Valentyna Kuryliak
Urgency of the research. The article presents the stages of formation of medicine and the health care system in the United States of America in the period from 1800 to 1850. It was stated that the then American medical system used bloodletting and the use of harmful drugs, they treated most diseases, which often led to the death of patients. However, the basis for the formation of a healthy lifestyle, which is now popular in the developed world, is partly due to the American health reformers.
Target setting. It is established that two events in America gave impetus to the attention of society to the state of medicine. The first is a congressional initiative to help the sick and disabled who served in the Navy. The second is the period of the Civil War, which became one of the most important stages in the development of new practices and training of American doctors. Numerous popular health movements took place in parallel with the changes at the state level. In the 1830s, dozens of reformers emerged in favor of change in medicine and nutrition. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the activities of American pioneers of the health care system is one of the most difficult tasks, especially in the presented stages of development of medicine and the health care system.
Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. The writing of the study took into account the work of researchers on healthy living in America, including some treatises of health reformers.
The research objective. The main purpose of the study is to present a general overview of the situation in the medical field and the formation of the health care system in the study period.
The statement of basic materials. It was found that the innovators offered alternative medicines and challenged traditional approaches, which caused a strong confrontation between official doctors. The performances of the advocates for a healthy lifestyle have received a common name – “People's Movement for Health”. The movement was found to be divided, as the advice of many reformers often differed greatly. However, in general, the following points can be distinguished: moderation in alcohol consumption, the need and benefits of exercise, reform in the field of nutrition, natural treatments and more.
Conclusions. Reformers have criticized American medicine at the time for excessive use of decoctions or pills, but this criticism was based in part on the ideas of the Second Great Awakening, which in turn called society to physical and spiritual purity.
Key words: health care, popular movements, healthy lifestyle, United States of America.
References
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