Role of Colonial Apothecaries
Colonial apothecaries were what we think of as doctors. They treated patients, made and prescribed medicines, made house calls, and taught apprentices. Some even performed surgeries without anesthesia.
Apothecaries’ Duties and Tools
The Apothecaries’ Act of 1815 regulated apothecary-surgeons, requiring a 5-year apprenticeship and an exam before permitting them to practice. It is hoped education and experience made a difference, as medical theory of balancing the body by stimulant or depressant use had not improved much since the Middle Ages. Because of education distinctions, only physicians were referred to as Doctor while apothecaries and surgeons were Mister.
Apothecary Practices
Apothecaries learned through apprenticeships, some studied at medical schools. They used herbs, spices and sometimes surgery to heal. Apothecaries sold anchovies, toothbrushes, and tobacco. The main job was compounding and dispensing remedies prescribed by physicians while surgeons performed physical interventions from bloodletting to amputation. Apothecaries served a 5-year apprenticeship including hospital work while physicians acquired a medical degree but no clinical experience. Doctors were normally only seen for serious problems. By the mid-1500s, major branches of medicine had legally defined rights and duties based on knowledge, but in practice it was more complex.
How Apothecaries Provided Treatment
Colonial apothecaries treated patients, made medicines, made house calls, taught apprentices, and performed surgeries without anesthesia. The association between barbers and surgeons goes back to the early Middle Ages when clergy did surgery and medicine. Colonial apothecaries offered services now done by specialists, like surgeons and obstetricians. They sold drugs from a shopfront, catering to surgeons and customers. Their tools included surgical tools for surgeries without anesthesia and tooth extractors for dental work. They used alcohol or opiums for pain relief.
The 1815 Apothecaries Act regulated apothecary-surgeons, requiring a five-year apprenticeship and an exam before permitting them to practice. It is hoped education and experience made a difference, as medical theory had not improved since the Middle Ages. Because of education differences, only physicians were Doctors while apothecaries and surgeons were Mister.
Apothecaries learned through apprenticeships; some studied at medical schools. They used herbs, spices and sometimes surgery to heal. They also sold anchovies, toothbrushes and tobacco. Their main job was compounding and dispensing remedies prescribed by physicians while surgeons performed interventions from bloodletting to amputation. Apothecaries served a five-year apprenticeship including hospital work while physicians acquired a degree but no clinical experience. Doctors were normally only seen for serious problems. By the mid-1500s, medicine’s major branches had legally defined rights and duties based on knowledge, but in practice it was more complex.