During the Antebellum period medicine was largely primitive and unsophisticated and unlike modern medicine today, much of the medical procedures doctors relied on then were unscientific. Many doctors at that time still followed primitive methods of curing illness, that dated back to medieval times. As examples, doctors still practiced procedures such as bloodletting, and herbal healing. Not only did these procedures not work, they also illustrated an inherent lack of medical knowledge and understanding of public health procedures. There was also no real public health system. Instead public health was said to be in the exclusive responsibility of private citizens instead of the government. This lack of attention to the spread of disease
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This unfortunate misconception also unfairly assigned the association of filth and disease with those who were poor and underprivileged.
The Cholera Epidemics of the 19th century clearly revealed a crises over immigration, ethnicity, poverty and class. Many blamed the underprivileged and impoverished as the root cause and spread of the disease without taking note of (now) commonly understood biological and sanitary factors. Today modern science can reveal the microbiological cause of cholera, but during the antebellum period, the spread of disease was blamed mostly and unfairly on the presumed behavioral shortcomings of underprivileged individuals instead of scientific facts.
Indeed many thought the rich and upper class were “ Immune to Cholera”, and that it was a disease of the poor. This assumption is evident in a quote from Dr. B George wood, a medical doctor who documented and frequently wrote about the Cholera …show more content…
As is evident in the quote above, GOD in his wisdom was the supposed cause and the agent of punishment for illness, not a slums unsanitary conditions (regardless, the responsibility of it’s inhabitants). In addition to ignoring and not understanding the consequences of unsanitary conditions, it is also evident that those who were underprivileged and impoverished suffered from religious prejudice and that those who lived in the slum were thought to be ‘outside the help of GOD’. These people were unfairly targeted and blamed by those with enlightened privilege.
During the antebellum period those of the immigrant lower class, were often targeted and blamed as the cause and spread of Cholera. , Immigrants who, came to the US in search of work and opportunity were often unfairly targeted and ostracized. Specifically during the Cholera epidemic, poor Irish and German immigrants who were forced to live in Slum neighborhoods, were thought be ‘disease ridden’ and ‘filthy people’ This rigid perception of immigrants is emphasized by a quote from Philip Hone, a former mayor of New
This unfortunate misconception also unfairly assigned the association of filth and disease with those who were poor and underprivileged.
The Cholera Epidemics of the 19th century clearly revealed a crises over immigration, ethnicity, poverty and class. Many blamed the underprivileged and impoverished as the root cause and spread of the disease without taking note of (now) commonly understood biological and sanitary factors. Today modern science can reveal the microbiological cause of cholera, but during the antebellum period, the spread of disease was blamed mostly and unfairly on the presumed behavioral shortcomings of underprivileged individuals instead of scientific facts.
Indeed many thought the rich and upper class were “ Immune to Cholera”, and that it was a disease of the poor. This assumption is evident in a quote from Dr. B George wood, a medical doctor who documented and frequently wrote about the Cholera …show more content…
As is evident in the quote above, GOD in his wisdom was the supposed cause and the agent of punishment for illness, not a slums unsanitary conditions (regardless, the responsibility of it’s inhabitants). In addition to ignoring and not understanding the consequences of unsanitary conditions, it is also evident that those who were underprivileged and impoverished suffered from religious prejudice and that those who lived in the slum were thought to be ‘outside the help of GOD’. These people were unfairly targeted and blamed by those with enlightened privilege.
During the antebellum period those of the immigrant lower class, were often targeted and blamed as the cause and spread of Cholera. , Immigrants who, came to the US in search of work and opportunity were often unfairly targeted and ostracized. Specifically during the Cholera epidemic, poor Irish and German immigrants who were forced to live in Slum neighborhoods, were thought be ‘disease ridden’ and ‘filthy people’ This rigid perception of immigrants is emphasized by a quote from Philip Hone, a former mayor of New