Medical Education During The American Revolution

Society is always striving to advance in all areas of life. One specific field that is constantly improving is the medical field. Medicine provides the foundation of health for each society and played a key role during the American Revolution. Medical techniques and tools used during the American Revolution were beneficial to society because the education of physicians, amount of medication, surgical techniques, medical equipment, vaccinations, and hospitals all increased during this time period.

Educational opportunities were more readily available during this Revolutionary-era because more medical schools were established. To start off, Philadelphia was one of the first cities to invest in medical educational facilities. Soon after, New York followed in Philadelphia's footsteps by establishing more medical schools in the city, proving that a medical education became easier to get during the Revolution (Hosak). Additionally, Columbia College decided to add a medical institution to their campus (Hosak). Columbia College is a very prestigious school and for a school as elite as this one to establish and a medical school proves how important it was to properly educate medical students. Furthermore, the more medical schools available, the more the education of students will increase, which will lead to a better-educated

Surprisingly, teeth extractions helped with rheumatism, which is joint or muscle inflammation; intermittent fevers may be cured by extracting a tooth, and ulcers in the upper and lower jaw may be cured by teeth extractions (Wilbur 40). During this time period, many focused on the main injuries seen in battle, but not on something as small as tooth care. However, as time progressed and more health issues became prevalent, tooth care became a necessity and helped to solve many medical issues, such as