Item Detail
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30175
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1
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3
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English
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Treading the Elephant's Tail: Medical Problems on the Overland Trails
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Overland Journal
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6
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1
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San Marino, California
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Huntington library Press
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"This paper is based on the examination of approximately 450 trail diaries and journals. Many of these have been published , but many more are preserved in manuscript collections throughout the country. The vast majority of the diaries are chronological records of the overland trip. They vary in usefulness from entries which merely note the distance traveled each day and give a brief comment on the weather to highly observant and detailed commentary on the geography, flora and fauna, and the rigors of life on the trail, including relationships among the travelers and the disease and trauma that were experienced. It has been estimated that the overall mortality rate of those heading west was 6 percent but an accurate figure is very difficult to determine." [Author]