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Dr. A.P. Merrill and others call for the institution of "slave medicine."

1853

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In “Plantation Hygiene,” published in the Southern Agriculturist, Merrill states that all plantations should be provided with a hospital. He calls for measures such as adequate ventilation and a balanced diet. He argues that adequate health care makes for stronger laborers. Also significant to note is that Merrill identifies "Negro physicians" as a particular medical specialty, because of the polygenesis theory, which is an emerging pseudoscientific argument that Black and white people are separate species.