Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge ─ America's Medical Middle Ages

Riots over the medical use of cadavers. Public access to institutions for the insane. And full-blown surgeries without the aid of anesthetics or painkillers. Welcome to the middle ages of American medicine. Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge exposes the extraordinary practices and major players of American medical history, from the colonial era to the late 1800s. It's hard to believe that today's cutting-edge medicine originated from such crude beginnings, but this book reminds us to be grateful for today's medical care, while also raising the question: what current medical practices will be the horrors of tomorrow?

J. Marin Younker worked as a public librarian for thirteen years, book-talking in the schools, leading book groups, talking to teens, and managing teen collections. She earned a degree in History from Western Washington University, and now lives in the Seattle area with her family and animal menagerie.