Death: The Diseases And Cures of the 1800's in Grenada

There is so much history on the Island of Grenada also known as the Spice Island. The visits that was taken over the past  couple years took me this time to the parish of St.Patrick's to a town called Sauteurs and a historical site, well known to the inhabitants of Grenada. In Sauteurs is a place known as Leapers Hill, on this site it is a known fact the Carib's who were inhabitants of the island in that time period jumped, to their death, off the cliff rather than surrendering to the French army at that time , and did not want to be slaves to anyone.

y searching began on Leaper's Hill, walking through the grave site, and recording the names of individuals born in the 18th century, and who died later in life as the years went by.What I wanted to know  was which disease were the most prevalent in that time period. It so happened that after doing research in the Public Library archives  in St. George's (Grenada) it turned out that the diseases in those days were also in that time period.(century)

They were many advertisement about cures, for all the different disease, and conditions known that were prevalent during that time, one of the most advertised medicine was Sarsaparilla Pills developed by Dr.  Jacob Townsend, claimed to cure all, during the  time period of 1888, from Scrofula,Scorbutic Disorder, Gout, Skin and Blood Disease plus a great number of conditions.

Along with Dr.Jacob Townsend cure all medicine were the invention of Chlorodyne by Dr. Browne, he stated that his medicine can help in the cure of Dysentery, Cholera Fever, Ague, Cough, and Colds, no actual claims were made saying that this was true, but one can only imagine in those days that someone in particular may have actually be cured using this medicine.

From my research I found that in 1882, the medical officer for the poor house at that time was P.F. Mac Leod, and the house surgeon was Edwin F. Hatton no account of written words were found on these gentlemen except, they held highly responsibility jobs at the time.

They were responsible for any medical issues that may have arise at that time, but as far as I can see they were no reports written on any patient that may have died in either the poor house or hospital for those years. Also running rampage at that time period were the following diseases Cancer, Consumption, and Epilepsy, what is amazing is the different types of pills, and Elixirs that claimed to work on so many diseases. 

If one was suffering from Liver Complaints there were a sugar pill that named Bristol Sugar Pill that works, but they were no direct claims, that said it works. In going through the many newspapers of the 1800's printed in Grenada at the time, death was more frequent to younger children, raging from ages six (6) months to four (4) years that died of Hooping Cough.

While it was not so for the older children who died from Measles, Mumps and other related diseases, what I found was people especially the elderly between the ages of thirty-six (36) to fifty-two (52)  who died from a long illness was never mentioned in the obituaries that I researched and was available.

Some people died suddenly, which I based it due to a heart attack, but it could have been any kind of disease, also during that period some inhabitants died from a protracted illness ( long illness after suffering  )   which was not given. The true cause of and what that illness was, and it may have another name for it in that time period, prevalent in homes influenza, followed by measles, the mumps and whooping cough, which at times had too frequently fatal results and lingered among families.


The scarcity of medical men lead to high charges which had people questioning whether it was a good policy for the state to provide medical attention to the masses of the people, since the upper class people could pay for medical attention, while the lower class could not pay, and was not getting the medical attention as needed or deserved.

An obituary that was recorded in the St. George's Chronicle of 1852 read the following:
January 30   Children of prominent men dies from whooping cough, between the ages of (8) eight months to (2 1/2 ) two and a half years.

July 23  A (1) one year old died instantly of whooping cough

                Elderly gentleman dies instantly due to heart  failure

October 8   34 year old gentleman died of a disease called Apoplexy

All this lead to the government forming a board of health, commencing on October 29, 1852 on it sat two doctors Dr. Brown and Dr. Aquart  and other prominent men of the various committees, they saw what was needed to be done health wise and reported what was needed in order to help, and stop the spread  of the disease that was on going at the time.

Scientist and Doctors had done experiments on a wide range of medicine, and thought, through the process of their inventions  came up with the right medication, for every disease in the centuries but in most cases they only mask the symptoms which  did nothing much for some patients and good for others.

It is not our opinion to judge what the medication did, but to understand what it helped, and what disease it cured, and what was the benefit from each medication, that were given to the patient, in order for them to be cured. As always they must have been a great deal of talk about some medications that did not work, and perhaps viewed as a scam, and  all that it was seen as the inventors of these so call cure medications  was making the money from the ordinary man.

And so centuries past the generation of those era thought that the Scientists and Doctors had the medication, and the cure for the disease that was raging havoc on its citizens, may have been questioning themselves if they had the correct medicine to cure the various diseases. It was not until the nineteenth century that we began to see the advance in medical cures, where doctors and scientists began making advance strides in the prevention of the various diseases that ran rampart in the past centuries.

The same diseases that was prevalent then is still around although some names may have been call differently, but they are now controlled due to advance understanding of the disease and how it is caused. We now have a cure for most of the disease but we as a people must adhere to the warnings of the doctors and scientists when they sound the alarm about a disease.

Although we now have a cure for almost all the diseases possible we are still haunted by the fact that we have not yet conquered the cure for the most severe know cancer, liver and another that is running amok in this century AIDS but scientist are working hard to find a cure.

Disease in the past centuries have not changed, the same then is still here, and is also accountable for deaths in the present, although they are new names for different strains of colds and influenza they are well advance in this century to find a cure.

Most of the medicine for the various conditions, and diseases that were showing up on the island at the time came from England, and other countries when they were any outbreak of a disease. The time it took for that medicine to reach the Island many deaths had occurred, since it was being transported by boat, which was the mode of transportation then.

They were no records kept on the death of any disease or unfamiliar conditions, we cannot say for sure how many people died from what disease or condition, if the death of each year have to be compiled it would be hard doing so since records only went back to the nineteenth hundreds.

What did not happen in the 1800's would not have been possible trying to keep those many recorded deaths, and the diseases that took their lives, what is and should be done to have an estimate of those that had a serious medical issue or condition, and what he or she died from should be  a must so that as a civil society we can actually compare the deaths of the people from previous generations.

If we as a people are so much into genealogy we must in some way start recording and preserving our history so that the next generation can actually see and compare the disease then and now to see if the death of a deadly disease have reduced or increased.

In order for these records be preserved and its inhabitants counted the present Government must make a conscious effort to have all records on the computer, making it accessible for the general public to access charging a small fee of some kind. It have been a sort of a tedious time trying to get as much information on some of the individuals that I was researching, but  was possible to obtain death certificates because they died during the time record keeping started.

From what i have researched it seems that when doctors did not know what illness the patient died from it was either suddenly or after a long illness, they did not mention what type of illness or what condition they died from. What this is saying to you and me is that doctors or whoever looked at the deceased did not do a thorough examination to see if the patient had other complications along with the illness  his or her family physician had diagnosed.

From all this one can only imagine if you died alone in the hospital,poor house or where ever, and if no one can pinpoint what type of disease or condition the patient had then the doctor would write what he thought they died from. It makes this very hard to get a true diagnoses of the condition what the patient died from, since most of the death that may have been recorded could be false, that I cannot tell for sure, so I have to go  with what I saw or what I have written to paper.

To really get to the true facts this generation of doctors and physicians along withe the pathologist have to make the right decision of the cause of death, and must be properly recorded by Parishes, so that if there is an outbreak of any fatal disease it can be pinpointed and medical teams put in place to take care of those that are sick.

Enough said it is now up to the Grenada Government, and the Ministry of Health along with the doctors that issues the death certificates to record the right diseases or conditions the patient died from, with proper records it would be easier for researchers to actually see what patients of this generation especially those of the 19th century and the centuries to come for future researchers.

In all respect to the scientists. doctors and physicians in the 18th century, and before them for giving names to diseases and their understanding of what the symptoms were, but most of all the dedication of the scientists, pharmacist, and inventors of medication that were obtained to cure a specific disease at the time, with all the diseases, and conditions that was prevalent for that time. In spite of all the medication that were made available to the people and doctors for prescribing the dosage.

In spite of all these medication, and the cure some of them claimed that worked, although it might not have been so, I realized that those same diseases and conditions exists today in the 21st century, with the diligent work of all who are involved in the science of medicine, illness and diseases will continue to persist, and so the cycle will continue, where they are new strain of diseases, and the diseases of the past century will remain with us for years to come. I hope that all diseases that is plaguing the people of the world a cure will be found if not, disease of the past centuries would live on.

Taken from The Grenada Chronicle & Gazette

January 12/1895
 Dr. Churchill's, syrup of Hypohopnite of lime -- Cure for Consumption,Chronic Cough, and General Debility.

Dr. John .P. Gray ( Utica  N.Y 25 yrs) Combination of Glycerin  Sherry Wine Gentian Taraxcum and Phosphoric Acid and Carminatives --  Cures General Disability, Nervous Prostration, Anemia Wasting Diseases, and Promotes the Appetites.

Dr.J.Collis Browne's  Chlopodyne Assuages  Eases pain of Every Kind, Invigor Nervous System when Exhausted Cough Colds Asthma Bronchitis Diarrhea, Dysentery and Cholera.

January 26 / 1895
Clarke's Blood Mixture - Cures Scurvy, Eccema  Skin and Blood Disease, Bad Leg Pimples and Sores of all Kinds.

 A Caribbean Funeral Of Previous Years

Looking back at the time, or should I say the past thirty odd years when someone dies, especially in a small village, before the science of embalming came along, it was the  custom that the  deceased body  was washed by the people in the village at that time period if they knew the individual. The carpenter at the time would be asked to take the measurements of the deceased and build the coffin.

The washing of the body was done by male and female depending on the deceased individual, they were dressed and laid out on the bed for visitors to view the body later in the evening before the funeral, and burial
next day. At that time, during visitation prayers and singing were performed, and as the night continued it turned into what was called a wake and is still called so today.

A wake can go on for quite a while sometimes into the wee hours of the morning especially if alcohol is consumed, and coffee (strong) is served, and if the funeral services  are in the afternoon. In order to keep the body from decomposing rapidly it was placed in a make shift icebox, made of an inner and outer part. the outer part of the icebox was formed with galvanized, with a space between the inner part  wide enough to place ice between the groves all around the icebox coffin which the body was placed, in order to keep it cool.

The day of the burial it was removed and placed into the the coffin that was made by the village carpenter, and taken to the church, depending on how far the pallbearers had to walk to the church, two men with chairs would accompanied them. The coffin was placed on the chairs, and a new set of pallbearers would take over, until they reached the church.

During the funeral service the burial rites would be performed with the usual singing and they would always be a favorite song of the deceased sung then to the cemetery, which in some cases at the persons backyard if there is enough lands for the grave site. The gravediggers would lay the coffin in the grave after everyone left the site, if it was in a church cemetery.not so today.


After everything is over the congregation would return to the home and partake in some eats and refreshments that was prepared and talk about the deceased before setting out on their jurney to their respectful home's especially if they had to travel a great distance to attend the funeral.