USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 1 > Part 39
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The following excellent sketch of the medical profession is by Dr. S. W. Fowler, and is compiled
from the most reliable sources, expressly for the present history of Delaware County :
It has been stated, and very truly too, that, in the settlement of new countries, there is no one who holdsa more important place than the doctor. The pioneer settlements of fifty or a hundred years ago were usually made by a single family, or sometimes by two or three families, but rarely by large colo- nies, as is often the case now in the settlement of the distant Territories of the West. And, in those pioneer settlements, it was not very common to find ministers and teachers, while lawyers were still ": rarer productions," and scarcely ever met with, unless it was for other reasons than the prac- tice of their profession. Their several vocations are not considered so essential, and they become a necessity only at a later period, when growth and development are greater (and people more civilized and, therefore, worse). One of the first queries of the emigrant is, Biblically speak- ing, "Is there balm in Gilead ? is there a phy- sician there?" or, in other words, Is there a doctor within reach ? And a sense of security is only felt when the question can be affirmatively answered.
It was thus with the pioneers in this section of the country. " Within reach " sometimes meant a long distance ; and a one, two or even three days' ride was not uncommon for one of these early practitioners of the healing art. Inquiries for allopathie, homeopathie, hydropathie, or for " men doctors" or "women doctors" were never heard in those early days, but the people. in the simplicity of their hearts, if not of their wisdom, had the fullest faith in the orthodoxy of medicine. Few, if any, of the modern isms or pathies existed. They were long in creeping into the frontier set- tlements, even after their advent in the older por- tions of the country. All had faith in the doctor. He was considered an oracle in all matters per- taining to his profession, as well as in many that did not belong to it. And then, too, he combined all the branches of the profession ; he did the work of the dentist and the druggist, as well as that of the surgeon and physician. He was, also, the oracle in all scientifie matters. Being a doctor, he must be the embodiment of learning generally. and, therefore, all questions of chemistry, botany, geology, etc., must be referred to his wisdom. But the monopoly held by the doctor, of complete con- fidence and consideration, did not last always. With the increase of population, these important gentlemen were compelled to share their honors
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with new-comers in the other branches of the learned professions.
The most marked change, however, was in the advent of new lights in the medical profession. These new lights gradually made their appearance, with innovations in practice that won over to their views a portion of the community. In slow suc- cession came first the root doctors, then Indian doctors, and, after them, water doctors. steam doc- tors and electric doctors. In the regular order came the advocates of Hahnemann, the homeo- pathic doctors; and last, but not least, the lady doctors, and to these all are compelled to offer the right hand of fellowship, for they are decidedly ir- repressible, and will have their own way. One would naturally suppose that these were doctors enough for any respectable community, but to this host may be added the specialist, the cancer doctor, the consumption doctor, the chronic-disease doctor, the eye and ear doctor, the corn doctor, to say nothing of the clairvoyant, the wizard. the spirit- ualist, and the periodical or traveling doctor ; and lastly, the most to be despised, and which should be wiped out by law, if not by public opinion, the hosts of private-disease doctors, whose foul display of advertisements contaminate nearly every news- paper and periodical in the land, and are sowing the seeds of vice and immorality in the young to an alarming extent. The apathy of the moral world on this subject must soon give way, and the disclosures that will then be made will be simply astounding. The true character and tendency of this pernicious system needs but to be brought to light, to awake thinking persons from their present indifference to its evil effects. One of the most distinguished men of the profession, and one who has spent many years in charitable and reformatory institutions, says : "All the reformatory institu- tions of the country fall far short of effecting the same amount of good that would be done by the suppression of these advertisers and their foul pub- lications."
But to return to our subject : The variety and changes that have arisen in the medical world have taken place within the memory of the present gen- eration. The doctors of middle life only know by tradition of the good old times enjoyed by their predecessors, who were frontiersmen in the profession. There are those still living who tell of many good times in their own day. and of some- what similar experience tothe old forefathers. But let the ancient landmarks silently enjoy the early period of professional glory and of professional hon-
ors. If the whole truth was known, however, they would have to acknowledge that their position was not always maintained without some drawbacks. They had to share with others the many hardships, privations and dangers of border life. These were numerous, but there were many to which the doc- tor was alone exposed -the danger of lonely rides, the exposure by night to wild beasts and to savage men, traveling through dark woods with only a trace, or a blaze upon the trees, and their knowledge of the cardinal points. to guide them. No bridges then spanned the narrow but dangerous streams which could only be crossed by swimming, and over the marshy places stretched the well- known corduroy. One of the old practitioners who became widely known in the profession in this country, and one of the foremost in the State, says: "When I began practice, nearly fifty years ago, a few of the leading roads only were what is termed 'cut-outs,' that is, the trees were cut down to a certain width along a line, on which the road had been laid out. The greater number mean- dered through the timbered land in a general, but not a very straight, direction, as circumstances most favored, and which were very difficult to travel on dark nights. And with the lonely roads there were other troubles, such as getting lost, which was a common occurrence, sometimes to the most expe- rienced backwoodsman.'
This distinguished father, who has gone to his rest, relates the following experience: "In 1832, I attempted to make a trip one cloudy, drizzly day, over this route to Bellepoint, to visit a patient who lived near that village. Soon after striking the dark path or road in the woods, I lost my way, and discovered that my faithful old horse and my- self were traveling in a charmed circle, and, not- withstanding the best efforts I could make, I repeated the trip around the circle several times, when at last I broke the charm by undertaking to travel the circle instead of the bee-line. By re- versing the order, I was brought to a point several miles from my patient, but from which I started and reached home, hungry, cold, wet and weary. I had traveled from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M. without being more than four or five miles from my place of starting." He relates an interesting story of old Dr. Reuben Lamb, who was summoned to attend a. patient several miles distant. Both the messen- ger and doetor lost their way, and were compelled to lie down in the forest with their saddles for pil- lows, until the morning light. The scream of the panther and the howling of the wolves were often
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the unwelcome sounds to greet these early physi- cians. On one occasion, old Dr. James Hills was traveling from Worthington to Alum Creek, in this county. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and, as he rode along through the dense woods, he was suddenly aroused by the snorting of his horse and the rustling of the leaves and bushes. The panther, for such it was, followed him until he emerged from the woods into the open country, when, with liberal use of whip and spur, he suc- ceeded in escaping. In those times, the necessity of swimming the streams was quite common. When the late Dr. Ralph Hills came to Delaware, over fifty years ago, there was but one bridge in the county, and that was over Alum Creek, on the road from Delaware to Berkshire. This was an important line of communication, and the steep banks, probably more than the depth of the stream, compelled the early construction of a bridge. The Scioto, Whetstone and other streams had none. Swimming streams on horseback was so often re- quired that many persons became experts, and quite fearless in the practice. Dr. Hill says the first horse he ever owned was lost from swimming the Whetstone one cold March day, after a dash- ing ride of five miles. The horse fell sick soon after, and finally died from consumption. The owner held a post-mortem examination on him, after which they sang as a requiem the song, " Poor old horse, let him die."
About this time the physicians found a rival in the female doctor, a class of practitioners whose only diploma was the consent of the people. In a few years, every neighborhood had one of these doctors, who was a great blessing (!), and had an extensive practice. As the country became more thickly settled, and regular physicians in- creased in number, the female doctors were driven from the field. They had made their advent into the country about 1808-10, and for twenty or thirty years they increased in numbers, but then began to die out. A short time after them another class, known as the root doctors, put in an appearance. Their remedies were of the simplest, herbs and root teas. These were given in the most dignified manner, and they slowly gained a few customers, when the title doctor was con- ferred by their patients. They never became very numerous, and generally combined farming with their practice. About the same time, the Indian doctors made their appearance, and were closely allied to the herbists. They were nomadic in their habits, and professed to obtain their skill and
medicine from the Indians. The uroscopie doctors were next in order, and the same remarks will ap- ply to them. They never obtained a footing in the country or disturbed the equanimity of the regular doctor.
The Thompsonian or steam system was a great innovation in the medical profession. It originated in 1824-25, and took its name from the inventor, Thompson, who lived in the East. He patented his book and his medicine, but forgot his theory. He thought, " Heat was life, and cold was death." His medicines were all rated No. 1, No. 2, etc .; his No. 6 being a strong compound of hot stimulants, and was the only one that survived any length of time. He would steam the patient outside, and stimulate him with No. 6 inside. His book of in- structions, and a right to practice in one's own family or neighborhood, was sold for $20. Dela- ware County was not slow in its patronage of this system of medicine. Its popularity and success were due, no doubt, to the influence of Mr. Horton Howard, who held the patent for Ohio, several Southern States and the whole West, and who lived in Delaware. He soon moved to Columbus, however, where he printed his pamphlet of in- structions and started a pharmacy for the medicine, and also began the practice. It soon became a great power in the land, and in 1832, Mr. Howard succeeded in having the medical laws of Ohio re- pealed by the Legislature. This was the means of disorganizing all the medical societies in the State, and in a few years, the system having had its run. went into a decline which neither No. 6 nor heat could revive.
In the year 1830-31, the people were startled by the establishment of a medical college at Worth- ington. This was another new system, or rather a root and herb practice or system, that was free to denounce the use of the lancet and minerals. The students, on entering the college, were given a di- ploma in the "Reformed Medical Society of the United States," as an honorary member. This was opened December 6, 1830, with Dr. J. J. Steele as President. and J. G. Jones, Dean. It continued in operation for several years, and being contiguous to Delaware, exercised considerable influence in the county, especially in the southern portion. The college, after a few years, was moved to Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and became the Eclectic Medical College.
The character of homeopathic medicine is well known, and the system still has its representatives in the county. It first made its appearance about
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18-, and is increasing, perhaps, at the present day throughout the country. Quite a large class of people believe in this method of practice. But we will not enter into a discussion of its merits or demerits in this connection.
The principal diseases known to the early settler were the malarial, or the summer and autumn in- termittents, remittents and various other diseases, such as scarlet fever, typhoid fever, measles, etc. Consumption was a rare disease in our early history. In addition to the above the "milk sickness" usu- ally made its appearance in September every year. About 1806-08, there appeared in New England what was termed the " cold plague," which, in course of time, reached this Western country. From 1815 to 1822-23, it raged severely and fatally to a considerable extent, not only in Dela- ware County, but all over Ohio. It was during these years that some of our best citizens died with it. The Rev. J. S. Hughes, the first Pres- byterian minister of Delaware, was a victim, and the father of President Hayes, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Sweetzer, father of the late Hon. Charles Sweetzer, and many others.
Having taken a hasty glance at the early history of medicine, the various systems, and their advent into the country ; also, a brief sketch of the dis- eases most prevalent, it will now be in order to say something of the early practitioners, as gathered from those who personally knew them. Much of our information has been obtained from one whose knowledge extended back professionally over a period of nearly fifty years, and who knew, per- haps, every physician or surgeon personally that practiced in the county. Others have corroborated his information, as well as furnished additional facts of historical interest. For the first five years after settlements were made in the county, we have been unable to ascertain who was the medical ad- viser, if indeed the early settlers were so fortunate (or unfortunate) as to have one. But in 1806, Dr. Reuben Lamb came to the county. He had read medicine in New York, his native State. and was on his way down the Mississippi River. But, on arriving at Pittsburg. he fell in with Col. Moses Byxbe, and was persuaded to join his party at Berkshire, in Berkshire Township. At that time, there was no village in the county, and none nearer than Worthington, Franklin County. After a brief sojourn with this emigrant party, he decided to move to Worthington, as it was without a phy- sician. In 1806, he married there, and his oldest
1807. In the spring of 1808, the Doctor again joined his old friend, Col. Byxbe, and together they laid out the town of Delaware. Dr. Lamb aided in organizing the county, and in starting various enterprises. He was the first County Recorder, as well as the first physician in the county and in the town. His residence and office were in a log cabin, built by Col. Byxbe, and stood in the front yard (or what is now the front yard ) of Hon.J. C. Evans. He soon built himself a palatial cabin in the rear of where Martin Miller's residence now stands, and on the banks of the Delaware Run. He was about thirty-three years old when he be- gan practice in the county, and remained in active practice until 1822. when he moved to Missouri. But losing his wife, he returned to Delaware in less than a year. . From physical disability he gave up general practice on his return to this county, but confined himself to the sale of medicines, con- sultations and office business. He was a well-read physician, but whether a graduate or not, is not known. It is quite conclusive, however, that the office of some good physician in New York was his alma mater. Coming to the Western country, his best lessons were culled from his own experi- ence at the bedside of his patients, as the type of diseases here differed from those he had met in the East. He was a very successful physician, and in the days of the so-called bilious forms of
trouble, he usually had his hands full to attend the calls made upon him. A good story was often told of his early practice : " About 1820, a Mr. Shippy was taken sick at Col. Sidney Moore's. When the crisis of the disease came, two watchers had been engaged, but one failed to put in an appearance. The Doctor made his last visit for the night, gave full instructions, and left. The nurse seated himself comfortably before the fire awaiting the arrival of his assistant. But weary from a hard day's work, he soon forgot all his cares in a heavy, undisturbed sleep. When he awoke, the bright sunshine was streaming into the room. Fearing from his neglect that the man must be dead, he went to the bed, when the patient turned over, rubbed his eyes, and seemed surprised that it was morning. He spoke of having had a good night's rest, and that he felt much better (so did the nurse). The Doctor soon came, pronounced the man out of danger, highly complimented the good nursing, and remarked that, in future, he would know who to call on to watch his patients."
Although Dr. Lamb disliked surgery, he had child, long a resident of Delaware, was born in i the only case of instruments in the county at that
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time, and freely loaned them to those who had oc- casion to use them. He was a man of few words ; was a kind-hearted, generous, sympathetic, affec- tionate man, but being professionally and socially quiet, was often taken to be cold and distant. He was married four times, leaving a widow at his death, which occurred in 1850, at the age of sev- enty-six.
Dr. Noah Spalding was a native of New Hamp- shire, and graduated in literature and medicine at Dartmouth College. He possessed a mind well stored with knowledge, but was slow in expression ; was amiable, sociable and temperate in all his hab- its, and succeeded in gaining a good practice. An old physician said. " It was the Doctor's delight to be seated with his feet higher than his head, en- tertaining his listeners with pleasing stories." Dr. Spalding first located in Berkshire Township, about 1809. He afterward came to Delaware, where he practiced his profession until his death, in 1832. He was a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, an exemplary Christian, and, as early as 1818, assisted in organizing the first Sabbath school in the county. While a member of the Board of County Examiners for teachers, he made a pleasant impression on the late Dr. R. Hills, which was never forgotten. He came before the honorable Board for examination, and for creden- tials to teach school. His trepidation was soon dis- pelled by the genial examiner, occupying the first half-hour with some anecdotes of school teaching, and the qualifications of some who had been before him for examination. Suddenly he turned, and said, "Ralph, what is the difference between six dozen dozen, and a half-dozen dozen ? " Tlie answer be- ing promptly given, the Doctor turned to his asso- ciates and said : " You may as well write out his certificate. He is one of Dr Hill's sons, and we know what he is." Another joke is told of the Doc- tor, which is too good to be lost. It seems he had not the most implicit confidence in his own profes- sional judgment. One day he met Dr. Lamb on the street, and said : "Doctor, I have given my wife some blue pills, and they have not acted as they should, see what you think of them," showing him some he had in his hand. Dr. Lamb placed one in his teeth, then quietly remarked, " You see they are buckshot, and made of lead."
Dr. N. Hawley, so near as can be ascertained, was the third physician in the county, and located in Berkshire (the point of attraction to doctors) about 1810-12. He was an energetic practitioner ; shrewd and skillful, and full of anecdotes and laugh-
able stories. He died about 1822, at quite an ad- vanced age, as he was called " Old Dr. Hawley" when he came to the county.
Dr. Silas C. MeClary was probably the fourth doc- tor to immigrate to Delaware County, and, like those who preceded him, he settled at Berkshire. He located there about 1813, and remained a resident of that place for a period of nearly twenty years, when he removed to Delaware. and soon after to Radnor Township, where he died. At one time he was very successful in business, but in later years, through misfortunes, he was left des- titute, and died poor and uncared for. Some traits in his character. unnecessary to mention in this connection, always prevented him from becoming a favorite with members of the profession or of be- ing much sought after by them.
Dr. Samuel Moulton located in Delaware in 1819, thus giving Berkshire a rest from new doc- tors. He came from Vermont; was educated in Rutland, in that State, and was a graduate of medicine. Soon after his removal to Delaware, he began to rise in his profession, and to grow in pub- lic esteem. He was a well-read, skillful physician, and made very few mistakes. His useful career was cut short by that fell disease, consumption, and he died in 1821, at the age of twenty-nine years. Dr. Lamb esteemed him highly, and often sought his counsel. For many years after Moul- ton's death, Dr. Lamb kept his name familiar among the people of Delaware by making, and using in his practice. "Moulton's Cathartic Pills."
Dr. Eleazer Copeland was also a native of Ver- mont, and came to the county about the same time as Dr. Moulton. locating in Galena, or Zoar, as the place was then called. He was wholly a self-made man; was a shoemaker by trade, and obtained much of his education while at work at his bench. In this way he committed Murray's English Gram- mar in two weeks, and likewise prepared himself for a teacher. While teaching school, he began the study of Greek and Latin, which he mastered without an instructor, and became a good translator of both languages. He took up the study of med- ieine in the same manner, and was an excellent and skillful physician. He was highly esteemed by all his professional brethren, and for several years held the position of Censor, first of the Sixth and then of the Eleventh Medical District of Ohio; the latter district comprising the counties of Franklin. Delaware, Marion, aud Crawford. He met his death, in 1834, from accidental drowning, in Big Walnut Creek, near Galena. As counselor, phy-
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sician, scholar, and citizen, his loss was deeply felt in all circles.
Dr. Royal N. Powers was the next doctor in the field, and came to the county about 1820. He settled in the town of Delaware, but, owing to con- duct that was unappreciated by a majority of the people, he was, it is said, compelled to leave some- what unceremoniously. A number of the citizens accompanied him a short distance on the way, and presented him with a "ride on a rail" as a token of their remembrance.
Dr. Alpheus Bigelow, who located in Galena in an early day, was a brother of the celebrated Rus- sell Bigelow, the well-known evangelist of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It is said that he, like his brother, was self-educated, and was a plain, unpolished man. He possessed energy of character, as well as a strong intellect and excellent judgment, and became a skillful practitioner. Not being a regular graduate, he evinced little disposi- tion to cultivate an intimacy with "Regulars," but was nevertheless respected by all. He died in 1850, having been longer in practice, in one place, than any other physician in the county.
Dr. James Harvey Hills was a native of Con- necticut, and was educated at Yale College. He studied medicine with his brother-in-law, Dr. Eli Todd, and began the practice of his profession in his native place, but soon determined to emigrate to the West. He located at Worthington, Frank- lin County, in 1808. and, in 1822, removed to Delaware, where he remained until his death, in 1830, aged forty-nine years. It was universally conceded that he had a thorough professional edu- cation. He was a clear thinker, possessed strong perceptive faculties. an excellent judgment, and was successful as a physician. Surgery he did not like, but never shrank from it, as connected with common practice. A brother physician who knew him well, says: " As a physician, he was exten- sively serviceable to suffering humanity, and when he died was greatly missed."
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