Abstract
Mainstream allopathy was supported by burgeoning scientific discovery, specifically Louis Pasteur’s Germ Theory. Once highly revered in public perspective, these remedies reached intense public scrutiny at the beginning of the 20th century. Modern chemical approaches used in conjunction with historical exhibits serve to enhance the variety of perspectives within the museum sphere. Here, these approaches were used to identify and quantify ingredients for three types of homeopathic remedies popular around the turn of the 20th century. Knowledge of these remedies’ ingredients can offer insights into the impact of politicization in the medical landscape during the this era. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to show that physician-administered Boericke&Tafel (B&T) and commercially-available Humphreys’ remedies were both primarily sugar based, but the former contained unique ingredients while the latter contained only apigenin. Munyon’s home remedies were shown to be papaya-based, with unique ingredients for specific ailments. ICP-MS analysis was also performed to show that B&T elemental-based samples were contaminated with lead. Our results address questions of validity and effectiveness that once confounded government officials to penalize the homeopaths despite positive patient testimonies. Were these governmental actions scientifically or politically motivated? Our Munyon’s analysis specifically refutes a century-old study that was used as evidence to dispute patient testimonies in a legal review. In effect, our scientific analysis can be used to assess contributions of alternative medicines to the influx of illness during this period, while also forming a lasting collaboration between the museum-sphere and STEM-based techniques.
Presenters
Elizabeth La FaveStudent, PhD Student, East Carolina University, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2022 Special Focus—Rethinking the Museum
KEYWORDS
Rethinking Exhibition, Scientific Perspectives in History, STEM-Communication, Rural Museum
