Chapter 41

Chapter 41
pages 227 - 231

PHYSICIANS.

     The first man who attempted to live by the healing art, hereabout, was Dr. Augustus Langwortby. As late down as 1833, I believe he was the only physician between Springfield on the south and Chicago on the north, and the Wabash on the east and the Mississippi on the west. He was not popular, and the place only wanted people to make it a tempting place for some young physician to break into competition with him.
     In 1833, Dr. Rudolphus House hoisted his sign, and bid fair to stand alone in the profession; but population soon began to pour in, and doctors too. Dr. Cross, Dr. Bartlett, Dr. Livingston, Dr. Joseph C. Frye, and some others, came pouring in with the current, but none of them are remaining with us but Dr. Rouse and Dr. Frye. The former has succeeded well, and has withdrawn from the practice to enjoy a competence in his old age, which he earned in his younger days. Dr. Frye has succeeded equally well, but is still engaged in a large practice. Dr. Langworthy died in Bureau county, about two years ago.
     Dr. Cross returned long ago to New England, whence he came. Dr. Bartlett died in this place many years ago. Dr. Livingston has long since been living at West Wheeling, Ohio.
     At a very early date, it was found that there was a great diversity among our physicians. There were among them allopathic, botanic, eclectic and homoeopathic physicians, and what more I know not. I heard a good deal about root doctors, and Thompsonian doctors, and doctors whose particular sagacity lay in their ability, from the inspection of a vial of certain fluid brought from the patient, to tell what was the matter with him, and what to prescribe as a remedy, and whose title among the country people, to distinguish what kind of doctor he was, was the name of the aforesaid fluid. However, for aught I know, all these may be included in some of the above divisions.
     The laws of Illinois do not prescribe who may and who shall not practice medicine. To remedy this evil, certain physicians, on the 19th of April, 1848, formed themselves into a medical society, which has been kept up to this day. Those who went into that arrangement were Rudolphus Rouse, Joseph C. Frye, Edward Dickinson, El-wood Andrew, John Murphy, John D. Arnold, F. McNeil, William R. Hamilton, E. Cooper, J. T. Stewart, E. M. Colburn, John L. Hamilton, H. H. Waite, John N. Niglas, Willis Sperry, McConnell, Clark D. Rankin, A. B. Chambers, Robert Roskoten.
     But there were, at that time, a number of men who relied upon the practice of medicine for a support, whose names are not contained in the above list. That was probably because they could not produce a diploma from some medical school of their qualifications, or it may have been because they had adopted doctrines, or fallen into practices, that were deemed unprofessional.
     Those belonging to that society at this time are, Rudolphus Rouse, Joseph C. Frye, Robert Boal, E. Brendel, F. Brendel, J. Cary, I. J. Guth, J. P. Johnson, J. T. Stewart, J. L. Hamilton, H. Kruse, J. Murphy, J. N. Niglas, R. Roskoten, J. T. Skinner, J. R. Snelling, J. Studer, G. L. Lucas, and Wm. R. Hamilton.
     Besides these, who call themselves regular physicians, I find the following persons practicing medicine who do not belong to the medical society, to wit, E. M. Colburn, Moses Troyer, J. W. Martin, James Huggins, Harriman Couch, J. M. Evans, I. W. Johnson, and M. M. Eaton.
     The reader will perceive the name of Dr. Colburn in the list of regular-bred physicians when the society was first organized, but not in the list now. I understand the explanation to be that he was a regular-bred physician, and practiced as such for many years; but a new light having broken upon him, with regard to 'infinitissimal pills', or, peradventure, becoming convinced that the world was bound to be humbugged by some one, and that it was better for it to be done by an educated man, who could tell when the patient needed medicine and when he did not, than by an ignorant man, who would administer infinitissimal doses when substantial medicine was necessary, or for some other reason, he became a homoeopathist, and was dropped from the list of regular physicians. What a capital idea is this. I claim the honor of its discovery myself. Let all men "designed for the medical profession be thoroughly educated in medicine, anatomy and surgery, and then turn homoeopathists, Thompsonians, clairvoyants, root-doctors, and p—s doctors, and thus steal from the humbuggers their thunder, and drive them out of the practice. When Mrs. Fidgety sends for a physician to see her daughter, the very delicate Miss Fidgety, who is dying from tight lacing and want of air and exercise, what is he to do? Should he tell them the truth, they would discharge him as family physician — a position worth a hundred dollars a year, and send for some one who, for want of knowledge, might give medicine that would ruin her, or perhaps have no effect whatever. But the greatest evil about this matter is this: women, whether right or wrong, are permitted to decide who shall be the family physician. Now when Dr. Humbuggus is inaugurated as family physician, and Mr. Fidgety gets sick, he must die for want of medicine: whereas, if the family physician had turned humbug, and 'doctored up' Miss Fidgety with 'little pills' he might have been on hand to save Mr. Fidgety's life. Half the people who call for medicine need none, and in many cases little pills would be better than big ones; but a man must have some knowledge to be able to judge which to use; also to be able to judge whether the disease is in the body or mind.
     I find the name of Dr. Rouse still retained in the list, although, as stated above, he has withdrawn from the practice. It should also be stated that, although the name of Dr. W. R. Hamilton is retained in the list, he is not now in the practice. He is President of the Peoria and Rock Island Railway Company, and that office, I presume, occupies all his time.
     Dr. Andrew, Dr. Arnold, Dr. Cooper, Dr. Dickinson and Dr. Rankin have died. Whether Dr. Waite, Dr. McNeil, Dr. Sperry, and Dr. McConnell are dead, or, if alive, where they are, I can not tell. I did not know any of the latter but Dr. McNeil. As for Dr. Chambers, I know him well. He now lives in Warsaw, Ky., and practices his profession at that place.

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