History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 91

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended > Part 91

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).

461

MEDICAL HISTORY.

tions. The medical department is in charge of Dr. J. Wiest, who has charge of eye dis- eases and the correction of errors of refrac tion, assisted by Dr. W. H. Wagner, who treats deafness and diseases of the ear, and Dr. Z. C. Myers on throat and nose troubles. The medical attendants are assisted by stu- dents Samuel B. Pfaltzgraff and Allen G. Smith. The expenses of the institution are defrayed by contributing members; they pay annually $1 per year, and have the privilege of sending poor persons for treatment.

The physicians at present engaged in the practice of medicine in York are Dr. James W. Kerr, who commenced to practice in 1840 in partnership with Dr. McClellan until 1844, when he opened an office himself, and has been in active practice ever since. Dr. Kerr has the reputation of a skillful physician, and has always had a large practice. He has been a member of the pension board for many years, and is an earnest worker in the Sunday- school. Dr. Jacob Hay, who succeeded his father, and his brother, Dr. John Hay (de- ceased), has a large practice. He graduated at the University of Maryland. He has been member of the board of school control for a number of years. Dr. James McKinnon has the reputation of being a skillful surgeon and has a good practice. He served as sur- geon in the army during the war, physician to the almshouse for several years, and a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature, ses- sion of 1885. Dr. A. R. Blair held the of- fice of county superintendent of the public schools from 1857 to 1862, and assistant sur- geon and executive officer of the United States Hospital at York from 1862 to 1865. Dr. Roland has been pension examiner for a number of years, and a member of the State Board of Agriculture, and director and sec- retary of the York County Agricultural Soci- ety. Dr. John Ahl practiced medicine for a number of years at Dover before he moved to York. He has been coroner for six years, and physician to the almshouse for several years. Dr. E. W. Meisenhelder graduated at the Jefferson Medical College in 1868; practiced medicine with his father at East Berlin, Adams County, a few years before he moved to York. He takes an active part in politics. He has been secretary of the med- ical examiners for pensioners for a number of years.

Dr. L. M. Lochman commenced the prac- tice of medicine at Manchester Borough; served on the sanitary commission during the war.

Dr. C. M. Nes succeeded his father and had a large practice until a few years ago,

when he partially retired from the practice of medicine.

Dr. B. F. Spangler graduated at the Jef- ferson Medical College in 1868, and has practiced his profession in York ever since, enjoying a lucrative practice. His brother, Dr. J. R. Spangler, graduated at the same college in 1870, and also has a good practice.

Dr. J. Wiest graduated at the University of Michigan in 1867, and practiced his pro- fession in Jackson Township until .1878, when he was elected to the legislature. He served in the legislative session of 1879. He was re-elected in 1880, and served another session in 1881. While in the legislature he served on all the important committees, and was an important factor in passing the Medical Registration Bill. He also served on the revenue commission in 1881 with Gov. Hoyt, Cyrus Elder, Silas Wright, Hon. Buckalew, and others. He also had a bill passed appropriating $7,000 to the York Hospital and Dispensary Associations. Dr. Wiest has been a frequent contributor to the various newspapers of the county, as well as to the medical journals. Several years ago he retired from the regular practice to de- vote his time to the treatment of eye dis- eases, and has established for himself a large and paying practice in this specialty. He was appointed pension surgeon under Cleve- land's administration, and elected secretary of the Pension Board.

Dr. W. H. Wagner graduated at the Jef- ferson Medical College in 1881, and has already built up for himself a fine practice.

Dr. I. Gable graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1876, and has a good paying practice.

Dr. Z. C. Myers graduated at the Univer- sity of Maryland. Is the present attending physician at the almshouse.

Drs. Alfred Long, F. X. Weile, Jordy, King, Gotwald, J. B. Kain, S. Miller, I. Ickes and Beltz are physicians who have lo- cated in York within the last five years and are doing a good practice.

Of the physicians practicing. in other parts of the county, we have Dr. G. R. Hursh, in Fairview Township. Dr. Hursh served in the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1869 and 1870. Dr. W. E. Sweiler, at Yocumtown, with a large practice; Dr. P. D. Baker, a rising young physician at Franklintown; Dr. Bailey, with a paying practice at Dills- burgh; Dr. A. C. Heteric, of Wellsville; Dr. J. A. Reynerd, at Goldsborough; Dr. J. M. Gross, at Dover; Dr. E. W. Melshei- mer, at Davidsburgh, and Dr. J. C. May-all with large practices and established reputa-

462

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

tation, attending to the ailments of the citi- zens of the upper end of York County; while in the lower end, Dr. W. F. Smith, of Air- ville, who was a surgeon during the late war; Dr. B. F. Porter, of Chanceford, who was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1869 and 1870; Dr. J. S. Heteric, at New Freedom; Dr. G. P. Yost, at Glen Rock, at present a member of the Pension Board; Dr. George Holtzappel, at Logansville; Dr. Hildebrant, at Winterstown; Dr. J. M. Hy- son, at Red Lion; Dr. J. R. Martin, of Stewartstown, are physicians well known throughout the lower end of the county, and enjoying the confidence and respect of the communities in which they practice their profession.

In Windsor Township Dr. W. Bigler, a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative ses- sion of 1883, has a good practice. In Hel- lam, Dr. J. A. Armstrong and Dr. William Deisinger have good paying practices. At Wrightsville, Dr. Thompson and Dr. G. A. Rebman have, for many years, attended to the wants of the sick.

In Jackson Township, Dr. G. W. Metzger succeeded Dr. C. S. Picking, deceased, and Dr. L. A. Roth took the place of Dr. Wiest, moved to York.

Dr. M. A. Hoke and Dr. C. Bahn, located in the new town of Spring Grove, and have grown up with the place.

At Jefferson Dr. William Brinkman suc- ceeded Dr. Hambaugh about forty years ago, and for a long time attended to all the sick in the town and surrounding country, until . 1870, when Dr. Z. C. Jones moved to the place and soon built up for himself a fine practice.

In Codorus Dr. W. C. Stick has a large practice, and has a good reputation as an eye specialist.

At Seven Valleys Dr. Allen Glatfelter has a good practice. He succeeded Dr. Weiser, deceased, who practiced medicine at this place from about 1850 until he died, in 1876.

At Shrewsbury Dr. E. W. Gerry and his brother, Dr. James Gerry, have practiced medicine in partnership for many years, and have a large practice in the town and sur- rounding townships. Dr. H. G. Bussey has been practicing his profession in the same place for over half a century. He served the county as prothonotary for one term, and was elected a member of the State senate in 1875, and was re-elected for a second term.

In Shrewsbury Township Dr. C. Taylor has a large practice. He takes a prominent part in the affairs of the township, and in the politics of the county.

Homoeopathy was introduced into York County by one Dr. Ehrman, who came here with his family from Germany, in 1823. His son, Dr. Ernest J. Ehrman, studied medicine under his father, and, in 1844 he located at Liverpool, where he was the first homeo- pathic practitioner. Dr. P. Scheurer, a Lutheran minister, located at Hanover in 1839, and established the system of homeop- athy in that place. He attended to his min- isterial duties and practiced medicine until he died, a few years ago. In 1846, Dr. George Brickly began practicing homeopa- thy in York. His sons, Dr. O. C. Brickly, and Dr. J. W. Brickly have both established lucrative practices in York. The former graduated at the Homeopathic College of Pennsylvania in 1855, and the latter in 1863. Drs. B. T. Reich and Yeagler, practicing in York, have become physicians of note among the believers of homeopathy.

Dr. E. A. Wareheim is having an exten- sive practice at Glen Rock. Dr. D. B. Grove, a graduate of the New York Homeopathic College, is at present practicing homeopathy at Hanover, and Dr. J. D. Keller at Glenn- ville. He succeeded his father, Dr. Keller, now deceased, who practiced homeopathy and domestic medicines in the Manheim and Codo- rus Townships for many years.

[From Medical Annals of Baltimore, by John N. Quinan.]

JAMESON, HORATIO G., M. D.,* born in Pennsylvania, 1778; University of Maryland 1813; Consulting Surgeon Baltimore City Hospital, 1819- 35; Consulting Physician Board of Health, Balti- more, 1822-35; Professor of Surgery and Surgical Anatomy, Washington Medical University, 1827-35, and one of its incorporators, 1827; Member Amer- ican Medical Association, 1856; Professor of Sur- gery Cincinnati Medical College, 1835; member Philosophical Societies of Berlin, Moscow, etc .; editor Maryland Medical Recorder, 1829-32, and -; died in New York, 1855.

[Gives subjects of Medical works, treatises, et ceteræ, of which he was the author, published from 1813 to 1856, included in which are two volumes- "American Domestic Medicine, 1817," and "A Trea- tise on Cholera, 1854," and treatise "On Yellow Fever, intended to prove the necessity of V. S. (Blood-letting) in that disease," and "On the Non- Contagiousness of Yellow Fever," (read before the Medical Section of the Literary Assembly, held in the city of Hamburg) 1830].

"Dr. H. G. Jameson was no doubt one of the ablest surgeons of his day. He took away, for the first time in the world, nearly the entire Upper Jaw (1830); in May. 1820, he ligated the External Iliac Artery; in 1823, he performed Tracheotomy, the first in Baltimore; in 1824, he exeised the Crevix Uteri, (the first in Great Britain or America). He was the first in Baltimore to attempt Ovariotomy," -"The Surgeons of Baltimore and their Achieve- ments," (Read before the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, at their meeting in honor of the Sesqui-Centennial of Baltimore, October 13, 1880, by Bernard B. Browne, M. D.). While physi-

*See pp. 392 and 455.

463

GEOLOGY.

cian to the Board of Health, Baltimore, he obtained vaccine virus by vaccinating a cow .- See his report, 1831."

1820, January, Dr. H. G. Jameson removes the upper maxillæ, after trying the carotid. (The first operation of the kind on record) .- GROSS.

1821, August, Dr. Jameson (H. G.) ligates the external iliac artery for aneurism.

1823, October 20, Dr. Jameson (among the first in Maryland) performs Tracheotomy. He also at- tempts Ovariotomy, but fails (first attempt in Balti- more). He also (the first in Great Britain or Amer- ica) excises the Neck of Uterus.

1826, August 25, Dr. Jameson successfully oper- ates for stone.

1827. March 13, Washington College, of Wash- ington. Penn., authorizes the establishment of a Medical School in Baltimore. Faculty are H. G. Jameson, Surgery; Samuel K. Jennings, Materia Medica and Therapeutics; William W. Handy, Obstetrics and Diseases of Women; James H. Mil- ler, Practice; Samuel Annan, Anatomy and Physiol- ogy; John W. Vethake, Chemistry. They organize and lecture on Holliday Street, opposite the old City Hall.

1831. March 7, Dr. H. G. Jameson secure s virus by vaccinating a cow.

1855. Dr. Horatio Gates Jameson ob. æt. 77 (in New York).

SKETCH OF THE GEOLOGY OF YORK COUNTY .*

THE conditions which make York County soil productive, the study of its geology interesting, and that geology itself varied, are due to effects of movement in early geological time, which, compared with those which have shaped our continent, are so small that their results can hardly be represented upon a geological map of the United States of ordinary size. Yet, in a rough and gen- eral way, York County is a partial imitation, on a very small scale, of the United States; inasmuch as, like that part of the American continent, it consists of a belt of Archæan · rocks in the northwest, of another in the southeast, and its intermediate por- tions are made up of newer formations containing fossils. Indeed, owing to the oc- currence of the marl in Carroll Township, near Dillsburg (and perhaps a few instances of cavities in the limestone filled with lignite and vegetable remains similar to those exist- ing at the present day). it may be said that each of the five great divisions of the rocks of our planet, viz. : the "original" (?) or Ar- chæan; the "old life," or Palæozoic; the "middle life" or Mesozoic; the "new life" or +Cainozoic (including under this head for our purpose the Quaternary and Recent), and

the eruptive or Igneous, has a represen- tative (or several of them) within the confines of the county. If it were of interest or prof- it, the analogy might be pushed a little far- ther to include the occurrence of the igneous rocks in the northwest; the broad belt of Mesozoic strata which abut upon the Arch- æan (but in the case of the continent also upon numerous masses of new rocks which are scattered over a great part of their junc- tion); by the contact of the Paleozoic (Silu- rian in both cases) on the southeast border of the Mesozoic and the contact on the southeast of the latter formation with the Archæan. The last feature of the United States geology which fails in the case of York County, is the border line of new life or Cainozoic rocks to the southeast of all the above formations; but even this might be supplied if the limits of the county were pushed a comparatively short distance across Mason and Dixon's line, into the State of Maryland. But enough has been made of this fancy, which is only introduced in order to fix more securely upon the memory the fact that, geologically speaking. York County may be considered to be a part of a great accidented plain, of which the general trend is east of north and west of south. Its valleys, or portions of them, have successively formed the ocean bot- tom of four or five different geological epochs, probably extending from first to last over many million years.

A short explanation of the ordinarily re- ceived divisions or groupings of these rocks must here preface a description of the county. As in other sciences there is very great diffi- culty in finding a terminology which is ac- ceptable to the largest number of workers, and the number of times that such geological terminologies have been proposed, employed for a time and at last partially or completely abandoned, furnishes a fair measure of the fluctuations of opinion, which are yet going on, and which always precede the successful establishment of a theory. Without entering into details, it may be said that one of the early propositions was to divide all the rocks of the globe into primary, secondary and tertiary; understanding those names to relate to succession in age, and not to modes of formation. In other words it was meant that such and such rocks were first formed; another set were next formed; and yet another series was formed after the last .* Such a nomenclature would be very convenient were it not that we cannot ascertain what

*By Persifor Frazer, Docteurès-Sciences Naturelles (Uni- versité de France); Professor of Chemistry, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia.

+Written frequently Cenozoic.

* It was not meant merely to imply that the so-called sec- ondary rocks were made out of primary rocks, or by a second- ary process of formation, though to a large extent such inust be the fact.

464

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

rocks are the first, and the second, and the third; and the "physical breaks," as they are called. are frequently not greater between the supposed primary and secondary series. than between successive members of the same series. This attempt having failed, was very generally abandoned; but while the names "primary" and "secondary " were suppressed, and thus the whole system destroyed as an idea, the terms "tertiary" and "quaternary " are very generally em- ployed to designate the later divisions of rocks. A similar, but much more elastic scheme was devised to classify the rocks of the State, by the first State geologist of Pennsylvania. Prof. H. D. Rogers. He took the lowest rocks to be below the fossil- iferons (i. e .: to have been formed before liv- ing animals or plants existed), and these rocks (usually gneiss) he called Hypozoic, " or "under the living things." In common with many others, he included the "second- ary" for the most part, in the "Palaeo-Zoic," or "old forms of life." and in part with under the "Meso-Zoic," or middle-aged forms of life. The "tertiary " fell into the Caino-Zoic, or "new forms of life." He gave also special names to individual mem- bers of the Paleozoic, which, were they all constant in characters over large areas, would be greatly preferable to the local, non- committal and sometimes barbarous names given shortly afterward by the New York geologists, to the same or cotemporaneous for- mations in their own State. Rogers's names were "primal" (or the beginning of life), "Auroral" (or the dawn of life); " Matinal" (or the morning, same metaphor); "Sur- gent" or rising, etc., to the lower divisions of the Paleozoic; and "Cadent" (or fall- ing), "Umbral" (or darkening); "Vesper. tine" (or evening), etc., to the later divisions. The insurmountable objection to these terms was, that they did not describe any general state of facts. Thus it might be asked: Of what are these rocks the beginning, dawn, evening? Certainly not of life, for the terms expressing the later members were known to be inappropriate then, and at the present time, when evidences of life in rocks, much earlier than those called "Primal," by Rogers, are abundant, the terms applying to the first members of this series are equally

$ A very poor substitute for this term is " Azoic," or without life, which will he found on the maps of York and Lancaster Counties, and was put there by the Chief geologist. This merely replaces one inaccurate term by another; for, if we have no reason to conclude that these rocks are of earlier date than the appearance of living things, it is because we find they contain the remains of such living things, and therefore, cannot be Azoic any more than Hypozoic. Eozoic, or early life, is the least objectionable, though its strict accuracy is open to doubt like the other terms.

so. The New York geologists adopted the course of giving a name to each formation, which should either recall the locality where it was characteristically displayed: such as the "Potsdam Sandstone," the " Marcellus Shales," the "Oneida Conglomerate," etc., or describe it lithologically, as the " Calciferous Sandrock." This system would be a good one for provisional use, were it not that in addition to the geographical designation, a lithological definition is added, which, be- cause restricted in the area to which it is applicable, is often as inaccurate as the time description of Rogers. Thus the "Potsdam Sandstone" is a "Hellam Township Quart- zite," in York County, and Prof. Fontaine, of Virginia, thinks it represented by a pecu- liar schist containing quartz fragments in Virginia: and some persons are sure that it occurs in other places as a gneiss. The "Calciferous Sandrock" of New York is the same formation which makes up the major part of the broad and fertile limestone val- leys of Lancaster, York, Cumberland and Franklin Counties, etc., where it is not a sandrock at all.

It is plain that there are various objections to every system yet proposed. As the best compromise with them, I will here adopt a classification which seems to require the few- est hypotheses for its support, and to lend itself most readily to any new developments of our knowledge.

The Eozoic (or "early life") in this classifi- cation, comprises those rocks usually crystal- line in structure, but of very varied and di- vergent character, in or below which the very earliest known or suspected forms of life oc- cur-and those very sparingly in York Coun- ty. This series comprises all the rocks which are geologically inferior to the Hellam Town- ship Quartzite.

The Palæozoic (or "old life") includes all the rocks from and including the Hellam quartzite to the new red sandstone, and is made up of the quartzite, hydro-mica schists, and their included iron ores, the great blue and buff limestone on which the city of York is built, together with that of lower Wind- sor Township; that near New Holland, in Manchester Township; around Newmarket, in northern Fairfax Township; and north of Dillsburg in northern Carroll Township.

The Mesozoic (or "middle life") rocks are the reddish brown sandstores and shales (and perhaps the igneous rocks penetrating them) which cover almost the entire northwestern part of the county. If the imagination might be indulged in likening the area of the county to the lower part of a horse's leg,

465

GEOLOGY.

this formation would constitute the fetlock joint and all that portion immediately above the hoof proper.

The Cainozoic (or "new life") includes all these rocks of which the origin is of later date than the last mentioned, but still before the date of any evidences of the appearance of man on the planet. It is not known to me that there is a representative of this age present, unless it be that marked "marl" in the geological map, which has been supposed to belong there .*

The Quatenary and recent deposits com- prise those deposits which have been made from the earliest appearance of man on the planet down to the present time, including of course those of origin so late that they might have been historical. Such are the marks of the denudation which has shaped the meadows and hills as they are at present; the moulding of the ravines and deepening of the stream beds; the distribution along the latter of gravels, etc .; and finally (for the sake of saving one more division of time, which would otherwise lie wholly within this one, and at best remain very uncertain as to exact date) the works of man's hand which are discoverable in the arrowheads and sculptures not infrequently observed along the lower course of the noble river which forms York's northeastern boundary.

One word more is necessary as to the sub- division of the rocks of these different geolog- ical ages before their occurrence in York County becomes our theme.

If the average thickness of all the strata which have been yet recognized as distinct in the state of Pennsylvania were laid one upon the other, it has been estimated that the height of the pile would reach something like forty thousand feet. But this is made up almost without taking into account other than the Palæozoic rocks. If the ordinary methods of calculation were pursued in estimating the thickness of the Mesozoic or new red sand- stone and shale alone which crosses York County, three miles and a half would be added to this column.f No very great thick- ness of Tertiary or Cainozoic rocks is to be found in Pennsylvania, but if instead of

counting upward, or from the most recent of the Eozoic series, we were able to count downward to its lowest member or to the earliest existing rocks of the globe, it is probable that a thickness of this series alone greater than all of those that we now know put together would be established. That the exposure of rock in York County will not justify the belief that any considerable frac- tion of this Eozoic series can be reached by boring, the following list of its divisions, accepted by many very able geologists, will sufficiently show. They are given in descending order, the lowest being the earli- est known, and the first named the most recent. *VI. Keweenian.

V. Taconian.

IV. Mont Alban.

III. Huronian.

II. Norian.

I. Laurentian.

THE EOZOIC ROCKS OF YORK COUNTY.

I have not seen in York County any rocks which I considered to be of Laurentian age. If there be any, they are to be sought in the portion of the South Mountain, which is included in parts of Carroll and Franklin Townships, but it is very improbable that any will be found there. The same may be said of the Norian, which is simply another name for what was once called "Upper Laurentian." There remain, then, only the Huronian, the Mont Alban and the Taconian, for the Keweenian is not known in this part of the United States. The lowest member of the Eozoic series, therefore, which has been recognized in York County is the Huronian, and if I be not in error in my deductions, the rocks of this age form the greater part, if not all of its lower sections. On the accompanying geological map it is colored pink, as well as all that previously referred to in Carroll and Franklin Townships form- ing the South Mountain.

A broad flat arch of these rocks crossing the Susquehanna somewhat obliquely be- comes evident in plotting the observations on section lines along either the right or left bankt of the river.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 91

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104