History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Downer, Harry E
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1042

USA > Iowa > Scott County > Davenport > History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I > Part 45

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"I made twelve visits, in as many days. The sequel was most satisfactory, for within ten days from my last visit Mr. LeClaire rode on horseback from Dav- enport to Rockingham, and without asking for my bill, handed me a handful of silver, interspersed with gold pieces, saying, 'I will pay you the balance some other time,' then bade me good-by, for he had not dismounted, and rode off. The sum given me was $150. He did pay the balance, besides contributing annual pay- ments for small service. On my removal to Davenport, in the spring of 1843. he presented me with a deed of out lot No. 31, then called four-acre lots, saying to me: 'If you don't want that lot, sell it; I felt that I had never paid you for your services.' I attempted an acknowledgment, but he said. 'Don't say anything, for I owed it to you.' I did sell the lot subsequently for $1.000. It was the one upon which Sargent's row is built. The population on January I. 1837, of the domain now known as Scott county, was below 200, after which immigration set in with great rapidity.

"During this summer Dr. A. C. Donaldson, from Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, located in Davenport as the first resident physician. He was well qualified for a successful practice of the profession; was eminently upright in thought and act and deserved a better recompense for his medical ability and his moral worth than the world afforded him. He remained in Davenport but two years, or per-

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haps three, removed to St. Louis, and subsequently to California, where death overtook him.

"During the summer and autumn of 1837 a few cases of bilious remitting fever occurred, but yielded readily to treatment. The winter following several cases of bilious pneumonia demanded prompt attendance and special vigilance in the observance of changes indicative of greater danger. These were the dis- eases, and the principal ones, which called for medical help up to the year 1849. Since that year, or from that period, the summer and autumnal fevers ceased to be epidemical and pneumonia became less frequent. It may be well to mention here that the fevers of 1849, after the third or fourth day, assumed a typhoid charac- ter, the remission hardly observable, and the nervous depression occasioning great anxiety. Old citizens well remember that year, for in it occurred the death of David Hoge and Miss Sophia Fisher.

"I think it was Dr. Rush, of Philadelphia,-a great name up to about 1825- who said the lancet was a 'sheet-anchor' in all inflammatory diseases. So it might have been said of quinine, as used in remittent and intermittent fevers, in both the Mississippi and Missouri valleys from 1830 up to 1850. During that period 120,000 square miles west of the Missisippi and north of St. Louis became populated, and all of it more or less malarious. In some of these years the demand for quinine was so great that the supply in the American market became ex- hausted. 'Sappington's pills' were indirectly the power which worked steamboats up the river from 1835 to 1843. They were, verily, the 'sheet-anchor,' not only aboard boats but in many households. Dr. Sappington was a regular allopathic physician of considerable ability, residing up the Missouri river, who thought it would be a benefaction to the new civilization of the west to prepare quinine, ready to be taken, in the form of pills. The boxes contained four dozen each, and the pills two grains each. The direction on the box was to take from two to twenty, as the urgency of the case seemed to require, without reference to the stage of the paroxysm.

EARLY PHYSICIANS.

"Dr. Thomas J. Saunders, recognized by the profession as a scholarly M. D., graduated at the Pennsylvania university in 1843, to please his father. The law was his choice as a profession; but as that did not accord with the moral senti- ments of a highly worthy disciple of George Fox, he acceded to his father's wishes and became an M. D., practiced medicine for a while in New Jersey, and traveled for a time in Europe. After his return, in connection with his practice in New Jersey, he was prominently engaged as a politician, serving several terms as secretary of the senate. In 1855 Dr. Saunders came to Davenport and practiced his profession successfully. His ability for public service has for the last twenty years kept him engaged in its employ. He was secretary of the constitutional con- vention of 1857; was member of the senate from Scott county ; served four years as paymaster in the army which handled the rebellion. For the last few years has been engaged for the war department in assessing damages, or taking evi- dence to that effect, caused by Sherman's army in east Tennessee. But with all

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these diversities of engagements he has never ceased to entertain a respect, to- gether with an interest kept up, for the medical profession.

"Dr. E. Fountain and Dr. J. M. Adler came to Davenport in 1854, from As- pinwall, on the isthmus, where they had been engaged for two or three years as surgeons of the Panama Railroad Company.

"Dr. Fountain was from West Chester county, New York, a graduate of the College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, in 1851; was most estimable for his many moral virtues and fully competent, and master of his profession for his term of experience. In 1861 he became infatuated with the supposed medi- cinal virtues of an article called chlorate of potash, which he claimed to have used with great success, and to confirm his own conscientious opinions of its action on the system experimented upon himself rather than his patients, took an overdose on March 27th, and died from its effects within forty-eight hours.

"Dr. Adler, as partner of Dr. Fountain, continued the practice until 1865, then 'removed to Philadelphia, where he continues at present in a large and successful practice.

"Dr. C. C. Parry, from Sandy Hill, New York, came in 1852 or 1853, prac- ticed for a few years, then devoted his attention wholly to a scientific branch of the profession which he has made a specialty, and at present is engaged in ex- ploring southern California. As a botanist Dr. Parry possesses a celebrity to which he is worthily entitled, and second to very few.

"Dr. - McCarn came to Davenport about 1860, remained a year or two, went to Memphis, Tennessee, and died with yellow fever in 1867."

In the north part of the county there settled the following practitioners, as furnished by Drs. Gamble and Knox :

Dr. Zebulon Metcalf, regular, from New York, came here in 1841, practiced three years, and removed to Clinton county.

Dr. Zachariah Grant practiced here in 1835, died about 1844. Dr. Nelson Plummer, irregular, came here in 1842, and removed to Farmington in 1848, and now resides there. Dr. Philander Chamberlin, irregular, commenced practice here in 1844; he removed from here in 1848 and now resides in Oregon. Dr. James Gamble, regular, graduate of Missouri Medical college in 1847, came to LeClaire in July of the same year, and has been and is now in active practice here. He is the oldest practicing physician in the county. Dr. Sylvenus Rowe, ir- regular, commenced practice here in 1846. He removed to Michigan where he now resides. Dr. Austin, irregular, came here from New Jersey in 1848, and practiced two years, then returned to New Jersey. Dr. William P. Hills, reg- ular, came here in 1850 from Pennsylvania, practiced about five years and now resides in Clinton county, Iowa. Dr. James Van Horne, regular, came here in 1853, from Pennsylvania, practiced about two years and now resides on a farm near Cordova, Illinois. Dr. S. W. Treat, irregular, came here in 1856, practiced until 1863, now resides in Denver, Colorado. Dr. W. F. Hays, homeopathist, came here in 1857, practiced about five years, and now resides on a farm in Clin- ton county, Iowa. Dr. T. S. Smith, regular, came to Pleasant Valley in 1860, practiced several years, and now resides on a farm in Pleasant Valley. Dr. F. W. Bellfield, regular, located in Valley City in 1861, and practiced there until his death in 1873. Dr. E. D. Allen, regular, located in Pleasant Valley in 1879, prac-

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

ticed two years and now resides in Madison county, Iowa. Dr. Barnes, irregular, located here in 1867, and remained about one year. He now resides in Henry county, Illinois. Dr. Bradway, irregular, came here in 1855, practiced two years and now resides in Cass county, Iowa. Dr. Taylor, irregular, came here in 1870, practiced two years, and died in 1875. Dr. Brown, irregular, came here in 1869, practiced four years and now resides in Guthrie county, Iowa. Dr. Barkalow, regular, located here in 1880, practiced one year and now resides in Muscatine county, Iowa. Dr. J. A. DeArmand, regular, located here in 1876, and is now practicing here; graduated at Pennsylvania university. Dr. T. C. McClery lo- cated here in 1875, in partnership with Dr. Gamble, and now resides at Exeter, Nebraska. In 1853 Dr. Joseph P. Hoover, a graduate of Pennsylvania Medical college, located in Princeton and practiced medicine three years. Dr. J. T. Tate moved to Princeton in 1854 and practiced one year. In 1856 Dr. Thomas Gault, a graduate of Berkshire Medical college, Massachusetts, located in Princeton, and practiced in partnership with Dr. Samuel Knox for six years, and now resides in Rock Island, Illinois. In 1856 Dr. Samuel Knox, a graduate of Pennsylvania university, located in Princeton and practiced in partnership with Dr. Gault for six years; after Dr. Gault left he still continued in practice there and is still in active practice. In 1855 Dr. C. G. Martin, a graduate of Jefferson Medical col- lege, Philadelphia, came to Princeton and practiced one year. Dr. S. Semple, a graduate of Jefferson Medical college, came to Princeton in 1858, and stayed two years. In 1858 Dr. G. L. Bell came to Princeton and practiced ten years ; he is now in Chicago. In 1859 Dr. Bowman came to Princeton and practiced one year. Dr. Logan came to Princeton in 1860 and practiced one year. In 1869 Dr. S. Gast, cancer, commenced practice in Princeton and is still there. In 1869 Dr. Blackburn located in Princeton and practiced until his death, in 1880. In 1875 Dr. D. 'A. Kettle located for practice in Princeton and is still there. In 1878 Dr. C. W. Knott located in Princeton and practiced medicine three years ; now resides in Benton county, Iowa. In 1878 Dr. John Knox, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, located in Princeton and is still practicing there.

SCOTT COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.

On the 18th of October, 1858, pursuant to a published notice that a meeting would be held for the purpose of organizing a medical society for Scott county, nine physicians met at the office of Drs. Witherwax and Carter, then on Third street west of Brady. Dr. James Thistle presided and Dr. Tomson was secretary. Committees were appointed to report upon the several subjects of constitution and by-laws, code of ethics and fee bill, and then the meeting adjourned. Thir- teen physicians met at the adjourned meeting on the 28th of October, at the office of Drs. Fountain and Adler, on Second street, between Brady and Main, and the reports of the respective committees were received and adopted. Un- der that report a constitution and by-laws, as well as the code of ethics recom- mended by the American Medical association, was also adopted and the following permanent officers to serve one year were elected: president, Dr. E. S. Barrows; vice president, Dr. Lyman Carpenter ; secretary, Dr. J. J. Tomson ; treasurer, Dr. James Thistle ; and censors, Drs. T. J. Saunders, John Adler and John W. H.

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Baker. It had been agreed upon that the regular meetings of the society should be held four times in the year, yet the necessity seemed to exist for a special meeting and the members agreed to meet again in two weeks. Consequently the society convened in the Young Men's Literary association room on the 11th of November, the vice president occupying the chair. At this meeting the fee bill was adopted and the constitution was signed by the members then initiated. The first regular quarterly meeting took place January 27, 1857, at the office of Drs. Fountain and Adler, President Barrows in the chair. At that meeting a resolu- tion was adopted and a committee appointed relative to forming a union with the Rock Island County Medical society. Drs. Barrows and Saunders were elected delegates to the American Medical association to convene in Nashville, Tennes- see, the succeeding May. The second quarterly meeting was held in the council chamber at the corner of Brady and Third streets, April 28th. Members of the Rock Island County Medical society were admitted as honorary members, which entitled them to all privileges save that of voting. Dr. Patrick Gregg, first presi- dent of that association, read an eloquent and instructive address. Dr. Baker was appointed to deliver an essay at the next meeting. Drs. Fountain, Thistle, Carter, Pelton and Barrows were appointed delegates to the state association to meet at Iowa City the following June. At the meeting held October 27th, resolutions were adopted making the annual meeting to occur the last Tuesday in January. This society has now been in existence over a half century and has had a most honorable career.

The original members of the society were as follows: T. J. Saunders, Horace Carpenter, W. M. Line, John T. O'Reardon, George W. Carter, William Keith, John M. Adler, Lyman Carpenter, John W. H. Baker, Lewis F. Pelton, Johnson J. Tomson, J. M. Witherwax, J. Thistle, E. J. Fountain, C. C. Parry, E. S. Barrows, and A. S. Maxwell. These were the original signers of the constitution and by-laws of the society. Then shortly afterward the following were taken in as members: George E. McCosh, William H. Saunders, George B. Harrison, H. P. Hitchcock, Alfred H. Ames, James McCortney, Ignatius Langer, Charles S. Shelton, James Gamble, James S. D. Wallis, Thomas Gault, Samuel Knox, W. A. Hosford, Thomas J. Iles, J. A. Church, W. F. Peck, James Irwin, S. D. Richardson, D. W. Stewart, and L. French. The honorary members of the so- ciety from Rock Island County Medical society were as follows: William A. Knox, Samuel C. Plummer, W. F. Cady, Calvin Trusdale, Samuel K. Sharpe, P. Gregg, and J. R. Hayes. The following extracts from the minutes of the society practically give a history of the medical fraternity of Scott county :

EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES.

At the meeting, July 28, 1857, the desirableness of a city register of mortality was presented by Dr. Ames ; and Drs. Ames, Baker and Adler were appointed a committee to prepare a memorial to the city authorities upon the subject. This seems to have been the first inception of what has grown into an active and im- portant part of the city's work, viz: that of the board of health. Action was slow, however, and three years later, July 31, 1860, a committee was again ap- pointed to wait on the city council with reference to the passage of an act requir-

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ing the registration of births and deaths, and in April, 1886, steps were taken to present the matter of registration of births and deaths before the state society, with a view to general action urging the enactment of a state law to that effect. At the same meeting, the approach of cholera being anticipated, the city council was requested to act immediately in cleansing the streets and sewers.

During the cholera season of 1873 the society cooperated actively with the city board of health to improve sanitary conditions. These sultry, depressing days of late July, August and September, when citizens, well at one setting of the sun, had been stricken down and buried before the next, are still a gruesome memory to those who passed through them. The record from July 14th to Sep- tember 28th, as presented to the society by Dr. Maxwell, was : cases, 258; deaths, eighty to eighty-five. A mortality of one in three was bad enough, but even this was far exceeded during the first half of the epidemic, when scarcely one of those stricken recovered. At its meeting of the following May the society ex- pressed by resolution its strong disapproval of the action of the city council in constituting a health board without a representative of the medical profession to insure its intelligent action; also setting forth strongly the danger inherent in cesspools and the need of efficient sewerage. That our city is today almost free from cesspools, latrines and surface wells, while its excellent sewer system is at last being extended to the neglected north slope, is largely due to the persistent efforts of Drs. Cantwell, Peck and others of the Scott county society, who have had preventive medicine most strongly at heart.

At the annual meeting in 1881 the desirability of having especially educated and licensed plumbers and a sanitary engineer was urged, and in May of the same year the board of health was strongly recommended to take action forbidding burials within the city limits.

The state board of health also owes much to this society, whose members have been firm supporters of that beneficent organization from its inception. Dr. Cantwell, in his presidential valedictory, January, 1878, recommended that dele- gates to the state society be instructed to favor the movement for a state board of health with powers similar to those of the state board of Illinois; Dr. Peck, through his position as surgeon of the Rock Island road, succeeded in making operative the recommendations of the newly organized board with reference to the transportation of dead bodies; and the kindly and erudite Dr. Robert J. Farquharson, who planned our contagious disease hospital, now called St. Rob- ert's in his memory, was the efficient secretary of the board from 1880 until his death.

In March, 1861, the society makes feeling record of the first death among its members, that of the young and cultured Dr. Ezra James Fountain who, through an overdose of chlorate of potassa, fell a martyr to his zeal in professional in- vestigation. Two years later, April, 1863, another honored member, Dr. James Thistle, one of those who called the first meeting, had finished his earthly labors.

In April, 1865, smallpox was reported as existing in the city, and Dr. Peck was made chairman of a committee to confer with the city authorities with a view to securing compulsory vaccination.

As bearing on the present move for the introduction of kindergartens into the public schools, it is interesting to note that as early as 1867 Dr. A. S. Max-

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well brought before the society, at its annual meeting, the desirability of less crowding and shorter hours for the primary pupils; and the society, through its committee reporting in May, declared that: "The Scott County Medical so- ciety as a body, looking to the physical and mental welfare of the younger school children of our community, do most heartily approve and recommend the plan of requiring children to attend but one session of three hours each day in the primary department of our city schools," and pledged itself to cooperate with the board of directors and teachers to effect the change. On numerous subse- quent occasions the Scott county society has shown its interest in the schools by offering sanitary inspection, and urging prevention of disease by the vaccination of pupils and by quarantine of those affected with scarlet fever or other con- tagion.

At the November meeting, 1872, Dr. J. W. H. Baker presented an appreciative letter from President Thatcher of the state university, acknowledging the dona- tion to the medical department of that institution of "The Thistle collection of medical books." The founder of this department, one of the foremost medical schools of the west, and many other active workers, were contributed to it by the Scott County Medical society.

THE RIGHTS OF MEDICAL EXPERTS.

In December, 1872, initial steps were taken, through a resolution introduced by Dr. Peck, toward the securing of a statute defining and recognizing "the rights of the medical and surgical expert in courts of justice in Iowa."

Among the matters in which the society has always taken an active interest is the commitment and care of the insane, those most helpless and most un- fortunate wards of the state. In February, 1884, through a committee consist- ing of Drs. Middleton, McCowen and Tomson, it memorialized the legislature in an admirable address urging state care of all the insane, whether supposedly incurable or not ; holding that economy should not be considered before humanity, but that both could be secured in the cottage or "Kankakee" system. This is favored as being at once economical, sanitary and safe, and adapted to growing needs. The desirability of providing a large tract of cultivatable land in con- nection with each main institution, and the undesirability of remanding sup- posed incurables either to the county poorhouse or to separate state hospitals devoted to this class alone, were especially dwelt upon. It was a concise and con- vincing argument which might well be presented anew today in view of apparent backward tendencies in certain quarters.

Beside the members of the above committee Dr. Margaret A. Cleaves, a for- mer member of this society, who now ranks with the foremost medical elec- tricians of New York city, and Dr. J. H. Kulp, formerly physician in the Mount Pleasant asylum, and who was for more than thirty years in successful prac- tice here, were especially interested in questions pertaining to the right care of the insane.

The regulation of the practice of medicine by state law was early furthered by the Scott County society, a petition to this end, signed by thirty-six physi- cians, having been forwarded to the legislature in 1878 through Representative

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Seaman. Again in 1885 delegates to the state society were instructed to urge that body to make this important measure an issue.

In January, 1876, the society, through a committee consisting of Drs. Far- quharson, Middleton and Preston, contributed its share toward the Philadelphia exposition by forwarding, on request, various statistics, with a history of hos- pitals, societies, etc., and a list of the medicinal plants of Scott county, prepared by Dr. Preston.

On the subject of homeopathy and other restricted schools in the broad field of medicine, the following carefully considered resolutions expressing the con- victions of the society a quarter of a century ago, will not be without interest to- day. They were prepared by a specially appointed committee in view of the then recent recognition of homeopathy in the universities of Michigan and Iowa, and of the move toward affiliation in New York, being adopted, after free discussion, at the regular meeting, May 5, 1881 :

THE RESTRICTED SCHOOLS.

"Your committee appointed to consider the desirability of so changing the code as to admit into the membership of our societies those of known and acknowledged ability without regard to previous habits of thought or modes of practice, would respectfully report as follows: We do not think it advisable to make the change specified : first, because the code as it is, which we consider to be a most excellent professional standard and guide, requires no alteration to admit to membership homeopaths or others who may have abandoned their special practice. Second, because without such reform on their part we must approach the problems of disease in ways so radically different that there could be no harmonious and beneficient cooperation.

"Supplemental to, and in further explanation of this report, we beg leave to present the following statement : In view of recent accusations emanating from more or less prominent sources and made public through the press both of England and the United States, charging the regular profession with bigotry and illiberality in their attitude toward the homeopathic and other special schools, your committee deem it expedient and right that this society should at this time clearly define its position, which is also, we believe, that of the regular profes- sion the world over.

"We hold that the practice of the healing art should be based on no dogma or article of faith, but on knowledge the most exact that scientific research and unbiased observation can obtain. The terms 'Allopathist' and 'Old School,' as applied to members of the regular profession, are today obsolete, imapplicable and disclaimed. Rational medicine, which we endeavor to practice, is a growing science to whose development all sciences contribute and whose votaries acknowl- edge the restrictions of no 'pathy' nor 'school.' Because this is so there can be no common ground for efficient counsel between us and those who are controlled by any fixed medical creed, even though the elements of such creed are not in themselves irrational and absurd; nor can we trust or take counsel with those whose integrity is not such as to prevent them from assuming a name and pro- fessing principles with which their practice does not accord.

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History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Downer, Harry E Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1042

Author: Downer, Harry E
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1042