Discussion
Questions for The Medicine Woman of Galveston
Tucia was in the forefront of women moving into the field of
medicine as a doctor, but today women make up the majority of medical school
applicants (56.8%), first-year students and (55.1%),
and 54.9% of total enrollment.
1. How are the challenges she faced similar to or different
from the challenges women in medicine face today?
2. How are the challenges that men entering nontraditional
fields (e.g., nurse, child-care provider) similar to or different from the
challenges women in nontraditional fields face?
3. In what ways did you think Tucia was brave and in what
ways was she timid?
4. Traveling medicine shows had to draw a crowd to see their
magical cures, and one way they did this was to include “freak” shows as a part
of their entertainment. These freaks included performers with congenital
conditions or unusual physical traits. We know how Huey “recruited” his
performers. Why do you think they stayed?
5. We are kinder and gentler about how we treat people with
physical or mental impairments today, but honestly, do you think any of the
characters would still be considered and treated as a “freak” today? If so,
who?
6. Did you like the chapters devoted to the backstories of
the characters? Did any one of them particularly touch or inform you?
7. The museum in Galveston is described on pp. 282-283. What
parallels, if any, do you see to the web today?
8. On p. 336 Tucia says “….we’re more than our worst
mistakes, aren’t we?” Are we? 9. Has television become the modern-day medicine
show? It wasn’t until 1997 that drugs could be advertised on television, but
today you see products advertised that say that “claims and effectiveness have
not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)” or that the
product “is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease”. Are
the techniques they use to promote their products that different from those
used by the medicine shows?
10. Are there are there any parts of the book (including
specific characters) that you particularly enjoyed or that you disliked?
Medical Conditions in the Characters
in The Medicine Woman of Galveston
Down syndrome
This is the result of a chromosomal abnormality, with an
extra copy of the 21st chromosome (referred to as trisomy because there are
three chromosomes instead of two). It is the most common chromosomal condition
diagnosed in the United States today, in about 5,700 babies born in the U.S.
each year. I don’t have historical numbers on the incidence. There are distinct
physical signs of Down syndrome that include facial features, such as a
flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose, almond-shaped eyes that
slant up, a protruding tongue (it actually is a small jaw cavity, not a large
tongue), poor muscle tone, and shorter than average height. There is some degree
of mental impairment, but individuals with Down syndrome have a wide range of
abilities and outcomes, with significant variations depending on factors such
as genetics, medical care, and support systems. Toby seems to be
high-functioning. There are other medical problems as well that include
congenital heart defects and hearing loss. Maternal age is a risk factor but we
do not know for sure why Down syndrome occurs or how many different factors
play a role.
Trichotillomania
A mental health condition that involves frequent, repeated
and irresistible urges to pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows or other areas
of the body. Even when sufferers try to resist the urges, they can’t stop.
Pulling out hair from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots. Mild cases can
be managed, but for others, the automatic or deliberate urge to pull out hair
is too much to handle emotionally. There is an increasing sense of tension before
pulling out the hair and a sense of pleasure or relief after the hair is pulled
out. Risk factors include a family history of the condition (so there may be a
genetic factor), age (often develops in the early teens), gender (women more
than men after adolescence), mental health conditions such as depression,
anxiety or obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD), and stress.
Gigantism
Gigantism is a very rare condition that happens when a child
or adolescent has high levels of growth hormone produced by the pituitary
gland. A noncancerous tumor on the pituitary can produce the
excessive growth hormone. The production occurs before the growth plates in the
child’s bones have fused. The condition is difficult to diagnose because
children grow at different rates, and some go through their growth spurt
earlier than others; but today it can be diagnosed through blood tests. In
children, surgery to remove or reduce the size of the pituitary tumor is the
most common treatment, or radiation therapy can help lower the level of growth
hormone.
Bow legs
This is a normal development in most babies, typically
present from birth to around 2 years of age, and most cases of physiologic
bowing resolve on their own by the age of 3. Bowing beyond that age can be
caused by rickets (a vitamin D deficiency), dwarfism or some genetic disorder.
The severity of bowing can vary, and the condition is more common in boys than
girls.
If you would
like more information on the storm, you can visit these sites:
September 8, 2025, marked the 125th anniversary of the
Galveston hurricane:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5lProvEPGc
Website of the Galveston History Center:
https://www.galvestonhistorycenter.org/research/1900-storm
Visit Galveston website:
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