Household Medicine

In 18th century America, nursing was part of a diverse web of healing knowledge and practices. Many of the objects used by medical practitioners were also used in domestic medicine – a pestle and mortar, for example, would have been a common sight in an early American kitchen, as women were well practiced in blending ingredients for both culinary and medical recipes. Any suitable household objects could be used for nursing the sick. Most Anglo-European women brought up in early America would have had a foundational knowledge of healing and nursing passed down from generation to generation. Medical care for routine illnesses and injuries formed a key part of most young women’s domestic education, usually learned from her mother alongside other forms of housewifery like cooking, sewing and washing. Recipe books like the one maintained by 18th century Philadelphian, Catharine Haines’ often included instructions for medical remedies right alongside culinary recipes. Click here to see all the materials in this section.