Meaning
A person who set broken or dislocated bones, often working outside of formal medical training.
Description
Before the professionalisation of medicine, bonesetters were trusted local practitioners who treated fractures and dislocations using knowledge passed down through families or learned through experience. They were widely consulted in rural and working-class communities where qualified surgeons were expensive or inaccessible. Some bonesetters built considerable reputations and were consulted by wealthy patients. The profession was gradually absorbed into orthodox medicine as orthopaedic surgery developed in the late 19th century.
Also Known As
Bone Setter, Folk Healer
Commonly Found In
- Census Returns
- Trade Directories
- Newspaper Records
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