How did Pioneers take care of the sick?
Sick stomach: A concoction of a chicken by-product called ingluvin, manufactured from the lining of gizzards and chicken jelly, was used. It often made the patient throw-up. Other remedies were oak bark tea and a thin paste of one tablespoon of flour to a glass of water and plain baking soda for “gas” in the stomach.
Did people get sick on the Oregon Trail?
Three deadly diseases featured in The Oregon Trail – typhoid fever, cholera and dysentery– were caused by poor sanitation.
Did pioneers get malaria?
The first known case of the disease in America is believed to be after the arrival of explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492. Together with his crew, Columbus was infected with the disease during his voyage, although the malaria didn’t survive as the vector borne mosquitoes died off in the cold climate.
How did pioneers treat burns on their hands?
Burns that did not bUster were treated with whatever soothing ointment or salve was at hand. It was rubbed over the surface of the burn or scald and the affected parts were then wrapped with a clean cloth.
How did diseases spread on the Oregon Trail?
The other diseases that plagued those traveling on – or playing – The Oregon Trail were highly contagious infectious diseases. When an entire family was living in their Conestoga wagon for months at a time, disease spread very quickly.
What kind of Medicine did people use on the Oregon Trail?
Air particles from coughs and itchy lesions facilitated quick transmission in covered wagons. Pneumonias and other breathing complications sometimes followed, and the only “medicine” a doctor on the trail might have used back then was a hot cup of tea.
Where did cholera start on the Oregon Trail?
The cholera outbreak along the Oregon Trail was part of a worldwide pandemic which began in Bengal. Cities throughout the United States were struck, and the disease reached the overland emigrants by traveling up the Mississippi River from New Orleans.
How much food did people carry on the Oregon Trail?
While people could hunt game along the way and stock up at trading posts, they had to pack enough food to last the five to six months of their 2,170-mile journey. The typical wagon could hold 2000 pounds, and 1800 pounds of that was food.