The Wheel of Health and Wellness

I grew up in a family where folk medicine and second sight was not only a possibility but a reality. My mother was of Scotch-Irish descent and the ways of the Celts were strong in her. I learned early about poultice’s ability to draw out the “poison” from a wound and ginger tea for a stomachache. My mother had to argue her methods to the doctors many times, who thought it was just “wife’s tales” and superstitious. But the traditional beliefs of many cultures still remains strong, even in the U.S.

Luckily now the global perspective on alternative medicines, complimentary medicines, natural healing, etc. has changed and we have a wide range of therapies to choose from. Scientists are now learning that many folk medicines do in fact having healing properties. In fact, 85% of all medicines today are plant-based. It is from these folk remedies that our medicines have derived. This knowledge is passed down from generation to generation, usually from mother to daughter, and so on. And so it was with me. 

Starting around the early 80's, I went into the health field. I started out taking a nurse’s aid class, then after my children were older I went to college and earning an associate’s degree in medical assisting and later a bachelor of health services administration.  Given this love of medicine, both the old wisdom and the new as well as a belief in alternative and complimentary medicine, treatments, and therapies, I felt I would like to share them with others. 

Future posts will feature a discussion of  healing methods and modalities, and a review of how well they work. It will explore ten of the popular common healing methods, medicines, or modalities; what the current research says about them, what the people using them had to say about them as to whether they worked and where to find them.

A brief history of the unique form of medicine we have in America: 

Along with everything else, the colonists brought theories of medicine with them. These theories go back to the first school of medicine in Europe around the year 1000 A.D.  and had merged with other earlier beliefs, most notably from Hippocrates. But instead of being based on knowledge, were based on myths, beliefs, and rites. The scholars of the day theorized that everything in the Universe was made up of four basic elements, called “humors” and that the human body also corresponds with these “humors.” Consequently, they hypothesized that good health was dependent upon maintaining a proper balance and harmony between the humors, and that illnesses were caused from an imbalance in them (Starobinski, 1964). These beliefs spread across Europe and England, and eventually to the New World. Most physicians of the day practiced this humeral methodology, until the advancement of rational experimental foundations. Accordingly the practice of medicine in the colonial period was variable and primitive at best. But eventually, interaction between the pioneers and the native inhabitants, changes in theories about disease, and the shift to a scientific approach made significant contributions to the progression of medicine in colonial America. 

Also at that time medicine was considered a philosophy that could neither be proved nor disproved. In addition, as the Catholic Church forbade the clergy from practicing medicine, it fell into the hands of laymen. It was the Church’s belief that the body, being made in God’s image was sacred and should not be violated. Thus they also forbade physicians to practice surgeries, so the job of bleeding and surgeries became the occupation of barbers, who had, in ancient times, been medicine men who believed the hair on the head allowed both good and bad spirits to enter the body. Eventually these barber-surgeons pulled teeth, cut hair, and even removed gallstones without anesthesia The Church’s beliefs also hampered any experimentation with the human body, so little was known about the workings of the body.  By 1795, surgeons and barbers were split into two separate groups, and physicians became one of three distinct groups; physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries. This division worked well in England, but was impractical in America. In the colonies, life was hazardous; disease and sudden death were everyday occurrences. Additionally, physicians were scarce, had little training and treatment was rudimentary at best, barbaric at worst. With no credentials needed, many passed themselves off as doctors, but even the qualified ones had a limited amount of information and skills. For this reason, many colonists used home remedies, which were an admixture of astrological lore, “grandmothers” remedies, and many superstitious ingredients, along with a growing number of patent medicines. (Dary, 2008).

The accomplishments of medical science were part of this scientific revolution that furthered new ideas about nature and how science could benefit man. It gave thinkers confidence in the power of the mind, and this new critical spirit lead them to doubt the literal truth of the Bible and look at the workings of nature in new ways. (Perry, 1997). 

To understand how modern medicine in colonial America evolved into the science that it is today, one has to take into account the many distinct elements and ideas that were evolving and developing in the New World. The interactions of the colonists and the Native Americans, along with new ideas spurred on by experimentation and knowledge, evolved into the unique blending of older traditions, folk medicine, and scientific thought, which is Medicine today. these will be in order of effectiveness. While for many years, science had balked on going back to the “old ways” with their primitive remedies and folk medicines, there is increasing acceptance of them with many specialists incorporating them into their practices in order to treat people wholistically and not just as a disorder to be cured. 

Next week: Chapter One: Of old remedies, charms and “potions”

One of the oldest sources of nutrition and dietary codes was the Bible. From it we have obtained the knowledge  that simple foods were actually quite nutritious and healthy. These healing foods were considered the diet of the common people and consisted of foods such as apples, barley, lentils, whole grains and seeds. It is now well known that consuming whole grains and consuming fruits and vegetables are healthier than a rich diet of gravies, sauces, and heavy meats as the wealthier classes typical consumed in days gone by. Gout was one common problem that the rich classes had to contend with. So all in all, the simple diet of the common people was probably what kept them healthy. But they were known to have their potions, charms and remedies for the times when ill health did knock on their door. The elderly women of the village always had a concoction or two to help ward off “chilblains” or stirring up a salve to sooth the pains of arthritis. As we move fully into a new age, we have once again begun to realize the importance of some of the old wisdom that served our ancestors  for millenniums and incorporating them into our health care and lives.

I'll be posting more on the concept of “The Wheel of Wellness.” Hope to see you again! If you have a question or a comment or would like information on ad placement, email me-Marie

Source documents:

Dary, D. Frontier Medicine. From the Atlantic to the Pacific 1492-1941. (2008) New York, NY:  Borzoi Books. Pgs. 7, 18, 19, 28, 29, 30, 31, 106-107, 152-153. 247

Perry, M. (1997). Western Civilization. A Brief History. Vol. 2. From the 1400s. 3^rd Ed. Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co. Pgs. 288, 639-646, 662.

Starobinski, J. (1964) A History of Medicine. New York, NY:  Hawthorn Books, Inc. Pgs. 1, 12, 13, 43. 57. 68.