Gibson County, Indiana - Chapter 12: Medical Men of the County, 1914

Chapter 12: Medical Men of the County

It is to be regretted that no more comprehensive data can be secured for this chapter. We are indebted to that respected old veteran. Dr. W. W. Blair, of Princeton, who is still in active practice, in his eighty-seventh year, for the following sketch of the earlier physicians of Gibson county :

"When I began the practice of medicine in Princeton, May 15, 1850, it would have been an easy matter to have gathered up the history of every man who had practiced medicine from 1805 on up to that date, but we had little thought then that a time would come when the history of those early days would be so much sought after; the work immediately before us occupied our every effort. Many of the 'first settlers' were then still living.

"In a brief paper furnished Dr. G. W. H. Kemper, of Muncie, Indiana, for his 'Medical History of Indiana,' the most elaborate work of the kind ever publislied in the state, I supplied the following items :

"Fifty or sixty years ago it would have been easier to have gathered information regarding the history of Gibson county than at the present day, for at that time there were quite a number of the first settlers of this county who could have given the names of all who had been practitioners in this vicinity, from about the year 1805.

"Among the pioneers there Avere two women who were perhaps as well known in the obstetric line as any two persons in the county. ' Mrs. John Severns, who with her husband settled on Patoka river three miles northeast of Princeton, when this country was mostly inhabited by Indians and wild animals, was the first practicing mid-wife. I have often talked with her daughter, Mrs. William Leathers, - who was born, lived and died on the same spot of ground. - about her mother's early experience.

"There were neither bridges nor ferries on the Patoka river and when 'Old Grannv Severns," as she was familiarly known, had a call to the other side of the river, should it be too deep to 'ford' - she would mount her horse and 'swim' the river, no matter what the temperature or condition of the stream. She continued her work up to the time of her death, which occurred, perhaps, between the years 1S35 and 1840.

"The other mid-wife was Mrs. John Kell, who settled here in 1816. Just how soon she began her work in that Hne I am unable to say, but it was at a very early day and she continued for a number of }-ears after I came to Princeton - indeed until the feebleness of age laid her aside. She died in either 1857 or 1858.

"For a few years after white people began to settle in this locality, there is no record accessible of any physician having located here, \^incennes, twenty-seven miles north, being the nearest point where medical assistance could be obtained.

"Doctors Casey, Charles Fullerton and Robert Stockwell were among the earliest practitioners to locate in this county. A few years later Doctors Maddox and Kell were added to the number, but there is no available history as to the exact time of their locating.

"Dr. William Curl, a graduate uf the University of \'irginia, w-as the first medical graduate to practice in Gibson county, having settled in Princeton in 1832. He died in March, 1842, from pneumonia, at the age of thirtynine years.

"Dr. J. J. Pennington (1805-1897) was practicing here in 1850, but how long before that time I am unable to sa\-. He remained until about 1865.

"Dr. James C. Patten graduated at Evansville and began practice in this county in 1849. He died in 1903. He served as assistant surgeon of the Fifty-eighth Indiana Regiment, during Sherman's march to the sea. The physicians living in Gibson county when I came here were as follows: [Doctor Blair came here in 1850 and has been in constant practice either here or as a surgeon of the Union army, in the Fifty-eighth Indiana Regiment, ever since, he now being eighty-seven years of age. - Ed.]

"In the countr}- - There were, Dr. Da_\-, a short distance east of where Fort Branch is now located, and Dr. McCullough, near where Oakland Citv is.

west to the Wal^ash, nearly to Owensville, two miles south of Fort Branch, two or three miles beyond Providence church, the same distance beyond Somerville, and Oakland City; three or four miles beyond Kirk's Mill, all around Union, Buena Vista and Hazelton, and all over the 'neck' in Knox county. Daily visits were then never thought of; once or twice a week was the limit. But still people recovered from attacks of sickness, then as now. "No greater advancement has been made in any line in the past sixty years than in the preparation of medicines. Then each physician bought the crude drugs and made his own preparations, many of them not ver)' palatable. Today the pharmacist does all that work and in a much more scientific manner, for which the patient has great reason for thankfulness. Many remedies entirely unknown sixty years ago are today in constant use."

Other Physicians

In Princeton - Dr. Thomas Polk, who located in Princeton in December, 1814, was the first resident physician. Dr. Joel Casey came here in 1816, remaining until his death in 1828. He was a good doctor and a gentleman and a greatly esteemed man in the community. Dr. Fullerton settled here about 1825, and resided and practiced in this county until his death in the late seventies or earlv eighties. Dr. Walters, a physician and merchant, and Dr. Thompson came in a little later. Drs. Robert Stockwell, John Kell, Bruce, Pennington, Curl, Walling, H. H. Patten, J. C. Patten, A. Lewis and Dr. Graff were all prominent phxsicians in early days. The physicians practicing in Princeton in 1884 were W. W. Blair, V. T. West, W. G. Kidd, Samuel E. Munford, J. S. Shoptaugh, D. G. Powell, L. H. Staples, J. A. Malone, A. R. Burton, F. H. Maxan, John Ward, Frank Blair, George C. Kendall, W. H. ]\Iaghee and O. L. Hudson.

In Barton Townshija - The first physician to locate was Dr. George Austin, who came in the fall of 1823. Before that time there were no ph}'sicians nearer than Princeton. The pioneers were a hardy set of people and only called a physician when some bad ailment attacked them.

Physicians At Owensville Medical Societies

Prior to the Civil war period there was a medical society organized by the physicians of Gibson county, but it went down after a few years. No further attempt at maintaining such a society was had until some years after the war. when the present society was organized. The following is a transcript from the records of the present medical society of this county :

"Princeton, May i, 1874 - Pursuant to a call, a number of physicians of Gibson county met at the office of Dr. S. E. Munford for the purpose of organizing a county medical society.

"On motion. Dr. W. A. Downey was called to the ciiair and Dr. X. H. Church chosen secretary. On motion, a committee of four was appointed to report on a constitution, and the chair appointed Dr. S. E. Munford, Dr. \Vest, Dr. W. G. Kidd and Dr. P. H. Curtner, which reported a constitution, which was adopted after having been read section by section, and the committee discharged.

"On motion, a committee was appointed to prepare the constitution for recording and that the same be recorded at the recorder's office of Gibson county, and paid out of funds of the society.

"On motion, Doctors Runcie and Patten were requested to prepare papers to be read at the next monthly meeting. On motion of Doctor Munford, Doctor Patten was elected as an honorary member of the society.

The society has been kept ti]i ever since and holds its regular monthly meetings. The present officers are : W. G. Hopkins, president ; .\. L. Ziliak, secretarv and treasurer. Through the courtesv of the secretary, the author