carries several thousand infective doses of the disease making it a carrier for life passing it from human to human.Yellow Fever made its first appearance in America in 1668, in Philadelphia and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as well as Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1693 brought over from Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. Throughout the Colonial period, there were several epidemics in those cities as well as Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and up the Mississippi river
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
as far as St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. During many of these epidemics, the residents who chose to stay in the area avoided others by shutting themselves in their houses away from friends and jobs. Unemployment and businesses coming to a halt was universal. The death rate was so high the people had to work day and night to bury the dead.
Smallpox
Smallpox is caused by the variola virus and is extremely contagious; it deforms the victims with hideous scars made when the disease pits the skin grotesquely. Smallpox is contagious from the first onset of symptoms to the last scab four weeks later. Smallpox is spread by physical contact and affects children and adults alike. The epidemics of the disease were recurrent, devastating, and frequent.Colonists tried to prevent the spread of Smallpox by isolation and inoculation
Inoculation
Inoculation is the placement of something that will grow or reproduce, and is most commonly used in respect of the introduction of a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into the body of a human or animal, especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease...
. Inoculation was new to the country and very controversial among people because of the threat that the disease could become uncontrollable and spread. Introduced by Zabdiel Boylston
Zabdiel Boylston
Zabdiel Boylston, FRS was a physician in the Boston area. He apprenticed with his father, an English surgeon named Thomas Boylston. He also studied under the Boston physician Dr...
and Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather, FRS was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister, prolific author and pamphleteer; he is often remembered for his role in the Salem witch trials...
in Boston in 1721. The procedure involved injecting the infection into the patient, which resulted in a mild form of the disease. This led to a shorter period a person had Smallpox than if they had contracted naturally.
Other Colonial Diseases
Although Yellow Fever and Smallpox were two very destructive diseases that affected Colonial America, many other diseases affected the area during this time. During the early days of the colonial settlement, people brought with them contagious diseases. After the importation of African slaves, more serious parasitic diseaseParasitic disease
A parasitic disease is an infectious disease caused or transmitted by a parasite. Many parasites do not cause diseases. Parasitic diseases can affect practically all living organisms, including plants and mammals...
s came to Colonial America.
Malaria
This disease is a parasite that is found in mosquitoes, which bred more rapidly as virgin soil was broken in the CarolinaThe Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
lowlands for rice cultivation. The parasite found the Negro slaves as a reservoir for the infection of the mosquito. The mosquito then transmitted the parasite to other slaves and the white population, causing rapid development of highly malarious communities. The disease spread from Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, and Florida, inland to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and down the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. As a result from this rapid spread, Malaria became established in Colonial America.
Hookworm infection
The HookwormHookworm
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...
infections was first seen in 1845 Florida and 1850 Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. This disease is thought to have been introduced into Colonial America from the Eastern Hemisphere
Eastern Hemisphere
The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
, caused by a tropical parasite that was distributed throughout the moist soils of the southwest, from Virginia to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and down the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas. The Negro slaves were the carriers of the disease polluting the soil that they worked, depositing the parasitic eggs. As the eggs hatch, the parasite infects those near the soil where it lives.
Beriberi
Unlike some diseases, beriberiBeriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
is a treatable, preventable disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin B1. First seen in 1642 by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
physician Jacobus Bontius
Jacobus Bontius
Jacobus Bontius was a Dutch physician, a pioneer of tropical medicine. He is known for the four-volume work De medicina Indorum.-Life:...
, it was named for the Cingalese word meaning weakness-weakness. Beriberi is seen in two forms: wet and dry. When in the dry form the patient experience pains in their extremities, paresthesias, paralyses, and contracture
Contracture
A muscle contracture is a permanent shortening of a muscle or joint.. It is usually in response to prolonged hypertonic spasticity in a concentrated muscle area, such as is seen in the tightest muscles of people with conditions like spastic cerebral palsy....
s due to being a paralytic type of disease. When beriberi is in its wet form the patient can expect swelling of the extremities and face along with an effusion of fluid into their joints, pleural cavity
Pleural cavity
In human anatomy, the pleural cavity is the potential space between the two pleura of the lungs. The pleura is a serous membrane which folds back onto itself to form a two-layered, membrane structure. The thin space between the two pleural layers is known as the pleural cavity; it normally...
, and pericardial cavity
Pericardial cavity
The pericardial cavity is a potential space between the parietal pericardium and visceral layer. It contains a supply of serous fluid. The serous fluid that is found in this space is known as the pericardial fluid....
. Beriberi in this form can lead to sudden death.
New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
fishermen first discovered the disease in Colonial America in the 19th century. There have been accounts that beriberi was seen in Jamestown
Jamestown
-Saint Kitts and Nevis:*Jamestown, the name of a former town on the edge of Morton Bay on Nevis in the late 17th century-United Kingdom:*Jamestown, Rossshire, Scotland*Jamestown, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland*Jamestown, Fife, Scotland...
with people experiencing swellings and fluxes and high fevers as well as soldiers in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
who experienced the same symptoms as the disease beriberi.
Typhoid and dysentery
Acute Bacillary dysenteryBacillary dysentery
Bacillary dysentery is a type of dysentery, and is a severe form of shigellosis.Bacillary dysentery is associated with species of bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family. The term is usually restricted to Shigella infections....
has a shorter duration then Typhoid but both cause bloody flux. These two diseases are deadly in their own right but when a person has both at the same time it is almost impossible to recover.
The Typhoid Fever causes a prolonged burning fever, is debilitating, and causes death more often than not. It occurs mostly in the hot months of the year but can flare up at any time. The first epidemic of the fever was located in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
by Reverend Robert Hunt
Robert Hunt
Robert Hunt may refer to:* Robert Hunt , chaplain of the English expedition that founded Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607* Robert Hunt , English scientist in mineralogy and mining...
after taking a voyage where Typhoid Fever transpired. Typhoid Fever was a huge component of military operations; because many soldiers would become afflicted with the disease the military had a shortage of men. More men died from Typhoid Fever than in action or from wounds.
For others not listed, see Colonial Diseases.