Medicine in the 1820s: Treating Malaria

Medicine in the early 19th-century hadn't changed much since the Dark Ages. Doctors treated the patient's symptoms not necessarily the illness. Some medical practices caused more harm than good. Our patriarch, Col. Benjamin Stephenson is thought to have been suffering from ague (aka malaria) in the fall of 1822. Dr. John Todd was his attending physician and may have treated Ben's illness in a variety of ways; some of which are featured here.

Intern, Eric Wallace conceived the idea of this video when he began working at the site in June 2021. After several months of research and collecting the correct historical paraphernalia, he was ready for filming to begin. The final product was worth all his hard work.

A big thank you to all of our wonderful actors (volunteers) for being willing to dress up and play pretend on camera. We couldn't do any of this without their unwavering dedication to the site.

Keep an eye open for our house mascot, Henry the House Mouse, who is hiding in plain sight. He's our "Easter Egg". Hint: he's a little stuffed brown field mouse.

Music provided through https://musopen.org
This music is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0 License.
Music: Beethoven Piano Sonata no. 12 in A-flat major, Op. 26,
Sonata No. 12 in A Flat Major, Op. 26 - III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Paul Pitman