Assessing Claire's Most Unconventional Healing Methods On 'Outlander'

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Assessing Claire's Most Unconventional Healing Methods On 'Outlander'

Nurse-turned-surgeon Claire Fraser has oftentimes blown the minds of the 18th-century folks she treats in Outlander, whether it's through disinfecting so-called "germs" (whatever those are) or showing off sperm in a microscope. Claire's healing on Outlander may be viewed as the tiniest bit unconventional by the people in the 18th century, but even by 20th-century standards, she's done some pretty wild stuff on the Starz series.

Claire first came onto the 18th-century scene with her combat-ready nursing skills as a field nurse in WWII. But after a 20-year stint back in the 20th century, she returned in 1766 with even more technical know-how as a surgeon — remarkable for either century she has lived in. She has set bones, pulled teeth, removed eyes, treated the measles and typhoid, delivered babies, conducted field surgeries, created penicillin — you name it, she's done it.

To analyze how realistic some of the treatments Claire has used in the past are, I spoke with professor of human anatomy and the creator of the blog Outlander Anatomy Karmen Schmidt, as well as medical herbalist specializing in women's health, the founder of Forage Botanicals, and Outlander fan Natasha Richardson. Based on the information presented on the Starz series and Schmidt and Richardson's knowledge, let's see how Claire's treatments hold up.

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