Topic 4 - The Century Winds Down

Required reading:
"What It Was Like to be Sick in 1884," Charles E. Rosenberg, Essay 8, Flyover
"America's First Cocaine Epidemic," David F. Musto, Essay 9, Flyover
"BLS and Alice Hamilton: Pioneers in Industrial Health," William T. Moye, Essay 10, Flyover
"Closing the Book," Joseph Gustaitis, Essay 11, Flyover

Quiz:

"What It Was Like to be Sick in 1884"

1. What were the main items in a late 19th century physicians bag?
A. a stethoscope, a thermometer and syringes
B. surgical gloves, a mask, and sanitary wipes
C. pills, salves, powders, and placebos
D. a medical textbook, a prayer book, and a Bible

2. In 1884, what drug was used to soothe pain, allay diarrhea, and "help" heart conditions?
A, aspirin
B. placebos
C. opium
D. ether

3. What was the number one killer in 1884?
A. Yellow Fever
B. Cholera
C. Typhoid
D. Tuberculosis

4. What statement is most accurate regarding 19th century medicine?
A. No laws regulated the use of prescription drugs.
B. Drugs were strictly regulated by pharmacists.
C. Immigrants were barred from using prescribed drugs.
D. A strong movement developed to "just say no to drugs."

5. What best defines the hospital of the late 19th century?
A. exclusively for the upper class
B. a place for rest and recuperation
C. it was seen as a place to die
D. where the best minds met

6. No matter how long they practiced or how skilled they were, these individuals were inevitably regarded as kind of "a well-trained servant." Who were these 19th century people?
A. doctors
B. patients
C. administrators
D. nurses

7. What was a primary reason physicians hated the competition with druggists?
A. Patients would avoid doctors and go straight to the pharmacists.
B. Selling false prescriptions was legally wrong.
C. The druggists were better educated than doctors.
D. The druggists made more money than doctors.

"America's First Cocaine Epidemic"

8. Why did many late 19th century physicians prescribe cocaine to their patients?
A. to receive financial kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies
B. to better understand the human craving for illegal substances
C. to ignore the wisdom of Native American shamans in the West
D. to cure them of their cravings to either alcohol or opium

9. Who helped to keep cocaine legal in the early twentieth century?
A. doctors
B. drug companies
C. politicians
D. all of these

10. During what era did America's first cocaine epidemic occur?
A. World War II
B. the Vietnam War
C. the Great Depression
D. Growth of Big Business

11. For what was cocaine offered as a cure?
A. cancer, heart attacks, and tuberculosis
B. asthma, hay fever, and toothaches
C. athlete's foot, impotence, and scoliosis
D. mental illness and veneral disease

12. What initial role did the federal government play during the first cocaine epidemic?
A. The Pure Food and Drug Act required labelling of cocaine in any over-the-counter remedies.
B. Narcotics agents arrested and persecuted any one accused of selling or using cocaine.
C. The U.S. Congress passed a series of laws outlawing the distribution and sale of drugs.
D. Most federal officeholders used cocaine and ignored any legislation dealing with drugs.

"BLS and Alice Hamilton: Pioneers in Industrial Health"

13. What awakened Alice Hamilton to industrial poisoning?
A. after visiting European factories she discovered American workers were more likely to suffer from illnesses
B. while living at Hull House, she realized that undrained privies led to factory diseases
C. during her medical studies in Minneapolis, she saw immigrants succumbing to typhoid
D. at an international conference on diseases, she discovered no laws existed to stop factory filth

14. Why did American businesses have a difficult time combatting the hazards of industrial diseases?
A. immigrant workers created a stable, healthy work force
B. employers were unwilling to improve worker conditions
C. the government encouraged businesses to turn huge profits
D. little published information existed on workplace poisoning

15. What was a key obstacle that Alice Hamilton encountered in exposing industrial poisoning?
A. no support from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
B. death threats on her life
C. lack of reliable funding
D. language barriers with workers

16. What research technique did Alice Hamilton use in studying industrial poisoning?
A. "Suffrage movement"- pushing for women's roles in the factory system
B. "Oxford metaphysics"- investigating underlying causes for London worker diseases
C. "Statistical diseases"- comparing worker illnesses over the centuries
D. "Shoeleather epidemiology"- adopting different methods of investigation

17. Where did Alice Hamilton combine her research interests with social concerns?
A. Hull Houce in Chicago
B. International Congress on Occupational Diseases
C. University of Michigan
D. Fort Wayne, Indiana

18. Who were the "canaries"?
A. birds brought into coal mines that checked for leaks
B. those workers who blew the whistle on industrial diseases
C. social workers who reported unsafe conditions to the state
D. orange and yellow stained men from munition plants

19. What present day organization has direct links to Alice Hamilton's lifetime work?
A. Tennessee Valley Authority
B. Social Security Insurance
C. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
D. Pure Food and Drug Administration

"Closing the Book"

20. What contributed to the rise of the popularity of the Sears and Roebuck Catalog?
A. Richard Henry Sears' winning personality
B. The introduction of Rural Free Delivery (RFD)
C. The rising numbers of country peddlers
D. Rural folks disdain for general stores

21. How did Richard Henry Sears get his business start?
A. opening a merchandise store in Chicago
B. teaming with his brother-in-law Alvah Roebuck
C. selling pocket watches
D. repairing grain elevators

22. The Sears and Roebuck catalog was also known as:
A. "Richard & Alvah's Dream Book" and "The Immigrant's Torah"
B. "General Stores R Not Us" and "All the Goods Fit to Sell"
C. "Chicago's Merchandise Mecca" and "Warding Off Montgomery"
D. "The Farmer's Bible" and "The Nation's Wish Book"

23. How is the Sears and Roebuck Catalog a time machine?
A. it shows the decadence of a by-gone era of consumer items
B. it reveals that the "good old days" were truly wonderful
C. it shows that Americans would rather produce than consume
D. it reveals not only how America was but how it has changed

A: Nearly all women in the U.S. subscribed to the 'only good body is a corseted body' notion of fashion through the nineteenth century. Read this article, 'Fighting the Corsetless Evil': Shaping Corsets and Culture, 1900-1930; Journal of Social History, by Jill Fields for a brief history of the corset and how it eventually went the way of the dodo. What was the purpose of wearing a corset? What happened to women who chose not to wear them? When did the corset finally fall from favor? What other forms of women's fashion does the author mention that kept women from freedom of movement? What types of clothing are in fashion today that are restrictive or painful to wear?

 

 

B: Advertising came of age at the end of the nineteenth century, and became an art form in the twentieth. And, one might say, thank goodness for that. After all, how would we know what we're missing in life if advertisers didn't tell us? Browse the Ad Exhibit from the University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana and consider the effects advertising has had on society for the last hundred years or so. How has advertising changed from the past? How does advertising illustrate our ideas about gender roles, acceptable social practices, the latest in gadgetry? What is it about advertisements that entice the potential customer? Do modern ads play on the same themes? Compare a modern advertisement to one you found on the site. What are the similarities and differences?

 

 

C: Medical science in the late nineteenth century wasn't quite up to our standards today, to say the least. Phrenology, the study of the structure of the skull to determine a patient's mental capacity and character, was quite popular. Get a quick diagnosis of any issues you may have with this interactive phrenology chart from Boston College.

Patent medicines were unregulated, and could contain anything from lots of alcohol to opiates. The University of Toledo library offers this brief overview of patent medicines in American history. You can see the claims made for Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound on this site created by the University of California, Los Angeles library. After reading the essay, "America's First Cocaine Epidemic," consider the unregulated world of 'medicine' in American history. What were some of the factors that enabled these dubious medicines to become so popular? Why would doctors recommend such concoctions? How could the manufacturers make the claims they did about their products? Have you ever used a home remedy for an ailment? Describe your experience.

 

 

D: Silicosis, a deadly lung disease caused when workers inhale fine particles of silica dust—a mineral found in sand, quartz, and granite—became a national cause célèbre during the Great Depression when it was recognized as a significant disease among lead, zinc, and silver miners, sandblasters, and foundry and tunnel workers. In 1938 the federal government declared silicosis AmericaÌs number one industrial health problem and Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins convened a National Silicosis Conference in Washington, D.C. Despite such attempts to deal with the silicosis crisis, workers continued to complain of their plight. Hundreds of letters were sent to federal officials from across the country. The three letters sent to Secretary Perkins included on the History Matters website attested to workers’ desperation and to their confidence that the government would agree to investigate.

Research how the government attempted to deal with silicosis. Did Alice Hamilton contribute into the investigation of this industrial disease? Finally, take on the role of Frances Perkins and reply to one of these worker's concerns.

 

 

E: The last decades of the nineteenth century saw the rise of the political boss and party machines in cities across America. Perhaps the best-known is William M. 'Boss' Tweed in New York City. Read this brief overview of his rise to power. Do some research on your own on two of the following bosses to learn more about their methods and what they did.

Richard Croker, Charles Murphy, New York
Frank Hague, New Jersey
Thomas J. Prendergast, Kansas City
James Curley, Boston
William Hale Thompson, Chicago
William Vare, Philadelphia
Abraham Ruef, San Francisco

What did your subjects have in common? What were some of the differences between them? What was the role of bosses in late nineteenth century America? Who did they serve? Why were the up-and-coming reformers so determined to remove them from power and reduce their influence? What was the eventual undoing of the boss system?

 

 

F: Compare and contrast- what it is like to be sick in 2004 and what was it like to be sick in 1884. Did (do) patients get well despite medical treatment? How has the relationship of physician and patient changed over the past 100 years? If new was considered better in the field of medical technology (and often it was not), what accounts for the average life expectancy not exceeding 45 years of age (in 1900) with new instruments and "increased knowledge"?