Becker Archives Database

Artist's rendering of a frontier doctor tending to a patient with whiskey.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Typed caption accompanying the photograph reads: "Before doctors, frontier medical treatment consisted largely of whiskey, fold remedies, and bowie knife probings for bullets and arrowheads."

Artist's rendering of a frontier doctor bringing medicine to a woman.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Typed caption accompanying the photograph partially reads: "In many early pioneer communities, the medicine practiced was the same as that practiced on the overland trails, basically home remedies and a reliance on the medicinal plants native to the area. Physicians were few and many of those that did practice did so only part-time while they mined, farmed, or were otherwise engaged in business."

Artist's rendering of Gold Rush Physicians.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Typed caption accompanying the photograph partially reads: "While the Gold Rush physicians were a peripatetic lot, the contributed to their communities. In one of the first miners' court trials, the judge was a physician. Other physicians became coroners, sheriffs, county treasurers, school superintendents, justices of the peace, mayors, legislators, and governors."

Artist's rendering of a man on horseback.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Exterior view of St. Luke's Hospital in Denver circa 1886.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Newspaper advertisements for physicians.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Newspaper advertisements for physicians and medical remedies.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Studio portrait of Dr. John Evans.

Part of Frontier Medicine Exhibit Photographs, Drawings, and Advertisements

Typed caption accompanying the photograph reads: "Dr. John Evans first realized who cholera was spread - unfortunately his fellow physicians were unimpressed and cholera was allowed to come ashore from river steamers at ports in the wilderness and to march unchecked over western trails. Evans was the founder of both Northwestern University and the University of Denver. He was also a builder of railroads and the first territorial Governor of Colorado."