Mercer County, Illinois - Chapter 17: Mercer County Medical Society, 1914

At a massmeeting of the members of the medical profession held at New Boston on March 5, 1861, as per mutual and previous engagement, Dr. T. Willits was called to the chair and Dr. J. P. Boyd was appointed secretary. The meeting then resolved itself into an informal committee of the whole, and after due and deliberate consideration, made the following report:

"Whereas, The interests of the community and physicians both seem to demand that a more definite understanding should exist as to the amount of fees and proper periods of settlement, and

"Resolved, That all above names appearing below deem it respectful to their patrons and just to themselves that the sum of each bill be made out and handed over or left at the nearest postoffice twice each year, say, 1st of January and July, and that this be considered notice that payment or settlement is expected, and further that if neglected 10 per cent will be charged until paid.

"Resolved, That the following fee-bill be adopted as the basis on which all charges for professional services will rest: Prescriptions in office, $1; visit in town, $1; dressing wounds, $1 to $10; reducing luxations and fractures, $5 to $10; simple accouchement, $5; instrumental accouchement, $10; protracted accouchement, extra per diem, $5; capital operations in surgery, $25 to $50; minor surgical operations, $1 to $10; consultations, $5; mileage on the above rates. 50 cents; at night, 50 per cent extra. (Signed) Joseph W. Gaston, T. S. Stanway, Samuel Kelley, W. D. Craig, J. A. Anderson, C. Kellermann, J. A. Maury, J. V. Frazier and G. Irvin."

At this meeting a committee of three was appointed to effect a permanent organization of the medical fraternity; they were Maury, Frazier and Stanway. An adjournment was taken to June 1 qth at Aledo, when and where all members of the fraternity in the county were invited.

at Keithsburg for the purpose of adopting a new fee bill. Doctor Willits was chairman and Doctor Stanway, secretary. At this meeting a new fee bill was adopted and the physicians passed a resolution declining the offer of the county board to attend soldiers' families for about half the usual charges. Present at this meeting were Drs. A. Clendenin, T. H. Bras, E. S. Benedict, T. S. Stanway, J. V. Frazier, J. F. Woods, Thomas Willits, E. L. Marshall, Samuel Kelley, J. P. Boyd, George Irvin and J. A. Walker. The Mercer County Medical Society was organized in 1870, but as the records are missing the details cannot be given. W. D. Craig was secretary in December, 1870.

Early in 1871 the Mercer County Medical Society met in annual session at the office of Doctor Craig in Aledo and called Doctor Frazier to the chair. Several amendments to the fee bill were made. The officers elected for the coming year were as follows: President, Doctor Frazier; vice presidents, Doctors Boyd and Suiter; recording secretary, Doctor Craig ; corresponding secretary, Doctor Woods ; treasurer, Doctor Irvin. The following resolutions were offered and referred to Doctors Boyd, Suiter and Byrus to be reported at the next meeting:

"Resolved, That we, members of the Mercer County Medical Society, in justice to ourselves, demand that the board of supervisors be requested to pay the full amount of fees charged for paupers, provided always that said fees are in accordance with the fee bill adopted by said medical society.

"Resolved, That we, as members of the society sustain each other in compelling the said board in charge of paupers of said county to equitably pay for such services rendered by any member of this society."

One of the earliest surgical cases on record in this county was performed on Robert Shearer for strangulated hernia in 1858. Doctor Craig of Aledo performed the operation and was assisted by Doctors Willits and Stanway, of New Boston, and Boyd, of Millersburg. The patient died soon after the operation.

In the fall of 1869 the physicians gave notice of cash service in a new fee bill. At this time the dentists of the county prepared and announced the following fee bill: Gold filling, $1.50; amalgams, $1 ; extracting, 50 cents; cleaning, $1 to $3; artificial in rubber, $20; upper and lower, $40; plain temporary sets, $15; single tooth, $6.

At all times, even down to the present, the physicians of the county have encountered much opposition from the county board as to what should be charged for attendance upon the public charges.

The society organized in 1870 died out after a few years and was not reorganized until 1885. On April 26th, pursuant to call, a number of them assembled at Doctor Irvin's office to effect a reorganization. There were present J. F. McCutcheon, J. V. Frazier, George Irvin, D. R. Johnson, A. L. Craig, Samuel Kelley, M. G. Reynolds, O B. Stafford, N. H. Derr, E. Rathbun and E. L. Mc- Kinnie. N. H. Derr was made chairman and E. L. McKinnie, secretary. D. R. Johnson, A. L. Craig and George Irvin were appointed committee on constitution and by-laws. The permanent officers elected were as follows: President, O. B. Stafford, of New Boston; vice president, J. F. McCutcheon, of Norwood; secretary, E. L. McKinnie, of Viola; treasurer, A. L. Craig, of Aledo; censors, N. H. Derr, D. R. Johnson and M. G. Reynolds. At the first meeting Doctors Craig and Irvin reported a case of labor where they were forced to decapitate the child and puncture and remove the hydro-cephalic head. After a few meetings the society again became defunct.

by C. W. Carter, one on "Non-Alcoholic Medication" by D. I. Mc- Millan, and one on "Action of Alcohol on the Tissues of the Body," by L. W. Wright. At the April, 1903, meeting of the society the following papers were read: "Accidental Wounds," by E. C. G. Franing; "Infantile Feeding and Care," by W. S. Ryan.

The officers elected in 1902 were as follows: President, George Irvin; vice president, H. H. Fletcher; secretary and treasurer, A. N. Mackey; censors, A. P. Willits, M. G. Reynolds and T. C. Hainline. Irvin declined and Reynolds was appointed in his stead. V. A. McClanahan was appointed censor. The society took an advanced stand on sanitation, health, medical education, good roads, examining board, health organizations, etc.

At the October meeting, 1903, the following papers were read: "Puerperal Septicemia," by H. E. Morrison; "Tracoma," by E. J. Hay; "Records on Contagiousness of Typhoid Fever and the Vitality of Typhoid Germs," bv F. D. Rathbun. In May, 1904, the following papers were read: "Objective and Subjective Mind," by Doctor Fletcher; "Appendicitis," by Doctor McMillan; "The Doctor and Pharmaceutical Specialties." In 1907 diphtheria, scarlet fever and food and care of infants were discussed.

In 1908 the following papers were presented: "Treatment of Children with Summer Diarrhoea," by J. A. Kleinsmid; "Gallstones and Their Treatment," by T. C. Hainline; "Treatment of Compound Fractures," by V. A. McClanahan; "A Peculiar Case of Puerperal Fever," by D. I. McMillan; "Inebriety," by A. N. Mackey. In 1909 - "Technique of a Normal Obstetric Case," by J. W. Wallace; "The Operation of Choice in Appendicitis," by Clyde A. Findley; "Collodion Dressing as a Substitute for Stitches in Wounds," by Frank Eyre. J. H. Moore was president of the society this year: "Pylo-Nephritis," by B. R. Winbigler; "Iritis," by J. W. Ramsey; "Treatment of Compound Fractures," by V. A. McClanahan; "Treatment of Septic Peritonitis," by J. F. Percy.

Recent papers or addresses on the following subjects have been presented: "Lack of Interest in the County Medical Society," by G. H. Moore ; "Some of the Necessary Things in a Physician's Life," by J. F. Percev; "Establishment of a National Department of Health," by Doctor Brown; "Social Evil vs. Social Welfare," by A. H. Woodworth; "Quinsy," by M. H. Smith; "Clinic on Nervous Diseases," by A. C. Sells; "Pediatrics," by J. W. Van Derstice; "Surgical Clinics," by D. N. Eisendrath; "Our Mistakes and How to Avoid Them," by Frank Eyre; "Some of the Present Day Problems

In recent years a few of the able physicians at Keithsburg organized, established and conducted a medical school in that city. A small body of students were instructed and perhaps graduated. The institution seems to have been a branch of the larger school or schools in the cities.

Rule 1. The physician's fees in smallpox cases shall not exceed $5 a visit and mileage of 33 1-3 cents per mile for each additional mile, provided that all patients at the same house or location be included in the same visit.

Rule 2. That the county will be liable for medicines, medical assistance, nursing, provisions, etc., in cases only where smallpox actually exists and where that patient or patients are paupers.

Rule 3. The county will only be liable for such expenses (exclusive of physician's fees and charges as fixed in Rule 1) in pauper cases as are a reasonable charge under the circumstances in that particular case.

Rule 4. That the city, village or township shall bear the expense of quarantine, of disinfectants, of damages to articles destroyed in disinfection of the premises, of vaccination, and of examination of the persons exposed, or persons suspected of having smallpox, and all other expenses of maintaining the quarantine, the bill all being

Rule 5. That all expenses incurred in cases of smallpox shall be borne by the person, or perspns, afflicted if they shall be of sufficient ability to pay, and it shall be the duty of the local boards of health to collect when possible from said persons, the county being in no case liable for claims in cases of smallpox where the patients afflicted with the same are financially able to pay for the service rendered to them.

Rule 6. That the relief committee of the grand army posts shall, before allowing such bills as requested, to consult with supervisor or local boards of health, when bills are presented to them in smallpox cases, in order to prevent duplicate charges for services.