USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 11
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"SEC. 6 .- Consultation should be promoted in difficult or pro- tracted cases, as they give rise to confidence, energy, and more enlarged views in practice.
" SEC. 7 .- The opportunity which a physician not infrequently enjoys, of promoting and strengthening the good resolutions of his patients, suffering under the consequences of vicious conduct, ought never to be neglected. His counsels, or even remonstrances, will give satisfaction, not offense, if they be proffered with polite- ness, and evince a genuine love of virtue, accompanied by a sin-
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cere interest in the welfare of the person to whom they are addressed.
"ARTICLE II .-- Obligations of Patients to their Physicians.
"SECTION 1 .- The members of the medical profession, upon whom are enjoined the performance of so many important and arduous duties toward the community, and who are required to make so many sacrifices of comfort, ease and health, for the wel- fare of those who avail themselves of their services, certainly have a right to expeet and require that their patients should enter- tain a just sense of the duties which they owe to their medical attendants.
"SEC. 2 .- The first duty of a patient is, to select as his medical adviser one who has received a regular professional education. In no trade or ocenpation do mankind rely on the skill of an un- taught artist; and in medicine, professedly the most difficult and and intricate of the sciences, the world ought not to suppose that knowledge is intuitive.
"SEC. 3 .- Patients should prefer a physician whose habits of life are regular, and who is not devoted to company, pleasure, or to any pursuit incompatible with his professional obligations. A patient should, also, confide the care of himself and family, a3 much as possible to one physician; for the medical man who has become acquainted with the peculiarities of constitution, habits and pre-dispositions of those he attends is more likely to be suc- cessful in his treatment than one who does not possess that knowledge. A patient who has thus seleeted his physician should always apply for advice in what may appear. to him trivial cases, for the most fatal results often supervene on the slightest accidents. It is of still more importance that he should apply for assistance in the formning stage of violent diseases; it is to a neglect of this precept that medicine owes much of the uncertainty and imper- fection with which it has been reproached.
" SEC. 4 .- Patients should faithfully and unreservedly com- municate to their physician the supposed cause of their disease. This is the more important, as many diseases of a mental origin stimulate those depending on external canses, and yet are only to be enred by ministering to the mind diseased. A patient should never be afraid of thus making his physician his friend and ad- viser; he should always bear in mind that a medieal man is under the strongest obligations of secrecy. Even the female sex should never allow feelings of shame or delicacy to prevent their disclos-
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ing the seat, symptoms, and causes of complaints peculiar to them. However commendable a modest reserve may be in the common occurrences of life, its strict observance in medicine is often at- tended with the most serious consequences, and a patient may sink under a painful and loathsome disease which might have been readily prevented had timely intimation been given to the physician.
"SEC. 5 .- A patient should never weary his physician with a tedious detail of events or matters not pertaining to his disease. Eren as relates to his actual symptoms, he will convey much more information by giving clear answers to interrogatories, than by the most minute account of his own framing. Neither should he obtrude the details of his business nor the history of his family concerns.
"SEC. 6 .- The obedience of a patient to the prescriptions of his physician should be prompt and implicit. He should never permit his own ernde opinions as to their fitness to influence his attention to them. A failure in one particular may render an otherwise judicious treatment dangerous, and even fatal. This remark is equally applicable to diet, drink, and exercise. As patients become convalescent they are very apt to suppose that the rules prescribed for them may be disregarded, and the conse- quence, but too often, is a relapse. Patients should never allow themselves to be persuaded to take any medicine whatever, that may be recommended to them by the self-constituted doctors and doctresses, who are so frequently :net with, and who pretend to possess infallible remedies for the care of every disease. However simple some prescriptions may appear to be, it often happens that they are productive of much mischief, and in all cases they are injurious, by contravening the plan of treatment adopted by the physician.
"SEC. 7 .- A patient should, if possible, avoid even the friendly visits of a physician who is not attending him; and when he does receive them, he should never converse on the subject of his disease, as an observation may be made, without any intention of interference, which may destroy his confidence in the course he is pursuing, and induce him to neglect the directions pre- seribed to him. A patient should never send for a consulting physician without the express consent of his own medical attend- ant. It is of great importance that physicians should act in concert; for, although their modes of treatment may be attended
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with equal success when employed singly, yet conjointly they are very likely to be productive of disastrous results.
"SEC. S .- When a patient wishes to dismiss his physician, justice and common courtesy require that he should declare his reasons for so doing.
" SEC. 9 .- Patients should always, when practicable, send for their physician in the morning. before his usual hour of going out ; for by being early aware of the visits he has to pay during the day, the physician is able to apportion his time in such a manner as to prevent an interference of engagements. They should always be in readiness to receive the visits of their phy- sician, as the detention of a few minutes is often of serions incon- venience to him.
- "SEC. 10 .- A patient should, after his recovery, entertain a just and enduring sense of the value of the services rendered him by his physician; for these are of such a character that no mere pecuniary acknowledgments can repay or cancel them."
There are many other things of minor importance, to the public at least, in the Code, which we have not space for in this connection.
This society continued from year to year until the breaking ont of the late war, when, most of its members having enlisted, so few were left to hold meetings that they were discontinued until the year 1866, when the times for its regular meetings, specified in its By-Laws, were observed, and have been ever since.
At the annual meeting of the Indiana State Medical Society in 1872, as a basis on which to organize this society under the statute relating to voluntary associations, passed resolutions providing for the incorporation of county medical societies. It was not, how- ever, till the annual meeting of 1875 that the requisite number- twelve counties-reported to the Secretary of the State society, at which time, "On motion, the preamble and resolutions and the new Constitution were then adopted by more than a two-thirds vole, on a division-affimative fifty-eight; negative seventeen." The State society, having now adopted the delegate system of representation from incorporated auxiliary county societies, the Hendricks County Medical Society at one of its regular meetings, in the year 1875, changed its Constitution, as was thought, to comply with the State society, and the laws of the State relative to such associations. The delegates from the Hendricks County
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Society were admitted at the State society at its annual meeting in 1876. As will be seen by the report of a committee on ereden - tials further along, the Constitution of the Hendricks County Medical Society was defective in the description of its seal. When this fact became known, most of the physicians of the county who were not members of this society organized a new society, and as a result, at the annual meeting of the Indiana State Medical Society, in May, 1877, there were two sets of delegates, each claiming to represent the Hendricks County Medieal Society. The following is the report of the Committee on Credentials: '. Your committee, to whom was referred the claims of the rival delegations from Hendricks County, submit the following report: The evidence, oral and documentary, shows that the Hendricks County Medical Society was organized in 1854, and has continued in existence ever since; that when the State society adopted the delegate system of representation from incorporated auxiliary county societies, the Hendricks County Society changed its Con- stitution to conform to the requirements of the State society and laws of the State providing for the formation of voluntary asso- eiations. The Constitution, as changed, was left with the recorder of the county, and his certificate taken for it, which certificate was presented to the Secretary of the State society, authorizing him to enter the county society on the roll of auxiliary societies, and their delegates were admitted to the State society. It has been subsequently ascertained that the Constitution was not re- corded, and was defective in not giving a particular description of its seal and the postoffice address of its members; that these tech- nical defects were unknown to its members, who were acting in good faith, under a conviction that all the demands of the State society and the laws of the State had been complied with; that after it was ascertained that the requirements of the law had not been fully complied with, a new society was organized, in which all the statutory requirements were observed; that the said latter society applies for admission to the State society; that such ad- mission would require the State society to set aside its action ad- mitting the delegates from the Hendricks County Society last year, which action was taken on their presenting a certificate from the county recorder stating that the society had complied with the law. Your committee, therefore, recommend that the 'old' Hendricks County Society be permitted to correet the errors in their Constitution, and that the delegates fromn said society
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HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.
be admitted to seats during the present session of the State society.
"C. B. HIGGINS, "J. R. WIEST,
" W. H. BILLS,
" WILLIAM LOMAX,
"S. E. MUNFORD,
" Committee."
The Constitution and Articles of Association of the Hendricks County Society had been corrected and recorded, however, about a month before this committee made its report. Below is a copy of the same:
"CONSTITUTION AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF THE HENDRICKS COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
"ARTICLE I. The name and title of this society shall be the Hendricks County Medical Society, and shall be auxiliary to and under the control of the Indiana State Medical Society.
"ART. II. The officers of this society shall be. a President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and three Censors, each of whom shall be elected annually, by ballot, and shall serve until his successor shall have been duly installed into office.
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"ART. III. Any regular and reputable practitioner of medicine may become a member of this society by signing this Constitu- tion, paying into the treasury two dollars, and complying with such other regulations as may be hereafter provided by law.
"ART. IV. The President shall preside at all meetings of the society, preserve order, and see that its deliberations are con- ducted according to the rules and regulations governing delibera- tive bodies, except so far as they may be otherwise provided for by this Constitution and By-Laws; he shall have the power to call special meetings at his discretion, or npon the written request of three members; shall sign certificates of membership, and those of discharge; also the warrants authorized to be drawn upon the Treasurer, and all the official instruments and proceedings of the society.
"ART. V. The Vice-President, in the absence of the Presi- dent, shall perform the ordinary duties assigned to that office.
."ART. VI. The Recording Secretary shall keep a fair and
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HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY. · 467
legible record of the proceedings of the society, a list of the members' names with a specification of such as fail to pay their taxes and fines, preserve all papers belonging to the society, sub- ject at all times to the inspection of the members, and perform all other duties belonging to the office.
, "ART. VII. The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the society, under its direction, and make a full report of such matters as he may deem proper.
"ART. VIII. The Treasurer shall collect all dues of the society, and pay on presentation the orders regularly drawn on him by the President and Secretary; he shall keep a full account of all moneys received and disbursed and make satisfactory . reports thereof at least annually, and oftener if requested by the society; upon the expiration of his term of office he shall exhibit to the parties appointed to receive them an account current of the receipts and disbursements of his term, accompanied with vonchers when practicable, and hand over to his successor in office all moneys, books, papers, or other property held and re- ceived by virtue of his office; he shall provide a suitable place for the society to hold its sessions, fuel, lights, stationery, and other necessary conveniences.
"ART. IX. The Censors shall examine applicants for member- ship, and if, in their opinion, such applicants are worthy to be ad- mitted they shall report accordingly. No person shall be admitted to an examination until he produces satisfactory evidence to the Censors that he possesses a good moral character and has studied medicine and surgery with some regularly authorized practitioner at least three years previous to his application unless he be a graduate of some regular medical college.
"ART. X. One-fourth of all the members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but on all subjects involv- ing the rights, interests or standing of any member, a majority of all the members shall be present.
"ART. XI. The society shall have full power to adopt such measures as may be deemed most efficient for mutual improve- ment, for exciting a spirit of emulation, for the dissemination of nseful knowledge, for promoting friendly professional intercourse among its members, and for the advancement of medical science.
"ART. XII. It shall have power to censure or expel any mem- ber for unprofessional conduct, or violation of the Code of Ethics
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adopted by this society. It shall have power to raise money of its members by a tax of not more than two dollars, and the annual dues to the State society. It shall have power to fix a fee-bill for - regulating the charges of its members for their professional ser- vices. It shall have power to adopt a seal for the use of the society. It shall hold four regular meetings annually on the third Tuesday of the months of January, April, July and Octo- ber, the April meeting being the annual meeting. And shall hold such other meetings as three members of the society may call.
"ART. XIII. Any member moving out of the county without giving notice to the Secretary shall be dropped from the roll; also, any member may withdraw from the society after paying all dues, provided no charges for unprofessional conduct or violation of the Code of Ethics are against him.
"ART. XIV. The society adopts as a part of its regulations . the Code of Ethics of the American Medical Association (National Code of Ethics).
"ART. XV. The members of this society pledge themselves to observe 'all the requirements of this Constitution, the Code of Ethics, the requirements of the State Medical Society to which this society is auxiliary, and that they will in no way countenance or encourage quackery in any of its forms or pretensions.
"ART. XVI. This Constitution may be amended at any reg- ular meeting of the society, by a vote of two-thirds of the mem- bers present."
This was signed at the time by-
'Allen Heavenridge, Joel T. Barker, F. C. Ferguson,
R. C. Moore, James H. Brill, J. A. Osborn,
F. W. Smith, J. H. Orcar, Thomas J. Adams,
B. Bartholomew, W. J. Hoadley, L. H. Kennedy,
R. C. Talbott, J. N. Green, Joseph Eastman,
W. F. Harvey, Wilson Lockhart, Thomas Evans,
Thomas F. Dryden, B. Mendenhall.
" Recorded April the 10th, A. D. 1877, at 8 o'clock A. M. " LEROY RAWLINGS, "Recorder of Hendrick's County."
This society makes no fee-bills by which its members shall be governed, but every member is allowed to make such charges for his services as he sees proper.
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Below are the names of those who have been admitted to mem-
bership since its organization in 1854:
Adams, T. J.,
Ferguson, F. C.,
Mendenhall, B.,
Bartholomew, B.,
Farabee, C. E.,
Mansbridge, J. W.,
Barker, J. T.,
Green, J. N.,
Orear, J. H.,
Brill, J. H.,
Graham, Thos. C.,
Osborne, J. A.,
Comingor, J. A.,
Harvey, Thos. B.,
Oscar, J H.,
Cox, Henry,
Harvey, W. F.,
Parker, M. G.,
Carter, Amos,
Hoadley, W. J.,
Ragan, J. S.,
Depew, D.J.,
Heavenridge, A.,
Seller, Thos. R.,
Davidson, A.,
House, G. H. F.,
Smith, F. W.,
Dryden, T. F.,
Hurt, G. K.,
Summers, H. C.,
Depew, M. F.,
Kennedy, L. H.
Strong, J. T.,
Dixon, C. R.,
Lockhart, Wilson,
Todd, H. G.,
Eastman, J. A.,
Lawson, W. T.,
Todd, David,
Evans, T.,
Moore, H H.,
Talbott, R. C.,
Ellis, Thos. E.,
Moore, R. C.,
Wright, J. J.,
White, J. F.
White, C. A.
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CHAPTER X.
BROWN TOWNSHIP.
SITUATION .- DESCRIPTION .- EARLY SETTLEMENT. - TOWNSHIP OFFI CERS .- FIRST GENERAL ELECTION .- POLITICAL HISTORY .- POPU- LATION AND TAXATION. - BIOGRAPHICAL.
Brown Township lies in the northeast corner of Hendricks County, and contains about twenty-five square miles of land, in townships 16 and 17 north, ranges 1 and 2 east. It is bounded on the north by Boone County, on the east by Marion County, on the south by Lincoln Township, and on the west by Middle Township. It is drained by White Lick, which passes through the western side of the township, along which is a fine rolling country of the best kind of soil. Along the eastern border is also a high rolling country, from which the water runs into Eagle Creek. The cen- tral portion of the township is level, and, before artificial drainage was resorted to, very wet; but now almost every portion of it is well drained, producing the finest crops of corn of any portion of Hendricks County. The soil of Brown Township, both clay and alluvial, is of most excellent quality, and furnishes to the people of the township an inexhaustible storehouse from which independence and wealth are being rapidly drawn.
Until 1863 Brown included, besides its present territory, all of what is now Lincoln. It was named in honor of James Brown, who was the first white settler within its borders. The first white inhabitant, however, within the present limits of Brown Township was David Sparks, who came in 1827. Very few men settled in the township until after 1830.
Brown is so situated as to have neither railroad station, town, nor postoffice within its borders. There are two churches-one Methodist Episcopal and one Missionary Baptist. More persons of foreign birth reside in Brown Township than in any other town-
- ship in Hendricks County. In the central part is a very large settlement of Irish, to whose enterprise and industry the county owes the reclamation of a considerable area of valnable lands from (470)
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HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.
a worthless and pestilence-breeding swamp, and its transformation into productive fields. In area Brown Township ranks as the ninth in the county; in wealth and number of inhabitants the twelfth; and in the density of population the eighth.
OFFICIAL.
Following are lists of the various township officers, so far as they can be obtained, from the year 1833 to the present time:
Justices of the Peace: Edward Railsback and Hugh Goudy, 1833; James Ward, 1835; George Tyler, 1836; Benjamin M. Logan, 1839; Francis T. Leith, 1842; James Ruggles, 1843; George Tyler, 1844; William Worrel, 1845; George Tyler, 1846; Whitson Nelson, 1848; Asa S. White, 1849; Daniel B. South, 1851; Whitson Nelson, 1853; J. H. Schenck, 1854; William C. Nelson, 1855; Asa S. White, 1857; Ebenezer S. Watson, 1858; J. T. Burns, 1859; N. W. Gossett, 1861; James Ballard, 1862; William McDaniel, 1865; Edward T. Doyle, 1866; Joseph Cooper, 1867; James Gandy, 1868; William Hopkins, 1869; Thomas J. Reed and William Symmonds, 1870; George Dickerson, 1872; William Coffman and George W. Howard, 1874; Hiram Gray and Adam Beaman, 1876; Thomas C. Dollahite and James Smoot, 1878; Thomas G. Reed and Thomas J. Sandusky, 1882.
Constables: George Tyler, 1831; Archibald Smith, 1832-'3; Lemnel Shockley and Joseph D. Happart, 1834; Gaten Manyfield and Reuben Smith, 1835; Beverly Ballard and Samuel Betts, 1836; Beverly Ballard and Thomas H. Harding, 1837; Lewis Rice and Beverly Ballard, 1838; James Ballard and Armstead Ward, 1839; H. H. Moore and Aaron Gamble, 1841; V. D. Brown and Richard Nash, 1844; John Bristow and Noah Harding, 1845; Gaten Menipee, Henry Evans and Mark Hollett, 1846; Manoah Swaim and James Constable, 1848; Isaac Nash and Robinson Tur- pin, 1849; Abraham Warrick, 1850; James Ballard and James McAllister, 1851; Joseph Wilson, John Hendricks and Henry Stewart, 1852; Stephen Call, William R. Callahan and Jacob Welshon, 1853; Enoch W. King, 1855; Albert S. Maccay, Henry Stewart and Enoch W. King, 1856; Enoch W. King, Benjamin B. Goudy and William Harris, 187; Enoch W. King, H. Garner and I. G. Hoadley, 1858; John Berry, Robert C. Walker, James G. Hoadley, 1850; George W. Nash, Benjamin O. Davidson and Vincent G. White, 1860; Henry Stranghan, John W. Arbuckle, James G. Hoadley and William Harris, 1861; Edward Roberts,
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HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.
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Bailey Smith and John M. Rice, 1862; George C. Ruggles and A. L. Brown, 1863; William L. Hatchett and Joseph Cooper, 1864; William L. Hatchett and F. M. Fitch, 1865; Bailey Smith and Joseph M. Tolle, 1866; Isaac Pearcy and John Marvel, 1867; James Pearcy and J. Ed. Roberts, 1868; R. C. Walker and Ed- ward Roberts, 1869; Elijah Smith and Allen McDaniel, 1870; Elias . B. Coombs and George T. Turley, 1872; Eli S. Bray and William Coombs, 1874; E. C. Toole and G. W. Spicklemire, 1876; Lewis Herring and Lewis McDaniel, 1878; George W. McCrary and Josephus Dodson, 1880; James N. Hough and Brownlee Sandusky, 1882; Charles R. Reed and William Gibbs, 1884.
Trustees: Edward T. Doyal, 1854; A. Tharp, 1855; William P. Shirley, 1856; J. S. Lang, 1857; S. W. Hardin, 1858; William Hopkins, 1859-'61; G. G. Menifee, 1862; Ebenezer Tomlinson, 1863; W. L. Shirley, 1864; Nicholas Lawler, 1865-'S; Allen McDaniel, 1869; William Hopkins, 1870-'2; J. P. Catterson, 1874-'6; G. W. Spicklemire, 1878-'80; S. M. McCaslin, 1882-'4.
Clerks: William Hopkins, 1854; Asa S. White, 1856; George W. Nash, 1857; T. B. Dainall, 1858 (office abolished).
Treasurers: Lewis S. Hunter, 1854; B. M. Logan, 1856-'7; Lewis S. Hunter, 185S (office abolished).
Assessors: Marion Ballard, 1870-'2; William C. Mitchell, 1874; Marion Ballard, 1876; John W. Smith, 187S; James Ballard, 1880; James S. Hogan, 1882. -
FIRST GENERAL ELECTION. .
The first general election in which Brown Township participated was that of 1828. The poll-book and tally-sheet are yet in exist- ence, and begin as follows: "At an Election held at the hous of James Brown on the 4th day of Angust 1828 for the purpos of Electing one Goviner one Lieutenant Goviner one Representator to Congress one Sinitor one representative to State Legislater one Coriner the following is a list of the number of votes taken and also the number Each Candidate receive." The names of twelve voters follow, and, as they were nearly all the early settlers of the township, their names are worth recording: James Brown, Joseph Runion, Joshua Newham, William Harris, Thomas Nash, Daniel Newham, George Tyler, James R. Smith, Shannon Foster, Edward Railsback, Jesse Smith and Nathaniel W. Hults. For Governor, James S. Ray received nine votes and J. T. Canby, two; for Lieu-
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HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.
tenant-Governor, Milton Stapp received eleven votes; for Repre- sentative, John W. Cox received ten votes; for Senator, Calvin: Fletcher received ten votes; while ten votes were cast in favor of a constitutional convention.
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