Bleed, Blister and Purge: A History of Medicine on the American Frontier, by Volney Steele

Lewis and Clark treated fevers with pills called “thunderclappers”, a strong laxative. Mining camp “soiled doves” may have used opium as birth control. Pioneers sometimes applied fresh cow manure to snakebites.The are just a few of the remedies described in this volume. Dr. Steele brings a practicing physician’s life experiences and a masterful grasp of historical sources to bear on the story of doctors and medicine on the American frontier.