Metallic Tractors In The 1800's

When my eyes were drawn to this horrid picture, the first thing that came to my mind was “Poor man!” and truly, that was the case. James Gillray illustrated this satiric colored cartoon depicting a man scared half to death because the ‘doctor’ had to draw off the noxious electrical fluid that sat at the bottom of the unfortunate soul with a metallic tractor. Published in 1801 in London, metallic tractors, which were very popular, had been around for a few years. The caption says “METALLIC-TRACTORS” and it shows exactly how medical treatment was conducted in the early 1800’s.

The cartoon portrays Benjamin Perkins treating a boil on the nose of John Bull, an alcoholic, with a pair of metallic tractors. The instrument was invented by Perkins’ father, Elisha Perkins, and was supposed to relieve the pain (which I doubt they did) through the injection of animal magnetism. However, Doctor John Haygarth actually proved that wooden tractors worked just as well; the only difference was that metal ones had a higher price tag.

But what about medical advances? Bloodletting and leeches were still popular methods to remove the ‘bad’ blood. An unfortunate soul had to endure an amputation without any anesthetic; his only comfort rested in screaming and listening to the constant rasping of the hack saw many doctors used. And speaking of doctors, most so-called physicians were ordinary people. Almost anyone could call himself a doctor because all one needed was a few leeches, a knife, and a saw. The instruments that doctors used were usually rusty and not sanitary. No wonder many people died after a limb or two was