WHAT AILED SAM STONE'S INFANT SON?
No physician of eminence came to this country during the seventeenth century. Medicine was practiced either by clergymen, or the Colonial Governors; both, at best, were only partly trained as physicians.1 The pathetic letter below, exactly as written by the child's father, was sent to John Winthrop, the Younger (1606-1676). This letter is typical of those Winthrop often received from desperate parents who had no other source of medical advice for their children. Worthie Sir I am bold to write a few lines about our child. he is 23 weeks old, hath been somewhat ill 3 or 4 weeks, unquiet, his eyes looking yellow, having a cough, especially when he takes his vistuals. wee thought he might have been breeding teeth: but about a week past we peceived yt. [that] he had the yellow Jaundise. By Mrs. Hooker her advice we gave him Barbaric barke boyled in beer, wth saffron, twice a day, for two dayes together. & one time saffron alone. Also lice 2 or 3 times [once thought to be of therapeutic value in jaundice] & Tumerick twice. we hoped yt. the Jaundise had been cured: because he was sometimes more cheareful & had a better appetite, but the last Saterdaie at night he was very unquiet heavie & could not sleep & upon the Sabbath seemed to looke somewhat swart [flushed] in the face. In the afternoone we gave him about 3 quarters of a grain of your purging powder, which we had of Mrs. haynes which caused him to vomit twice or thrice, & to purge downwards thrice he slept well the night after & in the morning was somewhat unquiet again as before, wringing & winding back.