Early Medical Discoveries

Death and disease stalked the Jamestown colony year-round. Over the first 18 years, six of seven residents perished, with over 6,000 deaths. Dr. Lawrence Bohun arrived at Jamestown in June of 1610 and stayed until the spring of 1611. Colonists spoke of a "seasoning time" in which newcomers passed through successive epidemics such as typhoid, dysentery, and influenza. Bohun experimented with native plants, herbs, extracts, and minerals, seeking remedies for distresses of the Old World and the New.

Virginia · United States