USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Medicine in Champaign County : a historical sketch > Part 6
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Houstonville, a country postof- fice, (now no longer in existence) in East Bend Township. Dr. Wantling, from about 1868 to 1872.
PATRIOTISM OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY DOCTORS
The roll of Champaign County physicians who offered their ser- vices to the country in its days of peril is a long one; much longer the writer has reason to think, than can be put on record in these . pages, as it is believed the names' of a number who served in the civil war cannot now be secured.
Among those who served as surgeons may be mentioned the names of Dr. S. H. Birney, 135th Illinois Infantry; Dr. R. H. Brown, 25th Illinois Infantry; Dr. J. G. Chambers, 190th Pennsylvania infantry; J. S. Coggeshall, 2nd Indiana Cavalry; A. Jackson Cran. 2nd Illinois Cavalry; Jacob Cul- ver, 7Ist Illinois Infantry; W. S. Franklin (went from Champaign' County as surgeon in an Ohio regiment, but what . regiment is not known); Dr. M. Garst, 7Ist Illinois Infantry; Dr. Lyman Hall, 63rd Illinois Infantry; Dr. William H. Hess, 145th Illinois
Infantry ; Dr. D. P. McClure, 64th Ohio Infantry; Dr. J. T. Miller, '60th Illinois Infantry; Dr. C. H. Mills, 125th Illinois Infan- try; Dr. C. A. Thompson, 125th Il- linois Infantry, 13th Illinois In- fantry and goth Illinois Infantry.
In addition to the above list of medical men who gave their pro- fessional service and one of them his life to the country there is a goodly number of doctors in Champaign County who served in the ranks when mere boys.
Among these may be named, Dr. E. C. Bartholow, Dr. J. M. Bartholow, Dr. John M. Gardiner, Dr. Goodman, Dr. J. M. Hadden, Dr. Apollis Hess, Dr. J. C. Har- mon, Dr. H. S. Hickman, Dr. R. H. Huddleston, Dr. David Jen- nings, Dr. Charles B. Johnson, Dr. E.A.Kratz,Dr. Wesley Lawson,Dr. J. D. Mandeville, Dr. D. R. Mc- Kinney, Dr. John North, Dr. J. T. Purcell and Dr. W. B. Simms.
75
INTERESTING FACTS IN THE HISTORIES OF
CERTAIN DOCTORS
Dr. J. T. Miller of Urbana is the Nestor of Champaign County medicine as he has been in continuous practice longer than any one else. Dr. Miller located in Urbana, April 29, 1853. After Dr. Miller, Dr. Howard is the oldest physician in the County who is yet in active practice, though Dr. S. S. Salis- bury of Tolono, also in active; practice, is Dr. Howard's junior by only ten days.
a veteran of the civil war, served five years and nine months, be- lieved to be the longest term of military service rendered by any volunteer soldier in the County.
Dr. J. M. Bartholow of Urbana enlisted when only fifteen years of age and served two and one-half years.
Dr. John H. Gardiner of Ma- homet enlisted in the last year of the war when but fifteen years
Dr. J. T. Purcell of St. Joseph, of age and served his full time.
ACCIDENTS AND VIOLENT DEATHS IN THE PROFESSION
Late in the sixties Dr. D. P. Mc- Clure in visiting a patient near Thomasboro attempted to cross a slough in a time of high water that was followed by a severe cold snap. In consequence there was consid- erable ice and in crossing the horse floundered, got under the ice and was drowned while the doctor had a very narrow escape with his own life.
July 4, 1855, some of the citizens of Mahomet were celebrating the day by firing an anvil when this burst and a large fragment struck one of the bystanders, Dr. C. L. Crane, and mangled one of his legs so severely that amputation was
necessary. Later blood poisoning took place and the patient died about a month after the accident.
About 1870 Dr. Edward Tour- lette located at Ogden and in connection with his practice ran a drug store. A year later his wife died from an overdose of chloro- form administered by herself, but whether the fatal consequences were the result of accident or in- tentional was never known.
However, the result so preyed upon the mind of Dr. Tourlette, that precisely four weeks after his wife's death he died from a large' dose of laudanum, taken with sui- cidal intent.
76
PROGRESS IN MEDICINE DURING THE PIONEER, INTERMEDIATE AND MODERN ERAS
The history of medicine in Champaign County had its begin- ning near the end of the first third of the Nineteenth Century. For convenience of study this history may be divided into three periods. The first period, the Pioneer Era, ended in 1850; the second, the In- termediate Period, in 1877; and the third for want of a better name may be called the Modern Era, which embraces our day.
THE PIONEER ERA
During the Pioneer Era a va- riety of causes conspired to espe- cially handicap the practitioner of medicine on the frontier. To be- gin with, by reason of circum- stances over which he had little or no control, he often began his pro- fessional duties with inadequate preparation. Seventy odd years ago Medical Colleges were few in number and for the most part poorly equipped. Then with the poor and slow means of locomo- tion that characterized the period, these Colleges were little short of inaccessible to the majority of the medical students. Moreover, med- ical books were not plenty as in our time, and those that could be had were relatively high priced. Medical periodicals were few, and upon these the postage was so high as to, in effect, be almost pro-
hibitive in many instances. Rare was it that the Pioneer doctor had taken the required two courses of lecture. necessary for graduation; indeed, he was fortunate if cir- cumstances had permitted him to take one course, and not unfre- quently his sole qualification for the important business of caring for the life and health of the fron- tiersman was a period of office tui- tion, taken in an older state with some doctor of local reputation. Then after beginning practice he was embarrassed by the great diffi- culty of obtaining needed supplies in the way of medicines and in- struments. The great city was many miles away and the means of reaching it slow, tedious and uncertain. Thus limited in education, limited in opportunities for self-improvement, limited in means for treating disease, the practitioner of the frontier was compelled to fall back upon him- self and depend upon resources near at hand.
Consequently if books and per- iodicals were scarce, those on hand were read with care; and these well-scanned, the great book of nature was turned to and from its open pages no end of practical knowledge was obtained. The re- sult was, that while the Pioneer doctor was in no sense a learned
77
man, he in time became a ready, observing and resourceful man. And if in some emergency an in- strument was needed he could im- provise it; if a particular drug was indicated, its substitute was gath- ered from the fields or may be ob- tained from some crude mineral.
But while self reliance and re- sourcefulness were his noble vir- tues, the Pioneer doctor was not without his faults-faults, let it be said in extenuation, almost wholly due to his environment, but faults nevertheless. Lack of familiarity with medical literature and of opportunity to ex- change views with his fellow prac- titioner in medical societies anu kindred meetings had a tendency to make him narrow, opinionated and over-confident. The result was, if he was fortunate enough to escape the fate of sinking hopeless- ly in the mire of prejudice, he was almost sure to settle deeper and deeper in the rut of routine. Hence his long use and persistent abuse of that old therapeutic tripod, bleeding, blistering and heroic doses of calomel.
THE INTERMEDIATE ERA
The period between 1850 and 1877 was a great improvement on the Pioneer Era that had preceded it. Medical Colleges had increased in number and had improved in equipment. Moreover not a few were nearer at hand. Cincinnati,
Louisville and Chicago all had one or more medical schools. Then, too, railways had come in general use and afforded ready means of travel. Medical books were more plentiful and more easily obtained, and there had been a marked in- crease in medical literature and this, with the coming of cheap pos- tage, was much more widely dis- seminated. The marked improve- ment in the means of locomotion that railways brought about was followed by a great influx of pop- lation and with the latter came more doctors. And with an in- crease in the number of doctors, Medical Societies were organized and these brought an exchange of views and experiences between practitioners and stimulated the latter to more extended reading and wider culture. One result of this better education, more read- ing and exchange of ideas among the doctors of this period, was to call in question the utility of the heroic measures of their predeces- sors. It must be said, too, that the ignorant botanic and that medical monomaniac of the first half of the nineteenth century, the steam doc- tor, had no little share in demon- strating the folly of an indiscrim- inate resort to bleeding, the rou- tine use of blisters and setons, and the giving of mercury with the avowed purpose of inducing sali- vation in so many instances. As a result of these combined influ-
78
ences, not long after the begin- ning of the second half of the nineteenth century, powerful drugs and heroic measures came to be used less and less in the treatment of disease. While na- ture's simples, such as fresh air, sunlight and cold water came to be recognized as potent therapeu- tic agents that no progressive phy- sician could afford to ignore.
Early in 1861 came the great civil war that for four long years dragged out its weary length. But with all its attendant evils and hardships this contest was not wholly without its compensation. One of these was the affording of unequalled opportunities to the medical profession for the study of certain classes of disease and injuries. The prolonged duration and great magnitude of the war created so great a demand for sur- geons that every doctor in the country who had the requisite qualifications, had opportunity to enter the medical department of the army if he so desired. What we today call asepsis, or absolute surgical cleanliness, was not un- derstood in the civil war period. Nevertheless the treatment of gun- shot wounds in this time had in its favor not a little to commend. One of its good features was sim- plicity. In the first stages gunshot wounds were treated with cold water dressings. Later when sup- puration began, applications of a
sort of soothing salve known as simple cerate, was made use of with most excellent results.
In the medical department of the army during the War of the Rebellion Champaign County was well and ably represented. Details of the representation will be found elsewhere.
In this Intermediate Period the average education of the medical practitioner was much higher than it had been in the Pioneer Era, but there was yet room for greater improvement. The profession of medicine was open to all, and who- soever desired could enter upon its responsible duties; there were absolutely no restrictions outside of popular c'nion, and often- times the standards of the people were hopelessly low. At this time, as there has always been, there were a great many well qualified and not a few high educated men in the profession. But on the other hand there were some en- gaged in practice who were igno- rant and thick-headed to an ap- palling degree. Strange as it may now seem to many there were at this time in enlightened Champaign County, a number of reputable practitioners who had never seen the inside walls of a Medical College. There were still a larger number who had at- tended lectures, but who had nev- er graduated in medicin, while
79
among those who were graduates were men whose preliminary edu- cation had been so limited as to leave them little better than illit- erates.
This brings us to the consid- eration of the
THE MODERN ERA
That began a little after the Centennial year, 1876, and that reaches to our day. As elsewhere detailed, at a meeting of the Illi- nois State Medical Society held in the Twin Cities in May, 1876, steps were taken to secure the en- actment of laws that would aid in the establishment of a high stand- ard of medical education, a better observance of the principles of sanitation and a curtailment of the spread of contagion. This is no place for details, hence, let it suf- fice to say that in 1877 the much desired legislation was secured and went into effect. And while in practice these laws have by no means proved ideal, yet under their influence progress has been so great and so encouraging that he who would return to the old go-as-you-please methods must be blind indeed. While the writer has no disposition to dwell unduly on the "then-and-now" phase of this question, yet a few facts in the way of contrast may not be unin- structive.
A third of a century ago any-
body could practice medicine in Illinois and no one could interfere; health officers and health boards could be found only in the larger cities; and outside these large cit- ies no means worthy the name could be put in force to prevent · the spread of contagion; indeed, comparatively few physicians had a proper appreciation of the in- fectious character of many mala- dies that are now classed as pre- ventable diseases.
In our state today no one can begin the practice of medicine without passing the examination of the Illinois State Medical Ex- amining Board; no one can take this medical examination of the State Board of Medical Examiners who is not a graduate of a repu- table medical school; no one can enter this reputable medical school who has not, at least, the equiva- lent of a high school education, and finally, no one can graduate from this reputable medical col- lege who has not devoted four years to attending its graded courses of instruction.
In the way of disease-preven- tion the contrast with thirty odd years ago is striking. Every township and every village may now have, and indeed nearly all do have, local Boards of Health to look after the health interests of the community. Doctors and peo- ple alike have come to realize the
80
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truth of the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." There is hardly a com- munity in Illinois where the gen- eral health has not been greatly improved and the death rate very much reduced by this work in the direction of disease prevention. Statistics and figures could be piled up to prove these state- ments, but this would be tedious to the reader. In a conversation not long since between the writer and an undertaker, who for many years has followed his business in central Illinois, the fact was brought out that where forty to fifty years ago children furnished a considerable part of the under- taker's business in recent years the burial of a child had become so rare as almost to excite surprise.
CONCLUSION
The medical history of Cham-
paign County had its beginning more than two generations in the mast, when a solitary physician, Dr. Fulkerson, located at the head of the Big Grove settlement, five miles north of Urbana. Since that time full eighty years have run their course and today, at the be- ginning of the Twentieth Century, no less than one hundred doctors attended to their professional' du- ties within the limits of Champaign County. And while it may be questionable taste for an individ- ual member of this hundred to speak of the whole in complimen- tary terms, nevertheless, the writer will speak his mind and say: There are few localities of like ex- tent that have better, all-around physicians than Champaign Coun- ty. And taken as a whole their average attainments, in character, in morals, in citizenship, is com- mendably high.
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INDEX
Adams, N. H 9
Alpers, J. H. 9
Bartholow, E. C. 9
Bartholow, J. M
10
Banquet, Fortieth Annual
55
Banquet, Fiftieth Annual
59
Birdsell, E. I.
10
Biographical Sketches.
9
Birney, S. H
10
Board, Hospital
.57
Bondville.
63
Broadlands.
63
Brown, R. H
11
11
Brown, M. S
12
Burres, W. F
Burrill, T. J
50
74
Burr Oak Grove
Catron A.
14
Chaffee, Herman
13
Chambers, Jacob G
14
Champaign City
64
(also see Introduction)
Champaign County, see introduction .. 5 Champaign County Medical Society .. . 53
Cheever, Daniel .
14
Coggeshall, Job S
14
Cogswell, G. E
15
Conkey, W. A 8, 15
Core, James
16
Cooper, Chas J
15
Conclusion
.81
Country Locations
63
Crane, C. D.
16
Culver, Jacob 16
Cushing, Henry E.
.17
Darrah, Alexander T
18
Dewey. 65
Dillon, William 19
Dillon, Amos 19
Directors, Hospital, Board of. . 61
Doctors, Pioneer
6
Doctors, Interesting Facts Pertaining to 75
Fisher
65
Farm House, Crittenden Township.
.74
Furm House, Hensley Township.
74
Farm House, Mijamin Byers
74
Farm House, Wm. Peabody 74
Fiftieth Annual Banquet
54
Fifty Years in Practice 58
Fortieth Annual Banquet
55
Forbes, Stephen A
.50
Foosland .
.65
Franklin, Dr.
20
Frontispiece
1
Fugate, John T.
20
Fulkerson, Champaign County's First Doctor 6
Garst, M.
21
Gardiner, John H 21
Gardiner, J. D 21
Gifford . .
66
Gillum, A. D. 21
Goodwin, A. D.
21
Gregory, John M.
50
Hall, Abbie (i
24
Hall, Lyman
22
Hadden, J. M 22
Hanınore. J. J . 23
Harris, J. F.
.24
Harmon, J. C.
24
Hartman, G. W
.25
Hawes, C. C.
6
Hess, A R.
26
Hess, T. M.
.27
Hospital, Julia F. Burnham .60
Howard, Hartwell C. .26
Hospital Staff
61
Hunt, C. A.
28
Incidents
76
Ivesdale
66
Interesting Facts, etc.
76
Intermediate Era
77
Jennings, David.
28
Johnson, Charles B.
29
Joined the Silent Majority
59
Kemp, George T
57
Kincaid, S. W
.20
King, D. A. K
34
82
1
Kratz, E. A .... 30
Lawson, J. M .. 80
Lindley, A. M .. .31
Lindley, Mahlon .31
Locations of Physicians
.63
Pioneer Doctors 6
Longview.
.67
Pioneer Era
.78
Politics, Champaign Co Doctors in .61
Polk, John L.
41
Progress in Medicine
77
Prefatory
4
Purcell, J. T
42
Rantoul
.62
Rowland, G. T. 42
Saddler, John S.
42
Members, Líst of in 1860 .53
Members, List of in 1899
56
Members, List of in 1909.
57
Members Deceased (see Silent Majority)59 Modern Era .. 80
McClelland, C. B. 33
Mckinney, David R 34
McKinney, Thomas J .35
McClure, D. P.
.34
Somers, Winston
7
Miller, Joseph T
.35
Stevens, Harmon
7
Mills, Charles H .36
Sidney .
St. Joseph
72
Sugar Grove
74
Morris, B. C .37
Morrison, James E .37
Tolono
73
Mosier, Philip C.
37
Newcomb, W. K .39
VanDoren, C. L 46
North, John
.39
Violent Deaths and Accidents. 76
Walker, T. E 46
White, C. N.
47
Old Headquarters .74
Orizaba.
.74
Page, Samuel K.
40
Patriotism of Champaign Co. Doctors. . 75
Pearman, John T 49
Penfield
68
Pesotum 68
Philo
.68
Ludlow .67
Lyons, James H
7
Mahomet
. 67
Mandeville, John D.
32
Marten, John
32
Martinie, C. W.
.33
Medical Practice Act
.62
Medicine, Progress in .77
Salisbury Samuel Scott. 42
Sadorus
69
Seymour
69
Shaw, Homer A 43
Shumaker, R. W. 43
Sims, W. B.
43
Scroggs, J. W 44
Smith, E. S. 44
70
Miner, Ellen
.36
M.nturn, J. M. 37
Thompson, A. T 45
Urbana
73
North, Miss Francess .52
Ogden . .67
White, J. E 47
Whitmire, Z. T
48
Wilcox, L. S.
48
83
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 3 0112 049814871
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