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From plate 11 in John Bernard Basedow's
Elementarworke fur die Jugend und ihre Freunde

From plate 11 in John Bernard Basedow, Elementarworke fur die Jugend und ihre Freunde, Berlin, Germany, 1774.

Even though domestic, or home, medicine was often the first (and sometimes the only) choice for medical care in the eighteenth century, professional doctors were also available. Especially if the patient was wealthy or if the illness was more serious than usual, doctors were summoned. Both domestic and professional treatment took place in the home so the patient's family could assist with their care or other daily needs. Household members played a significant role in the medical care of their families.

This engraving appeared in a 1774 German children's primer titled Elementarworke fur die Jugend und ihre Freunde. The image shows a man in his sickbed, a doctor at his side, and family members looking on. The doctor seems to be taking the patient's pulse—an eighteenth-century method that is still used today. There was also very little diagnostic equipment available in the eighteenth century. Doctors determined a patient's condition based on what he could observe (note the chamberpot under the bed) and information from the patient.

Other details in the engraving reveal information about eighteenth-century daily life. The patient is wearing a night cap to help keep him warm while resting. The woman seated at the table is feeding her young child. The child is shown wearing a "pudding cap," a padded cap designed to protect a toddler's head while learning how to walk.


This article was written by Susan Pryor, Robin Kipps, Sharon Cotner, and Kris Dippre, interpreters at the Pasteur & Galt Apothecary at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.