In the 21st century, many parts of the world have access to a level of medical treatment that was once thought to be in the realm of science fiction. The evolution of emergency treatments, dental care and various other fields of medicine has made procedures such as organ transplants and precise surgeries more accessible to the modern person. Even over-the-counter medications have advanced to make several common ailments a memory of the past, making it easy to forget that modern medicine is a relatively new concept.

To shed light on the medical techniques of a different age, Historic Rock Ford, 881 Rockford Road, Lancaster, will host an educational event at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, in the Rock Ford Barn. Thomas Plott, who serves as the manager of character interpretation at George Washington's Mount Vernon, will give a presentation on the medical practices used during the Revolutionary War. During the event, Plott will interpret James Craik, the first Physician General of the United States and a personal friend of George Washington's. Tickets are available to purchase online at https://tinyurl.com/revwarmedicine.

While he plays the part of Craik, Plott will discuss the general approach to medical care used in the 18th century, including the types of care that soldiers received during the American Revolution and common medical instruments. Plott will also share information about Craik's role as physician general, which served as the precursor to the position of surgeon general. Plott will don a period-accurate costume and an accent to give his presentation as the Scottish doctor.

"The evolution of medicine took a lot of time, and the real changes started to be made during the time of the Revolutionary War," Plott said. "People were starting to realize the body is not based on humors, which was a huge part of medicine all the way back to ancient Greek and Roman times." Previously, medical practitioners believed that four bodily fluids known as humors were responsible for mood and physical health. Many ailments were attributed to an imbalance of the humors, and techniques such as bloodletting were used in an attempt to cure diseases and injuries. "In the 18th century, they started to realize blood circulates through the body, and doctors began to view the heart as a pump," Plott added.

Plott said the presentation will be more of an interactive performance than a lecture, and it will include opportunities for audience members to participate in activities and ask questions. Plott will also share information on medical instruments used at the time. "A lot of people guess what they're used for, and a lot of times their ideas are more barbaric than reality," said Plott. "Amazingly, many of these instruments are still used today."

Historic Rock Ford will open a focused exhibit on death and mourning in the 18th and 19th centuries on Tuesday, April 2. For more information, visit http://www.historicrockford.org.