Healthcare and traditional medicine in the Tobolsk North: the view of political exiles of the late 19th century

Abstract

This article, based on memoirs, correspondence and works of political exiles, examines the specifics of medical practice and traditional medicine in the Tobolsk North at the end of the 19th century. The point of view of patients, the dynamics
of relations between them and their attending physicians in the context of the harsh natural and climatic conditions of the North and a different sanitary and hygienic culture are analyzed. The problems of alcoholism of doctors, lack of medical personnel, the negative influence of local officials and the neglectful attitude of the tsarist government are studied. Based on historical sources, the features of traditional medicine, witchcraft and shamanism, their significance in the worldview of the local population are considered. In conclusion, the general state of health care and its importance in the daily life of political exiles, the role of provincial authorities in the system of political exile in the North of Western Siberia are assessed.