Little Egypt Heritage Articles Stories of Southern Illinois © Bill Oliver 28 November 2004 Vol 3 Issue: #36 ISBN: pending Osiyo, Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, Reading this week was prompted by a cartoon of a doctor commenting to a patient. The caption went something like: “I’m glad you came to me before I had to make a house call.” As the mind goes thoughts drifted to pioneer and frontier stories where things get a little stranger than fiction. We have a son who lives in San Diego, and he knows that I appreciate the ingenuity of people. We oft use the term “Yankee Ingenuity”, however, it certainly was, nor is, limited to them “Yankees”. I mention San Diego only because I’m proud of our son and family, and a tad more because San Diego was a home for Luman H Gaskill; storekeeper, banker, marshall, justice of the peace, dentist, and maybe, doctor. Not only did he practice multiple occupations, he was a versatile frontierman who kept records of everything he came across, from beef tenderizing to how to break a dog from sucking eggs. Medicine and its absence played a major part in building this country. The non-natives had to be hardy folk, loaded with gumption, grit and backbone in order to survive. And, as we all know it did begin with the first Euro Settlers in this country, for we just celebrated their “thanksgiving”. Scientists, such as archaeologists and anthropologists, have told us that there have always been “special” people who took on the “job” of healer. These Shaman, both men and women, quite often held compound or multiple roles, as healers, magicians, rulers and/or priests, in their society. We can for sure say that “we have come a long way, baby!” The field of medicine in primitive society probably knew how to splint but probably not set bones. They performed brain surgery, called trephination. Trephination was done by using stone instruments to bore or grind holes in the skull . A method, though improved, in Luke the Physician’s time. Fast forwarding to the 17th and 18th centuries, medical practice greatly improved. Professional societies were formed [at least in the large population centers] and the publishing of journals increased the sharing of research knowledge. There was William Harvey who mapped how blood circulated through the body. Anton van Lecuwenhoek used a microscope to discover and observe red blood cells, bacteria and protozoa. Thomas Sydenham developed treatment procedures that involved environmental considerations and preached, as well as practiced, detailed record keeping and observation. This was great for the city dweller. However, there were the pioneers, the farmers, the miners, ranchers, homemakers and mountaineers who were not in population centers. They had no national health plan. All these folks had to rely on was their native intelligence, robust constitutions, and maintain a high threshold of pain when dealing with ailments and injury. One can read of these pioneer folk leaving their city ailments to travel “west” to die. Only, often, they didn’t die. The rugged life agreed with them. These tough, rough and resilient frontiers[wo]men survived mauling by wild animals, or like Jim Bridger, carried an arrowhead [or bullet] for years. In the case of Jim Bridger, the arrowhead was removed by none other than Marcus Whitman on Horse Creek in 1835. Women endoured unattended childbirth and later assisted their kin, serving as both doctor and nurse. Well, as I said, I like ingenuity . From Gaskill’s works, one finds how to measure the height of a tree [among many other things]. Walk away from the tree and at a distance, bend down and look through your knees. When you have walked far enough away that you can view the top of that tree you will know the height of that tree by measuring the distance you walked from it. Dr Gaskill’s log book contained these remedies [and some of his spelling]: For Choughs [sic], take one quart of strong vinegar. Add it to a large “mouth” bottle. Place three whole eggs [not breaking them]. When the vinegar has “eaten” them put in a pint of honey. Swallow whenever you feel a “tickle” in your throat. For canker sores, take 10 drops of creasoot [sic] in a glass of water. “Wash” [or gargle] with this three times a day. To speed the healing of fresh wounds, take some live coals on a shovel. Sprinkle some brown sugar on them. Let the smoke rise. Hold the wound over the smoke until it is “well smoked” and the pain will leave very soon. To cure an earache, roast an onion and take off the layers until the center will fit in the ear. Slip it in the ear as hot as posibal [sic]. To cure a fever and ague, take a grated nutmeg and some alum the size of a nutmeg. With these, simmer in a half pint of vinegar until it is disolved. Drink when the chill comes. Grandma Oliver used some of these home remedies. The one of hers that I’ve always liked best was for women’s iron supplement. Place nails in a glass of water. When there is rust in the water, drink it. e-la-di-e-das-di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) Wado, Bill -=- PostScript: = = = = http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html