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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania with Biographical SketchesBy H. C. Bradsby, 1891If You Have Photos of People Mentioned on the Page, Send Them In For Inclusion. Be sure to reference this book and chapter when you do. |
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CHAPTER XVIII
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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania with Biographical SketchesBy H. C. Bradsby, 1891If You Have Photos of People Mentioned on the Page, Send Them In For Inclusion. Be sure to reference this book and chapter when you do. |
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CHAPTER XVIII
Every civilization has its age of medical practice—periods that in many of the poor victims, could they revisit the glimpses of the moon, would, no doubt, emphatically pronounce episodes in their particular lives. The hoodoo doctors were, as a race, consummate humbugs, and tortured often with no higher purpose than that of pelf. Some of them honestly believed in their occult power to exorcise witches and disease, and sold their charms and horrid decoctions in the grim faith that they were inspired by supernatural wisdom. The tenacity with which a superstition will cling to a people is seen in the faith an ignorant Negro will to-day place in a rabbit’s foot, or the faith in the power over life and death of the reeking midnight ceremonies of the hoodoo. After hundreds of years’ contact with the whites, from generation to generation, have been transmitted, in form by slightly modified in all that time, the rank superstitions to which they were born in the jungles of Africa.
Apparently the most tenacious superstitions of all cling to the practice of medicine—curing diseases, and especially here it is that
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ignorance driven from one stronghold, bobs up serenely in another. In the slow evolution of the science of curing the ills that flesh is heir to, these superstitions find their way into the books and schools and are sifted down through the centuries. The books and schools of medicine were loath, it seems, to reach the realization that the science of medicine is an evolution; a bold experiment always, and there is little or no authority of precedent in the case. The schools too much refer to the ancients, with that curious ingrained faith, generally denied, but often lingering, that the old times were the good times, and that there was once in the world the Golden Age, whereas, if you could locate that persistent fiction, you would find the goodness and wisdom of that period were wretched cannibals or clouted wild men. If you could only read a real book of medicine, published three hundred years ago, it would surely tend to weaken your faith in even very old men of your own time.
A very modern thing is the licensing of doctors—lawyers were shrewd enough to protect their guild many centuries ago, but until lately a quack, or even a hoodoo doctor, if he could only get the patients, had the same right to practice as the graduate of the most ancient university. Doctors were often given to hang their diplomas, in Latin on fair parchment, on their office walls, as perhaps an inducement and inspirer of confidence to the afflicted. The race in the line of patients was not always to the graduate. The quack advertised his goods and wares, and often waxed rich and owned houses and blocks, while the poor graduate, covered with Latin diplomas, starved in his dreary garret. The State has joined hands in these modern times with the profession, and the public health is officially watched over. The next step naturally would be to make official doctors, and thus add a splendid retinue to the list of official patronage. Such a proposition, absurd as it would be, no doubt, would find eager advocates, and in conventions and on election days we would see duplicated the late scenes in Ireland, where church pastors and shillalah warmed up the vicinity of every voting booth. But it should not be forgotten that there are many arguments for the appointment in our cities of meat inspectors, deemed essential to the welfare of the community in securing healthy food, whether tenderloins of neck.
In the story of Gil Blas is a biting sarcasm on the ancient practice of medicine. It is there laid down that the secret of the whole science is in "hot water and bleeding." If the patient got well it was science that cured him; if he died it was plain that more blood letting and hot water would have saved him. Nothing could be plainer or simpler, and nothing could exceed the people’s faith and awe of the eminent practitioners. The very simplicity of the science added immeasurably to it profundity, and vested it with a deep superstition and reverence in the common mind. Don Quixote was a death-blow to ancient Knight Errants, but Gil Blas was hardly more than grist to the hopper of the medical quacks.
The respective States have passed license laws for doctors, but, of necessity, this curious proviso generally found its way in the act; Every physician who had been regularly in the practice a certain number of years, was by virtue thereof to be considered authorized to
Granting licenses is a growing institution, but after all it is a two-edged sword. The pretext for enacting the law is, to the common mind, fair and unanswerable, even if its actual practice is sometimes a boomerang to its ablest advocates. The people will sleep upon their rights whenever the State undertakes to guard them. An enterprising butcher, in a Western town, offered the town council $500 for an authorized license to sell meat. With an open, free market, where the farmers could come in their wagons and peddle meats, the butcher was getting rich. Not long after his offer was rejected the word passed around that he had pu8rchased and beefed a diseased animal. Customers passed by his doors then, and in a brief time he was bankrupt and out of business. In the same town lived a physician who was a several-times graduate, and experienced in the sick room; a cultured man, and justly eminent in the profession. There, too, lived a course, illiterate, ignorant woman, but cunning, who from scrubbing began nursing, and finally doctoring the sick, and growing bolder and bolder, and imposing on the ignorant until the physician was finally outraged by the request to a consultation with this female fraud. Thereupon he went to work and never rested until the State had enacted a physician’s license law. It provided that all who had been ten years consecutively in practice, without regard, should be considered licensed. The old woman easily mad out her case, and lo! the doctor had hit himself and helped her immensely—in the law they stood exactly equal, and now her new and glaring doctor’s sign swings in the wind near where once was the doctor’s modest one simply indicating the place of his office. Theory and practice in law-making are often distinct things, and ancient precedent as a rule, is a poor doctor.
Plenty of men living can tell you of great changes in the practice of medicine that have come in the past fifty years. Within that time the brutal practice of deliberately salivating patients has passed away. It was cruel and barbarous in the extreme. In later time than that has mostly disappeared the intolerable idea that patients must be denied everything they craved, and to see a poor fever-victim burning and willing to die for a draught of cold water, when he was offered warm elm or toast water only; bled, blistered and gorged with calomel and jalap, here were simply tortures that would pale the lights of evil hour of the dreadful Inquisition. The modern and ancient treatment of the insane is a distinct finger mark in the highway of civilization. Better food, better ventilation and better drainage have contributed their share to the average lengthening of life, that is the greatest feature that marks the past century. Much of this we owe to the men who have studied the subject of medicine and who have striven to ma a science of the curing of diseases and alleviating the suffer-
The names of the first pioneer physicians are generally given in the different township histories. In 1847 a change in the prevalent ideas of treatment, as well as medicines, was impending. The busy Thompsonian with his "vegetable yarbs," teas and corn sweats was loosened upon the land. He sniffed his defiance at "Mercury," and the pill war was on. Patients would rebel, drink cold water, and in spite of the books get well. Then sometimes the doctors of all "faiths" were guilty of the indiscretion, in times of much sickness, of neglecting wholly certain poor patients, and these would violate all sense of decency and show a better rate of recovery than those doctored the most. The "regulars" were not dumb nor blind, but saw these things, and adopted the latest discoveries forced upon them, and to-day, with sixty thousand people, there is but a small per cent of the calomel now used that there was when the total population was less then six thousand, and the lancet, hammer, and chisel and burning irons are since given over to the veterinary surgeons—hardly a fair deal for the poor faithful horse.
In 1847 about twenty physicians of the county met at the court-house for purpose of forming an association; Dr. Samuel Huston being elected president, and Dr. Alexander Madill, secretary. Two or three meetings were held, and one was appointed at Troy, but Drs. Madill and Bliss were the only ones present, and the association now took a rest of two years. In 1849 a meeting convened at the "Ward House," Towanda—nine members. This required that members should be graduates of licensed by some medical board, or in honorable practice fifteen years. This society was in active organization twenty-nine years, and on its roll of membership were nearly all the "regulars" in the county. Dr. G. F. Horton of this body was president of the State Society in 1862; he made a geological report and map of the State in 1858. About the same time Dr. E. H. Mason made a report of the hydrography of the State.
One of the earliest physicians of note in the county was Stephen Hopkins, of Tioga Point (Athens), who settled there in the summer of 1790. He soon became a noted physician; built the first frame house in Athens. He died March 29, 1841; his widow Jemima (Lindsley), died August 16, 1830.
"Dr. Adonijah Warner arrived and located in Athens in 1792, and at once formed a partnership with Dr. Hopkins, who was there when he came; Dr. Warner remained in Athens five years, and then removed
Dr. Amos Prentice came and located in Athens in 1797, His house and residence were on Cayuta creek. He died July 19, 1805.
Dr. Spring came to Athens early in the century—married a sister of John Shepard—widow Grant.
Dr. Thomas T. Huston was a practicing physician in Athens forty-five years. His father was a lieutenant in the navy during the Revolution. A brother was Judge Charles Huston.
Dr. Dorman was the first in Wysox. He left there in 1792.
Dr. Adonijah Warner succeeded Dorman in Wysox and settled the place of Robert Lanning.
Dr. Nathan Scoville was an early practitioner in Wyalusing. Dr. Daniel Baker was for a long time the most prominent physician of the place.
HOMEOPATHY—Dr. Silas E. Shepard was probably the first of this school in the county. He was a preacher; settled in Troy in 1828, and took up the practice of medicine, and when he removed to New York, turned his patients over to his brother, Dr. Samuel W. Shepard, who successfully practiced until quite recently, and is now mostly retired; considers himself wholly so, but occasionally prescribes for some old friends.
Dr. Leonard Pratt, of Towanda, still in the harness, commenced the practice here in 1846. Remained in Towanda seven year, and removed to Chicago.
Dr. Pratt’s father-in-law, Dr. Belding (old school), was practicing in Le Raysville in the "forties."
Dr. J. L. Corbin, of Athens, was in Towanda with Dr. Leonard Pratt; removed to his present residence in Athens.
Dr. Nebediah Smith began the practice of homeopathy her in 1848.
Dr. D. S. Pratt graduated at Philadelphia (old school). Located in Towanda 1851, but commenced the practice here with his brother, of homeopathy, and is still one of the leading physicians of the county.
In 1860 the leading physicians of all schools in the county were: G. F. Horton, John E. Ingham, Theseus Barnes, E. H. Mason, Theodore L. Pratt, D. T. Abel, David Codding, Dr. Gorham, Kinney, of Rome, A. R. Axtell, George H. Morgan, Charles R. Ladd. Alfred Parsons, Edward Mills, William Claggett, Benj. DeWitt, Horace P. Moody, Volney Homet, E. G. Tracy, H. S. Cooper, D. N. and F. G. Newton.
In 1880 the law required physicians in practice to register in the recorder's office, name, date of graduation or commencement of practice. The list appearing on the records is as follows:
Axtell, Allen K., Troy………………1843 Bartlett, H. A., Sugar Run ………..
Anderson, Manton E., Sayre ……….1880 Barrett J.W., Orwell ………………1874
Allen, William E., Smithfield ……...1880 Brown, F. W., Athens ……………1874
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Badger, S. W., Athens, ……………1873 Gamble, M. D., East Troy ………….
Beidleman, Addison, Sheshequin…. Granger, Lewis Elk Le Raysville…...1882
Brooks, R. W., Canton………………1873 Glover, Henry A., Windham town-
Bush, Horace, Wyalusing……………1875 ship…………………………………..1882
Bishop, Stephen C., Wysox township Harshbarger, D.W., Albany…………
Bowers, Jeremiah K., Reading, Pa,…1873 Homet, Volney, Camptown …….. .1856
Beers, James Lewis, Sayre …………1880 Holcomb,W. H., Le Roy township….
Beach, Lewis L., Springfield……….. Horton, George F., Terrytown………1827
Beach, Chas. A., Troy Boro…………1883 Hull, waston C., Monroeton . ……. .1861
Beach, R. Bell, Troy ………………..1883 Hubbard, D. G., Carbon Run ……….1869
Beach, Eliza J., Waverly, N. Y………1876 Hillis, Wm. J., Barclay…………… ..1858
Blackwell, Clarence H., Granville Hooker, Carlton C., Alba……………
Centre……………………….1884 Hopkins, Chas. F., Monroe………….1884
Barker, Perley N., Troy……………..1887 Haines, Chas. A., East Canton………1880
Byron, Lawrence, Barclay………….1886 Hooper, Elizabeth M., Elmira, N.Y….1883
Blair, A. Stryker, Ulster ……………1882 Holcomb, Guy C., Ulster ……………1887
Bancroft, A. A., Towanda ………….1869 Harshbarger, W. F., New Albany …...1881
Codding, David S., LeRaysvillle…… Holcomb, John T., Athens …………..1881
Cloverdale, Helen M., Towanda Boro Hammond, Charles M., Bentley Creek Carpenter, P.S., Austinville …………1875 Haines, John F., LeRoy ………………1888
Corbin, J. L. Athens …………………1874 Johnson, T. B., Towanda ……………..1868
Conklin, Gustavius, Orwell …………1862 Johnson, Charles H., Barclay ………..1873
Cory, J. H., Springfield ……………...1878 Junk, William A., Wilmot township
Clagett, W. L., Standing Stone ………1874 Judson, Azariah, Litchfield …………..1845
Cole, C. H., Sheshequin …………….1849 Jones, Lorenzo A., Terry ……………..1872
Cowell, S. S., Smithfield ... …………. James, C. W., Towanda………………1862
Chilson, R.R., Ridgebury, Twp ……..1876 Kiersted, Charles F., South Creek
Cole, J. Howard, Gillett……………..1854 township…………………………….1872
Cleveland, J. E., Canton …………… Keyes, Francis W., Orcutt Creek……
Corey, Wm., Springfield …………. Knapp, C. B., Stevensville …………...1868
Carrier. C. W., West Burlington Twp 1862 Knapp, H. L., Windham ……………...1860
Cogswell, M. J., Tuscarora ………...1866 Kilborn, H. B., Franklin ……………
Corr, Jno., Towanda …………….. Kline, Effenger R., Sayre …………….1882
Codding, Chas. L., Towanda ………1883 Kinsman, Hiram T., Smithfield …….
Case, George M., Sylvania ………...1884 Kinsman, Hiram T., East Smithfield …1887
Clark, Byron, Washington, Washing- Ladd, Charles K., Towanda…………..1877
ton Co. …………………….1880 Lyman, J. Wlk Towanda ……………1849
Cowell, Edward M., Smithfield ……1885 Lewis, W. S., Canton ………………...1873
Chamberlain, John W., Wua;isomg . 1886 Lenard, Volney, Springfield ………...1879
Colt, Samuel F., Wysox township….. Langhead, J., Gillett ………………….1854
Comstock, Gatis S., Grover ………..1874 Lyon, W. D., Franklin…………………
Champlin, Henry W., Towanda ……1881 Lewis, Frank B., Athens ……………..1884
Cemens, Henry S., Allentown, Pa. …1861 Lantz, Lester R., Franklin …………..1879
Cheney, Nelson, Jamestown, N.Y. ...1868 La Plant, Hiram D., Sayre …………..1891
Dare, Chas, V., Troy ……………….1854 Morse, Levi, Litchfield ……………..1868
Davison, James, Canton ……………1856 McLachian, John, Granville town-
Denvers, Hattie O., Towanda ………. ship…………………………1879
Dusenbury, C. S., Le Raysville ……..1865 Mingos, Leonard M., Towanda ……1878
Dickerson, Mahlon D., Milan……. Montanye, Lester D., Towanda ……1861
Davis, Robert G., Athens ………….1882 Madill, F. F., Wysox. ………………1855
Devyer, Chas. S., Springfield……….1888 Mack, C. W., Windham ………………
Eakins, Emory A., Chicago, Ill ……..1869 Murdock, Robert, Burlington ……….1872
Everitt, E. A., Burlington. …………..1856 Moody, H. M., Smithfield. ………….1866
Everett, John E., Burlington. ………..1887 Morrow, F. G., Warren Centre ………1872
Foster, Emeline M., Towanda ……… Mills, Edward, Ulster. ……………...1839
Frisbie, W. L., Orwell. ……………..1869 Mott, Limes, Burlington. ……………1830
Furman, John M., Terry. ………….. Manley, L. Edward, Le Roy. …………1883
Fitch, H. Le Ray, Wyalusing. ………1882 McAuliff, James, Barclay. …………..1883
Fanekner, James N., Williamsport, Marshall, Sarah P., Sheshequin. ……..
Pa. …………………………..1875 Mathews, Alexander L., Sugar Run. …1882
Gamble, Thos. A., East Troy. ………1873 McCreary, John H., Herrick. …………1866
Griffith, Wm. P., Towanda. …………1881 Musgrow, Charles N., Austinville. …..1879
Gray, T. D., Sylvania. ………………1875 Mercur, John D., Towanda. ………….1878
Gregory, George W., Troy. …………1879 Morey, Edgar B., Waverly, N.Y. …….1889
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Moshier, James S., Sylvania. ………1891 Stone, Geo. W., Rome. …………….
Moore, Jason H., Pittston, Pa. ………1887 Stephens, A. R., Herrick. …………….1855
Newton, D. N., Towanda. ……………1848 Shepard, S. W., Troy. ………………..
Newton, F. G., Toeanda. ………………1880 Scott, C. H., Sayre. …………………
Nesbit, Andrew D., Stevensville. …….1887 Smith, L. B., Ulster. ……………….
Olmstead, Edward M., Sayre. ……….1887 Schoonmaker, Irving, Ulster. …………1884
Payne, E. D., Towanda. ………………1857 Strunk, Benj. F., Wyalusing. ………….1883
Parsons, James W., Canton, Pa. ……..1880 Summer, Porter H., Wyalusing. ……….1882
Park, Ira R., Overton township. ………1870 Stevens, Cyrus Lee, Athens. …………..1880
Pratt, D. D., Towanda ………………..1851 Stevens, Franklin M., Sayre. ………….1885
Payne, Chas. F., Troy. ……………….1866 Smith, Mary E., Waverly, N. Y. ……...1884
Planck, C. H., Albany. ……………….1869 Terry, Miner F., Terry township. ………1864
Purdy, Nathan D.m Grover. …………1855 Towner, H. L., Athens. ……………….1879
Peebles, J. M., Hammondton, N.J. …..1876 Tracy, E. G., Troy. ……………………
Pratt, C. Manville, Towanda. ………… Tracy, Geo. P., Burlington. ……………1859
Pratt, E. Lenord, Towanda. ………….. Thompson, Ferdinand A., Durrell. …….
Quick, P. A., Wilmot. ………………..1874 Taylor, Geo. P.m Towanda. .……………1885
Rockwell, O. H., Monroe. ……………1873 Tracy, Polly S., Smithfield. ……………1886
Reed, Chas., Wysox. ………………...1880 Underwood, J. D., Smithfield. ………….1865
Ransom, Wm. C., Sheshequin. ………. Verbryck, Geo. G., Canton towns’p. ……1884
Rice, William, Rome. ………………… Vanners, Ira F., Sayre. …………………1885
Roberts, Wm., Pike township. ……….. Vansponsen, John W., Athens. ………….1887
Reed, Miles E., Camptown. ………….1883 Woodburn, S. M., Towanda. …………….1872
Rosenbloom, Chas. A., Pittsburg, Pa. .. Warner, Phebe, Windham. ……………….
Reichard, Noah W., Herrickville. …….1887 Wilder, Theo, Springfield. ……………….1857
Rice, Frederick W., Rome. ………….1889 Worthing, C.C., Rome. ………………….1844
Struk, Solomer, Wyalusing. …………. Wilson, Henry A., Sugar Run. ……………1882
Smith, Cady, Alba. …………………1879 Weaver, Geo. S., Sayre………………….1882
Scoville, D. C., Wyalusing. ……………
Spalding, Julia H., Rome. ……………1877 Washburn, Silas F., Rome..................……1865
Smith, Nedebiah, Canton. ……………. Wilcox, W. B., LeRoy. …………………..1857
Medical Society Officers:--President, Rev. S. F. Colt; Vice-President, A. S. Blair, C. N. Hammond; Secretary, I. N. Schoonmaker; Treasurer, D.N. Newton’ Censors, C.F. Stevens, W.F. Harshberger, T.B. Johnson, F.A. Thompson, W.L. Claggett.
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