Life During the Revolution
Tyler Huang 1st Period
Even though a revolution was taking place, Colonists still had the everyday responsibilities, chores and tasks they always had.
Medicine and Health
Doctors
Most doctors during the revolution lacked experience and were only trained by apprenticeship. Most doctors could generally be divided into the three categories: Physicans, apothecaries and surgeons. Physicans primarily were the "elite" doctors, with degrees from universities and held formal training. Apothecaries and surgeons were often less knowledgeable and usually did not have any formal training like physicians.
In 18th century America, often more than not, a doctor would be actually be a "ship surgeon", a protoge of a surgeon, physican or an apothecary. They usually took on all three jobs, but were highly inexperienced in all three. They were thought to be sub-par from surgeons, apothecaries and physicans.
Diseases and Treatment
Diseases and Outbreaks
In the 17th century, before the age of modern medicine and proper hygiene, diseases ran rampant. There were outbreaks of Typhus, Influenza, Pneumonia,Tuberculosis, Cholera, Smallpox and Scarlet fever.
Treatment for Disease
Doctors would usually treat the victims of such diseases mentioned previously by using humors and tensions like leeches, bleeding, sweating and opium. There was a plethora of peculiar treatments but some other common methods other used were homeopathic treatments and herbal or botanical treatments.
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Food and Drink
Common Meals
Of course, meals varied greatly by region and not everybody ate the same things, but this is the general gist of what they ate every day. All of these meals are what the gentry ate.
Breakfast
A traditional colonial breakfast consisted of cornmeal mush and molasses, bread and milk or beer. The colonists woke up very early to do there rigorous daily tasks, so a hearty breakfast was very necessary.
Dinner
Dinner, as they called it, was the meal of the day. It was usually served in the early afternoon, with two courses. Stews were often served with meat, corn, turnips, potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables accompanied by bread. Dessert was served as the second course and was usually a cake.
Supper
Supper, the last meal of the day, was practially nonexistent to some and was primarily just a bedtime snack. Dishes served were leftovers from the day, gruel, cornmeal and an alcoholic drink like beer or cider to wash it all down.
Delicacies
Cool Extras!
Entertainment and Leisure
Pastimes
The opera was a very big activity along with puppet shows and other types of theater. Many people went to spas and people thought that spa water was therapeutic and nourishing. Balls, soirees and dances were very big, too. Some cheaper alternatives were playing cards, backgammon, chess, dominoes and other board games were popular. Many people gambled and went to the casinos. Reading was popular, but books were expensive so people joined libraries. And public executions drew large crowds, too.