Last month I wrote about Granby’s more recent doctors, William Dwyer to Alfred Weed. They were modern doctors who had learned the principles of germ theory. They understood that microscopic organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi cause disease. However, that knowledge was relatively new. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, doctors saw medicine differently.
Before microscopes became common, physicians followed two theories that Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, endorsed. The Humor Theory endorsed the body had four fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. If those four fluids stayed balanced, then a person would remain healthy. If not, then disease would follow. The Miasma Theory was that bad air and stagnated water would also cause disease.
Medical education was limited. Before 1765, there were no formal medical schools in the colonies. The first was founded in Philadelphia and later, medical schools opened at Harvard University in 1782, the University of Maryland in 1807 and Yale University in 1810. Even then, training often lasted only one or two years. Many future doctors learned through apprenticeships that could last up to seven years. Formal medical licenses did not exist.
Treatment methods could be harsh by today’s standards. Bloodletting was common. Doctors believed fever meant excessive blood, so leeches were used to help draw the blood. Patients sometimes fainted, and unfortunately some patients died from the procedure. One well known supporter of bloodletting was Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a physician during the Revolutionary War.
Not all remedies were so extreme. Home treatments included wild cherry bark for colds and clover to ease coughs. Doctors prescribed opium or morphine for pain. Mercury and arsenic were used as medicine as was alcohol. Treatments depended on each doctor’s personal beliefs and experiences.
Granby physicians were far and few between during the 18th and early 19th century. Most doctors had another job because the pay was not lucrative.
Samuel Higley, 1687-1737, lived in the Turkey Hills area of Simsbury and was active in the Salmon Brook Village. He taught school for three years and decided to become a physician. He apprenticed under Drs. Thomas Hooker and Samuel Mather of Hartford. How long he practiced medicine is not known as he became a blacksmith and ran a mining company. A man of many talents, he was known for making “Higley Coppers.” He died at sea in 1737.
Joseph Jewett, 1763 to 1812, received his medical knowledge from Dr. Theophillis Rogers in Norwich, according to Judge Maltbie. Recognizing there were too many doctors in Norwich, he decided to move north. Coming into the Salmon Brook Village, he heard cries from a man who had cut his foot chopping wood. Jewett took the man to his house and mended his wound. Jewett liked the area and the people, so he stayed and practiced medicine until he died in 1812.
Dr. Justin D. Wilcox, 1800 to 1871, quietly practiced medicine in West Granby. He was also the Postmaster of West Granby. He is buried in the West Granby Cemetery.
Dr. Jairus Case, 1802-1874, went to Yale medical School in 1822 and studied there for two years. He started his practice in Torringford, a section of Torrington, for eight years before moving to Granby. He was Granby’s main physician for years and one of the few people who did make money as a physician. Case became active in the town and was elected Judge of Probate.
Dr. George Edwards, 1837-1884, was a Civil War surgeon who learned much of his training through the war. During that conflict there were advances in medicine: instruments were sterilized, hospitals had ventilation improving air quality, faster transportation and ambulances to get the wounded off the battlefield and chloroform was used during amputations. Edward brought the knowledge that he received during the Civil War to his practice in Granby. He practiced in town for more than 15 years.
The history of medicine reflects a broader story of change. Early physicians worked with limited knowledge and tools, yet they served their communities with dedication. Over time, advances in science have transformed medical practice and improved survival rates. Today, medicine is built on scientific understanding rather than tradition. The journey from humor and miasma theory to germ theory shows just how far healthcare has come.
To learn more about doctors or medicine in Granby, become a member of the Salmon Brook Historical Society.