USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska > Part 53
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" Resolved, that we. the undersigned, do agree to form among ourselves (and the reg- ular practitioners of medicine who may from time to time be admitted) an associa- tion to be known as the Omaha Medical Society, of Omaha."
December 17, 1866, a very comprehensive fee bill was adopted, not only setting forth the prices to be charged for ordinary profes- sional services, but also naming the remu- neration to be demanded for the various simple surgical operations and venereal dis- cases. No mention was made of the capital operations. or other operations requiring abdominal section. It was a very sensible fee bill and a very important factor in binding to- gether the profession for mutual protection. The fee for services for opinion upon life insurance was set at five dollars, which has
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still continued to be the fee demanded by the physicians in this city, and paid by all reliable companies which have done busi- ness in Omaha. At that time the usual fee in the eastern States was from two to three dollars. This bill established the fees for professional services at that early day in our city, and by common consent has been accepted by both regular and irregular phy- sicians from that time to the present. Those doctors of Omaha's younger days had a very slippery sort of men to deal with, and the fee bill was generally looked upon as the only means of self protection.
At a meeting held February 10, 1868, preliminary steps were taken to organize a State medical society, which in the following June culminated in perfecting the associa- tion. To-day this association is in a most flourishing condition, having held annual meetings up to the present time, having a constantly increasing membership, and rank- ing with the best State organizations of this character in the Union.
A special meeting was held February 12, 1868, to take measures for procuring the body of Ottway G. Baker, who was to be hanged for murder February 14th. A com- mittee was appointed to petition the judge of the district court for the purpose. On the 24th, this committee made quite a vol- uminous report, setting forth that the judge first acceded to their request; but later, on account of the strenuous opposition of the Catholic priest who was Baker's spiritual ad- visor, revoked the order. The society coin- cided with the committee in condemning the action of the judge, who thus denied to science an opportunity to investigate a very important matter, by his vacillating course. The priest also was quite severely criti- cized. On March 9, 1868, this society voted twenty-five dollars to defray expenses incurred in the interest of members of the society, on condition that a certain skeleton should, as soon as convenient, be turned over to the society. What connec-
tion this action may have had with the re- moval of the body of Baker, which the society elaimed, or the bones of some other individual, there is nothing in the transac- tions of the society to indicate. The crime which Baker expiated upon the gallows was one of the most cold blooded and atrocious which has ever occurred in the history of this city; and, since several members of the medical profession were more or less inti- mately connected with the prosecution, from the finding of the body of the victim in a burning building to the expiation of the crime on the gallows, they very naturally felt greatly aggrieved at the action of the court in this matter.
The meetings of the Omaha Medical So- ciety were held with considerable regularity, and the scientific work accomplished was quite commendable, up to about 1877, when, through internal dissension and the with- drawing of the more active members, i't be- came practically moribund, and finally ex- pired about 1881. The last meeting was held July 18, 1881; and an effort was made toward another meeting, September 5, 1881, with the result as recorded, "no quorum."
Following this date, a period of nearly two years rolled by before the restless spirit of organization again aroused itself in the med- ieal profession of Omaha. Upon the even- ing of April 11, 1883, Drs. James Carter, J. M. Swetnam, J. B. Ralph and George B. Ayres met at the parlors of the Creighton Ilouse, for the purpose of taking steps look- ing to the organization of a county medical society. A committee was appointed to draw up and publish a call to the physicians of Douglas County to meet for the above purpose. In response to this call, twenty- eight of the physicians of this county met at the Millard Hotel on April 18, 1883; the or- ganization was perfected with the following officers: president, Dr. II. Link; first vice- president, Dr. J. M. Swetnam; second vice- president, Dr. J. H. Peabody; secretary, Dr. James Carter; treasurer, Dr. L. B. Graddy;
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board of censors, Drs. G. B. Ayres, J. B. Ralph, L. A. Merriam, R. C. Moore and A. A. Parker. The charter members were, in addition to those mentioned above, Drs. V. H. Coffman, Ewing Brown, C. T. Wood, S. K. Spaulding, L. F. McKenna, P. S. Leisen- ring, R. W. Colville, W. O. Bridges, P. Gross- man, S. D. Mercer, Joseph W. Search, W. S. Gibbs, Harry Durham, M. A. Rebert, II. P. Jensen, J. C. Denise and J. M. Woodburn.
During almost three years succeeding this organization, meetings of the society were held semi-monthly or monthly and great in- terest prevailed. Many papers of valne were read and the work of the members was highly satisfactory. In the spring of 1884. the Nebraska State Medical Society held its annual meeting in Omaha and was enter- tained at a banquet by the Douglas County society, the sum of $360.00 being collected for that purpose. The officers of the society in 1884 were: president, Dr. J. H. Peabody ; first vice-president, Dr. G. B. Ayres; second vice-president, Dr. G. A. Arbuckle; secre- tary, Dr. James Carter; treasurer. Dr. M. A. Rebert; censors, Drs. W. O. Bridges, L. A. Merriam, S. K. Spaulding, L. B. Graddy, J. M. Swetnam.
In 1885 the officers were: Dr. James Car- ter, president; Dr. J. B. Ralph, first vice- president; Dr. W. P. Wilcox, second vice- president; Dr. W. O. Bridges, secretary; Dr. M. A. Rebert, treasurer; Drs. L. A. Merriam, L. B. Graddy, J. M. Swetnam, W. O. Bridges and E. E. Womersley, board of censors. In 1886 Dr. R. C. Moore was chosen president; Dr. E. E. Wonersley, first vice-president; Dr. Eleanor S. Dailey, sec- ond vice-president; Dr. E. A. Kelly, secre- tary; Dr. L. A. Merriam, treasurer; and the board of censors were: Drs. J. M. Swetnam, James Carter, L. B. Graddy, M. A. Rebert and E. A. Kelly.
During the early part of 1886, the attend- ance upon the meetings was very small. Some had withdrawn, owing to their having taken offense at remarks made in discussions
of the papers. From various causes others had lost interest. Many of the older practi- tioners had allowed their business affairs to so interfere with their duties in the society that they were rarely present. In short, a process of disintegration had been under way for some time, and had arrived at such a stage of advancement that at the meeting of May 4, 1886, at which the above officers were elected, a motion was carried "that. when we adjourn, we adjourn sine die." Notwithstanding this action, meetings were ' held from time to time through the year, and in the fall a strong effort was made to revive the declining vigor of the organiza- tion.
Perhaps the greatest obstacle met with was the impossibility of dropping a large num- ber of members who were so in name only. This was owing to the fact that to do so a larger number of voters must be present, under the constitution, than were able to be obtained. After several ineffectual efforts at re-organization, the final meeting of the society occurred on March 1, 1887, at which " no essayist responded to the call " and the society adjourned. The experience of the Douglas County Medical Society was, dur- ing the greater portion of its history, one of success, and yet it contained within itself the elements of decay, as the event proved.
The Omaha Medical CIub was the next society organized among the Omaha doctors. The most striking characteristic of this infant organization was simplicity. During the first year succeeding Jannary 4, 1888. the date of its birth, it possessed no written constitution or laws of any description what- ever. It was mutually agreed among its members that it existed for scientific work solely, and that the discussion of all per- sonal differences and of all questions of medical ethics should be prohibited. Mem- bership in this club was open to any rep- utable graduate of any "regular" medical college, but no one was regarded as a full- fledged member until he had read a paper
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before the club upon some subject relating to the practice of medicine. The meetings were held at the office of the essayist of the occasion, who was also the presiding officer at that meeting. Throughout the whole period of the existence of this organization meetings were held semi-monthly, except during .July and August. There was never a failure to secure a quorum, seven mem- bers, and on only one occasion did the essayist fail to do his part. The following is a list of the physicians who became mem- bers during the first year: A. F. Jonas, R. M. Stone, J. E. Summers, Jr., II. Gifford, S. R. Towne. A. B. Somers, Il. W. Ilyde, W. F. Milroy, L. A. Merriam, W. L. Ross, Eleanor Dailey, B. F. Crummer, C. M. G. Biart, Mary Strong, James Carter, Robert Gilmore, L. B. Graddy.
At the completion of the first year of ex- istence, a discussion was had by the members of the club upon the general good of the or- ganization. It was thought that there was a possibility of error on the side of extreme simplicity of organization as well as in the opposite direction. It was therefore thought best to formulate in writing the hitherto un- written regulations of the club, which was done in a series of twenty-three rules. These rules included a statement of the points al- ready referred to, and further specified that a failure to provide a paper, at the time such paper shall be due from any member by reg- nlar rotation, shall terminate the membership of the individual thus delinquent, as shall also his absence from four consecutive meetings, sickness or prolonged absence from the city alone exeusing; that candidates for member- ship shall have been residents of Omaha for at least one year, unless a full-fledged mem- ber can vouch for his previous good char- acter; and two negative ballots shall exclude from membership. Other minor matters were also touched upon.
The papers produced by the members of the club were, as a rule, very meritorious.
and the discussions spirited and interesting. At the termination of the second year of work, in January, 1890, an evening was de- voted to a banquet at the Murray Hotel, which proved an enjoyable affair. The fol- lowing physicians were members in addition to those already mentioned: Clark Gapen, H. C. Van Gieson, W. II. Slabaugh, M. Hel- fritz Jonas, J. P. Lord, A. W. Riley, W. II. Christie and .J. F. Presnell.
The conditions which surrounded the Omaha Medical Club were not favorable to its ever securing a large membership, nor was this the design of its originators. Owing to these facts, and possibly, in some degree, to a healthy spirit of rivalry, a new society appeared to contest the field early in 1888. This organization, called the Omaha Acad- emy of Medicine, was perfected in May of the above year. Its organization was mod- eled after that of the New York Academy of Medicine, with the following officers: Presi- dent, D. C. Bryant, M. D .; first vice-president. George B. Ayres, M. D .; second vice-presi- dent, James Hl. Peabody, M. D .; secretary. C. P. Harrigan, M. D .; treasurer, Ewing Brown, M. D .; board of trustees, Drs. John C. Jones, A. P. Ginn, W. F. Milroy, J. P. Lord, and Charles Rosewater. The mem- bership of this academy was limited to thirty. and constituted, in addition to the officers, as follows: B. F. Crummer, A. W. Edmiston. Wm. I]. Galbraith, Oscar Hoffman, M. A. Hughes, H. P. Jensen, P. C. Keogh, W. G. Kemper, R. C. Moore, L. F. McKenna, W. L. McClannahan, A. A. Parker, J. B. Ralph, George Tilden, W. C. Reeves, J. E. Summers. Jr., H. C. Van Gieson, J. H. Vance, E. E. Womersley. During a few months follow- ing the organization, the regular semi- monthly meetings were held, though a quo- rum, ten members, was seldom present. From its inception, the Adademy of Medi- cine appeared never to have rightly secured a hold upon life; and, having struggled through a sickly existence of one year's du-
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ration. it fell into a quiet sleep from which no one has had the heart to awake it. Re- quiescat in pace.
A feeling existed in the profession. even prior to the date of organization of the two societies last described. that there should be. in a city of the size and importance of Omaha, a medical society that might include within its membership all practitioners within the city who deserved to be recog- nized as regular and reputable. Such an association was in demand; first. to give tone and standing to individual practitioners; secondly, to promote a feeling of harmony and community of interest among all mem- bers of the profession and discourage hurt- ful rivalries; thirdly. to take cognizance of the enforcement of such laws relating to the practice of medicine as existed. and en- deavor to improve these where they were found deficient; and fourthly, and most im- portant of all, to stimulate to scientific work the members. This feeling contin- ued to gain ground, notwithstanding the or- ganizations of 1888, it being alleged that they were exclusive and did not meet the demand. Accordingly, in response to an invitation by postal card, a meeting was held at the Paxton Hotel on March 18, 1890. About sixty-five of the leading physicians were present and effected a temporary or- ganization by the election of Dr. B. F. Crummer, chairman, and Dr. Charles Rose- water, secretary. After a general discus- sion of the considerations involved, a com- mittee to draft a constitution and by-laws was appointed, and the meeting adjourned 'for one week. At the appointed time the committee reported, and the organization was perfected with the following officers: President, W. F. Milroy, M. D .; first vice- president, B. F. Crummer, M. D .; second vice-president, A. F. Jonas, M. D .; secre- tary, Charles Rosewater, M. D .; treasurer, S. K. Spaulding, M. D .; board of censors, Drs. D. C. Bryant, W. H. Christie and J. P. Lord.
The following is a list of physicians who have become members of this society : Dewitt C. Bryant, C. M. G. Biart. Bennett C. Ander- son, Frederick Bacon. W. O. Bridges, II. L. Burrell, Benjamin F. Crummer, E. W. Chase, Howard Cook, W. H. Chritsie. . I. C. Denise, A. W. Edmiston, Harold Gifford, Clark Gapen, Robert Gilmore, W. S. Gibbs, C. P. Harrigan, II. P. Hamilton, H. P. Jensen, A. F. Jonas, M. Helfritz Jonas. John C. Jones, L. J. Kohnstamm. P. S. Leisenring. . I. P. Lord. W. F. Milroy, L. A. Merriam. Joseph Neville, A. A. Parker, Alfred Raymond. M. 1. Rebert. M. O. Ricketts, A. W. Riley, Charles Rosewater. A. B. Somers. S. K. Spaulding, John E. Summers. Jr .. S. R. Towne, HI. C. Van Gieson. W. P. Wilcox, George P. Wilkinson, E. E. Womersley, E. E. Słoman, R. C. Moore, R. S. Knode, S. B. Gillett, J. C. Aiken, W. R. Lavender. . ]. T. Presnell. Eleanor S. Dailey, F. E. Coulter, John D. Peabody, Mary Strong. Robert Mc- Donald, W. O. Henry, J. A. A. Kelley, Thomas Kelley. W. L. Ross, Hannah C. Me- Cahan, E. Holovtschiner, Paul Grossman, W. O. Rodgers, J. T. Mathews, H. W. Hyde, Andrew Crawford, Wm. M. Davis. G. S. Milnes, A. H. Jago, C. C. Allison, Gertrude Cuscaden, W. M. Brown. H. M. McClana- han, C. F. Clark, C. Riis, W. M. Barritt, L. F. McKenna. T. S. Owen, Sherman Van Ness, Joseph McDonnell, B. F. Whitmore, Fred Swartzlander, J. E. Claussen, HI. L. Hew- etson. From its beginning the Omaha Med- ical Society has gone steadily forward with. its scientific work, in a manner highly cred- itable to the profession it represents. It also took an active part in the labor of securing the enactment of, and putting in force, the medical law of 1891.
The plan of this organization is simple, yet comprehensive, and it would seem that the time has come when the profession of medi- cine in Omaha is big enough, in respect both to numbers and spirit, to effectually frown down any internal convulsions that may threaten to disrupt the new society; that.
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there are, in other words, enough physicians among its members who place in higher esti- mation their divine art than the prosecution of personal animosities. Thus, there may be a grand future in store for this new associa- tion. Out of its labors may develop results great enough to shed the brightness of their influence, not over this city and State alone, but around the very world. Let it not be understood from these animadversions that the physicians of Omaha have been, as a profession, given over to petty contentions and petty jealousies. It is a thread-bare topic-the alleged unfriendly feeling among doctors. The failure to perpetuate the va- rions associations which have been from time to time inangurated in Omaha by no means demonstrates the truth of this. The tempo- rary character of some of these has been due to causes already referred to. No pro- fession or association of human beings, of whatever sort, can bope to escape the in- fliction of one or more mischief makers among their number, and the medical pro- fession of Omaha is, alas! no more fortunate than others.
In the spring of 1869 the first school of medicine in the State of Nebraska was organ- ized in the City of Omaha, under the name of the Omaha Medical College. The college was incorporated under the laws of the State with the following individuals as trustees, viz .: J. P. Peck, M. D .; S. D. Mercer, M. D .; J. C. Denise, M. D .; H. P. Mathewson, M. D .; and James 1I. Peabody, M. D. The incorporation took place May 22, 1869. The following are the chairs which were estab- lished and the gentlemen who were chosen to occupy them: Anatomy, descriptive and surgical, H. P. Mathewson, M. D .; physiol- ogy and histology, Richard C. Moore, M. D .; principles and practice of surgery and clin- ical surgery, S. D. Mercer, M. D .; principles and practice of medicine and clinical medi- cine, J. P. Peck, M. D .; materia medica and therapeutics, James II. Peabody, M. D .;
chemistry and toxicology, George Tilden, M. D .; obstetrics and diseases of puerperal women and children, V. II. Coffman, M. D .; general pathology and morbid anatomy, C. II. Pinney, M. D .; medical and surgical dis- eases of women, Jacob C. Denise, M. D .; physical diagnosis and diseases of the chest and throat, vacant; and medical jurispru- dence, James W. Savage, Esq.
A good deal of work was done by the trustees in arranging the preliminary details looking to the opening of the college; but, owing to various obstacles in the way, and a growing feeling among those thus occupied that the enterprise was premature, it was abandoned.
In 1880 was organized the Nebraska School of Medicine, Preparatory. The fol- lowing statement, taken from the records of the institution, expresses briefly the object and aim of the institution:
" It is the mature judgment of our lead- ing physicians, as well as prominent citizens of other business pursuits, that the time has arrived for the establishment of a medical school in our State. After deliberate con- sultation as to demands and the available means of conducting such an enterprise, the school has been organized under the name and title of the Nebraska School of Medi- cine, and located at Omaha, a city of up- wards of 32,000 inhabitants, and growing rapidly, supported by a State with 500,000 people, and with well established commercial relations existing between it and adjoining States and territories.
" The school for the present will be pre- paratory simply, but the instruction given will be thorough in all branches. Each chair will be represented by a man of experience and ability in his respective department. A number of eastern schools of medicine have established graded courses and allow stu dents who are far enough advanced to enter higher classes; hence, students in the West can attend our school for one or two terms
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and then be admitted to advanced classes of other schools, when their proficiency will warrant such advancement."
The course of instruction continued for twenty weeks, beginning the middle of Oc- tober. The instruction was by didactic, clinical and practical work. The following prominent physicians constituted the fac- ulty: R. R. Livingston, M. D .; S. D. Mer- cer, M. D .; A. S. v. Mansfelde, M. D .; George B. Ayres, M. D .; J. C. Denise, M. D .; P. S. Leisenring, M. D .; Richard C. Moore, M. D .; and W. S. Gibbs, M. D. The school opened as proposed, and had in attendance fourteen students, of whom two were women.
The success of the Nebraska School of Medicine encouraged those engaged in it to go a step farther, and they organized, upon this foundation, the Omalia Medical College. A board of trustees was elected,consisting of the following physicians: R. R. Livingston, V. H. Coffman, G. B. Ayres, S. D. Mercer, P. S. Leisenring, J. C. Denise, R. C. Moore, G. H. Peebles and W. S. Gibbs.
At the request of those interested in the establishment of this college, the stockliold- ers of the Omaha Medical Society, incorpor- ated in 1869, surrendered their charter and the same name was assumed by the new cor. poration. The incorporation of the present Omaha Medical College was effected on the 14th day of June, 1881. The professorships established were: Dr. R. R. Livingston, principles and practice of surgery ; Dr. V. II. Coffman, principles and practice of medi- cine; Dr. George B. Ayres, anatomy, de- scriptive and surgical; Dr. S. D. Mercer, clinical surgery; Dr. P. S. Leisenring, ob- stetrics and diseases of women; Dr. G. 11. Peebles, diseases of children; Dr. J. C. Den- ise, physiology, ophthalmology and otology ; Dr. R. C. Moore, materia medica and thera- peutics; A. S. v. Mansfelde, histology and general pathology; Dr. James Carter, chem- istry and toxicology; Dr. H. P. Mathewson, diseases of the mind; Dr. W. S. Gibbs, dem-
onstrator of anatomy; and J. C. Cowin, Esq., medical jurisprudence.
Two lots were purchased at the corner of Eleventh and Mason Streets, and upon these a building was erected at a cost of about $4,500. The most serious obstacle that ap- peared in the way of success was found to be the lack of clinical material. To meet this difficulty an arrangement was effected with the management of St. Joseph Hospital, whose property was immediately adjoining that of the college, by which the students of the college were admitted to the wards of the hospital.
As is almost universally true in the his- tory of cities whose growth is so phenomenal in its rapidity as has been that of Omaha, the citizens are so engrossed in the develop- ment of such private and public improve- ments as are absolutely essential to the com- fort of the productive portion of the com- munity, that the establishment of hospitals, asylums and eleemosynary institutions in general does not keep pace with the growth of the city's population. In Omaha this has been true. The want of kospital facilities has been seriously felt by the community at large. Those medical colleges which have the most extensive clinical facilities, up to a certain point, are, at the present day, regarded as being better equipped for fur- nishing a thorough and practical medical education. In the growth and prosperity of this city, the Omaha Medical College would be naturally expected to share, by reason of extended clinical facilities. How- ever, owing to the fact just alluded to, ma- terial which would have been available in abundance for clinical instruction, had there been suitable hospitals, has been of no bene- fit to the college until recently.
It has therefore been with the odds strongly against it that whatever growth the college has experienced has been attained. In spite of these untoward circumstances, continued and substantial progress has been
Gro. B. Ayrue
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made. This has been most marked in re- spect to the character of the instruction given, the improvements in the college building and the elevation of the standard of requirements demanded for graduation. For several years past a large majority of those graduated have attended during three full sessions of the college, and with the ses- sion of 1891-2 the graded course, occupying three years, became obligatory.
In 1887, the college building was removed to the corner of Twelfth and Pacific Streets, where it now stands. It was also much im- proved and enlarged by the construction of an additional story.
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