Stalking the Doctors of the Full Moon

A talk on the practice of medicine in the Blackstone Valley during the early American Industrial Revolution.

The American Industrial Revolution was evolving and growing at a frenetic pace along the Blackstone River in 1834, with dozens of textile mills fueling the new industrial economy.

Medical practices, however, had yet to advance into a scientific era.  Medical knowledge remained basically unchanged during the first half of the 19^th century.

In the Blackstone Valley, a small group of well-educated and respected doctors formed the Union Medical Association to share their knowledge and document their cases. The group met monthly in Mendon on the Monday following the full moon, and each member was compelled to prepare a report.

The medicine the doctors practiced was based on the Hippocratic humoral system, that the body fluids blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile, when out balance, caused illnesses. Treatment generally involved bleeding and purging. Nothing was known yet about infections and contagion.

More than 400 of the Association’s medical reports, dating from 1834 to 1845, were stored in a small wooden box and found in a corner of the Worcester District Medical Society.

Medical historian Sande Bishop compiled and analyzed the papers for her book, Stalking the Doctors of the Full Moon, a fascinating look at the practice of medicine before the scientific era.

Ms. Bishop and curator of the Worcester District Medical Society Dr. Dale Magee will discuss the book at a special presentation at the Samuel Slater Experience museum, 31 Ray Street, Webster, on Sunday, September 10, at 2 p.m. The event is free, but registration is requested. To register, go to the museum website www.samuelslaterexperience.org or Eventbrite.com.