Herbal Diplomats: The Contribution of Early American Nurses (1830 - 1860) to Nineteenth-Century Health Care Reform and the Botanical Medical Movement (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798991350884)

Winner of the 2005 Lavinia Dock Award for Excellnce in Historical Research and Writing. Like the roots of many healing plants, the histories associated with human endeavor run very deep. The history of American women nurses runs very deep as well. In order to answer any historical question, one has to pick a point in time, as in picking up the first thread in creating a tapestry, and begin to tell the story. For this history, the first thread is the "root" of the nurses of the Botanical Medical Movement, the period 8130 - 1860. This book represents the product of the first harvest. The contributions of three communities' nurses are highlighted: the Shakers, the Latter-Day Saints, and the Daughters of Charity. This fascinating, descriptive history reveals the autonomy, herbal expertise, and cultural diplomacy of women nurses of the period.