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Two Thumbs Down; a Book Review

By: LC200 staff

A brief look at “Lewis and Clark Doctors in the Wilderness” by Bruce C. Paton MD is all that it will take to show this is not one of those “Gotta have” books. Instead it is a “don’t waste your time” book. I picked it up to see if I might get some additional information or at least another valid point of view about the medicine the Expedition used or what some of the medical problems the men encountered might actually have been. Such questions as did Clark have tick fever at the Three Forks? What did Floyd die from? Did some of the men contract venereal disease and what were the lasting effects of the mercury ointment?

Instead I found bad history. Here are a few examples. “Reed ran the gauntlet four times while the Corps of Discovery thrashed his back with ramrods. He received 500 lashes.” “…during one of those periods when Lewis was writing very little in his journal.” “Newman’s trial was the last one.” “Giant Springs is not far from the spring Sacajawea was given mineral waters from. The two springs are close enough to have very similar mineral content.” “Jean Baptiste (Pomp) was adopted by Clark and died in California.” The author also devotes extended amounts of writing to such activities as hunting grizzlies, the portage, and Lewis’ patronizing speeches to the Indians during councils. However he does nothing to tie them into medical problems or give information on what the Indians used for medicine. When he does decide to talk medicine he launches into a discussion on heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but he offers nothing beyond any first aid class.

To his credit he did give a reasonable discussion of Floyd’s death concluding that the evidence is sufficiently conflicting that it precludes any definite cause. He admonishes not to simply say he died of appendicitis. And, to his credit he does suggest that the most reasonable cause, or least objectionable one, was an overwhelming intestinal infection. E coli would be a possibility.

After scanning about half the book I was left feeling cheated that he had taken my time and given me very little new about the medicine of the Expedition as he had promised with his title. If you have some extra money to spend or time on your hands, make a new pair of moccasins instead of buying this book.

Great Falls History
To the Great Falls of the Missouri
Passing on Our Heritage
Legacy of Lewis and Clark
Naming The Five Falls of the Missouri