Madison County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 23 of those read), 1897

The life of :i country pliyMcian in the (.'aiiv history of Madison county was about tiie same as in all new neighborhoods in the back woods. The physician of today who sits in his nicely carjieted oftice upon upholstered furniture, and writes prescriptions at fifty cents periiend, and for feeling the pulse and looking at the tongues of his patients, kno\vs but little of the hardships encountered liy the early physicians who settled in this county, and fought the chills and fever with fjuinine and calomel. It was then no unusual thing for a doctor to be called at the hour of midnight, and to be compelled fo ride through the mud and over the frozen ground for a distance of fifteen (m- t\\enty miles. Sometimes he would hardly he nestled in a warm bed, ujjon hi> return home, before he \\ 'juUl be c ailed upon to make a similar trip in another direction.

These old-time doctors have nearly all passed uPi the scene of action, and the present phvsicians know of them only by what they have read and heard in the medical societies of the county.

"The first physician who li\ed and practiced medicine in Madison county, was one Dr. Pordwell, who about the year 1824, or 1825, settled at Pendleton. He had the reputation of being a pleasant, genial man, and one who occasionally indulged in the use of ardent spirits. \Vhen in this condition he was often heard to remark that he had never lost a patient. Such an utterance on the [lart of an\' ol our doctors now would be regarded as " cjuackish."

A young man by the name of Gregory, a brother of the late Rev. Frank Gregory, well known as a Christian minister, read medicine with Dr. Bordwell, and thereafter practiced in the county. Dr. Bordwell removed to Iowa where he enjoyed a large and lucrative practice, and it was in that state that he died.

Dr. John O. Cook, ol I'eiuUetoii came to that place fn)m Virginia in ISiJl. He had already read medicine in his native State, and then spent one year in its practice in Tennessee, at the conclusion of which time he came to this State, locating at Pendleton, and here he spent the remainder of his days. He was a brilliant man, a fair physician, although less proficient in his profession than his lirotlier. Dr. Ward Cook. Dr. John Cook was one of the most genial and companionable of men. His conversation was very lucid and instructive. At times he figured in debating societies. He could make a good temperance speech and did'not siirink from showing his ability on a political rostrum among the leading men of his time. He breathed his last at Pendleton several vears ago.

The first phvsician to locate in .\nderson was Dr. Ijirt, who came to this town in lSl!7. He [iracticed medicine in the village, and also taught sciiool. He was a small man, and was lame. His stay lasted but two years and then he reino\ ed to Illinois. His office was on East Anderson street, now Eighth.

The ne.xt physician to locate here was Dr. Pegg. vviio came in 1828. Of him but little is known as he remained only two years, and then emigrated to some . distant part of our common country.

In 1880, Dr. Ruddle, a cousin of Milton Ruddle, living east of the city, establisiied himself here in tiie practice of medicine. He remained for seven vears and then removed to Broad Ripple, in Marion county.

One of the best known and ablest of them all was Dr. Henrj- Wyman, who was well posted in the science of medicine and was a very successful practitioner. He built himself a large frame residence, which was situated where the Robinson iV Lovett block now stands on the north side of tiie public square. It was known for a long time as the Berry property, and was once owned and occupied by Col. Nineveh Berry. Dr. Wyman. after a successful practice of many years in Anderson removed to Blissfield, Michigan, where he died. In liis day the practice of dosing a patient with calomel, and bleeding him was much the fashion.

Along up to the year 1855 the fever and ague was a very prevalent disease in these regions, and the amount of cjuinine used for mastering this evil was something enormous. As the countrv was cleared up and ditches were constructed, the stagnant surface water disappeared, and as the decaying vegetation was buried under the earth, the ague also gave way and its accompanying fever was a thing of the past.

Of the other old-time physicians of the county, Dr. Spence \Vas located at Alexandria in the year 1880. After remaining there four or five years, he removed to Jonesbom, Grant county, and died there in 1845.

One of the first doctors to follow Dr. Spence was Dr. Cyrus W'esterfield, whose practice in that town was also of short duration, and who subsetjuently moved to Illinois where he is yet living.

Dr. J. W. Perry, but recently deceased, resided three miles northeast of Alexandria, where he had a good practice. His arrival was in 1840. At the time of his death he was the oldest practitioner in that section of the county, and was a prominent member of the Madison County Medical Association."

Three other physicians also located at Alexandria shortly after Dr. Perry's advent. They were Dr. Joseph Pugh, who ilied in 1895, Dr. S. B. Ilarriman, who ended his last days in Richmond, Indiana, a few years since, and Dr. Leonard Ilarriman, his brother, who passed away in Sterling. Kansas, five years ago.

Dr. Braxton Baker, who had a thriving practice for many years in Alexandria, subsequently remoxed to Indianapolis, where he is now spending his closing days in ease and retirement.

Numbers of other physicians settled in diflferent parts of the countv, one of whom was Dr. Henry, of Chesterfield, who settled there in 1828, and Dr. Godwin of the same place, whose arrival dates from 1887. Dr. Davis arrived in 1847.

At New Columbus, Dr. Ilorne located in 1840: Dr. Ilildreth, in 1842, and Dr. Bear, in 1844. In 1840, Dr. Douglass came to Perkinsville, and lived there for a number of years, and was succeeded by Drs. J. M. Garretson and Charles N. Branch. Dr. Garretson continued in Perkins\ille until his death, and Dr. Branch is now a resident of Anderson. Dr. James M. Garretson, who studied medicine in the office of his father, is now a practicing physician in Perkinsville.

mon thing for some of tliem to present themselves as candidates for the high and hicrative positions within the gift of the voters of the countv. The practice of medicine called the doctors out among the people, and, if they were disposed to be good, sociable fellows, thev generally won the confidence of the public.

Among the early representatives in the General Assembly, of the State of Indiana was Dr. John Cook, of Pendleton. He was succeeded in a few years in that body by Dr. Henry Wyman, who made for himself a very good record, and was one of the ablest representatives that Madison county ever sent to that bodj-. Later on Dr. John Hunt and Dr. T. Ryan also became members of the Legislature.

In the year 1S7<I Dr. George F. Chittenden, of Anderson, wlio first started in his medical career in the earlv "5(>s at the village of Chesterfield, was placed in nomination bj' the Republicans of Henry and Madison counties, and was elected as joint representative, serving two years. He was also afterwards prominent as a member of the Board of Trustees for the hospital for the insane.

Among the best-known physicians during his residence here, and one who was prominent in political inatters, was Dr. John Hunt, whose practice dates from 1839. In addition to having at one time been a member of the Legislature, he was also elected Countv Treasurer of Madison countv. It was once said of him that he could sit upon the stone steps in front of his oflice in the public scjuare and dictate the nomination for every office within the gift of the Democratic party. During his reign as a manipulator of politics he ruled with an iron hand, and woe be to the man who crossed his path, or in any wav undertook to undo anything he might choose to accomplish in that direction. A man once having gained his dislike was immediately wiped from his political map.

Dr. Hunt's medical practice was very extensive, and his qualifications were uncjuestioned. Whenever there was a desperate case of sickness in any part of the county, and the chances seemed to be against the patient, it was invariably the rule for the parties to send for Dr. Hunt. He died in Fayetteville, in Arkansas, in the vear 1894.

Anderson was Dr. Tlionias X. Jones, father of Dr. Horace E. Jones, who is still in our midst. lie came to Madison county some time in the '50s. He was tall and stately, and a man who was a great mixer amonj^ his fellow men. He was popular with the people, and, like Dr. Hunt, drifted into politics. In the year 1870 he was nominated and elected as representative for Madison county in the Legislature.

Dr. Jones was an impulsive man, and it took but little rubbing of the hair the wrong way with him to get up a firstclass quarrel. He was not vicious in his disposition, and scarcely ever came to blows witii an antagonist, and as long as iiis foeman would stand at a safe distance and quarrel the Doctor generally managed to hold up his end of the string. He was a very successful practitioner, and. a great success at the bedside of a patient, from the fact tiiat he was very kind and gentle iu the sick-room and an excellent nurse, and he never failed to get the confidence of his patients. He died in Anderson in the year 1875. Dr. Jones was the most prominent of his profession in Anderson during his many years' residence here.

Dr. X. L. Wickersham, who yet resides in Anderson, is al.so one of the early settlers of the county. He came here many years ago from Grant county. He was twice elected as president of the first medical society of Madison county, which was organized in 18()8.

One of the most prominent physicians that ever lived in Madison county was Dr. William A. Hunt , a brother of Dr. John Hunt, above referred to. He was for many years located on his elegant farm in Richland township, which is now owned by Joiin Tappan, where he had a large practice. He removed to Anderson in 1808, and for a while engaged in the drug trade with the late J. F. Brandon, but upon retiring from the firm he again entered into the practice of his profession, which he kept up until his death. Dr. Hunt was a ready writer and the public prints of the county contain many of his spicv communications. He was undoubtedly the greatest reader tliat ever belonged to his profession in this commimity, not only of medical works, but of all the literature of the day.

He was a master of language, and in his writings are many gems, although he invariably wrote over a nom de plume thereby concealing his identitj- from the world.