A HISTORY OF HOSPITALS AND SHELTERS FOR THE SICK 5
Shelter for the Sick
In the early 19th century, exploration of North America to the Pacific Ocean was coming to its conclusion. California was inhabited by native American Indian tribes and a few Spanish settlements. However, after gold was discovered in Coloma, California, in January 1848, tens of thousands of fortune seekers rushed west, not only across the continent, but also by sea around Cape Horn and over the narrow strip ofPanama. Overland treks and sailing voyages were long and complicated by scurvy and outbreaks of contagious diseases with little medical care. When the pioneers arrived, there
Sketch of Sutter's Fort, 1859, by Joseph Warren Revere. Lithograph courtesy of the California Room, California State Library.
