USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of Erie County Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 24
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In 1828 the practicing physicians of Huron county were as follows: George
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
G. Baker, Daniel Tilden, M. C. Sanders, George Anderson. Lyman Fay, Will- iam F. Kittredge, William W. Nugent, Amos B. Harris, H. M. Clark, Joseph Pearce, Andrew McMillen, Richard P. Christophers, Samuel Stephens, Charles Smith, Samuel B. Carpenter, W. Merriman, Lemuel Powers and A. H. Brown; and inasmuch as this county was embraced within Huron at that time, the phy- sicians above named, or part of them at least, resided within what afterward became Erie county.
ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
The Erie County Medical Society was the outgrowth of a meeting of physi- cians held at Sandusky on the 6th of April, 1850, at the office of Dr. E. S. Lane. Of this meeting Dr. Daniel Tilden was chosen chairman, and Dr. E. Lauder- dale, secretary. This gathering was wholly informal and the main business transacted was the declaration of intention to organize the society, and the ap- pointment of a committee on constitution and by-laws, as follows : Drs. E. S. Lane, Robert R. McMeens, C. Cochran and E. Lauderdale, of Sandusky ; Dr. Galpin, of Milan ; Dr. Caldwell, of Huron, and Dr. Wilson, of Castalia.
The constitution and by-laws were adopted and the society organized on the 13th of April, 1850. The first officers were Dr. Daniel Tilden, president ; Dr. E. S. Lane, secretary. The original members of the society were Doctors Daniel Tilden, sr., Aaron Austin, E. S. Lane, Robert R. McMeens, E. Laud- erdale, and Charles Cochran.
From that time the society received acquisitions in membership and was productive of much good, both to the members and the people of the county. It would be difficult, if not absolutely impossible, to state the numerical strength of the society at any time after its full organization. As new names were ad- ded the persons respectively signed the "articles of faith" of the society, and from the roll thus formed we are enabled to furnish the names of members in the order of seniority in the society. In addition to those whose names are given above the following appear to have been, at some time, received into membership : Daniel Tilden, jr., Moses C. Hoyt, Samuel B. Carpenter, jr., John A. Blanchard, Henry J. Donahoe, James Hitchcock, H. S. Parmenter, Henry D. Mann, James F. Wilson, George W. Carpender, Joel Morse, -. Horwitz. A. H. Agard, Joseph Caldwell, James D. McKim, Philip Graefe, J. E. Wood- bridge, A. H. Rankin, A. J. Gawne, Elwood Stanley, W. Graefe, Leopold Pape, Charles T. D. Gibson, Carl Heiter, T. S. Field, R. C. Luce, F. C. McConnelly, Samuel H. Bassinger, Michael A. Hughes, P. H. Clements. J. T. Cushing, George S. Haskins, William Storey, T. M. Cook, William R. Page, G. II'. Decker, M. J. Love, Rev. Samuel Marks, A. Szendery, Alta F. Cook, Charles Graefe, A. C. Friend, W. D. Wilson, L. S. Szendery, R. L. McNees, W. J. Esch.
The society continued in a prosperous condition for something over ten years, until the breaking out of the war, and thenceforth it seems to have suf- fered with the general disintegration, not only of societies, but of parties and
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all manner of civil associations. From 1861 to 1870 but few meetings were heid and no proceedings were entered on the records of the society. In 1870 the society was again brought together, mainly to take some appropriate action upon the occasion of the death of Dr. Tilden, which occurred during that year, but since 1861 the society has never been as strong as at and prior to that time. It now numbers not to exceed a dozen active, working members. Its present officers are as follows: Dr. William Graefe, president; Dr. Elwood Stanley, first vice-president ; Dr. W. J. Esch, second vice-president ; Dr. Al- ta F. Cook, secretary and treasurer. According to the record of medical so- cieties of the State for the year 1887, the following persons, physicians, are members of the Erie County Society : T. M. Cook, Alta F. Cook, William J. Esch, William Graefe, Charles Graefe, Ralph W. Nees, Alvis Szendery, Louis Szendery, Elwood Stanley, Carl Tuttle.
THE BAY CITY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
This organization, the junior of its class in the county, was formed in the spring of 1878, and was made up in part of members of the older society just before mentioned. During the ten years of its existence the Bay City Med- ical Society has never been strong in point of membership, and it numbers now but eight members, as follows : Henry J. Donahoe, A. J. Gawne, E. J. Good- sell, Carl Heiter, M. J. Love, F. C. McConnelly, William Storey, and L. Szen- dery. Its officers are A. J. Gawne, president ; F. C. McConnelly, vice-presi- dent; E. J. Goodsell, secretary and treasurer.
HOMEOPATHY.
It is a trite saying that the improvements, inventions and discoveries of the last fifty years exceed both in number and importance all that had been ac- complished for many centuries before. Admitting this to be true, it may be said that in no department of human knowledge have greater advances been made than in medicine.
To affirm that all the different theories on the subject of the best methods of treating disease are alike valuable, would betray ignorance, if nothing worse; to deny that each or any of the theories had, in at least a limited degree, some practical value, would not only convict the individual of ignorance, but be an assumption of wisdom that only bigots would claim, and even credulity could hardly admit.
Among the systems or theories on the subject of curing the sick that have received recognition and practical application in this country within the last fifty years, is that known as homeopathy. An enthusiastic believer in the law vf cure expressed in the legend " Similia Similibus Curantur" once undertook to enforce the truth and value of this system, by asserting that the law on which it rested proceeded directly from the throne of God. A " doubting Thomas "
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to whom the remark was addressed, replied that the endorsement of a patent by the Almighty was usually considered sufficient, but as there is a very gener- ally accepted opinion among the best informed people that about all the laws that govern this world, or effect its inhabitants, proceed from the same source, there does not seem to be any peculiar importance conferred upon the system, in virtue of its origin.
That the law of cure expressed by the above legend, when honestly and absolutely followed, will cure disease, restore the sick to health, is a fact as well attested as any statement resting on human testimony, and is capable of dem- onstration on precisely the lines of argument and proof whether pathological or dynamic, that apply to all other restorative methods, or medical dogmas of the age. The history of the introduction of homeopathy into this city, and the experience of the pioneers of the practice, are not peculiar or specially note- worthy, unless it be in the fact that its advent was welcomed by a few influen- tial friends and supporters who, after forty years of experience, are still numbered among the patrons of the system whose birth and baptism they helped to celebrate. Thirty-four years ago Sandusky had one homeopathic physician ; now there are six. Then there were seven thousand inhabitants ; now we have twenty-three thousand. The entire yearly receipts of the busi- ness of the only homeopathic physician in Sandusky, in 1854, was a little less than $3,000. Several of those here to-day will largely exceed that amount in 1888. The homeopathic physicians of this city are doing more business in proportion to their numbers, than the " old school." They have now, and have always had a relatively large clientage among the wealthy and best people of the city. The homeopathic physicians of the city compare favorably with those of any city of the same population ; not only is the comparison favorable so far as their own school is concerned, but in comparison with any other school. The homeopathic physicians in the other parts of the county would suffer no loss by a similar comparison, either with their brethren in the city, or with their competitors of other systems of practice. Since 1847 fifteen homeopathic phy- sicians have settled in this city (Sandusky), of whom six reside here now, and are engaged in active practice. The same number have at different times lo- cated in other parts of the county ; each of the following villages having at one time or other had one or more homeopathic physicians : Berlin, Castalia, Hu- ron, Kelly's Island, Put-in Bay, Milan and Vermillion. Of those who have set- tled in the city at different times, to the present date, February, 1888, only six are here now. Of the whole number, all are still living but two, Dr. Henry Wigand, who died about 1870, in Dayton, O., and Dr. D. T. Kramer, who died in Kansas two or three years ago. The following are the names of the different physicians and the order of their location in Sandusky : Henry Wigand R. Caulkins, D. T. Kramer, C. Hastings, I. B. Massey, J. D. Buck, L. L. Leg- gett, E. Gillard, G. A. Gordon, C. E. Stroud, S. A. Henderson, D. Gillard, Dr. Newton, Wm. Gaylord, James Gillard.
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2
The first homeopathic physician to settle and practice in Erie county, O., was Dr. Henry Wigand. He was a German by birth ; a man of robust and commanding physique, pleasing manners, scholarly attainments, and very suc- cessful in his profession. He settled in Sandusky in 1847, and remained here until after the cholera of 1849, when he removed to Dayton, in this State. He published a work on practice in 1856, which had a limited sale, but has been out of print for many years. Dr. Wigand came to this city from Bos- ton. He was not only the first homeopathic physician to settle in this county, but he represented that system in its most distinctive characteristics.
The next physician of this school of practice to locate in Sandusky was Dr. R. Caulkins, who came in 1848. He remained here in practice until 1850, when he left and returned again about 1862 or '63. From here he finally moved to Toledo, and after a few years spent in that city, went to New York State. He is now in charge as physician of one of the hospitals in Buffalo, N. Y. Dr. Caulkins is a man of pure life, devoted to his profession; very religious in his nature ; honest in his opinions and thoroughly independent in asserting them, and urged by his impulsive temperament he at times expressed himself with a vehemence and personality that reached the very verge of social pro- priety.
The next representative of homeopathy in this city was Dr. D. T. Kramer. He came here from New York State. He graduated from the Homeopathic College in Philadelphia about 1848 and located here the same year. Dr. Kra- mer was a man of sterling character, and commanded the respect of all who knew him. He devoted himself and his utmost skill to the best interests of his patients. He believed most thoroughly in the law expressed in the legend "Similia similibus curantur," and as those who knew him best can testify, whatever professional success he attained was the result of a faithful applica- tion of the teachings of the founder of the system he had adopted. Home- opathy suffered no loss at Dr. Kramer's hands; on the contrary, it grew in influ- ence, and its patrons increased in numbers. A man of modest and unaffected address, and possessing but little personal magnetism, his success and popularity were never factitious, but the reward of true manhood and real merit. Dr. Kramer moved with his family to Kansas in 1874, where he died in 1884. It is with sincere pleasure that the author of this simple tribute to Dr. Kramer's memory embraces this unexpected opportunity to bear testimony to some of the many virtues of a man of so few faults.
About 1852 a Dr. Hastings came to this city, and remained a year or two and from here went to Detroit. He never obtained much practice, and had only a limited acquaintance, even among the patrons of homeopathy. Of his subsequent history the writer has no information.
In May, 1854, Dr. I. B. Massey came with his family to Sandusky from Jefferson county, N. Y. At that time Dr. Kramer was the only homeopathic
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physician in the city ; those before mentioned as having been here, had all left. The first year of his residence in this city was at the old " Townsend House," kept at that time by R. D. McDonald. In April, 1855, he formed a copartnership with Dr. Kramer, which continued for three years; their office being most of the time at Dr. Kramer's house, the present residence of Dr. John A. Graham. Dr. Massey graduated from the medical department of New York University in April, 1846. The venerable Dr. Valentine Mott was president of the faculty, and professor of surgery. Dr. Massey was in active practice as an allopathic physician from the time of his graduation until he came to Sandusky; he had, however, for two or three years previous to his coming west, been investigating the claims of homeopathy, and devoted most of the year of his residence here before commencing practice with Dr. Kramer, in that gentleman's office, familiarizing himself with the materia medica and the- rapeutics of the system which he had decided to adopt, and in which practice he is still engaged, having practiced thirty-four years as a homeopathist in Sandusky, and eight years as an allopathist in New York. He is therefore the senior in actual age - having been born January 17, 1821 - as well as in years of practice, of all the homeopathic physicians of Erie county. Dr. Mas- sey had for many years a large and lucrative practice, extending not only over Sandusky city, but more or less into the different townships of the county. He was from 1861 to 1871 physician to the county infirmary, a term of ten consecutive years. He was also for several years a member of the board of health, and a portion of the time health officer of the city. Admonished by increasing years and the growing infirmities incident to long exposure in the duties of a " doctor's life," that the call from labor to " rest and refreshment" had sounded, the doctor is endeavoring to enjoy the fruits of an active profes- sional career, among those who remain of friends, patrons, and acquaintances. extending over a period of thirty-four years - more than a "generation of time."
Dr. L. L. Leggett, son of General Leggett, of Cleveland, located here about 1870, and remained a year or so, when he relinquished his profession and en- gaged with his father in the patent law business. Dr. Leggett has the quali- fications that will make him succeed in whatever he undertakes. The loss of such men to the profession is a misfortune to it and the public.
The next recruit to the ranks of homeopathic physicians in Sandusky was Dr. J. D. Buck. He was born in Fredonia, N. Y. State, November 20, 1838 He studied medicine and graduated at Cleveland Homeopathic College in the spring of 1864; commenced practice at Battle Creek, Mich. ; moved to San- dusky in the spring of 1865, forming a copartnership with Dr. D. T. Kramer In the fall of 1866 he was appointed to the chair of physiology in Cleveland Ho- meopathic College which position he filled until he removed to Cincinnati in the fall of 1871, where he helped to organize, in 1872, the Pulte Medical College of
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that city. Dr. Buck was for the first eight or nine years professor of physiology and registrar of the faculty. Since that time he has been dean and professor of theory and practice and clinical professor of throat and lung diseases. He was president of the State Homeopathic Medical Society in 1876. Dr. Buck has a large and lucrative practice at Cincinnati, and is one of the leading men of the homeopathic school of the State. A man of pleasing address, robust health, extremely social and attractive in his intercourse with his patients, and the public ; studious by nature ; gifted with strong mental powers, he is an honor to the profession and would be an ornament to any society where his lot might be cast.
Dr. Geo. A. Gordon succeeded to the practice of Dr. J. Buck in 1871, on the removal of that gentleman to Cincinnati, O. Dr. Gordon was born in Washington county, Pa., in 1841. He followed farming until the spring of 1864, when he enlisted as a soldier in the Union army and remained until the close of the Rebellion. He graduated from Iberia College, O., in 1867, when he began reading medicine with R. B. Rush, M. D., of Salem, O. He gradu- ated from Cleveland Homeopathic College in February, IS67, and settled in Sandusky the following June, where he is still actively engaged in his profes- sion. The doctor is one of our most popular and successful physicians. He has few superiors as a prescriber.
Dr. Edwin Gillard was born at Venice, Erie county, O., in 1845 ; attended the High School in this city; and Oberlin College ; served in the 145th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, usually known as the One Hundred Day troops. Re- turning to civil life he engaged in teaching school for five years and then en- tered Dr. J. D. Buck's office as a medical student, beginning practice at Belle- vue in 1870. In 1871 he became a partner of Dr. I. B. Massey, and attended the Cleveland Homeopathic College where he graduated the following year. In 1882 he established the sanitarium at his present location No. 927 Wash- ington street. Dr. Gillard is favorably known as a practitioner of skill, and occupies a front rank among the physicians of the city. As a student or prac- titioner, nature has endowed him with a degree of industry, perseverance and pluck, that when supplemented by adequate professional knowledge always constitutes an energy that thrives by opposition ; and while accident or supe- rior force may hinder or delay, they seldom utterly defeat.
Dr. Gillard was coroner of Erie county for one term, and is a prominent member of several secret societies.
Dr. Clarence Eugene Stroud was born in Bloomfield, Ontario county, N. Y., January 14, 1847 ; was educated at Palmyra, N. Y., and entered his fath- er's dental office in Sandusky, in 1865, where he remained as student or part- ner until 1871. Then he entered the homeopathic medical department of Mich- igan University and remained one year, when he entered the Detroit Home- opathic College, graduating in 1872. His first location in practice after grad-
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uating, was at Wyandotte, Mich., where he remained one year. In the spring of 1873 he came to Sandusky, O. He was for a number of years a member of the board of health of Sandusky, and was, during the entire period, its effi- cient secretary.
Dr. Stroud is a practical dentist and holds the degree of doctor of dental surgery from the Wisconsin Dental College, issued in 1881. His father and only brother are among the most prominent practitioners of dentistry in the county. Dr. Stroud's industry and constant devotion to his profession, have achieved for him a measure of success, that is the best certificate of capacity that a doctor can desire, or community bestow.
Dr. Sarah A. Henderson is a native of Burlington, Vt. She studied med- icine in Cleveland under Dr. Boynton, who was a member of the Cleveland Homeopathic College faculty, from which institution she graduated and prac- ticed on Kelly's Island four years, removing to Sandusky in 1877. She is a member of the American Institute, the leading society of this school of medi- cine. Dr. Henderson and her friends have reason to be well satisfied with her social and professional status wherever she is known. She has demonstrated not only her individual fitness for the duties of the physician, but shown that the " Lords of Creation" have not inherited or acquired all the skill or knowl- edge of the art of curing the sick.
The intuitions, quick perception, and critical observation of woman amounts to an instinct in estimating human character and conduct, and is equally well adapted to the interpretation of the subjective symptoms that are often all the basis there is on which to form an opinion or diagnosis of disease.
A physician who has not had occasion to confess that he has often been astc nished and confounded by the interpretation of symptoms and the location of disease by women entirely ignorant of all the special knowledge on the sub- ject that doctors are supposed to possess, has had a rare experience-one that would expose him to a criticism scarcely less disparaging than was made by Dr. John Hunter, of a young surgeon of London, who was boasting in the famous surgeon's presence that he had never lost a case of lithotomy : "Well," said Hunter, " I presume the same cipher would represent your successful cases." That the conditions for making useful doctors depend more on the amount and quality of the brain, than the variety of the gender, will do very well as a ques- tion of discussion for a country debating society, but is hardly creditable to medical colleges of the present day.
Dr. Warren Newton, at present at Ligonier, Ind., was born and raised in Ottowa county ; studied medicine with David Gillard, at Port Clinton ; grad- uated at Homeopathic Hospital College, Cleveland, about IS82. He settled in Huron, this county, and after practicing there a year or two, came to San- dusky, where he remained less than a year. Having an offer of a copartner- ship with a physician at Ligonier, ne accepted in 1885, and is now engaged in
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a large and growing practice at that place. The doctor is unusually well posted in materia medica, a factor of supreme importance in qualifying one for a prompt and successful prescriber. He stood high as a student and maintains an equally high relative position among practitioners.
Dr. David Gillard was born at Venice, O., July 30, 1852 ; studied medi- cine with his brother, E. Gillard, and graduated at Cleveland Homeopathic College in 1877, and began the practice of medicine at Port Clinton; moved to Sandusky in the spring of ISS2, and moved back to Port Clinton the same year; again moved to Sandusky in July, 1885, and formed a copartnership with his brother, Dr. E. Gillard, but dissolved partnership and returned to Port Clinton in the autumn of 1886, where he is now located. The doctor left a fine prac- tice at Port Clinton when he came to Sandusky in 1885, which involved so large an amount of country business that he hoped to improve his practice, at least in this respect. A year or two convinced him that having too much country practice could be endured quite as cheerfully, and more profitably, than having too little. The doctor has re-entered his old field, and has cause to be gratified with the renewed expressions of confidence manifested by the public in his skill and uniform success.
Dr. John Mathews studied medicine with Dr. E. Gillard; graduated and commenced practice at Castalia, and for a while with Dr. Gillard, in Sandusky. He went to California, where he died a year or two ago.
Dr. William Gaylord began the study of medicine in February, 1878, with Dr. J. D. Buck, of Cincinnati, as his preceptor. He was a locomotive engi- neer, running night express between Cincinnati and Richmond, Ind., and continued in this employment during his study and college course, until he graduated in the spring of 1883, at the Pulte Medical College, Cincinnati, O. The following summer he was made lecturer on history and microscopy and resident physician in charge of the college dispensary; the following year he was made professor of chemistry and toxicology, which positions he held until locating in Sandusky in 1885.
While in some respects Dr. Gaylord's medical education was obtained under disadvantages, yet there were other favorable conditions that more than compensated for the necessity of devoting so large a portion of the ordinary hours of rest to providing the means of support while preparing himself for the profession he had adopted. He had the advantage of a large amount of clin- ical experience in the office of his preceptor, as well as the college and hos- pital clinics of any of the professors he chose to attend, and these privileges in an office like his preceptor's, who was at that time a professor, and dean of the medical college, afforded him superior opportunities for witnessing and assisting in a large and varied amount of medical and surgical practice. Dr. Gaylord is the latest addition to the homeopathic fraternity of the city, and is as liberally equipped with the essentials of professional success as any who have preceded him.
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Among the homeopathic physicians of Erie county Dr. B. F. Hill, whose home when in the county was at Berlin Heights, was in his day a prominent member of the fraternity.
Dr. Hill was born December 18, 1813, in Tioga county, Pa. Came to Hu- ron (now Erie) county, O., when a mere boy, and engaged in farming ; began his education in the log school-houses of those times; finally taught school for several winters; studied law at Norwalk with Cortland Latimer, during the years 1839-40. Owing to impaired health he was induced to turn his attention to medicine, and graduated in the Eclectic Medical College, Cincinnati, Octo- ber 1, 1843. He was demonstrator and assistant professor of anatomy, and finally appointed to a full professorship of anatomy, which he held until 1852, when he was appointed professor of surgery in the Cleveland Homeopathic Hospital College, in which institution he remained as professor until 1860. En- gagements of a business nature compelled him to spend a few years in Michi- gan, where he was elected in 1860 to the Legislature of that State.
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