02537cam a22003133u 4500 34038 UtSlPG 20260610133757.0 m cr n 260607r2010||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d 01019657 UtSlPG en iso639-1 R Alcott, William A. (William Andrus), 1798-1859 Forty Years in the Wilderness of Pills and Powders : Cogitations and Confessions of an Aged Physician Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2010 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 2010-10-05 Produced by David Edwards, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.) "Forty Years in the Wilderness of Pills and Powders" by William A. Alcott is an autobiographical account written in the mid-19th century. This work encapsulates the reflections and confessions of an aged physician as he recounts his long journey through the medical profession, shedding light on the misconceptions of healthcare practices of his time. The narrative is set against the backdrop of Alcott's formative years, where he critiques the use of medicinal treatments and the public’s blind adherence to the medical systems prevalent in his day. The opening of the narrative introduces readers to Alcott's early life in rural New England, where he describes a community rife with superstitions and a rudimentary understanding of education and medicine. He highlights the societal belief that certain ailments could be "physicked off," recounting childhood experiences that gradually drew him toward a career in medicine despite the challenges he faced. As he navigates stories of his first medical lessons, including the traumatic witnessing of his brother's accident, the misunderstood effects of common treatments, and the naive practices of local practitioners, it becomes evident that Alcott's journey is not only a personal confession but also a broader commentary on the evolution of medical knowledge and practices. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Medicine -- Anecdotes https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34038 74884 74884