History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 36

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 36
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 36
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 36

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

It is unmistakably true that few country practitioners make more than a living by their practice alone, and that not a very sumptuous one ; hence medical students mistake that they do not learn business of some kind as an ad- junct when they become located. Dr. Losey acted upon this view. In 1832 he had a drug- store, and later a farm, which he successfully cultivated, near Honesdale. He died in Hones- dale March 9, 1870, after having passed a good, useful, exemplary life, characterized by the high- est sense of duty ; and in all relations, profes- sional and social, uprightness and purity of mo- tive were the qualities which governed him. His good deeds and an honorable name live after him.

ADONIJAH STRONG, who practiced in Wayne County from 1829 until his death, in 1879, a period of fifty years, though during the last few years he retired as far as was possible from the cares of his profession, was a native of Sal- isbury, Conn., born October 8, 1800. He was

of a distinguished and ancient family, a direct descendant of Noah Strong, one of the pilgrim band of the "Mayflower," who landed on the shores of Massachusetts in 1620. His father was Martin Strong, who for many years was the president judge of the Litchfield County courts.

Adonijah was educated with a view to the adoption of the legal profession, and graduated from Yale College with a good preparatory dis- cipline. Among his father's intimate friends was Benajah Ticknor, a surgeon in the United States navy, who importuned Judge Strong to educate the young man in medicine and sur- gery, with a view to his becoming his assistant in the government service. He accordingly studied with Dr. Luther Ticknor, a brother of Benajah, and was admitted to practice by li- cense from the Massachusetts Medical Society at Litchfield, August 18, 1824. Shortly after- wards he formed a matrimonial alliance with Miss Mary A. Myers, daughter of Colonel Nathan Myers, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., to whom he was married on the 26th of October in the same year. This marriage revolution- ized his plans for the future, so far as entering the naval service was concerned, and he en- tered upon the practice of his profession at Poughkeepsie. Through the influence of Hon. Pope Bushnell, of Bethany, he removed to that place in 1829, himself and wife liv- ing for a time in Mr. Bushnell's family. In spite of considerable professional opposition, he secured a fair practice ; but seeing that it might be improved, he removed to Honesdale in 1839. On locating here he opened a drug store, and for many years did a prosperous bus- iness. His practice was extensive, but as he grew older he relinquished it to the younger members of the profession, several of whom had been his students. In his younger days the doctor took quite an interest in politics, being a pronounced and leading Democrat. He never held office, however. He united with the Pres- byterian Church, and was elected an elder in 1850, and held that office until his death. Dr. Strong was of a reserved and retiring disposi- tion, though an excellent conversationalist on subjects both within and foreign to his pro-

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fession. He was of erect person and dignified appearance, " the very beau ideal," says a friend, " of the old school physician."

DR. LUTHER APPLEY was born November 15, 1790, in Canterbury, Windom County, Conn. His father being a tanner and currier, he learned the trade as he was growing up. He left Con- necticut and came to Hancock, Delaware County N. Y., in the summer of 1809. He followed sur- veying part of the time ; ran the line between the towns of Hancock and Colchester, Delaware County, N. Y .; taught school the following winter in Shehocken, now called Hancock. In 1810 he commenced studying medicine witlı Dr. Lewis Allen, at Deposit, Delaware County, N. Y .; remained with him one year ; then came to Damascus, Wayne County, Pa., and studied two years with Dr. Freeman Allen ; was licensed to practice as physician and surgeon by a board of physicians and surgcons November 24, 1821 ; was appointed surgeon's mate in and for the regiment comprised iu the county of Wayne, by Oliver B. Brush, colonel, Jacob Schenk, lieutenant-colonel, Pope Bushnel, ma- jor, and received commission as surgeon's mate for the Seventieth Regiment of the Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the Sec- ond Brigade of the Eighth Division composed of the militia of the counties of Northumber- land, Union, Columbia, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wayne, from Governor Joseph Heister, dated January 29, 1822.

" BETHANY, Feb. 24, 1829.

" DR. LUTHER APPLEY,

" Dear Sir :

" You are hereby appointed surgeon for the 70th Regt. Penn. Militia.

" Yours Respectfully, " NATHANIEL B. ELDRED, " Col. 70th Regt. Penn. Militia."

He was commissioned surgeon of the Seventieth Regiment, comprised in the county of Wayne, by Andrew Schulze, Governor, August 3, 1829. He was re-commissioned surgeon of the Seventieth Regiment, comprised in the county of Wayne, by George Wolf, Governor, No- vember 26, 1832. He was a member of St. Tammany Lodge, No. 83, Ancient York Ma- sons.

For his first wife he married Phebe Land, daughter of John Land. They had eight chil- dren,-William L., Maria L., Abigail R., The- odore, Theron, Lilly T., Luther and Mark. Theodore died iu childhood.

His second wife was Mary E. Effinger, a lady of a prominent and wealthy family from Phil- adelphia, who, as his widow, now resides in Honesdale. Two daughters were born to them, Agnes Adelaide, who died in infancy, and Ade- laide Josephine, who lived to maturity and was married very young to Luther W. Peck, son of Rev. George M. Peck, grandson of George Peck, D. D., of Wilkes-Barre, and nephew of Bishop Peck. Mrs. Peck is deceased.

He moved to Philadelphia in 1838, where he resided and practiced medicine and surgery un- til December, 1842, attending lectures at Jeffer- son College some part of the time ; returned to Damascus, Wayne County, Pa., December, 1842, and immediately commenced practicing medi- cine and surgery, and continued the practice until his last sickness. His death occurred Oc- tober 20, 1853.

In the beginning of his practice his ride ex- tended from Damascus down the Delaware River to Lackawaxen, Pike County, Pa., and up the Delaware River from Damascus to She- hocken (now called Hancock), in Delaware County, N. Y .; as far east as White Lake, Sullivan County, N. Y., and west to Rileyville, Wayne County, Pa. His rule was to visit the sick at all times of night and in all kinds of weather, whether they paid or not.

DR. WILLIAM L. APPLEY, a son of Dr. Lu- ther Appley and his wife Phobe, was born at Milanville on the 26th of March, 1812. He commenced study with his father and after- wards attended lectures at the College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons in New York (sessions of 1833-34). The following year, at the age of twenty-three, he commenced practice, being as- sociated with his father until 1837. He was zealous and successful. He said of himself upon one occasion,-

" From almost life-long connection with the science of medicine and some of its eminent votarics, I have endeavorcd to become possessed of a fund of practical ideas and to have these based on a fair degree of com-

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mon sense, and to link them with honesty and perse- verance; this I thought would not fail to reward me with an honorable and successful future."

In 1858 he received the honorary degrce of M.D. from the New York State Medical Soci- ety, and the same honor was conferred upon him by the Castleton Medical College, in Vermont. In 1867 he was elected a permanent member of the New York State Medical Society, and in 1872 of the American Medical Association. In 1851, while in the discharge of his duty, he met with an accident by which he lost his left leg or sustained injuries making necessary its amputation below the knee. In 1852 he moved to Cochecton, N. Y., and during his residence there was twice elected president of the Sullivan County Medical Society and also chosen the first president of the Tri-States Medical Society.

As a surgcon, he had a wide reputation and he was appointed surgeon of the Erie Railroad. During thirty-two years' practice he performed more than five hundred operations in which he had to administer chloroform.

He was married three times,-in 1835 to Julia Reed, in 1851 to Harriet Wheeler, and in 1864 to Mindle Lakin, who survives him. He died January 6, 1877.

DR. WILLIAM W. APPLEY, a present prac- titioner at Cochecton, N. Y., and having much to do in Wayne County, is a son of the late Dr. William W. Appley, and was born in Damas- cus township, June 24, 1847. Drs. Theron and Otto Appley are practitioners in Damascus.

DR. URIAL WRIGHT was born in the town of Windsor, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, May 15, 1790. His grandfather, Asa Wright, was an architect and planned and superin- tended the building of Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. His father, Asahel Wright, subsequently graduated at that college, and after completing a medical course, was appointed a surgeon in the United States navy, serving in that capacity until the close of the War of the Revolution. He then settled in Windsor and raised a large family. There were eight sons, seven of whom became professional men, and all were successful in life. Five chose the medical profession. Worthington, who be- came a minister, also studied medicine and

practiced for a time, so that there were, at one time, the father and six sons in practice. Urial was the fourth son. He received an academic education, and studied medicine with his father two years, then with Dr. Asa Burbank, of Lanesboro, Mass., nine months, and with Noa- diah Swift, of Bennington, Vt., six months. In the spring of 1814 he left his home in Mas- sachusetts to commence his practice in the "Beech Woods " of Northeastern Pennsylvania, locating at Mount Pleasant. Hc traveled on horseback, his outfit consisting of his horse, a valise, a pair of saddle-bags and twenty-five dollars in money. His attention was directed

to this point by his brother, the Rev. Worth- ington Wright, who was then laboring in Wayne County as missionary under appoint- ment of the Connecticut Home Missionary So- ciety, and who resided in Bethany. His rides at first were long, over bad roads or no roads, sometimes being only a bridle-path marked by " blazed " trees, and his practice extended from Scott to Canaan, comprising the townships of Mount Pleasant, Preston, Clinton, Canaan, Buckingham and Lebanon, in Wayne County, and Thompson, Herrick and Clifford, in Sus- quehanna County ; but as new business centres sprang up, it became less extended but none the less extensive. By nature Dr. Wright was equipped for pioneer service. He possessed a sound mind in a sound body ; was compactly and stoutly built, with an iron constitution and robust health. Excepting an occasional attack of inflammatory rheumatism, he was never ill until his last sickness. For forty years he never lost a meal unless he was where it could not be obtained. In 1816 he was married to Jerusha Spencer, a daughter of Peter Spencer, who had settled in Preston, on the farm now occupied by Nathan A. Monroe, the same spring that he came to Mount Pleasant. The marriage was a happy one, his wife being helpful and his home pleasant. They had a patriarchal family of ten children, one of whom died in in- fancy, and five are still living.

Hosmer, the oldest, was drowned at the age of twenty-five, being then postmaster at Pleasant Mount, and having entered into a business partnership with Henry W. Stone. William,

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the second son, is living in Monnt Pleasant and holds the office of justice of the peace ; Eliza J., wife of A. D. Higbie, of Newark, N. J .; Cath- arine S., wife of Edward M. Atwater, died in 1880 ; Ellen A., wife of Henry H. Rogers, of Danvers, Mass .; Henry C., killed at the battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863; Charles A., died in 1860; John S., of Boston, who enlisted at the outbreak of the war for the Union, and went out as captain of Company C, Sixth Penn- sylvania Reserves, the first company that en- listed from Wayne County; and Julius C., of Scranton, who served three years in the war.

In 1828 Dr. Wright was appointed surgeon's mate by the commanding officer of the Seven- tieth Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia, receiv- ing his commission from Governor Shultze. His duties consisted mainly in granting certifi- cates of disability, exempting men from mili- tary dnty in the days when militia trainings were in vogue. He had been in practice some thirty years, when, in 1845, the degree of M.D. was conferred npon him by the Berkshire Medical College, of Pittsfield, Mass.

Dr. Wright's life was not marked by great achievements or remarkable incidents. He pursued the even tenor of his way, practicing his profession with remarkable fidelity and suc- cess. He possessed a receptive mind and re- tentive memory, acquiring skill by long and extensive practice, and keeping abreast of the times in the progress of medical science. He was peculiarly successful in the treatment of fevers. He responded alike to the calls of the rich and poor, and performed a large amount of hard labor, for which he received no compen- sation. He commanded the respect of all, while his affability and kindness endeared him to many, and he was ever a welcome visitor to the sick. Always self-possessed, he was calm when others were alarmed and excited, his presence often proving a benediction, and his cheerful countenance doing good like a medicine. He was a man of sound judgment and excellent common-sense, was no speech-maker and what he said was uttered in brief, sententious sen- tences. His moral character, like his physical structure, was sound, square and upright. In 1829 lie united with the Congregational Church,

and in 1831, when the form of government was changed to Presbyterian, he was chosen one of the ruling elders, which office he held until his death. During the winter of 1865 -- 66 his health began to fail, and the following May he was compelled to relinquish practice altogether, having practiced just fifty-two years. He died September 30, 1866, of dropsy of the heart, in the seventy-seventh year of his age.

DR. ERASTUS WRIGHT, one of the pioneer physicians of Wayne County, was born in Windsor, Berkshire County, Mass., May 11, 1794. When qnite young he received some medical instruction from his father, who was a practicing physician in the town of Windsor ; he subsequently renewed the study of medicine with his brother, Dr. Urial Wright, of Mount Pleasant, and later with Dr. Isaac Roosa, of Bethany; he graduated at Pittsfield Medical College, and to the valuable instruction received from Professor Chester Dewey he often re- ferred ; soon after gradnating he located in Salem, where he practiced medicine with almost uninterrupted success for thirty-seven years, and at one time, for a period of two or three years, he was the only physician from the local- ity now known as Greenville, Lackawanna County, to Hawley, on the east and west turn- pike, as well as from Waymart to Stoddarts- ville, Stroudsburg, etc., on the old Belmont and Easton turnpike ; he usually rode on horse-back, with medicine in saddle-bags fastened to his saddle, and scarce a mountain-path or by-way for more than a score of miles around could be fonnd with which he was not familiar. He had thoroughly studied the standard works of that day, which, together with extensive practice, gave him a knowledge in the diagnosis of diseases, and the needed treatment, peculiarly his own. Some characteristic features might be named, one of which was his love for his chosen profession, that he persistently held to the close of life ; another was that he never prescribed at random, ever questioning closely, not hasty in giving an opinion, but when ouce given he seldom had reason to change it. Possessed of a vigorous constitution, as well as a benevolent heart, he was eminently successful in all the duties of his profession, anxious to

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relieve suffering if possible with potent remc- dies and cheerful words, thus securing the es- teem and confidence of many. On the 23d of February, 1825, he was married to Miss Lydia Muzzey, daughter of John Muzzey, of Brook- field, Worcester County, Mass., and his charac- ter as a Christian, moral and temperance man and uprightness as a citizen, he was often heard to say, was due largely to her godly influence. They had two daughters,-Mary Lucy, who married Rev. A. R. Raymond, Presbyterian

clergyman of Salem, with their only son now residing in the dwelling formerly occu- pied by Dr. Wright ; Frances Amelia, married Colonel B. T. Cook, of Franklin, Delaware County, N. Y., where they now reside. His beloved wife died October 8, 1849, aged fifty- two years ; he subsequently married Mrs. Nancy Nicholson, widow of the late Zenas Nicholson, March 15, 1854; she still lives at the advanced age of eighty-three years. Dr. Wright was re- spected by the physicians of the county, and in his last sickness, many of them manifested pro- fessional kindness and interest. At the time of his death he had been a member of the Pres- byterian Church twenty-seven years. He died rejoicing February 21, 1860, aged sixty-six years.

DR. WILLIAM W. SANGER, who practiced in Honesdale from 1849 to 1853, was born at Can- terbury, Conn., August 10, 1816, and removed to Wheeling, Va. (now West Virginia), in 1836, where he commenced the study of medicine in 1842. He went to New York to attend lec- tures at the College of Physicians and Surgcons in 1844, and graduated from that institution with credit in 1847. He served in several official positions in New York, and then was invited to supply the vacancy in Honesdale occasioned by the death of Dr. Graves, which he accepted. His unusually long probationary period as student in the great metropolitan centre of medical education had given him adequate preparation to perform the duties of the vocation he had selected, and an acquaint- ance with the eminent of the profession there, enabled him to come well recommended.

At that period the practice of medicine in the medical centres of the nation was under-

going a transition state, but it had not reached the country villages. Those marvelous agents of anæesthesia, ether and chloroform, had just come into use ; new discoveries in etiology and treatment of disease and improvements in the science of medicine had occurred, prom- ising much and predicting a glorious future for the profession.

The physicians who were then in practice in Honesdale had become old, having been edu- cated when almost all diseases were designated inflammatory, and supposed to require a perturb- ing treatment called antiphlogistic, the lancet being the principal remedy-blood-letting, copi- ous, frequent and heroic. Besides, in accordance with the humoral pathology, the stomach was foul, and required an emetic to cleanse it; or the same condition of the bowels required a cathartic. Often, in the same patient and at the same time, all this bristling array of offensive weapons was used in succession. There was a popular faith, too, in the potency of drugs; they were fond of heroism and brave doses, and por- tentous appearances favorcd the idea of mag- nificent results. These physicians were now designated as those of the " Old School" (or old fogies), in contradistinction to the new school, and were ultimately obliged to consent to the social requirements of the age.

Dr. Sanger was of the new school, a man of science, educated power, acquired skill, and acted upon the principle that disease is not an entity to be attacked and driven out of the system by violent and destructive expedients, and instead of venesections and emetico-cathar- tics, he had his fever patients sponged with water and fed with gruel.

At the advent of Dr. Sanger in this county there had never been a medical organization, and he found the physicians engaged in rivalry, jealousy and competition, instead of cultivating a spirit of reciprocity and cherishing amicable relations with each other. In all his relations with them, however, he adhered strictly to the code of ethics adopted by the National Medical Association, which is now authority in our country, thus exemplifying their duty, and exacted from them a like treatment. On one occasion, upon enforcing the principle, a serious

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result was threatened. One of his surgical patients became fretful and restless during his temporary absence, and friends called in another surgeon, who commenced removing bandages, and was caught in the act by the doctor upon his unexpected return, who exclaimed, “Sir ! you have no right here; this is my patient, and you have no business to even look at him in my absence !" at the same time with his strong right arm thrusting the intruder aside. A suit for assault was commenced, but good counsels afterward prevailing, the matter was quieted.

There were two conspicuous elemeuts in his nature, viz. : humor and ridicule, unsurpassed by none of his cotemporaries, the former sub- serving a practical utility, the latter a sort of harmless, mirthful sport, which, when reversed, so as to fall upon himself, was productive of the greatest humility. The humorous element in his address was his greatest strategy, and with this he dosed his patients with many a pill of wisdom, cunningly sugar-coated. He ap- proached his patient with a cheerful and encour- aging demeanor, thus rendering all the moral aid to be derived as a curative agent.

In relation to fees, the old school practitioners, in their rivalry, had been endeavoring to ascer- tain how cheaply they could conduct a given case of sickness, and charges were regulated with reference to future employment ; hence the fear of an extortionate bill. For a visit in town was charged a half-dollar; and out of town the same, with twenty-five cents added for every mile of travel one way, including medicines, for a distance of four miles one dollar, and eight miles two dollars was charged. They rode on horseback, equipped with saddle-bags filled with medicines, strapped behind the rider (John Gilpin fashion), the outfit containing also a turnkey and forceps for extracting teeth, the fee for which was one shilling.

On Dr. Sanger's arrival he found this state of things existing in Wayne County, and it was the subject of his sharp ridicule. He had no objection to the gratuitous distribution of medi- cal services, if such could be afforded ; but he did not like to see the medical fee disgraced by its association with a half-dollar; and as for giving away his medicines, a physician was sim-

ply foolish. This bold innovator doubled the fees at once. He adopted the plan of writing his prescriptions, to be filled by the druggist, and the medicines to be paid for by the pa- tient ; rode in his carriage, sometimes with one horse, at others with two, accompanied by his groom. He asserted that he knew nothing about teeth; "pulling teeth" was a specialty belonging to another profession.

By some of the profession and laity it was at first predicted that the people would not be sub- missive to such extravagance and increased charges, and that such a course could not be maintained; nevertheless, the people admired his dignity of bearing, loved his jokes, laughed at his ridicule, and the doctor was always popu- lar with them, and had no idle moments to spare. He was not a failure. In 1853 he was appointed resident physician of the Almshouse Hospital, Blackwell's Island, which position he filled for several years. While there the city authorities requested him to investigate thoroughly, and report freely, the facts relating to the social evil. Two years of assiduous effort in this direction resulted in the publica- tion of his famous book, "The History of Pros- titution." Dr. Sanger was much interested in politics and was a member of the Tammany Society, of New York. He died May 8, 1872.

HON. RODNEY HARMES, licentiate of medi- cine, was born in the town of Neversink, Sulli- van county, N. Y., on April 1, 1813. He was on his paternal side of German descent. His grandfather, Jacob Artman Harmes, was a native of Brandenburg, in Prussia, but after reaching his majority was, with a boon compan- ion, imprudent enough to travel into the do- mains of the Elector of Hesse Cassel, where he and his companion were seized and put on board of a man-of-war, transported to America, and forced into the Hessian army for the purpose of aiding England to conquer her rebellious colonies. In a short time he escaped from the Hessian army, became a soldier in the American army and served until the close of the war. After this period he married Miss Margaret Lummox, and settled in the town of Neversink, Sullivan County, N. Y. He wasa very ingenious smith, and could make locks, gun-locks, cow-

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 36

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438