Wisconsin 101

Becoming the Dairy State

The Decline of WheatFrom 1840 to 1880, Wisconsin produced about one-sixth of the nation’s wheat. But soil depletion, insect infestations, plant disease and competition from other states lowered Wisconsin yields and eroded profits. By 1880, wheat supremacy had passed westward to Minnesota…

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December 1, 2013

Broad History / Health & Medicine / Pre-1787 / Related Stories / 1787-1848 / 1848-1877 / Science & Medicine / Cupping Kit

What is Cupping?

Until the late nineteenth century, cupping was widely used for the treatment of inflammation and deep-seated pain believed to be due to an imbalance of the humors. A physician or barber surgeon would begin cupping by selecting the appropriate cup based on the amount…

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November 15, 2013

Health & Medicine / Related Stories / 1877-1900 / Science & Medicine / Cupping Kit

The Decline of Humoral Theory

Cupping (as well as general bloodletting) declined in the late nineteenth century. Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch’s experiments in pathology demonstrated the existence of foreign bodies and their role disease, called in to question humoral theory. 1 Dr. Ira Marks, in an address to the Wisconsin…

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November 15, 2013

Health & Medicine / Military History / Appleton / Education / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Outagamie County / Politics & Government / Science & Medicine / Region 5 - Center East / Cupping Kit

Dr. James T. Reeve

The owner of this particular cupping kit was Dr. James T. Reeve. Dr. Reeve was born near Goshen, New York, on April 26, 1834. Despite losing his father at age five and his mother five days before graduating medical school, J.T Reeve received his…

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November 15, 2013

Health & Medicine / Pre-1787 / Related Stories / 1787-1848 / 1848-1877 / Science & Medicine / Cupping Kit

Humoral Medicine and Cupping

Humoral medicine began in Ancient Greece and continued in popularity until the late nineteenth century. Humoral theory was based on the belief that the body was composed of four humors/temperaments (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) and was influenced by the…

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November 15, 2013

Music, Theatre & Cinema / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / Recital Poster

Raphael Baez

Raphael Baez, Sr. can be counted as one of the first Mexicans ever to call Milwaukee home. Born in Puebla, Mexico in 1863, Baez began his musical education at the age of nine. From the start, the youngster displayed a remarkable ability…

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October 15, 2013