Gold Rush medicine talk
Bob LaPerriere, a retired medical doctor and historian, will be sharing stories of the woes of immigrants traveling to California for the Gold Rush in a talk on May 8.
These adventurers were subjected to numerous devastating diseases at a time when doctors were unable to provide specific treatment and many of the doctors were really not doctors. Thousands died from various epidemics at a time in history when the most advanced medical treatment consisted of bleeding, cupping, puking, purging and the use of “drugs” such as mercury and arsenic.
LaPerriere will explore these experiences using quotes from diaries of the time to illustrate and bring the past alive.
The event starts at 7pm at Camp Richardson’s Historic Hotel, 1900 Jameson Beach Road. Cost is $3 to attend, free for Lake Tahoe Historical Society members.
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