USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > Memorial history of Syracuse, N.Y. : from its settlement to the present time > Part 4
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449
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
LOUIS L. WATERS .- Born in Cortland, December 20, 1864 ; educated at the Cortland Normal School ; studied law at Cortland, 1834, in Washington, D. C., Columbian University Law School, 1885-87 ; admitted in District of Columbia, June, 1887, and in New York State, April, 1888 ; prac- ticed in Syracuse ; of Waters, Mclennan & Waters.
HOMER WESTON .- Born in Ascutneyville, Vt., October 4, 1341 ; educated in Springfield Wes- leyan Seminary, two years at Wesleyan University, and graduated from Vale in 1867; studied law in the Albany Law School and graduated, 1867-68 ; admitted at Albany in 1868, and at LaCrosse in June, 1868 ; practiced in Wisconsin, and came to Syracuse in 1875, where he has since practiced.
GEORGE B. WARNER .- Born in Lima, Livingston county, N. V., December 23, 1844 ; educated at Genesee College, in Lima, N. Y .; studied law with Gardner & Burdick, in Syracuse, 1866-67 ; admitted in Syracuse in the fall of 1867 ; practiced in Syracuse from the spring of 1865 to the pres- ent time.
EDWARD C. WRIGHT .- Born at Pompey Hill, Septen.ber 27, 1890 ; educated at the Munro Collegiate Institute, and Hamilton College ; studied law in Syracuse ; admitted in Rochester, 1870; practiced in Syracuse. He has held the offices of Supervisor and School Commissioner.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
The Onondaga Medical Society-Its Organization-Records of Early Meetings-The First Cholera Epidemic-A Complimentary Dinner-List of Presidents-List of Members-The Syracuse Medical Association-I'roceedings at Various Meetings-Officers of the Association-Biographical Notes-The Homoeopathic Medical Society.
T HE Onondaga County Medical Society was organized at the Court House at Onondaga Hill on the Ist day of July, 1806. William Adams was chairman of the meeting, and Walter Colton, clerk. John H. Frisbie was elected the first President of the society ; Gordon Needham, Vice-Pres- ident ; Daniel Tibbits, Treasurer; Walter Colton, Secretary. There were present at that first meeting. Drs. William Adams, Deodatus Clark, John H. Frisbie, Gordon Needham, Smith Weed, Jesse Searle, James Jackson, Daniel Tibbits, Isaac Benedick, Salmon Thayer, and Walter Colton.
Resolutions were adopted providing for a society seal, books, etc., and the meeting adjourned to the first Tuesday in October of the same year at the same place. At this meeting a Board of Censors was chosen and it was resolved that thereafter no person should be admitted to membership in the society unless he had passed an examination by the Board, which consisted of the following Physicians: `John Miller, Bildad Biren, Samuel Porter, Daniel Tibbits, and James Jackson.
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450
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF SYRACUSE.
Dr. John H. Frisbie was chosen to represent the society at the meeting of the State Medical Society. A committee was chosen to prepare By-Laws, and Dr. Daniel Tibbits was appointed to deliver an oration at the next meeting. Among the members admitted at this meeting were Drs. Daniel Hubbard and David Holbrook, who had previously located at Jamesville as the first settled physician in Onondaga county. The meeting adjourned to the first Tuesday in January, ISo7.
In compiling this necessarily brief record of the proceedings of this society we can only select such items as seem of enough importance to ren- der them worthy of preservation in such a work as this.
Dr. Tibbitts' oration, to which we have alluded was upon the subject, "The Inflammatory State of Fever," and was, of course, the first disserta- tion before the society. He was voted thanks for his able effort.
It would seem that members did not attend punctually the yearly meet- ings and in October. 1808, it was resolved that any member remaining away from a meeting should pay into the treasury fifty cents.
At a meeting held August 3d, 1812, the preparations were made for a new code of by-laws. Several committees were appointed during the early years of the society to investigate and prosecute persons who were practicing medicine without proper authority.
The records do not indicate that meetings were held from 1818 to 1822, except one in 1820. At the meeting of June, 1822, new activity seems to have been exhibited. The by-laws were overhauled, a new seal authorized, the purchase of fifty diplomas for the society ordered, and the Censors were called upon to prosecute all who were practicing without proper authority.
In June, 1823, Drs. Kendrick and Coburn were appointed to "draft a system of Medical Ethics for this society." In 1825 it was resolved that a part of the society's funds should thereafter be given as premiums for prizes, the amount to be decided by a majority of the members present. These prize questions were to be selected by a committee, and another committee was appointed to decide on the merits of the dissertations on such questions. The sum of $5.00 was voted for the best dissertation on " Some Chronic Disease." Dr. Jonathan Day, was awarded the premium. Dr. Day died in 1831, at which time he was Secretary of the society.
Resolutions were passed in 1830 strongly condemning the use of ardent spirits, except for medical purposes, and that "we will so far as is consistent with the duties of our profession, avoid prescribing alcohol in any form which may endanger the temperate habits of our patients."
July 6th, 1832, a special meeting was called to devise the best means of preventing the Asiatic cholera. The State Medical Society had issued a circular on the subject, which was the occasion of the action. Drs. Clary
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451
ACTION TO PREVENT CHOLERA.
and Day were appointed a committee to "draught such remarks expressive of the opinion of the society as they deemed proper to publish to the inhabitants of the county." This action resulted in the adoption of the following resolutions which were made public:
Resolved, That a committee of three be chosen to draught such remarks expressive of the opinion of the society, as they deemed proper to publish to the inhabitants of the county. This committee was composed of Drs. Taylor and Day.
The following was also unanimously adopted :
WHEREAS, The Asiatic cholera has made its appearance in New York, and is also reported to have occurred in Albany ; in consequence of its near approach, its habit of following the main channel of communication, such as rivers and canals, roads and the like, it is rendered extremely probable that our county, in some of the villages will be visited with this dreadful scourge. We, the mem- bers of the Onondaga Medical Society, deem it our duty, and we take pleasure iu submitting a few such remarks as are deemed important to prepare our citizens in body and minds for the reception of this fell disease. And first we remark that we know of no means of preventing its approach and attack. Like other epidemics its cause is latent neither perceivable by our senses or capable of be- ing operated upon so far as we know by any remedial agent. No means that human ingenuity, skill or philanthropy could suggest have yet stayed its progress. We then can recommend such measures only as will tend to remove the exciting causes and mitigate the severity of the scourge, such means as will have a beneficial effect upon individuals and the atmosphere and such a course as is practicable and easy of application in case of an attack :
Ist .- Cleanliness in our person, about our houses, cellars, out houses, and streets, is a matter of indispensable importance. All nuisances and filthy accumulations should be removed, all offen- sive smells arising from sinks, out houses, stagnant pools, and all other sources not capable of being removed, should be corrected by the free use of chloride of lime and soda or of quick lime. The more pure and wholesome we keep the air we constantly breathe in the above ways the less malig- nant and extensive may we expect the disease will be. As the intemperate have ever been found the more ready and easy victims of the disease it is earnestly recommended to all to abstain from ardent spirits, (except as medicine) to be temperate in diet, and especially in the use of sub-acid and unripe fruits and uncooked vegetables, which by many are indulged in at this season of the year. Also to be cautious of exposure to the colder air of the evening and night without being sufficiently guarded with clothing. This exposure and consequent check of the secretions of the skin, is the ex- citing cause of most of the disordered bowels that ordinarily occur at this season of the year. Hence, we infer that carelessness and inattention to this point would be among the most exciting causes of cholera. The mind, too, has a vast influence in exciting disease at all times, and especially so dur- ing the prevalence of the epidemic. Too much care cannot be taken to keep the mind calm and un- ruffled from any cause that is depressing in its effects, whether it be fear of cholera, or its effects on community and business. There are strong reasons for believing that fear had more agency in the production, extension, and malignancy of cholera in Quebec and Montreal than any other of the ex- citing causes. It will be noticed by those who have read the letters of those medical men (sent from the State to make observation and collect facts in regard to cholera) that very much depends upon a judicious management of the premonitory symptoms. We advise persons laboring under any dis- ease (supposed to be premonitory of cholera) to have immediate recourse to the advice of a physician, rather than depend upon the nostrums and specities now going the rounds of the public newspapers. In fine, it behooves us all and severally to meet the scourge (should it come among us) like rational beings and bear it, and treat it, and render the assistance to the needy, in the full possession of our powers, mental and corporeal, knowing that there are means which, if used early and judiciously. the fell scourge may be shorn of much of its power to attack and destroy. We can assure any fel- low citizen that attention to these particulars is well calculated to have a beneficial influence, not only as regards cholera, but in the prevention and mitigation of fevers and all malignant disease, and that as a Society, as well as individually, we will avail ourselves of all means in our power to obtain
452
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF SYRACUSE.
correct information as to the most successful treatment of cholera, and endeavor to act in unison and harmony upon this important subject.
In this connection a central committee was appointed to procure such approved publications on this subject as were deemed valuable, and it was made the duty of every member of the society to report to that committee every case of cholera which might occur in his practice, and his opinion of the disease and history of the treatment. Other committees were also ap- pointed with assigned duties, all intended to lessen the ravages of the dis- ease.
Through the efforts of the Board of Health, composed of the physicians of the city, who were constituted such by the trustees, the inhabitants of the village were impelled to exercise vigilance in sanitary matters and to clear their premises of whatever foul substances could be found. The trustees were authorized to borrow a sum of money not exceeding $1,000 to be used in combating the disease. Dr. Jonathan Day was sent to Montreal to in- vestigate the disease in that city, but without any especial benefit. The disease made its appearance, the first victim being a laborer who lived on Clinton street. The Rev. Nelson I. Gilbert preached his funeral sermon, and the following evening was stricken down with the scourge and died in a few hours. He and his wife were both treated with the utmost attention by Dr. Jonathan Day, then one of the most popular and successful physi- cians in the county, and he too, fell a victim. The course of the epidemic need not be traced in detail here, as it has already been fully described in an earlier chapter. The number of deaths probably reached one hundred and the victims numbered several of the best and most prominent men in the community. But Syracuse suffered far less than many other localities of similar size, and it is certainly just to credit this immunity to a large ex- tent to the unselfish and heroic labors of the members of the Onondaga County Medical Society.
At this meeting (1832) resolutions were adopted upon the death of Dr. Jonathan Day. They spoke in the most complimentary terms.
At the meeting of January 27, 1835, Dr. Hiram Hoyt offered a series of resolutions on the subject of an eye and ear infirmary in Syracuse, but they were withdrawn without action. In the same year the Code of Ethics gov- erning the State Society was adopted. About this time a " Topographical Committee" was appointed with instructions to report, at an early meeting presumably, upon the topography of the county and its relation to disease. This committee, or its successors, crops out in the records for a number of years, with excuses for not reporting and requests for extension of time ; but nothing seems to have been done by it.
In 1840, the State Society issued a circular to County Societies asking an expression as to the advisability of licensing practitioners. It is suffi- cient to record that this society strongly favored the plan. As indicat-
453
PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS MEETINGS.
ing the fact that medical practitioners of that day were compelled to devote considerable attention to dentistry, a committee was appointed in 1843 to inquire into the propriety of using " mineral paste " in dental surgery.
About the year 1845, the feeling of opposition to homeopathy became quite marked in expression and the records -show that it suffered no dimi- nution for many years, several members having been expelled for embracing the alleged medical heresy. At the annual meeting of the year a committee of seven prominent members of the society was appointed to collect infor- mation of "the two celebrated systems of practice taught by Priessnitz and Hahnemann." Upon the information supplied by the committee and knowledge of the homeopathic system as obtained from other sources, the society condemned that school in the most unqualified terms, and summa- rily expelled such members as embraced it. Among these were Dr. Lyman Clary, who took up homoeopathy in 1846, and a few others who followed in later years.
In 1847, it appeared advisable to the society to admit reporters of news- papers to their meetings, as shown by a resolution to that effect. In the next year a communication was received from the Board of Health, relative to the old mill pond which then covered the site of the present armory and the adjacent park. The beginning of this agitation led to the filling up of that pond, for which action the Medical Society is entitled to a large share of credit.
The city was visited with Asiatic cholera again in 1849, in common with other localities, but the disease did not secure the foothold that character- ized it in 1832-3. There were, however, nearly seventy cases in the city, but few fatalities.
Down to the year 1850 very few medical questions and cases were dis- cussed or made the subject of essays in the society, but constant attention was given to the advancement of the dignity of the profession through the Code of Ethics and a general interchange of views. Only two meetings were held in each year until 1870, when the number was doubled; this is exclusive of special meetings. After 1850 very much more attention was given to the reporting of cases, discussion of their treatment and the read- ing of essays, showing not only great advancement in the extent of the practice of prominent physicians, but also a higher degree of knowledge and appreciation of the benefits accruing from meetings of the society.
Nothing of paramount importance to the profession appears on the rec- ords for a long period. The war of 1861-5 was inaugurated, calling many members of the society to the front, where they performed service as he- roic and valuable to the country as that done by any other branch of the army. Among the physicians of Syracuse (at that time and since) who joined the army were Drs. A. B. Shipman, R. W. P'ease, N. R. Tefft, E. A.
454
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF SYRACUSE.
Knapp, J. V. Kendall, I. H. Searl, A. D. Head, John Van Duyn, Geo. H. Greeley, Elisha George Ely Vandewalker, W. T. Plant, Chas. A. Hill, John O. Slocum, Dr. Van Slyke, J. S. Coe, J. O. Burt, Hiland Weed, Judson H. Graves, and many others.
In 1865, the subject of a library for the society was introduced by Dr. H. D. Didama, and a committee of three, (Didama, Smith and Mercer) was appointed to report on the topic. This resulted in founding a library to be supported by contributions of books, papers and money.
On the 30th of October, 1865, occurred the death of Dr. Hezekiah Jos- lyn, and a special meeting of the society was called and a series of resolu- tions in eulogy of his life and character were passed.
In January, 1866, the society felt called upon to pass the following reso- lution :
Resolved, That the Onondaga Medical Society recommend to the physicians of this county to form Boards of Health, to use proper medical and sanitary regulations to ward off and prevent the spread of Asiatic cholera, the coming of which we have great reason to fear during the coming summer."
On the 'first day of November, 1871, a special meeting was called to con- sider the proposed removal of Geneva Medical College to Syracuse. Rev. Dr. Jesse T. Peck addressed the society in behalf of the removal and estab- lishment of the College with Syracuse University. Resolutions strongly favoring the removal were passed. A committee was afterward appointed, who conferred with joint committees of the University and of the Faculty of the Geneva College, and a plan was prepared which was adopted by the University authorities and resulted in founding the College of Medicine as a branch of that institution.
An event of some importance occurred in the afternoon of September 7, 1876, in the tender of a complimentary dinner to Dr. Jehial Stearns, of Pompey, and Dr. Lake I. Tefft, of Syracuse, in celebration of the semi-cen- tennial year of their practice of medicine. This dinner was given at the On- ondaga Temperance House and was presided over by Dr. H. D. Didama. About forty physicians of the county were in attendance, and several ladies.
Dr. James Foran died in December, 1873, and Dr. J. W. Lawton in June, 1879. In the latter part of 1875, Dr. N. C. Powers died. In I878, the society sent Sioo to the yellow fever sufferers in the South.
During the past ten years of the society's existence it has expressed itself in approval of the employment of female attendants in the female wards of insane asylums; ordered the examination and substantially ap- proved of the Metric System : reported through Dr. Didama the first suc- cessful case of tracheotomy in this county (May, 1880); advocated through Dr. Cook the use of electricity in capital punishment, perhaps the earliest advocacy of that reform ; gave a banquet to Dr. N. R. Tefft on the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of his practice ; adopted active measures for
455
LIST OF ESSAYISTS.
the inauguration of better sanitary conditions in Syracuse; advocated the abandonment of Onondaga creek as a source of water supply ; reported through Dr. A. Mercer the deaths from typhoid fever from 1875 to 1884, inclusive, (the first five years, 117 ; second five years, 134 ;) and from ma- larial fever, (first five years, 5 ; second five years, 74.)
In the latter part of 1881 a plan was adopted by the society to awaken deeper interest in the meetings and render them of greater value to the members. This involved the selection at each annual meeting of twelve essayasts, three of whom were to read at each of the four meetings in each year essays before the society on some appropriate topics. A penalty of five dollars was attached to each failure to fill an appointment as essayist. Following are the names of the essayists from that time to the present :
1882 .- April, Wm. Manlius Smith, Ely Van de Warker, W. W. Porter. Annual meeting, J. A. Mowris, W. R. Johnson, J. E. Carr. September, Geo. W. Cook, O. G. Dibble, G. W. Earll.
1883 .- January, J. V. Kendall, W. W. Munson, H. W. Post. April, L. F. Weaver, F. H. Stevenson, N. Jacobson. June, John L. Heffron, C. E. Billington, J. P. Dunlap. September, George R. Kinne, M. Stanton, J. D. Potter. Semi-annual, E. R. Maxson, A. S. Edwards, J. O. Slocum.
1884 .- April, Gregory Doyle, Carrie A. Hatch, L. A. Saxer. June, R. W. Pease, G. W. Earll, C. F. Wright. September, J. H. Coe, A. C. Mercer, I. H. Searl.
1885 .- January, A. B. Frazer, A. J. Dallas, Vandyke Tripp. April, U. H. Brown, E. A. Knapp, A. A. Aldrich. June, D. M. Totman, G. L. Brown, Alfred Mercer. September, Robert Aberdein, E. S. Mumford, E. J. Holcomb.
1886 .- January, M. B. Fairchild, J. II. Graves, L. P. Deming. April, H. B. Allen, N. Wilbur, F. O. Donohue. June, L .. C. Skinner, B. F. Chase, G. P. Clark. September, F. H. Butler, A. C. Benedict, S. M. Higgins.
1887 .- January, H. B. Wright, J. Van Duyn, G. W. Draper. April, H. B. Pritchard, C. S. Roberts, J. P. Shumway. June, G. A. Edwards, H. D. Didama, E. C. Skinner. September, M. G. Rood, A. B. Randall, Scott Owen.
1888 -F. W. Smith, E. S. Maxson, J. W. Knapp. April, H. Murray, J. W. Fry, J. W. Brown. June, E. A. Didama, F. A. Strong, E. L. Mooney. September, W. T. Plant, R. C. Hanchett, H. L. Elsner.
1889 .- E. S. Sampson, J. G. Justin, F. W. Slocum.
This necessarily brief account of this honored society may be properly closed by a reference to its growth and progress. It is perfectly clear, even to the non-professional reader who examines the records of this society for more than three-quarters of a century, that in its numerical growth ; its ad- vancement in professional knowledge and alertness and industry in seeking
456
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF SYRACUSE.
it ; its often heroic action in purging itself of members guilty of infraction of its laws and the Code of Ethics; the increase in number and interest of cases reported and papers read before it by its members ; its watchful care of the sanitary interests of the community; and its beneficence in many other ways, the Onondaga County Medical Society has earned for itself an honorable and splendid record.
Following is a list of those who have held the office of President of this society from its organization to the present time, with the year in which each was elected :
1806-7, John H. Frisbie; 1808, Walter Colton ; ISog, Daniel Tibbits ; 1810, Samuel Porter ; 1812, Isaac Benedict ; 1813, H. L. Granger ; 1815, S. Fish ; 1816, Luther French ; 1817, H. L. Granger; 1822-23, Isaac Magoon ; 1824-25, Wm. Taylor; 1826-27, Jehial Stearns; 1828-29-30, H. B. Moore ; 1831, J. B. Hopkins ; 1832-33, Benjamin Trumbull; 1834, A. S. Ball ; 1835, Schuyler Pulford; 1836, G. W. Richards; 1837-38, Harman Van Dusen; 1839-40, L. I. Tefft ; 1845, Lyman Clary ; 1846, Horatio Smith ; 1847, P. C. Sampson; 1848, N. R. Tefft ; 1849 50, Abram Hann; 1851, John Briggs; 1852, Jonathan Kneeland ; 1853, Hiram Adams; 1854, James V. Kendall ; 1855, A. J. Dallas ; 1856, A. B. Shipman ; 1857, J. F. Trowbridge; 1858, Wm. Laughlin ; 1859, James Foran ; 1860, Alfred Mercer; 1861, Israel Parsons; 1862; R. T. Paine; 1863, S. M. Higgins; 1864, Hiram Wiggins; 1865, Wm. Manlius Smith; 1866, H. D. Didama ; 1867, Elijah Park ; 1868, George W. Cook; 1869, W. W. Porter ; 1870, M. D. Benedict ; 1871, J. P. Dunlap ; 1872, John O. Slocum ; 1873, Win. A. Bennett ; 1874-75, Geo. T. Campbell ; 1876, Wm. T. Plant ; 1877, W. W. Munson; 1878, Ely Van de Warker; 1879, M. H. Blynn ; 1880, M. B. Fairchild ; 1881, J. D. Potter; 1882, John Van Duyn; 1883, L. C. Skinner; 1884, G. W. Earll; 1885. J. L. Heffron; 1886, Henry B. Allen; ISS7, D. M. Totman ; 1888, Henry L. Elsner.
Following is a complete list of all the physicians who have ever been members of this society, with such brief details as have been preserved re- garding them. We give up the space in these pages for this list, believing that its preservation in such a work must be of great importance to the pro- fession, as well as to others, for otherwise no record exists except that in the book of the society, which is, of course, liable to destruction at any time:
Admitted July 1, 1806,-Gordon Needham, Onondaga Hollow ; died there in 1564. Deodatus Clark, Pompey ; removed to Oswego. John H. Frisbie ; died May 23, 1809. Wm. Adams, Ca- millus. Smith Weed, Eagle Village. Jesse Searl, Ilomer ; died there. James Jackson, Manlius, died there in 1829. Daniel Tibhals, Pompey ; removed west. Isaac Benedict, Skaneateles, removed from there. Salmon Thayer, Onondaga Hill ; died in Geddes. Walter Colton, Manlius ; removed from county.
Admitted October 7, 1806 .- John Miller, Truston. Bildad Beach, Marcellus ; died there feb- ruary 15, 1856. Samuel Porter, Marcellus; died June 13, 1843. Jesse Munger, Camillus ; died
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