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The trustees for the first year were : Hugh Butler, Westbrook S. Decker, Ed- ward L. Johnson, Caldwell Yeaman, Lucius W. Hoyt, Platt Rogers and W. C. Kingsley. The presidents of the Colorado Bar Association from the beginning until the present time have been: Hugh Butler, 1897-98; Charles E. Gast, 1898- 99; Caldwell Yeaman, 1899-1900; Moses Hallett, 1900-01 ; Platt Rogers, 1901- 02; Horace G. Lunt, 1902-03; Joel F. Vaile, 1903-04; Luther M. Goddard, 1904- 05; Henry T. Rogers, 1905-06; Julius C. Gunter, 1906-07; James W. McCreery, 1907-08; Wilbur F. Stone, 1908-09; Lucius W. Hoyt, 1909-10; Charles D. Hoyt, 1910-II; Henry C. Hall, 1911-12; Harry N. Haynes, 1912-13; Henry A. Dubbs, 1913-14; Edw. C. Stimson, 1914-15; John D. Fleming, 1915-16; T. H. Devine, 1916-17.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
FIRST DOCTORS IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION-EARLY EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE TER- RITORIAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION-FIRST HOSPITAL-DENVER MEDICAL ASSOCIA- TION-ORGANIZATION OF TERRITORIAL MEDICAL SOCIETY-ROSTER OF STATE MED- ICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS-EARLY MIGRATIONS-CONDITIONS IN 1864-FIRST MEDICAL LEGISLATION-LEGISLATION RELATIVE TO OSTEOPATHY-CHIROPRACTIC -OTHER LEGISLATION-COLORADO MEDICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION-WOMEN PRACTITIONERS-NATIONAL AND STATE HONORS-GENERAL HOSPITALS-STATE - SANATORIA-COLORADO AS A HEALTH RESORT -- MILITARY RECUPERATION CAMP -COLORADO DOCTORS IN THE WORLD WAR.
FIRST DOCTORS IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
Dr. John H. Robinson, the volunteer surgeon who accompanied Lieut. Zebu- lon M. Pike on his expedition to Colorado in the early years of the Nineteenth Century, was probably the first medical practitioner in what is now Colorado. Only the medicine man, and perhaps a few skillful leeches among the Spanish padres of the exploration days, preceded this man, of whom Pike wrote: "As a gentleman and companion in dangers, difficulties and hardships I, in particular, and the expedition generally owe much to his exertions."
Then came Dr. Edwin James with the expedition of Maj. Stephen H. Long in 1820, who distinguished himself not only in his professional capacity but by being the first person to ascend Pike's Peak. Medical officers accompanied the military expedition of Col. Henry Dodge in 1835 and of Lieut. John C. Frémont on his various journeys. Doctor Wislizenus, of St. Louis, was another explorer of the earlier period.
Finally, when the name "Auraria" was chosen for part of the present site of Denver, it was at the suggestion of Dr. Levi J. Russell, who with his brothers had come from the Georgia town of that name to find the placer gold which the Cherokee Indians had first located. Doctor Russell had engaged in medical practice in his native state, Georgia, before coming to the Far West.
It is known that in the summer of 1846 a Doctor Hempstead resided at Bent's Fort, on the left bank of the Arkansas about half way between the present towns of La Junta and Las Animas. Little is known of Hempstead outside of the information given by Lieut. J. W. Albert, U. S. Topographical Engineer, in his "Examination of New Mexico" in 1846-7, during which time he called at the fort. He simply mentions Doctor Hempstead as a resident of the fort and, if this is correct, this physician may be said to have been the first actually to practice his profession upon Colorado soil.
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The year 1859 brought an added number of doctors to the Pike's Peak region. Among them were: Drs. G. N. Woodward, Samuel Reed, J. W. Lee, Willing, J. W. Smith, Drake McDowell, W. F. McClelland, A. Steinberger, Mc- Clain, G. W. Bark and W. H. Farner. In this year, also, Dr. E. Fitzpatrick was at Arapahoe City, Drs. C. R. Bissell, A. M. Smith, J. Casto and J. S. Stone were at Mountain City, the forerunner of Central City; and Dr. J. W. McCade was at Nevada Gulch. Doctor Stone was one of the participants in a duel fought with L. W. Bliss, secretary of the territory, in March, 1860, and was fatally wounded. Dr. William M. Belt and Doctor Catterson were located at Fountain City (Pueblo) early in the spring of 1860.
When the "Rocky Mountain News" was printed on April 23, 1859, it con- tained this card: "A. F. Peck, M. D., Cache la Poudre, Nebraska, where he may at all times be found when not professionally engaged or digging gold."
EARLY EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE TERRITORIAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Doctors came with the flood of gold-seekers, and on June 6, 1860, the Jef- ferson Medical Society was organized. Its first president was Dr. W. M. Belt; its vice president, Dr. Drake McDowell; treasurer, Dr. J. J. Saville ; secretary, Dr. S. E. Kennedy ; curators, the officers, with Drs. J. F. Hamilton, O. D. Cass and S. Rankin.
One of its resolutions was the adoption of the national code of medical ethics, and the second was a uniform rate of $3 per visit. But even though the code was adopted it was apparently not unprofessional to publish a "physician's card" in the daily paper. Doctor Belt, Dr. W. F. McClelland and Doctor Cass carried these professional announcements. That first medical society meeting was held in the log hut which was the office of Doctor Belt. The organization disintegrated at the opening of the Civil war.
Dr. F. J. Bancroft, who came to Denver in 1865 and probably knew much of all these early medicinal matters, in his presidential address before the eleventh annual convention of the Colorado State Medical Society, at Leadville, in 1881, says: "It was in Denver in a rough log cabin, at the corner of Sixteenth and Larimer streets that the first Colorado medical society saw the light. Its rise and fall were alike speedy. The civil strife into which our country was plunged in 1861 drew to itself most of its founders, among whom were Drs. O. D. Cass, Drake McDowell, J. F. Hamilton, Peck, Beale and Saville. These were led according to their convictions into the Union army or south to the Confederate service, and the embryo society left to itself, perished from inanition."
A second society was formed in 1868, which soon died. But in 1871 a per- manent organization was effected.
FIRST HOSPITAL
In June, 1860, a city hospital was established near the present junction of Nineteenth and Larimer streets. This was quite a distance east of the center of population and was due perhaps to the need of a place to treat contagious dis- eases. Of this first hospital Dr. J. F. Hamilton was surgeon, and Dr. O. D. Cass the physician in charge. This should not be confused with the Municipal Hos- pital, which Dr. John Elsner established a few years later.
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In the city directory of 1866 the following is a complete list of the doctors and dentists practising in Denver :
Dr. R. G. Buckingham
Doctors McClelland & Strode
Dr. F. J. Bancroft
Dr. S. W. Treat
Dr. M. L. Scott
Dr. J. Ermerius
Doctor Tossier
Doctor Bailey
Doctor Elsner
Doctor Rust
Dr. L. L. Adams
Dr. E. C. Gehrung
Dr. C. A. Gordon
Dr. W. H. Williams
DENTISTS
Dr. C. P. Moffett Dr. E. A. Crocker
DENVER MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
On April 4, 1871, the meeting to "reorganize the Denver Medical Associa- tion" was held in the office of Dr. R. G. Buckingham. There were seven physi- cians in attendance, and of these Doctors McClelland, Bibb and Heimberger were chosen to draft a constitution and by-laws. When the society met on April II, 1871, there were present or elected at this meeting, Doctors Bancroft, Wil- liams, Justice, Dickinson, Steele, Buckingham, Stedman, McClelland, Elsner, Heimberger, Gehrung and Bibb. Its first officers were: Dr. R. G. Buckingham, president ; Dr. A. L. Justice, vice president ; Dr. A. Stedman, recording secre- tary: Dr. W. H. Williams, corresponding secretary; Dr. E. C. Gehrung, treas- urer. Doctors Justice, Heimberger and Buckingham were made censors.
ORGANIZATION OF TERRITORIAL MEDICAL SOCIETY
In response to a call issued by the Denver Medical Association for a Terri- torial Medical Convention, representatives of the medical profession from dif- ferent parts of the Territory of Colorado assembled at the District Court room in Denver on Tuesday, the 19th of September, 1871, at II o'clock A. M., for the purpose of organizing a territorial medical society. Dr. W. F. McClelland called the convention to order, Dr. G. S. McMurtrie of Central City was elected tempo- rary chairman, and Dr. R. J. Collins of Georgetown, secretary pro tem.
It resolved that, for the purpose of organization, all regular graduates of medicine, residents of the territory, who acknowledged fealty to the code of ethics of the American Medical Association, and who were not objected to, might become members of the association.
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The following are given as signing: G. S. McMurtrie, Central City; A. L. Justice, Denver; R. G. Buckingham, Denver; F. J. Bancroft, Denver; I. J. Pol- lok, Georgetown; W. F. McClelland, Denver; John Elsner, Denver; E. C. Geh- rung, Denver; J. S. Dickinson, Denver; S. D. Bowker, Central City; H. C. Dodge, Denver ; H. K. Steele, Denver; W. Edmundson, Central City; A. Sted- man, Denver; W. H. Williams, Denver; A. J. Collins, Georgetown.
The following officers were elected: Dr. R. G. Buckingham, president; vice presidents, first, Dr. G. S. McMurtrie ; second, Dr. I. J. Pollok; third, Dr. W. F. McClelland. Dr. A. Stedman was elected secretary; Dr. A. J. Collins, assistant secretary ; Dr. E. C. Gehrung, treasurer, and Dr. H. C. Dodge, librarian.
Drs. Erasmus Garrott, Blackhawk; T. M. Smith, Laporte; S. C. Tolles, Cen- tral City; Eugene F. Holland, Idaho (Springs) ; William H. Thacker, Denver; Joseph Anderson, Golden ; D. Heimberger, Denver; Charles F. Neilson, Den- ver, and Dr. P. R. Thombs of Pueblo, also became members.
The name of this organization was the Colorado Medical Society.
The second meeting of the Territorial Medical Society, as it was called, in- stead of the name given in the constitution (the Colorado Medical Society), was held in the F Street First Presbyterian Church, Denver, September 24, 1872, and routine business, medical papers and reports occupied the society for two days.
Dr. W. F. McClelland, of Denver, was elected president, and Dr. A. Stedman, Denver, secretary.
The third annual meeting was held at the district court room in Denver, Oc- tober 1 and 2, 1873. Dr. George S. McMurtrie, Central City, was elected presi- dent, and Dr. H. J. Pratt, Denver, secretary.
ROSTER OF STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS
The following is a complete list of the presidents of the Territorial and State Medical Society since its organization :
1871-Dr. R. G. Buckingham, Denver.
1872-Dr. W. F. McClelland, Denver.
1873-Dr. George S. McMurtrie, Central City.
1874-Dr. Henry K. Steele, Denver.
1875-Dr. William H. Thacker, Denver.
1876-Dr. William H. Williams, Denver.
1877-Dr. Thomas G. Horn, Colorado Springs. 1878-Dr. A. Stedman, Denver. 1879-Dr. Boswell P. Anderson, Colorado Springs.
1880-Dr. Frederick J. Bancroft, Denver.
1881-Dr. Harrison A. Lemen, Denver.
1882-Dr. Pembroke R. Thombs, Pueblo.
1883-Dr. William R. Whitehead, Denver. 1884-Dr. Jesse Hawes, Greeley. 1885-Dr. J. Culver Davis, Denver.
1886-Dr. John W. Graham, Denver.
1887-Dr. S. Edwin Solly, Colorado Springs.
1888-Dr. Samuel A. Fisk, Denver.
1889-Dr. John W. Collins, Denver.
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1890-Dr. Jeremiah T. Eskridge, Denver.
1891-Dr. William M. Strickler, Colorado Springs.
1892-Dr. William E. Wilson, Denver.
1893-Dr. Edmund J. A. Rogers, Denver.
1894-Dr. Hubert Work, Pueblo.
1895-Dr. I. B. Perkins, Denver.
1896-Dr. Robert Levy, Denver.
1897-Dr. Lewis E. Lemen, Denver.
1898-Dr. William A. Campbell, Colorado Springs.
1899-Dr. Joseph N. Hall, Denver.
1900-Dr. William P. Munn, Denver.
1901-Dr. Richard W. Corwin, Pueblo.
1902-Dr. William W. Grant, Denver.
1903-Dr. Thomas H. Hawkins, Denver.
1904-Dr. Frank Finney, La Junta.
1905-Dr. Horace G. Wetherill, Denver.
1906-Dr. Heman R. Bull, Grand Junction.
1907-Dr. Herbert B. Whitney, Denver.
1908-Dr. Peter J. McHugh, Fort Collins.
1909-Dr. Leonard Freeman, Denver.
1910-Dr. Dill H. Swan, Colorado Springs.
1911-Dr. Walter A. Jayne, Denver.
1912-Dr. John A. Black, Pueblo.
1913-Dr. O. M. Gilbert, Boulder.
1914-Dr. Walter A. Jayne, Denver.
1915-Dr. George B. Packard, Denver.
1916-Dr. John R. Espey, Trinidad.
1917-Dr. Alexander C. Magruder, Colorado Springs.
1918 -Dr. Edward Jackson, Denver.
There are now twenty-four constituent societies which send delegates to the State Medical Society meetings. These organizations are: Boulder County, 47 members; Crowley County, 4; Delta County, 16; Denver County, 339; El Paso County, 86; Fremont County, 23; Garfield County, 12; Huerfano County, 12; Lake County, 20; Larimer County, 32; Las Animas County, 25; Montrose Coun- ty, 12; Morgan County, 8; Northeast Colorado, 15; Otero County, 18; Prowers County, 13; Pueblo County, 62; Routt County, 4; San Juan County, 23; San Luis Valley, 23; Teller County, 10; Tri-County (eastern), not given; Weld County, 29.
The total membership in the State Medical Association January 1, 1918, was 833.
EARLY MIGRATIONS
The migrations of the physicians of the early period of Colorado's history make interesting reading. Thus when early in May, 1877, the population of Fairplay, sick and well, had gone to the new camp at Leadville, Dr. John Law was among the human driftwood, the first physician to locate in what is now
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the City of Leadville. He was made coroner, and as the cases were numerous his income from this source was about as profitable as a gold mine. Doctor Law later founded St. Luke's Hospital in Leadville. When Georgetown sent much of its population to Leadville Dr. J. Ernest Meiere went along to divide business with Doctor Law. He never got over the migrating fever, and in 1896 landed in Cripple Creek. Among the early practitioners in the Leadville district were Dr. Azar A. Smith, Dr. D. H. Dougan, Dr. J. H. Heron, Dr. W. N. Burdick, Dr. F. F. D'Avignon, Dr. O. H. Simons, Dr. J. J. Crook, Dr. Addison Hawkins, Dr. A. W. Eyer, Drs. A. C. and A. M. McClean. Dr. H. Steinau was the first president of the Lake County Medical Association, which was founded De- cember 30, 1880.
CONDITIONS IN 1864
Dr. Henly W. Allen, of Boulder, in a paper written for Colorado Medicine in 1906, gave a vivid description of the conditions under which medicine was prac- ticed in Colorado in 1864. He writes :
"There were very few doctors at that time in Colorado-at least in proportion to other lines of professional men. Among these was Governor John Evans. I presume we all know he was at one time a member of our profession. He re- mained always in sympathy with us-even long after he left the chair of obstetrics in the Rush Medical College, Chicago, and moved to Evanston. Our Doctor King, now superannuated, Doctors Buckingham, Stedman, Treat, McClelland, Elsner, Smith, and a number of others whose names I do not just now recall, were in Denver. At Blackhawk and Central City were Doctor Reed, the Indian mis- sionary, with his little drug store, and a band of Ute Indians always in evidence about his place. Doctor Lincoln was just across the street from him. Dr. H. W. Allen was there conducting a drug store and practicing medicine. Doctors Judd and Toll were further up the gulch above Gregory Point. I must not forget to say that that winter Harper Orahood conducted a drug store next to me in the same block. Henry M. Teller was mining and practicing law in Central City. In Golden City, then the capital of the territory, Doctor Kelly was holding the fort. I used to meet him occasionally for consultation, in Boulder County. Colo- rado Springs, Pueblo, Tarryall, Trinidad, and some other small settlements in the southern part of the territory, mostly peopled by Mexicans and half-breeds, and greasers, had one or more medicine men who were more or less qualified to prac- tice medicine. Having made this hasty review of what was then in sight in Colorado at large, let us return to Boulder County for a more detailed account of what was here, and by what stages we have grown to our present stature. In the spring of 1865 I moved from Blackhawk to Boulder County, locating at the confluence of north and south Boulder creeks, where Valmont afterward stood, for several years a rival of this city, both in population and wealth.
"Doctor Hubbard was living in Boulder and doing what practice there was to do in Boulder County from this city. There was also here a Doctor Cluster, but he did little or no business; also an eclectic, Doctor Bard, lived just east of town. About this time or soon after Doctor Yates (father of the Yates boys) did a little business as a cancer doctor in and about Boulder. Doctor Goodwin at this time lived on the St. Vrain, a little above old Burlington, and a mile south of
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where Longmont now stands. He practiced from his home on his ranch. Doctor Gurney was a kind of peripatetic, or traveling caravansery, making his home wherever night overtook him. He had quite a large practice, counting square miles, over the whole of northern Colorado. He will be remembered by old- timers as the brother-in-law of Judd Terrel, the druggist of Longmont. In the eastern part of this county or in western Weld County lived Doctor Jones. He was then teaching school in the "Plum and Baily" district. He afterward mar- ried one of the Baily girls and opened up an office in Longmont, where he prac- ticed many years till his death in that place. It was a pleasure to me in those days to meet Doctor Jones, as I frequently did in consultation; also Doctor McLeon, Doctor Bowker, '77; Doctor Chase, '77; Doctor Thrailkill, 'So; Doctor W. S. Dyer, '75; Doctor Hall, '77; Doctor Shute, '73; and Doctor Youtsey.
"In the summer of 1866 I well remember being a witness for the people in a poisoning case, which was taken to Denver, on a change of venue from the district court of Boulder County. I had made an analysis of the stomach contents and found strychnia. I was stopping at the old Planters' House. In the morning, when the overland stage came in from Omaha, a very striking character alighted from the coach. He was a large, heavy-set man, wearing a linen duster and low plug hat, both of which were begrimed and covered with dust, so that it would keep one guessing to tell the nationality of this newcomer. This was Dr. F. J. Bancroft as he was first seen in Denver. He accompanied me to the court room that afternoon to hear the evidence in that case.
"Ever afterward until Doctor Bancroft retired from professional life we were friends. If he had an interesting case he would invite me to Denver to see and assist in any operation which might be required. Do not forget that a trip to Denver then meant a horseback ride of fifty miles, with about even chances of losing your scalp. It was no pleasure trip of an hour in a comfortable railroad coach.
"No further change in the personnel of our fraternity in the northern part of Colorado occurred until the latter part of '67 or the first of '68.
"Then came Doctor, Groesbeck, who later joined the Mormons, struck it rich, and disappeared somewhere in the great State of Texas. Then came Doctors Bond and Barclay, with the Greeley Colony. Bond came to Boulder and Barclay settled on a farm near where Hygiene is now located. Later came Doctors Dodge, Ambrook and Clark, of the regulars; Brace and Clarke. homeopaths; Aerhart, Deering, Rice, homeopaths; Bock, eclectic; McGraw, from the placer mines of California ; Stradley, physio-medical; Mayfleld, the unctuous; Bardill, of Long- mont ; Smith, formerly a druggist in Boulder. now in California; and perhaps a few others down to 1880. Last but not least of this list, in 1882, came Dr. L. M. Giffin, whose history in this country is sufficiently known to all of us."
FIRST MEDICAL LEGISLATION
In 1881 the first act controlling the right to practice medicine was passed by the state legislature. It provided for the creation of a Board of Medical Examiners to consist of nine medical men representing the three schools of medicine, and it further provided for an examination "that should be without prejudice or par- tiality to any school and which should not include materia medica and thera-
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peutics." The applicant was to be examined by number so that his identity might not be known to the examiner, and no questions were to be asked on treatment,. the answers to which might disclose the school of practice of the applicant. All applicants to practice the healing art were required to appear before the board, and no one of good moral character could be refused an examination, whether a graduate in medicine or a blacksmith.
LEGISLATION RELATIVE TO OSTEOPATHY
These general principles with one exception held from that time to 1915, the exception being that in 1905 the Legislature provided that "Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit . . . the practice of osteopathy when not prescribing medicine, or administering drugs." This has been known as the osteopathic ex- emption clause, and by virtue of it the osteopath has maintained an office and treated the sick. Under decision of the Supreme Court he is permitted to employ the term "Doctor" if used in connection with the word "osteopath." Thus the form, "Doctor Smith, osteopath," becomes legal.
At every meeting of the Legislature there was a determined effort to strike out the exemption clause, but to no avail. During this period strenuous efforts by the osteopaths to establish a separate osteopathic board of examiners have likewise met with defeat.
CHIROPRACTIC
In 1915 the Medical Practice Act was again amended providing for the licens- ing of chiropractors, whose practice was defined to mean "the treatment of disease or morbid conditions of human beings by palpation, nerve tracing and adjustment of vertebrae by hand." The amendment further provided that "such license shall not confer upon licentiates the right to practice surgery or obstetrics, or to pre- scribe drugs or to administer anaesthetics." "Any person holding a license to practice chiropractic who shall practice medicine otherwise than is included in the practice of chiropractic, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor."
In the act as finally passed, provisions were made for a license to practice chiropractic, based upon the length of time the person had been practicing in Colorado, and upon the amount of schooling he had had in preparation therefor, which preparation includes "proving to the satisfaction of the board that he is a graduate of a school chartered by the state in which it is located to teach chiro- practic, which school requires the applicant to be in actual attendance for not less than two years of nine months each, and to take not less than 1,000 hours of instruction work in each of those years, in order to graduate."
OTHER LEGISLATION
The bill as passed in 1915 provided for the licensing of midwives by examina- tion, penalizing those who practice midwifery without a license, and defining what may be legitimately done by midwives; provided for licensing of chiropodists by examination, defining what may legitimately be done by them; defines the practice of medicine on broader general lines than had ever theretofore been laid down,
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and gave the Board of Examiners wider discretion in refusing and revoking licenses, such discretion applying to all forms of license.
In 1917 the law forbidding the splitting of fees was passed by the legislature. This merely prohibits what amounts in fact to a commission for referring patients to a physician.
COLORADO MEDICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Dr. Henry Sewall may be termed the father of the Colorado Medical Library Association, which was formed April 27, 1893, when, at the request of Doctor Sewall, seven physicians and one layman met in the office of Dr. J. T. Eskridge and began the work. In the first nine years of its existence the association gathered approximately $10,000 in valuable medical books. When the new build- ing on Court Place was officially opened November 29, 1916, the library had become one of the great medical institutions of the state.
It has to-day the complete catalogue of the library of the Surgeon General, so far as it has been published, containing in round numbers 225,000 volumes and 340,000 pamphlets. These can now be obtained for reference purposes by any member physician of the state association. It contains every medical journal published in the world, and these, too, are accessible to members of the state association. The library has 16,000 volumes of its own. A large assembly hall for meetings of the state association and of constituent bodies takes up the large space in the rear of the library.
WOMEN PRACTITIONERS
Prior to 1881 when the registration of women practitioners was authorized by legislative enactment in Colorado there were but three or four who had come to the West to earn a living in the profession. Doctor Avery, who had come early in the '70s, was the pioneer. At the meeting of the state association in 1877 the first effort was made to admit women to membership. It was not, however, until 1881 that Doctors Mary Barker Bates, Root, Anderson and Avery were admitted to the county society. Dr. Eleanor Lawney was the first woman graduate from the medical department of Denver University, in 1877. In 1888 Doctor Marquette was graduated from Gross Medical, and Dr. Rilla Hay, of Pueblo, was admitted to membership in the State Medical Association.
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