Absurd treatment methods
There is more interesting information about medical practices in the Old West. As we know, many of these practitioners were not medical graduates. This resulted in the most absurd prescriptions.
Absurd treatment
An amusing example was a prescription for treating malaria: the patient was stripped naked so that his body would “cool down.” To speed up the process, cold water was used. It was believed that shivering was useful in treating patients with malaria.
Unscientific medical devices
We don’t need to explain why the Wild West context gave place to many quacks. People offering health services and claiming to be doctors were a reality in those days. And what kinds of things did they do? What instruments did they use?
Predictive medical devices
One of the most interesting devices was the pulse meter, a glass instrument used to measure pulse. The bubbles inside the pulsometer indicated the condition of patients.
