PEDIATRICS Vol. 45 No. 6 June 1970, pp. 944
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WHAT AILED SAM STONE'S INFANT SON?

T. E. C. Jr. M.D.

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.