Clinton County, Indiana - Chapter 11: The Medical Professiox, 1913

Lance Company

The medical pioneer of Clinton county was Isaac T. Wilds. He was a native of Pennsylvania, born February 14, 1799. and emigrated from his native state to Ohio, whence he came to Jefferson and located in 1828. When the county seat was laid out in 1830 he came to Frankfort, where he practiced for 33 years. He then removed to Kirklin, and continued to practice almost until his death, on May 12, 1883. If the story of his life could be fully told it would be an epitome of the first half century of the county's medical history. For the first two years he was single-handed, constituting not only the county medical society, but the entire medical profession of the county.

During the next six years other doctors located here, but their stay was short. Doctor Linsey came to Frankfort in 1830, but he died in 1832. Dr. David Parry, a Virginian, located in Frankfort in 1832, but died in 1834. Dr. John McMahan located at Jefferson in 1831, but returned to Ohio two or three years later. Dr. W. V. Snyder located at Frankfort in 1830, and practiced here for fourteen years, later removing to Rensselaer. Indiana, where he died some thirty years ago. The earliest long-resident physician after Dr. Wilds was Dr. Martin W. Gentry, who came to Jefferson in 1832; and removed in 1835 to Frankfort, where he practiced until his death shortlv before the Civil war. Dr. Irwin B. Maxwell came to Frankfort in 1835. from Bedford. Indiana, and practiced until his death, February 15, 1883. at the age of 78 vears. Dr. John M. Clark settled on the site of Colfax in 1836. In 1840 he went to Jefferson, where he practiced until 1873. then returning to Colfax.

county commissioners for the January term. 1831. when I. T. Wilds was allowed $35 for "medical attention to William B. Bunyard;'' Wm. V. Snyder $25 "for amputating a leg and visit;" and Doctor Linsey $5 - purpose not specified. The natural presumption is that all three had been called into the case of Bunyard. who was evidently a pauper. This record would indicate that Dr. Wilds did not practice surgery, and the inference is strengthened by an entry at the May term, 1831, of an allowance of $12 to Dr. Snelson Anthony for "medicaj and professional services rendered to Joseph Law and Jesse Allen, county charges." accompanied by an allowance of $3 to Dr. I. T. Wilds "for assisting to amputate the toes of Jesse Allen." Dr. Anthony was presumably an outsider, called from some neighboring county for the operation.

The practice of Dr. Wilds was apparently a financial success, as success was then accounted. On August 31. 1831, he married Louisa Canby, this being the first marriage in Frankfort. In March. 1832. he was accepted as one of the bondsmen of Jesse Carter, who gave bond as county agent for Sio.ooo. In September, 1832. he bought lot Xo. 33. of the original Frankfort plat, from the county commissioners, for $100.50. The same year he was elected justice of the peace, and during his term reported three fines for "profane swearing," and six for assault and battery. Profane swearing was a common source of revenue to the county, not to mention justices and constables. in those days, and no doubt this helped advance local morality. Assault and batterv was also a fruitful offense. Indeed, on May 2, 1831, Squire Zabina Babcock reported that he had fined Dr. I. T. Wilds $2 for affray, and $1 for assault and battery, which indicates that the doctor's powers were not exhausted by fighting disease.

Dr. Wilds was not the only physician to receive official preferment. In 1834 Dr. Wm. Y. Snyder was made one of the overseers of the poor for Jackson township. The emoluments of this office were not large. In January, 1831, Dr. Snyder was allowed $5.50 for services as overseer of the poor, and medical services to paupers. As Joel W. Harland, the other overseer of the poor, was allowed 50 cents for services at the same time, it is probable that Dr. Snyder's $5 was for medical services. In 1835 he was allowed 75 cents "for selling out Ralph Vititoe. a pauper." At that time paupers were "sold," under our state laws. i. e.. the person who made the lowest bid for taking care of them was given their custody and keeping.

In September, 1849, Fr- Wilds was licensed to keep a drug store, which he did at Frankfort the next dozen years, practicing medicine at the same time. He was not averse to advanced methods, for in 1850, the commissioners allowed him 75 cents "for services and use of galvanic battery on Rooks, a pauper." His store was not limited to drugs. On May 20, 1854, he advertised "a fresh supply of drugs, medicines, chemicals, paints, oil, dye-stuffs, fancy articles, Nc. Also a variety of choice family groceries, pure wines and liquors, for medical purposes, all of which will be sold at the lowest prices fur cash."

Dr. W ilds had no compunctions about selling patent medicines, as shown by numerous advertisement''. One of the great patent medicine men in the fifties was Walter B. Sloan, of Chicago, who kept standing advertisements in the Frankfort papers, and whose numerous remedies were handled by Dr. Wilds. He had a "horse ointment," "condition powders," "tannin paste," "family ointment," "life syrup" - which cured all blood disease, - and "instant relief," which removed all ordinary pains and aches of man or beast, not to mention curing rheumatism and cholera. Another stock patent medicine was "Gregory's Instant Cure for Pain," of which it was said: "This wonderful medical compound, prepared at Maumee City, Ohio, the ancient country of the Ottawa Indians, whose medicines, combined with empyreumatic oils, extracts of barks, roots, gums and balsams of the temperate and torrid zones, make it the most pungent anti powerful preparation for the suppression of all inflammation, whether proceeding from burns, scalds, broken bones, colds, or any other causes, ever offered to the public." It also cured rheumatism, fever and ague, and cholera.

Indeed it may be said that many patent medicines of that time were as safe, from the view-point of today, as the big doses of calomel, ipecac, sulphur, and other drugs that were professionally administered in the earlv days, and much better that most of the bleeding and cupping. Some of it had unquestionably beneficial effects. "Rock oil or petroleum," which was advertised in Frankfort in 1855 for skin troubles, is undoubtedly a relief for some of them. "Ayer's Cherry Pectoral" lias proven itself of some use by its long continuance on the market. It is doubtful that any more effective remedv for ague than "Smith's Tonic" - which was a preparation of arsenic and quinine, with sarsaparilla - has ever been found.

Remedies for ague were among the most numerous, and ague was the commonest of the early ills. It ceased to lie epidemic in this region in 1877, whether due to the drainage of the county or to some other cause. Of course there is occasional malarial trouble, but nothing like that of the earlv times. Neither are intermittent, bilious or typhoid fevers prevalent as they then were, due no doubt largely to improved sanitation. The medical battle todav is more exclusivelv with "the diseases of civilization," with demoralized

Dr. Martin \V. Gentry, the pioneer physician, had two brothers who were locally prominent in the profession. Z. B. Gentry located in the county in 1840. and practiced here for forty years, part of the time as a partner of Martin \V. Wyatt A. Gentry, a younger brother, read medicine with Martin W., and then attended the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati. He practiced for a year at Montezuma, Indiana, three years at Pontiac, Illinois, and then spent four years in California. Returning to Indiana, he located in Michigan township, where he practiced for sixteen years. Dr. Gentry enlisted in Company G of the Eighty-sixth Indiana Regiment, and saw three years of service with that regiment. Pie was made sergeant soon after enlisting, and acted as field surgeon at the battle of Mission Ridge. He moved to what is now Forest township in 1870. and was the first physician of that region. The Gentrys were sons of Wyatt A. Gentry, a Virginian, and Barbara (Grimes) Gentry, who came to Clinton county in 1S32.

Another early physician, and one who before his death came to be known as "the oldest physician living in Clinton county," was Robert Ogle Young, who was born on a farm in Butler county, Ohio. He commenced reacting wien Dr. Mendenhall, of Somerville, Ohio, and took his first course of lectures at the Ohio Medical College in 1843-4. The following spring he moved to Warren township, Clinton county, and began practice, but returned to college in the fall, completed the course, and graduated in 1845. He practiced in Warren township for twenty-five years, and then retired on account of failing health, turning his practice over to his nephew, M. V. Young. His later years were devoted to scientific agriculture, making specialties of stock raising, fruit growing, and bee keeping.

William Philander Dunn was another of the early physicians who saw armv service. He was born at Hanover, 'Indiana, December 16, t8i6, and was educated at Hanover College. He began the study of medicine at the age of 23, and took a full course of lectures at the Louisville Medical College in 1839 and 1840. After a short practice in Floyd county he went to Lafayette, where he practiced from 1841 to the spring of 1844. and then located at Frankfort. In the Civil war he served as surgeon of the Fortieth Indiana Regiment for one year. Dr. Dunn retired from active practice in July. 1885. He was a son of William Dunn, who came to Indiana from Kentucky in 1809, and was prominent politically in the early days of the state.

Dr. Thomas H. Wade was born in Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, February 1, 1836. In September. 1836, his parents removed to Clinton countv, set- tling at Rossville, where Dr. Wade grew up. He had begun the study of medicine, and attended medical college, when the Civil war came on. He enlisted in Company K. Fifteenth Indiana Regiment, in June, 1861, and was in the battles of Rich Mountain and Green Brier. In November, 1861, he was mustered out for physical disability. He practiced at various places thereafter, finally locating at Hamilton. Clinton county, where he afterwards resided.

Dr. Win. H. Hornaday was born in Hancock county, Indiana, October 19, 1837. His father, Jonathan Hornaday, of North Carolina, and mother, Hettie (Brown) Hornaday, of New Jersey, were the third family to settle in Rush county, Indiana, whence they removed twenty years later to Hancock county. Dr. Hornaday's education was in the common schools, with one year at the Baptist College at Franklin, Indiana. He enlisted in Company K, First Indiana Cav alry, as a private, in June. 1861, and soon after was detailed as hospital steward. He was in the battles of Cheat Mountain, Green Brier, Cross Keyes, Chancellorsville. Gettysburg and Cold Harbor, and was mustered out with his regiment June 19, 1864. On his return he began reading medicine with Dr. J. I. Rooker, of Castleton, and then took a course of lectures at the Long Island Medical College, of Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Iindianapolis, and took an adeundem degree from the Medical College of Indiana. He practiced at Russiaville for eight years; in Marion county for six years; and settled at Forest in 1879. He vvas prominent in masonry, and was elected justice of the peace in 1886.

Dr. Samuel Douglass was born in Butler county, Ohio. March 7, 1826. His parents, John and Susan (Byers) Douglass, moved to Clinton county in 1828, and engaged in farming in 1844. when they located in Frankfort. Samuel Douglass, after attaining his majority, read medicine with Dr. W. J. Byers, of Frankfort, for three years, and attended the Ohio Medical College for one term. He went to California in 1850 and remained until 1853, when he returned to Frankfort and engaged in the drug business for ten years. He went into the Civil war as a member of Company G. Eighty-sixth Indiana Regiment, and was in the battles of Perrvville and Rural Hill. A severe w'ound from the explosion of a shell disabled him, and he resigned and returned to Frankfort where he resumed the practice of medicine.

Dr. Isaac W. Douglass was a native of Clinton county, born May 21, 1840, and a son of Benj. Franklin and Mary (Thomas) Douglass. He graduated from the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery in 1862; and enlisted in Company H, Eighty-sixth Indiana Regiment. He w as in the battle of Perrvville, but was broken down in the exhausting pursuit of Bragg and sent to the hospital, from which he was discharged after a long illness. He read medicine for three years with his brother. \Y. B. Cooper, supporting himself by teaching school, and then attended lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Cincinnati, from w hich he graduated in 1871. He then located at Scircleville, where he enjoyed a successful practice.

Dr. Wilson T. Cooper w as a son of Dr. Stanley Cooper, one of the pioneers of Rush count}', Indiana. He was bom April 20, 1844; grew up on his father's farm, and on December 5, 1S63. enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Twenty-third Indiana Regiment. His regiment was joined to Sherman's arm}- on the Atlanta campaign, and he took part in the battles of Buzzard's Roost, Tunnel Hill. Kenesaw Mountain. Xashville and Kingston. They were mustered out at Lexington, Xorth Carolina, in August, 1865. Returning, he located at Michigantown in the practice of his profession, and became widely known as a Mudent and contributor to medical journals.

Dr. William P. Youkev was born in Preble county, Ohio, September 9, 1845. He was a son of John 0. A. and Elizabeth (Jackson) Youkev, who removed to Clinton count}' in 1853, an<l settled at Frankfort. William P. grew up here and on August 14. 1862, enlisted in Company K. Seventysecond Indiana Infantry. His regiment was joined to Gen. Wilder's celebrated brigade of mounted infantry, and saw very active service, in which young Youkev participated. His first battle was at Hoover's Gap, and he was at Macon when J eft Davis was captured and brought there. After the war he went to school for three years : worked at the marble cutter's trade for three years: and then took up the study of law. reading for a year with Joseph Claybaugh. and a year with Judge Palmer. He then decided that the law was not his forte, and took up the study of medicine with Dr. J. C. Martin, with whom he read for two years. He attended the Medical College of Indiana, and graduated in 1879. After some practice at Hamilton and at Camden, in Carroll county, he located at Rossville in March. 1885. and established a successful practice there.

Dr. Geo. W. Brown, at present patriarch of the profession at Frankfort, also went out in the Seventy-second Regiment as a private, in Company K, and was later promoted to lieutenant and captain of the company. He had studied medicine before entering the army, but graduated at Rush Medical College. Chicago, in 1866, after returning, and is still practicing at Frankfort. A full sketch of his life appears elsewhere.

Of the earlier physicians of Clinton county, the one who was far the best known outside of the county was James S. McClelland, who practiced at Jefferson, and later at Frankfort. He was a native of Ohio, born at Oxford, September 3, 1821. He was an active member of the Indiana Medical Society, and was vice-president of the society in 1854, and again in i860. He made a report on "trembles, or milk sickness.'' in 1854 (Trans., p. 43), and contributed an article on "nursing sore mouth-' in 1856 (Trans., p. 48). He was a representative in the legislature of 1850. and a Buchanan elector in 1856. Later he removed to Dallas, Illinois.

In 1861 Dr. McClelland enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Illinois Regiment and was made lieutenant-colonel. Soon after he was appointed medical director on the staff of Gen. Sigel. in Missouri : and later he w as transferred to the Department of Tennessee, and made inspector of field hospitals. In August, 1863, he received an injury, on account of which he was mustered out of service. He then entered the practice at Crawfordsville, but, his health improving, he again volunteered as surgeon in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Indiana Volunteers. At the close of the war he resumed practice at Craw fordsville until his death on August 29, 1875.

Another of the early physicians who should be noted here was Dr. Timothy B. Cox. He was born in Tompkins county, Xew York, January 9, 1817. His parents, David J. and Rosanna (Bakel Cox, removed to the west, and Timothy grew up on a farm in Decatur county, Indiana. In 1842 he came to Kirklin, and after several years took up the study of medicine there. He graduated from the Ohio Medical College in 1853, and began practice at Kirklin, continuing until 1864. when he removed to Frankfort. His practice was large and successful until 1890. when he retired from active practice. Dr. Cox was an assiduous student, and prepared a number of papers and articles on medical topics. He took much interest in the Clinton County Medicaj Society, of which he was the first president, and which usually sent him as a delegate to the American Medical Association.

The first manifestation of interest in medical organization from Clinton county was in 1849, when Dr. William White, of Prairieville, attended the State Medical Convention, which was the precursor of the State Medical Society. When Dr. Kemper was writing his Medical History of Indiana this record of Dr. White gave him no little trouble, as Prairieville had long since disappeared from the map, and he tried to locate Dr. White at Prairieton. He finally got his bearings and enlisted the aid of Dr. G. W. Brown, of Frankfort, who made extended inquiry, but with little result. There was never anything of Prairieville but a store, a blacksmith shop and a tavern, with a couple of residences: and it was discontinued as a postoffice in 1856. One old resident of the vicinity had a vague recollection of Dr. White as stopping

Byers and F. M. Carter, of Frankfort ; T. B. Cox, of Kirklin ; M. L. Martin, of Middle Fork; J. S. McClelland, of Jefferson, and James \V. Wilson, of Rossville. It was not until June 10, 1879, that the Clinton County Medical Society was organized, at the City Hall in Frankfort, though it was a reorganization of a defunct branch of the State Medical Society. The doctors who took part in the organization were : \Y. P. Dunn, J. M. C. Adams, J. M. Gentry, R. F. Palmer, J. S. McMurray, R. R. Town, G. W. Brown, and T. B. Cox, of Frankfort; J. A. Barnes, of Michigantown; Oliver Card, Valentine Bowers, and O. A. J. Morrison, of Middle Fork; M. D. Cook, of Hillisburg; Evan E. Schwin, E. W. Bogan, and W. D. Eall, of Kirklin; J. M. Myers, and W. S. Chenoweth, of Boyleston : C. L. Thomas, of Moran; and \Y. P. Youkey, of Hamilton. The officers chosen were: President. T. B. Cox; vice-president,

This organization was kept up in a very creditable way for ten years, holding quarterly meetings, at which usually two papers were read and discussed. Dr. Strange, of Michigantown, and Smith, of Scircleville, were admitted to membership in August. 1879: Dr. Cooper, of Scircleville, in August, 1880; Dr. Alexander Wilson, of Rossville, and Dr. Coons, of Colfax, in February. 1882: Drs. Trobaugh and Chittick in May, 1883. During this first ten years the society regularly selected delegates to the State Medical Society and the American Medical Society. There came a smash-up, in which the secretary carried off the minutes and they were never returned. There was a feeble revival of the society in 1891-5 ; and then another lapse, followed by a reorganization in 1898.

of April ii, 1885, which prohibited the practice of medicine, surgery or obstetrics without a license, under penalty of fine of $10 to $200. An unlicensed practitioner could not recover for services, and one who paid him for services could recover the money. Under this law the following licenses were issued :

Wm. D. Fall, Kirklin, August 14, ten years practice at Kirklin, except Mav 1 to November 1. 1877. at Seircleville. and November 1. 1877 t0 April 6, 1878. at Colfax.

Mechanicsburg and Dayton are outside of Clinton county, but the physicians registered from them practiced in the county. Samuel Pagin was also presumably located outside of the county, as nobody has any recollection of him.

There is one feature of the medical history of Clinton county that is out of the ordinary. The Indiana section of the National Guard is organized as a separate brigade, consisting of the headquarters, three regiments of infantry. and the following auxiliary troops : three batteries, one signal corps, one field hospital, one ambulance company, and two regimental detachments of hospital corps men. The ambulance company is located at Frankfort. It was originally organized in October. 1905, as a detachment of the field hospital; and was reorganized in March, 191 1. as ambulance company.

In modern military science sanitation and proper medical treatment are given a very high place, as it is an established fact that in the warfare, even of the last century, disease was far more fatal to armies than battle. The duties of the ambulance company are in these lines, as may lie seen from the following schedule for drill and instruction for one winter: "Drill with

Litter," "First Aid Dressing," "Care of the Person in Camp." "Anatomy." "Making of Three Simple Soups." "Taking the Temperature. Pulse and Respiration." "Feeding and Care of Animals," "Dressing Broken Bones," "The Diagnosis Tag." "Stopping Bleeding." and "Dressing Wounds."

None of the National Guard companies try to maintain their full strength and equipment, which, at the maximum, for an ambulance company, is five officers, seventy-nine men. thirteen animals for mounts, sixtv-six animals for draft, thirteen ambulances and three escort wagons. The company at Frankfort has two officers and forty-seven men. with seven ambulances, one escort wagon and one cook wagon. It keeps no animals, but has equipments for four pack mules and thirteen mounts. Tt also has a complete harness shop, and a complete blacksmith shop. For special medical service it has a complete equipment for pitching a dressing station, or small emergency hospital. The two officers, both ranking as captain, are A. G. Chittick and J. W. Hadley.

Considerable effort has been made to secure the building of an armory, but the company still occupies rented quarters in the second floor of a warehouse (remodeled) on North Jackson street. The building is one hundred and thirty-two by forty-six feet, and affords fairly commodious club room, bath room, and other accommodations for the company, though not so much as is desirable.