The Unsung Heroes of the Frontier–and a Giveaway

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The Unsung Heroes of the Frontier by Jill Dewhurst

Thank you for inviting me to be your guest!  Though now a historical Christian fiction author, my first profession was an RN in cardiac critical care.  Because of my nursing experience, medical subplots tend to find their way into my manuscripts.  Researching physician education in the United States during the westward has been enlightening.  When my husband studied to be a cardiologist, he invested fourteen years of post-secondary training between medical school, internship, residency, and fellowship. 

In 1820, however, only four medical schools had been established in the US:  Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania. 

All four are located on the northern Atlantic Coast, and most graduates never strayed far from these medical centers.  Those in the frontier who truly had an aptitude for healing and helping the hurting usually had neither the resources for the arduous and expensive journey east nor the connections to be accepted into one of the four prestigious medical schools. 

Photo Credit: By J.R. Penniman – Harvard University, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10300112

In lieu of formal academic training (only two years of classes, by the way!), prospective frontier doctors would apprentice under a practicing physician, both observing and assisting, all while immersing themselves in copious amounts of reading.  By necessity, their scope of practice was much broader than the academically trained doctors in the East, for they were often the only medical practitioners in their region.  These doctors would treat everyday ailments, as well as pulling teeth, delivering babies, setting broken bones, performing surgery, administering various herbal and mineral remedies, and sometimes caring for livestock and other veterinary patients.

These doctors were the unsung heroes of the frontier, for they would be on-call day and night, ready to travel several miles if necessary.  They willingly put themselves at risk during epidemics of cholera and influenza, tending the sick when no cure had yet been found.  By necessity, much of their apothecary treatments were made from herbs, roots, and bark native to their region with the knowledge of the collection and administration gleaned from the experience of the Native Americans in their area.

One example of a plant-based medicine frequently found in historical fiction is willow bark tea, a treatment for fevers and minor pain for over 4,000 years (first recorded use was during the Sumerian civilization, then later in Mesopotamia, China, and Ancient Greece).  In 1853, the isolated active compound was discovered to be acetylsalicylic acid, and the Bayer Company purchased the patent and mass produced it.  When you read of a patient receiving willow bark tea, think Aspirin.

In my Rugged Cross Ranch series, the Harvard-trained doctor in Prairie Hills invites one of the brothers on the ranch with an aptitude for medicine to train under him.  Watching Luke grow from an eager learner of veterinary medicine into a physician and surgeon made my author’s heart swell with pride.  Luke’s compassion does not dim his fortitude to make the right decision even when it is the hard decision.  He is intelligent and well-read with steady hands and neat stitches.  He has great skill in determining a patient’s diagnosis—well, unless that patient is his wife.  Then he is rendered utterly clueless.  (Referencing a humorous moment in Heidi’s Faith)

Meet Luke Hamilton in Julie’s Joy, the first book in my Rugged Cross Ranch series. 

Many of the homeopathic remedies we have today have their roots (pun intended) in generations of well-tried tradition.  The medical side of me is pleased that many of the most common remedies are now being included in well-constructed medical studies.  One of my personal go-to natural medicines is a blend of elderberry, echinacea, zinc, and Vitamin C to boost immunity during cold and flu season.  

Julie’s Joy

WHEN JULIE’S TENACIOUS JOY IS TESTED BY LIFE-SHATTERING TRAGEDY, HER INTENSE SORROW MIGHT LEAD HER TO UNEXPECTED LOVE.

Julie Peterson had been born into a family of faith and privilege, but when her dad decided to move his family West to homestead near his sister’s ranch in northeastern Oklahoma, disaster struck, leaving Julie a nine-year-old orphan.  Rescued and cared for by a migrating Kiowa village until her uncle found her years later, Julie has learned to find joy even when navigating the inherent challenges as a blind woman destined to remain unmarried.

Buck Matthews, the second oldest brother on the ranch, has given up dreams of a family, knowing no woman would accept his heritage.  When Julie arrives on the ranch, their friendship reveals they have a great deal in common.  Would Julie be willing to accept his love?

When tragedy overwhelms Julie, will sorrow extinguish her joy forever or will her faith in her loving Father lead to hope?  Follow God’s sovereign hand through this story of faith, family, and redeeming love and be inspired to trust the One who loves us all unconditionally.

Julie’s Joy on Amazon

What is one of your favorite natural remedies?  Was it recommended by a friend or passed down through your family?  Be sure to chime in!  I’d love to meet you! You’ll be entered in a drawing for an autographed copy of Julie’s Joy and a $10 Amazon gift card to one winner.

About Jill:

Jill Dewhurst’s is a Selah Award Bronze Medalist, Christian Author Award Winner, Will Rogers Medallion Award Gold Medal Winner, and bestselling author of historical Christian fiction, Jill Dewhurst writes novels that seamlessly weave a page-turning story with the truth of God’s unconditional love. With her varied experience as an RN, a musician, and a homeschool mom, Jill creatively weaves a part of herself into each story.  When not writing, she enjoys playing her flute and thanking God for the hubby who lassoed her heart for keeps. Publishing her Rugged Cross Ranch series has been a dream come true.  http://www.jilldewhurst.com 

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86 thoughts on “The Unsung Heroes of the Frontier–and a Giveaway”

  2. The homeopathic remedies Arnica Montana for bumps/bruises/sprains/etc. and Urtica Urens unguent for burns (it works faster and lasts longer than Aloe Vera). Both come in pellet or tablet form for oral consumption. Arnica is now available in topical forms, too (sprays, creams, lotions…)

  3. I always told that chicken soup and saltines are the way for sicknesses and Epsom Salt Baths to help relax the muscles! Also peppermints help upset tummies.

    • Yes, I have used all of these at one time or another. Ginger ale (a bit flat) can also be helpful for upset stomachs. Ginger can also help prevent nausea and motion sickness.

  4. I use honey for anything sinus related. My great uncle was a medicine man I have no idea what he used (roots he boiled over the fire), but I know he saved my father from dying with scarlet fever.

    • Honey (especially local honey) is so helpful for allergy-induced congestion, too. What a blessing your great uncle knew how to treat your father! The Native Americans and the settlers of the frontier West were well-versed in natural remedies out of necessity.

    • Yes! Fisherman’s Friend (a lozenge with menthol and eucalyptus) has come to the rescue more than once when my youngest son had to sing for competition while congested. It’s strong, but it does the trick!

  6. I keep an Aloe plant to use the juice from a cut piece to put on minor burns. This idea was not handed down in my family, but I think I read about it and gave it a try. It works good.

  7. My Grandma was born in 1905 she had many natural remedies that were used on us all the time – salt water rinses were common after brushing teeth with baking soda is one I really remember – no toothpaste in her house!!

  8. I discovered I was allergic to mesquite blossoms when I moved to New Mexico to attend college. That was strange since I was from Arizona, and we have mesquite there too. Anyway, one day in one of my art classes, ceramics, I was attempting to throw a pot, sitting at the wheel with my nose running, etc. – not a pretty sight! One of the older women in the class, who incidentally ran a nearby ranch, told me to find a local beekeeper and use the honey in any way that I normally used a sweetener, i.e., in my coffee, oatmeal, wherever I could and as often as possible, She said it might not work right away, but it would eventually help build up my immunity to the mesquite. It did help quickly, and I haven’t had that problem since. She started me on the road to herbalism and natural remedies.

    • What a wonderful story! Local honey can be so helpful! When my oldest son was undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia (He’s a survivor now!), his allergies to pollen led to recurrent sinus infections. (He had no immune system to help.) One of the nurses recommended local honey, and I gave him a teaspoon every day. What a difference that made!

  9. I learned a lot about herbs and medicine from my great-grandmother, born in 1895 here in SW Missouri. The old homeplace had a herb garden near the smoke house and the chicken coop. I have always practiced growing herbs and using natural remedies, especially the mint family. In days long gone, I would go pick the young poke weed in the spring, it was more pungent than spinach, but add a bit of vinegar and it was delicious.

    • Mint and peppermint have so many helpful uses–from headaches to coughs to upset stomach. In my current manuscript (Clara’s Courage), the doctor uses peppermint oil in boiling water (for steam) to treat a lingering bronchitis cough. Though we now have concentrated bronchodilators that work much more effectively in acute situations, the doctors on the frontier understood how to use what they had. The peppermint in boiling water would be similar to using Vick’s Vapor Rub today.

  10. Years ago, I read the Foxfire series which is Appalachian history from interviews. While I didn’t read all 12, they contained self sufficiently like making soap, edible pants, herbal medicine. I never true the medicine part. But it was very interesting reading. It’s my understanding the books are still available for purchase.

  11. Thank you for sharing such interesting history! My G-Grandfather graduated from medical school (Baylor) in 1905. At that time, it was a two year program for the academic part. I grew up using and still do a warm salty water gargle for sore throat or mouth issues.

    • Wow! Your great-grandfather would have been one of the first graduates, for the University of Dallas Medical Department (founded in 1900) became affiliated with Baylor University and changed the name to Baylor College of Medicine in 1903. Warm salt water gargles and swishes are still recommended by dentists, for when my youngest son had his wisdom teeth removed two weeks ago, his oral surgeon ordered warm salt water swishes twice a day to promote healing and prevent infection.

  12. I have used aloe but am hesitant to use some unless I am sure it will be OK. When I was young, my mother decided to use a home remedy for my eczema. It got rid of the eczema but also all the skin and I had to go in for emergency treatment. I did not know that about willow bark.

  13. When I get a cold, I also take to sambucus and Oscillococcinum. They contain Euchinatia and elderberry. We also consume vitamin c in our vitamins.

  14. .Gargle with warm salty water for a sore throat. Use a mixture of whiskey, honey and lemon juice for a cough. Your books sound very interesting, can’t wait to read them.

  15. Well, growing up in the 70’s and 80’s with type 1 diabetes, I can’t say that we used much in the way of “natural” remedies. Myself with 3 siblings used good old soap and water for all those cuts and scrapes.
    One of my sons had really bad allergies that affected his eyes mostly. They’d crust over at night even. So, we washed the crusties away with a warm washcloth. When the itching was bad we used a cool washcloth over his eyes. Try to get a ADHD kid to settle doesn’t work to well until he can’t stand the itching. lol
    My stepson was also ADHD but not medicated for the summer. (long story there) So, we tries to keep him bust with books and games. When that wasn’t helping, we’d give him coffee or diet cola- caffeine! Worked every time.

    • Bless your heart! When I was a nursing student in the early 90s, learning the short-acting, intermediate acting, and NPH insulins with the very complicated exchange diet gave me sympathy for any T1D. My youngest son was diagnosed with T1D at age 4, but diabetic life is much less overwhelming since he started on an insulin pump 6 months later. Now he is on a closed-loop system with a CGM, and I can sleep well knowing he won’t have any critical lows overnight. My oldest has ADHD, and 5-HTP (hydroxytryptophan – the precursor to serotonin in the brain) made a huge difference for him, but every child is different, and I’m thankful you found something that works for your stepson.

  16. My mom always had us to gargle warm salt water for our sore throats but I now rely on honey & lemon juice. A coworker gave me an aloe plant that’s great for all of the burns I get while cooking, and I’ve recently learned the benefits of elderberry!

  18. I have been using a honey, lemon mixture for a very long time. Soothing and effective for a cough, cold and sore throat.

  19. As a child, I played outside a lot and always got ant stings. My Grandmother would put Bluing on it or baking soda. Can you even get Bluing anymore/

    • I’ve heard of using baking soda to neutralize the acid in the ant venom, but I’ve never heard of using bluing. Laundry bluing is nearly obsolete today. It was used to whiten fabrics by adding a tiny bit of blue dye to remove the yellow tint (similar to the way some use blue or purple shampoo to eliminate the yellow hue and brighten white hair). With the advancement in color-fast fabric dyes and better laundry detergents, the need for bluing no longer exists.

  20. I read that fresh pineapple promotes healing, so when I had hip surgery, I ate plenty of fresh pineapple since I like it anyway. The doctors were amazed at how quickly I progressed. I never used a walker once I came home and went straight to a cane. Even today, it doesn’t slow me down.

    • Some research suggests eating fresh pineapple after surgery because it is high in bromelain (an enzyme that reduces swelling and inflammation) and Vitamin C (which speeds tissue repair and boosts the immune system). I’m thrilled you experienced a beneficial result!

  21. my dad always said a caldo de pollo (Mexican chicken soup) would fix a cold, so whenever I am feeling sick or someone in the family is its my go to remedy along with plenty of Chamomile tea with honey.

    • I’ve never had caldo de pollo, but I’ve eaten and served many a bowl of chicken soup for colds. Chamomile tea is not only soothing before bedtime, but chamomile has natural anti-inflammatory properties that ease that “every joint in my body hurts” feeling with viruses like colds and flu.

  22. We always used honey and whiskey for cough and also baking soda and salt to brush your teeth with if they were stained.

  24. After I had my bowel surgery and cyst removal from my ovary, the librarian that I worked with gave me a rice bag which I heat up in the microwave and place on the area of my body that is hurting.

  26. I had croup when I was young, about five or six. My uncle came over and heard me coughing, and told Mom I needed some Old Man Boston Rock and Rye mixed with honey and lemon juice. Since he knew my Mom would NEVER go to the liquor store, he went and bought some for me. He told Mom how much to mix of each ingredient, and Mom fixed some. That stopped my cough, at least enough for the whole house to get some sleep!! That became the go-to whenever I’d get a cough, as it usually worked a lot better than the prescription stuff did!

  27. My Mom always made us an onion syrup for the coughs we had when we was little an onion, chopped and put sugar over it to let it seep into a syrup I have also done this for my children when they was little now my daughters do this for their young children Have a Blessed Weekend your book sounds amazing!

    • I’d never heard of an onion and sugar syrup, but I read that the mixture will not only sooth coughs and sore throats, but also work as an expectorant to help the lungs expel phlegm. How interesting!

  29. Although elderberries grew wild where I grew up, we were one of the only families in the area who did anything with them. We ate lots of them in pies and jelly and fresh but never too many at one time. I never knew they were supposed to have so many medicinal benefits.

    Gargling warm salt water and honey in warm lemonade have always been go to remedy’s for sore throats in my family. I also use horehound leaves in hot water or warm lemonade for coughs. ( I have horehound in my herb garden )

    • Elderberry is definitely a go-to in our home during cold and flu season. I’ve used both the gummies and hot elderberry tea.

      I had never heard of horehound leaves, so I did a bit of research. It’s in the mint family. Mint and peppermint have been used to treat several ailments–headaches, respiratory congestion, and upset stomach among them.

  30. I heard somewhere that if you’re feeling carsick, you should peel and sniff an orange!

    Also, eating ginger for seasickness

    • Motion sickness is my nemesis. Many years ago, Mythbusters did an episode on nausea medicines, and ginger won. Ever since, I take ginger before a flight, long car ride, or cruise, and it has worked beautifully. Another trick I’ve found is an over-the-counter menthol nasal inhaler (like Vicks) when the waves or turbulence get rough. I haven’t heard about using an orange, but I wonder if the strong scent is the key. Besides, they are quite yummy to eat, and we have an abundance of them in Florida.

  31. Pour or have someone pour a little hydrogen peroxide in your ear to end ear wax buildup. The wax will loosen and follow out naturally now-tips needed. Yes it’s cold and tingles but it works. My grandma’s tip and my mom used it with me. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.

  33. I know when I was a child, my Mom’s family always said when I had a cold with a bad cough to give me whiskey and honey. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.

    • A few have commented with that combination. I usually use honey and lemon juice with hot water. Honey is a wonderful natural remedy for coughs, sore throats, and allergies.

  34. For a sore throat we’ve always gargled with warm salt water, but I’ve also noticed that a spoonful of apple cider vinegar usually helps, too.

  35. It’s not medical, but when a baby/toddler starts coughing (not choking) my grandma would lift up their arm. Usually they stop and look at you funny, lol!

  37. Hi, Your book sounds like a great read, Thank you for sharing about it. A remedy for a sore throat would be a spoonful of honey with a twist of lime in it . My parents would also make us a spearmint tea for upset stomachs , these remedies passed down by my parents did the trick for sore throats and for upset stomachs. Have a Great weekend.

    • I guess honey with lime would accomplish the same thing as honey with lemon, though the idea of lime makes my mouth pucker. ? As part of the mint family, spearmint tea would be a great choice for an upset stomach, though I personally prefer peppermint. ?

  38. Tea with honey for when I have a cold. Wonderful for a sore throat. It is a remedy that my mom introduced me to that stuck.

    • Honey has definitely been a favorite with several of the commenters. I usually mix honey and lemon with hot water for “honey lemon tea” without the black tea. Odd, but it works.

  39. I really like using essential oils to help with pain. Peppermint often helps headaches, and lavendar is great for the skin. As long as they’re quality oils.

    • Both are such beautiful scents, too! When I’m in need of a deep night’s sleep, I’ll spray lavender essential oil on my pillow or roll a lavender sleep blend on my wrists.

  40. My MIL came over from Hungary. She always used chamomile tea for everything: sleeping aid/relaxation, upset stomach, menstrual cramps, diarrhea and gas.

    My mom gave us diluted 7Up and lemon juice for an upset stomach and chicken soup for a stuffed up nose.

    Lemon juice for shiny hair and lightening the color of your hair.

    • Chamomile tea is also an anti-inflammatory, and I’ve used it many times to relax just before bedtime. My mom used to give me flat ginger ale for an upset stomach and chicken noodle soup for a cold. She thought a steamy bowl of soup would cure just about anything. ?

  41. Here in Arizona we brew black tea and refrigerate for awhile then apply to a sunburn. The tannins bring out the toxins in the skin and the coldness is for soothing the skin.

    • Some of my college roommates with sunburns used wet teabags rather than the tea itself. They were adamant that it helped soothe their skin, but I always used aloe vera instead.

  42. I’m not sure how often it was used, but for earaches, my mother would put a few drops of warmed clove oil in the ear and a bit of cotton to keep it from draining out. The warm oil did make the ear feel better and the smell of the clove oil was wonderful.

  43. My grandma recommended: Honey? and lemon? for a sore throat. Honey?, lemon?, and whiskey for congestion. Apple cider vinegar for heartburn.

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