Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I, Part 18

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 618

USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 18

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OSCAR SLOAN MARSHALL, born Nov. 25. 1858, in Wayne township, three miles southi of Dayton, Pa .; graduated from the Lenox College at Hopkinton, Ia .; read law in the office of ex-Judge Calvin Rayburn, and was admitted to the bar in September, 1886; served as postmaster of Kittanning from 1895 to 1899: published the Record, which he owned, for two years, and then consolidated with T. G. Hosick, founder of the Advance, the Advance being issued by Marshall & Ho- sick and Marshall & Keeler until 1908, when Mr. Marshall disposed of his interest ; in 1889 was elected burgess of Kittanning, and served one term: is now practicing at Rural Valley.

SAMUEL H. MCCAIN, born at Freeport, Pa .. April 27. 1875: studied law at Yale Col- lege, and was admitted to Armstrong county bar in 1003. and for two years was associated in practice with ex-Judge Calvin Rayburn ; has since practiced alone.

REUREN A. MCCULLOUGH, born in Wayne township. Armstrong county, July 7. 1859: graduated from Oakland Academy in 1882 ; studied law with Edward S. Golden, and was

CLARENCE O. MORRIS, born near Punx- sutawney, Jefferson Co., Pa., June 15, 1873; in 1892 graduated from Waynesburg Col- lege; studied law under the firm of Wylie, (or Eylie ) Buchanan & Walton, Waynesburg, and later under W. M. Gillispie; was admitted to bar of Jefferson county in 1897, and for four years was associated with Mr. Gillispie ; in 1901 was admitted to the bar of Armstrong county and subsequently to practice in the Supreme and Superior courts and in the U. S. District courts ; in 1901 located at Leechburg ; was solicitor for the boroughs of Leechburg, Apollo and Vandergrift; was elected district attorney in 1913.

DANIEL LEMMON NULTON, born May 20, 1853. at Kittanning. AArmstrong county ; studied at Lambeth College, and at St. John's University, at Haddonfield, N. J. : later stud- ied law, and in 1883 was admitted to the bar at Kittanning, Pa .; in 1911 located at Free- port.

JOHN S. PORTER, born in Wayne township, Armstrong Co .. Pa., April 28, 1875; studied at Franklin College. New Athens, Ohio; studied law with the firm of Carmalt & Strong. and was admitted to the Armstrong county bar April 1, 1904, locating at Kittanning.

CALVIN RAYBURN, born Oct. 25. 1850. in North Buffalo township. Armstrong county ; graduated from Princeton University in 1875: studied law under Hon. George A. Jenks, and was admitted to the bar of Jef- ferson county in 1879. June, and the follow- ing November to practice in Armstrong coun- ty, when he located at Kittanning; in 1889 was elected president judge of Armstrong county and in 1909 was a candidate for judge of the Superior court of the State. Died May 16, 1912.

LAURENCE S. ROBERTS, born in Green township, Indiana Co .. Pa., near Pine Flats, Nov. 9, 1875 : in 1900 graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan, and on Nov. 20, 1903, was admitted to Arm- strong county courts, and to the Supreme court on May 22, 1911 : located at Leechburg.

CHAPTER XI THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN ARMSTRONG COUNTY

(By Dr. Jay B. F. 'Wyant, of Kittanning.)

THE FAMILY DOCTOR-STRANGE METHODS OF HEALING-STANDARDS OF ETHICS-ANCIENT HEAL- ERS-AESCULAPIUS-THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH-MODERN PROGRESS-PIONEER MEDICAL MEN -MEDICAL SOCIETIES-MEDICAL ETHICS-REGISTERED PRACTITIONERS, PAST AND PRESENT- DAVID ALTER-OTHER NOTED MEDICAL MEN OF TIIE COUNTY

The writing of the history of the profes- sion of medicine of Armstrong county, em- bracing almost a century and a quarter space of time, long after those who were the mak- ers of the early history have gone to the "great beyond," is an undertaking more difficult than it may seem, for, owing to the great dignity of the profession, their names seldom entered into the public press, nor did they transmit much to the pages of history. In fact, as a class, they are very reticent, careful, close- mouthed, and avoid publicity. Their work calling them almost entirely among the sick and suffering, it naturally behooves them to be calm, reserved and sympathetic. It was a rare thing to see the name of an intelligent physician in the public press, for it was one of the rules of ethics that we should avoid news- paper publicity, hence very little history can be gathered from that source. The writer has gone to some of the older people of town and country to gather this history, and they of course knew of some of the early doc- tors of the county and could tell of the lo- cation and name, but could give no data of their lives. Smith's History of Armstrong County, published in 1883, was consulted, but it gave very little help; there were a few biographies, and a scattering mention of names and location, for which we are very grateful.

The records of the prothonotary's office were examined, but prior to that registration act of 1881, no records were kept and any person could engage in the practice of the healing art, so here again we were dis- appointed, for the physicians whose chapter in life's history had ended prior to the pass- ing of that act had left no data on these rec- ords.

THE FAMILY DOCTOR

The doctor in the early history of Arm- strong county was a very busy and a very useful person; by his learning he was the better able to help mold public opinion, to shape public affairs, to advance civilization and to improve the methods of living, and by his skill in medicine and his knowledge of surgery, he could bring comfort to the dis- couraged and relief to the suffering. In the early days doctors were specially honored and respected, and it was considered very much of an honor to entertain the doctor when far from home, for some of the circuits were as much as a hundred miles, and of course he must remain somewhere for the night. The family sharing their hospitality with the doctor were honored, and there was great feasting: the neighbors were gathered in to hear the wonderful experiences of the family doctor. The fact that he was considered the family doctor was, indeed, worthy of note, something not often heard of in the present day. Whether there has been too much com- mercialism brought into the medical world or whatever it may be, yet that endearing title "the family doctor" has almost become obso- lete. This may be looked on as a great mis- take, for it requires some time for a doctor to study his patient and learn the idiosyncrasy peculiar to each person, for this is a fund of great worth, both to the doctor as well as the patient, and those who go the rounds of the doctors of their locality cannot secure the service they so much need, which they would get by placing themselves in the care of one whom they would be proud to call their "fam- ily physician."

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

It is a real pleasure to sit and listen to some of the good old people tell of the long ago when they were mere children; of the things that impressed them most, namely, the observance of the Lord's holy day, the family minister, and the greatest of all-the good old family doctor. For in the minds of the early people, the doctor was a wonder worker. How he could manipulate an arm or a leg that through some accident had been put out of use and restore it to its function ; or if a bone had been broken, causing severe pain, with a little pulling, a little twisting and a little rubbing he would ease the pain, re- store confidence and have the sufferer soon basking in the fair land of dreams. How he made up his decoctions, his infusions and other mixtures and with a very wise and knowing look would give his instructions, just how much to give at certain times at the very tick of the minute. It was but natural that he was looked upon as a wonder worker and worthy of the confidence and respect of both old and young.

When we turn back over the pages of his- tory of our county, for more than a century we find, as in all new countries, everything was in a chaotic condition, "without form and void." so to speak. Especially was it so in the medical world; any person, man or woman. who possessed any knowledge or ability to al- leviate human suffering was welcome, served a good purpose and was a great benefactor to the people. Many a life was saved and many a cripple prevented by those people who knew what to do in times of great emer- gency. Even the men who took up the study of medicine did not have the advantages in those days to prepare themselves to any great extent, but nevertheless their work, in times when they were sorely needed, was wel- comed and well received. Empiricism and superstition, witchcraft and ignorance. reigned supreme among the people, and who can say that these men of the early history in medicine did not do good work? Anyone who loves the tradition of his country cannot help but recognize that these men stood out as giants among men, who worked well and made it possible, by breaking the way for us, and have given us the inheritance of the grand- est profession and the greatest calling that God ever gave to man.

STRANGE METHODS

(not the regular doctors), a few of which we will mention: to stop the flow of blood, a broadax was placed under the bed of the bleeder, and the following words were re- peated in silence : (naming the person) "and as i passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thy blood, and I said live." This was re- peated three times, and at the same time the hand of the operator was making great ges- tures and maneuvers in the air. And the bleeding usually stopped, not however due to the pow-wowing, but to the efforts of nature to restore her broken laws, which is the usual tendency. In the early days it was be- lieved that a child suffering from "fits" was under the influence of a witch and of course the witch-doctor must come, and with the wisdom of Solomon he would go through his gyrations and taking a lock of the child's hair, roll it up, bore a hole in a tree, place the package in the hole, and plug it tight. Now if the fits were due to the workings of the witch the child would recover, if the child did not recover it was due to some sin of the parents and must continue until they were sufficiently punished to appease the wrath of the god of sickness.

"And the people believed." It was a true saying when Barnum said "the American people like to be humbugged," and many of those engaged in the healing art have often thought the same thing if they did not ex- press it. And thus it has ever been and thus it may always be. The people in general are becoming more educated and are not quite so easily hoodooed as they were years gone by. When we consider all these obstacles that our pioneer doctors had to encounter and in a great measure overcome, we are pleased to say "glory be to the men of our profession who could rise above all these difficulties and place the profession of medicine on the high plateau of dignity and efficiency." This stand- ard should even be elevated by the profession of to-day, for we have much better facilities for working and investigation than they had.

MODERN CULTS

The etiological period had its birth in the year 1880, and since that time we have learned the cause of many of the diseases, isolating the germ, searching for its antidote and de- stroying it in toto, or immunizing the patient against its ravages. It is quite true that there are many innovations in our day such as. The Christian Science, The Faith Cure. The

Many and varied were the different meth- ods of those then engaged in the healing art Emanuel Movement, The Suggestive Thera-

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

peutic Method, The Osteopaths, The Masseur- tor, who threw the child into fits and cured ists and The Eclectics, all of which are a re- the fits. How true it is that wise and learned stricted part of the great healing art, and each as physicians now are, with so many advan- tages over the profession of a hundred years ago, yet it may be said without contradiction that they still run to fads. This in great meas- ure has caused the laity to say, "Doctors will differ," and they often do not retain the re- spect that they should have. branch has its followers, and has taken its place and has been of service to mankind. Sometimes, however, great promises have been made by an operator of a cult, by which of course the sufferer is boosted for a time, only to lapse into a worse condition. This yellow streak of deception runs through the gray matter of many engaged in the healing art, but it can be said with a great deal of satisfaction that the regular schools of medicine, as a rule, do not promise or guarantee a sure cure, hence no deception is practiced, but always straight- forwardly they pledge to do the very best that science teaches them. A minister of the gospel while waiting in the writer's office whiled away the time by reading a book en- titled "The Great American Fraud." On my return he remarked that he was not aware that he had been such a drinker, but he said : "For many years I have been using a certain patent medicine and I see by the analysis of this that it is largely alcohol and I have been deceived."

A nice little bit of history was gathered from a boy of about eighty summers. He is a layman, and his story was after this man- ner: "When I was a boy there were several doctors in the community where I was raised and each doctor seemed to have his favorite way of doing things. The one doctor would call most everything stomach trouble, another would sce the same person and say it was kidney trouble, while a third doctor would see the same person and very positively, with a wise and knowing look. would say, 'My dear one, you are in the last stage of liver trouble.' Each doctor of course would have his turn at the patient, who sometimes got well and sometimes died." He just remarked in passing that things had not changed very much, for recently he had occasion to call sev- eral doctors for, as he thought, the same thing, but each of the three had a different opinion and treated him differently, and still he suffers from the complaint.

One of the long ago prescriptions, "Take a little wine for thy stomach's sake," seems to have been transmitted to many engaged in the healing art. In the modern medical world the fad has changed from diagnosing every- thing as stomach, kidney and liver trouble, to attributing derangements to appendicitis. adenoids, bad teeth, eve strain, laceration and flat feet, and the management of the case is conducted very much as did the Indian doc-

Many centuries ago Ecclesiasticus wrote in his Bible, "Honor a physician with the honor due unto him, for the uses which ye may have of him; for the Lord hath created him. The skill of the physician shall lift up his head; and in the sight of great men shall he be in admiration. The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth ; and he that is wise will not abhor them. And he hath given men skill that he might be honored in his marvel- ous works. With such does he heal men and taketh away their pains. My son, in thy sick- ness be not negligent ; but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole; then give place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him : let him not go from thee, for thou hast need of him. There is a time when in their hands there is good success. For they shall also pray unto the Lord, that he would pros- per that which they give for case and remedy to prolong life."

From another observer of the long ago the following was related: "When I was a young man I had fever and they sent for the family doctor who treated me for some time without much change, and through the persuasion of some of our neighbors another doctor, a new- comer, was called and with great pride and pomposity came into my room, got the his- tory of my case, looked at my tongue, felt my pulse, punched me in the ribs and pow- wowed around, then looked at the medicine, and, holy horror, the look that he got on him, and rushing to the door, he hurled the medi- cine as far as he could, remarking as he did so, 'stuff like that is not fit for a beast' (this was my first intimation that I was a beast). 'I will prepare something for the young rascal that will get him out of bed in short order.' And of all things. I never had a taste like that before nor since. One dose was enough for me. I pleaded with my good mother to spare her poor boy and not repeat the dose. for if I were to die and be a little angel I did not want to go over there with such a bitter taste in my mouth. I also plead for my old family doctor, who came back and here I am to-day telling the story of a poor little boy in the hands of the early doctors. You

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

doctors of the present are a little smoother secured from the animal, the vegetable and the than they were three-score years ago. Then mineral kingdom. They knew but little of they berated each other with all the emphasis anatomy and physiology, and surgery was a far off science to them, but acupuncture, cup- ping, plasters, fomentations, diet, and fresh air were chief devices in their management of disease. at their command, now you fellows just look wise and say nothing, but your looks and your actions make it look worse to me than if you would speak right out and say it."

How applicable are the lines of Burns :

O, wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursel's as ithers see us. It wad frae mony a blunder free us.

MEDICINE IN THE PAST

The history of medical practice in some elementary form is probably as old as man. The oldest records of medical matters from which we get something of its history are those of Egypt. Most of our knowledge of the Egyptian form is derived from the Greeks, yet the recent discoveries and better methods of deciphering the inscriptions of the ancient papyri have yielded much original informa- tion. The Ebers papyrus dates about the six- teenth century, B. C., and much of the learn- ing there recorded had been traditional for centuries. Certain facts of Egyptian medicine are well established. This art as most of the others was vested in the priests. There was, however. an extensive formulary combined with many ceremonial rites. Practice in that day was widely specialized each one having his special work, and with but little research there was not much progress from one age to another.

The Hebrews got their medical knowledge from Egypt and are remarkable for their con- ception of the value of public hygiene and careful sanitation, and from what we gather from history they are considered the origi- nators of this form. In the early history of the Hebrew nation disease and pestilence were considered as a punishment for sin, and the Levites were the only practitioners. They also received some impression from the Assyrian and still later from Greek thought, and we find a class of temple physicians and surgeon specialists, and just preceding the Christian Era we learn of the city physicians who were held in high esteem. Jewish medical records show that these physicians, like the Egyptian. had but little knowledge of anatomy and physi- ology and their surgical operations were of the crudest imaginable.

The origin of Chinese medicine is lost in tradition and fable, and dates back to about 2600 B. C. They had extensive rules for not- ing the pulse and a great array of remedies

It is interesting to notice that Greece fur- nishes us with some significant remnants of medicine. Chiron is reputed to have intro- duced into Greece the healing art, and had been the preceptor of the great Aesculapius. They erected their temples in the beautiful groves well supplied with good springs and pure air. Here the healing art was practiced. The treatment was in itself peculiar, a rem- edy to produce emesis and a purgative was about all the drugs used, the rest of the treat- ment consisted of translating dreams, vica- rious sacrifices, careful diet, pure air, bathing, temperate living, and massage, and as we fol- low on down the ages by the footprints in the sands of time, we have the sacred period. the philosophical period, the rationalist pe- riod and the anatomical period.

The latter began at the time of the estab- lishing of the Alexandrian library, which became the center for medical study and research in 320 B. C., when Ptolemy was a great leader in the medical world and gathered about him the wise men for the pur- pose of dissecting the human body, and in this manner they made many notable discov- eries about the structures of the brain, the heart. the lungs, the eye and the intestinal canal. Each period of investigation brought new discoveries. Galen, in his more extended study of anatomy, described every bone in the body, learned the functions of the muscles and recognized and described the sensory and motor nerves. He wished the world to ac- cept his theories and to popularize the fur- ther study of anatomy, but he was not suc- cessful and at his death the end of the an- atomical period came and was not revived again for several centuries.

For a time medical practice again passed into ecclesiastical control, and medical study was not taken up again until the universities of Spain and Italy added medicine to their curriculi, and this soon spread to the rising schools of Vienna. Paris and elsewhere. Gil- bert and Linacre having studied in these schools, finally founded the College of Physi- cians of London. But it was not until the six- teenth century that Vesalius succeeded in reviving the study of human anatomy, and in this and the following centuries we find

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

rapid advances in the anatomical and physio- ing in the study we have Laveran with his logical studies which brought about a revolu- malarial bugs; Koch with his string of tubercular bacillus, antitoxines ; the X-ray and a host of other theories and methods which have added much to the healing art and the relief of the human family. tion in the medical science. The one who in his study found something new and gave a full description of it, had the honor of hav- ing the part named for him, and for this rea- son we have to this day some rather queer nomenclature, as Eustachian tube, Fallopian tube, fissure of Sylvius, circle of Willis, etc. These researches led to other channels and the microscope was brought to completion, and new remedies were added to the materia medica. The seventeenth century is marked by some new methods in obstetrics, medical jurisprudence and bedside clinics. Chemistry was recognized as a systematic science and the work of investigation and research went happily on.

HOMEOPATHY

In the beginning of the eighteenth cen- tury Hahnemann protested against the large dose of drugs and the excessive depletion by bloodletting, introduced his ideas of Homeop- athy, and from that time on we have had the two distinct schools of medicine. Some- times the rivalry between the two schools was very great, but it is pleasant to say in this age of the world that the lamb and the lion lie down pleasantly and peacefully together. The climax of the eighteenth century was the discovery of vaccination by Jenner. He was persecuted and abused by many in the medical profession but had the pleasure of seeing the world adopt his ideas and to-day it has proved a great blessing to the human family, and it is strange, to say the least, that with all the good results and practically the annihilation of smallpox, so many people, supposed to be intelligent, use every argument and every influence to legislate against it.

MODERN METHODS

All through the years the research goes on, and the twentieth century, with all our learn- ing. still offers much for study and investi- gation of disease. And happy will be the human family when some researcher discovers an antitoxine or remedy for cancer, the dread of mankind. Yea, they will leap for joy when an antitoxine, serum or antidote for tubercu- losis, the great white plague, has been found and proved. The millennium will dawn when we shall have found an antidote, or a serum, or a vaccine for each of the acute diseases and many of the chronic ones, and there will be such an evolution in the field of medi- cine that ere the sun shall have kissed the western slope of the twentieth century, man will be happy and content, immunized from the attack of all bugs and, living to a good old age, will simply and painlessly pass away.

THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH

Hippocrates, the most celebrated physician of antiquity, long called the father of medi- cine, was certainly anxious to raise the stand- ard of medicine to a high plane of efficiency. which is proved by the "Hippocratic Oath," of which he was the author, administered to young men in the early days on entering upon the study of medicine: "I swear by Apollo, Panacea and all the gods and goddesses, that according to my ability and judgment I will keep this oath and stipulation : to reckon him who teaches me this art equally dear with my parents ; to share my substance with him and to relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring upon the same footing as my own brothers; and to teach them this art if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation and by precept, lecture and by every other mode of instruction I will im- part a knowledge of this art to my own sons. to those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by an oath and stipulation. according to the law of medicine, but to no others. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my best judgment. I consider best for my patients, and will abstain from what- ever is injurious. I will give no deadly medi-

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Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I, Part 18

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 618

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 618