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Historical Bibliography Updated: September 16, 2019

The planter's and mariner's medical companion: treating, according to the most successful practice, I. The diseases common to warm climates and on ship board. II. Common cases in surgery, as fractures, dislocations, &c. &c. III. The complaints peculiar to women and children. To which are subjoined a dispensatory, shewing how to prepare and administer family medicines, and a glossary giving an explanation of technical terms.

Publication Details

Philadelphia: John Bioren, 1807 CE.

Ewell, then practicing in Savannah, Georgia, wrote this self-help book for southern residents, directing his book toward plantation owners. It was "the constant friend of a large number of slave-masters. In emergencies it was not uncommon for planters to sit with book in hand by the bedside of a sick Negro, look up the symptoms, compare the remedies and then administer the drug. Not infrequently their wives would minister to sick slaves" (Morais, The history of the Negro in medicine [1968]  16-17.),. The book underwent at least 11 editions, under different titles. Digital facsimile of the Baltimore, 1811 edition from the Internet Archive at this link.

Catalog MetadataReference Information
Entry Number#7049
Permanent Linkhttps://hom-sveltekit.fly.dev/entry/9216
External URLthe-planters-and-mariners-medical-companion-treating-according-to-the-most-successful-practice-i-the-diseases-common-to-warm-climates-and-on-ship-board-ii-common-cases-in-surgery-as-fractures-dislocations-c-c-iii-the-complains-peculiar-to-women-and-children-to-which-are-subjoined-a-dispensatory-shewing-how-to-prepare-and-administer-family-medicines-and-a-glossary-giving-an-explanation-of-technical-terms

Geographic Context

Publication place: Philadelphia

Mentioned in annotation: Baltimore, MD