Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-18
obituaI Record.

present month, August, and succeeded an illness
of some three weeks. His disease, remittent fe
yer was marked from the onset by unf:avorable
neutrality-suspicious. which he. quite readily
as his medical attendants, recognized, and knew
partially at least, their import.
Justice demands at the death of such a man
more than a mere passing notice; and friend
ship which death and the grave cannot destroy,
prompts me to lay at once upon the altar of his
memory such tribute as | can furnish in this brief
time which elapses before the issue of the Sep
tember number of the Lancet and Observer Let
sins of omission and commission, therefore,
be charitably attributed TO the hurry Of prepara-
ton. se
Charles Parry was born i'm February, 1874 a
few miles north of Philadelphia. His parents
were Friends" His literary education was re-
ceived mainly at Wilmington, Del, in school
under the charge of Samuel Smith. This gentle
man, whom il was my good fortune TO know sew
erll years subsequently, was famous for his de-
voton to tobacco and mathematics. He was the
most ineverate and constant smoker / ever saw,
and he was one of the most successful mathemat-
cal instructors The smoking example was lost
on Chas. Parry. He never became a slave 10
tobacco in any FORM but the mathematical in
structions found mind that was well developed
and strengthened under their rigid discipline, and
fully believe that this part of his education
cultvating his pcrceptive and reasoning powers,
teaching him accuracy and clearness of thought
had much to do in making him in after
years such ceaT-headed, sagacious practi-
cioDer, above the majority of physicians. No
network of fallacies and sophistries could
entangle; but through them all he marched de-
liberately and steadily right onward to rest upon
solid truth and fixed facts. But | am anticipa-
ting.
His classical education was defective; know
ledge of Greek and Latin he knew none This
he greatly regretted, and am sure had there not
been this defect ne would not only have enioyed
wider range of medical literature than he did but
he himself would have been frequent contribu-
tor to medical journals, and the treasures of his
experience, the fruit of his ripened judgment and
large understanding would have been valuable
indeed. Twice only, / beieve-each time in
Hays JOurRGl-did he break his life long silence
by speaking to the profession through the press
but these two articleS-one an account of an op-
GRAFTON on limb, crooked and useless from
badly treated fracture, the operation similar to
that performed by Barton for anchylosed knee
and the other on congestive fever, though pub
lished many years ago, gave him name ever
know by all intelligent members ofthe profession
throughout country.<
He commenced the study of medicine with Dr.
Stokes, of New Jersey. Afterwards be went to
Philadelphia, entered the Office of the late Dr. j
II. Mtchell-subsequently the eminent Professor
of theory and practice in Jefferson College-and
commenced attending lectures at the University.
The two fellow students to whom have oftenest
heard him refer with affection and regard, were
DR. Mendenhall, of Cincinnati, and Prof. Trail
Green, now of Easton, Pennsylvania, each of
whom, need not say, have acquired deserved
fame. The day was coming when in the very
school where he received his medical instruction,
and in that school of which his preceptor became
so bright an ornament he himself should be re.
ferred 10 as medical authority; and from the
of Draf- nod nd oil h,,,,1 1...l- g
students would hear every winter of DR.. Parry.
| He graduated in the Medical Department of the
University of Pennsylvania in the spring of 1885
and the subject of his thesis Hemoptisis.
Immediately upon graduating he went to Cam
den, N. j., and there had his first experience of
the trials of young physician In year or
two he removed TO the West by the advice of his
uncle, the late Hon. o. H. Smith, then a mem
Der of the U. s. Senate from Indiana, settling at
Connersville. Thence he removed in about two
years to the Capital, and here since that time he
resided until his death, period of nearly twenty
three years.
Not at once, however, did he meet with profes-
sional success-not at once find place in the
| golden field for his sickle other reapers monop-
olized the labor and the reward He was poor,
often having to borrow money to pay the postage
| on letters from his friends on East; but he pa
tienty waited until the time and opportunity
should vindicate his right to occupy a foremost
place among practitioners of medicine and surgery
These came, and few years found him doing as
large business any has ever done here, pos
| sibly larger. During some seasons, where severe
epidemics OF malarial fever occurred, it was not
unusual for him to ride sixty or seventy five
miles day, and the night brought him rest.
Sometimes even week would elapSe without his
taking off his clothes to go to bed, but he would
sleep in a chair in his buggy, sometimes even on
horseback. No man unless possessed of an iron
constitution such as he had, could endure so
| great fatigue and exposure. Physically he was
remarkable man. His bodily presence was i'm
| presslye: manly, erect figure, some six feet in
height, his weight over two hundred, he would be
taken in any crowd of hundred as a man of
mark
1t is rare to find such a combination of profes-
sional abilities as existed in Dr. Parrys case. He
a superior physician. and an excellent surgeon
and obstetrician. His obstetrical business for
some time past averaged over eighty cases year;
and every year he has had a greater or less mum
Der of capital operations, while the entire amount
of his business for the past twelve months has
been between seven thousand and eight thousand
dollars.
As surgeon, he was not brilliant, dashng op.
orator, but COOL collected, his eye intent upon his
work, his hand steady, and firm. He al,cays kne,c
ichere has KNIFE Das, and never attempted what he
could not readily perform, and never operated
!
as an operative surgeon, were, indeed, excel
lent.
But believe his great merit was as practi-
toner of medicine. You may Judge he was high
ly esteemed in this regard from a remark made
BY one of the most intelligent and successful OF
our practitioners at meeting Of our physicians,
held to take action in reference to his death:
"Had we been taken SICK and were we thinking
whom we would prefer to attend US, the great
majority would decide for DR.. Parry" This com
mendation was most worthily bestowed. DR.
! Parry not rash in forming his opnon-nc
1 jumping at conclusions. He studied disease not
much in books as at the bedside, and he
thoroughly invested a case, If such investigation
required an hour or more. He was cautious
seeking all the light he could, carefully reason
ing; and his natural sagacty, logical understand
ing and strong practical sense directed HIM amos
invariably to correct diagnosis. Seldom, in
deed could yon find man making fewer mis-
takes. His therapeutics, too, were excellent
He could scarcely be called an heroic practitioner
though by some whose special business seems h
be to glorify nature aud debase noble ans
difficult Art into the merest and meanest swinde
he would be called an old fogy. From no man
lips have so often heard the ris medcatrir ma
fure made the theme of eulogy, and in no man
practice have so often seen it made, intelligent
r ly, the source of trust and confidence; yet h
E by no means belonged to the bastard offspring o
Y lazy. ignorant skepticsm and humbugging Ho
. meopathy, which, alasl we TOO often find in th
regular profession, renouncing nearly all medica
I remedies. and in stupid or dishonest Incidence
D glonfying nature, meanwhile leaving the unfortu
nate patient to suffer, and then to die or get we
as chance may have it. DR.. Parry did not hes
tate to use freely, in what he believed proper cas-
es, the lancet, murcury, and blister and believ
his patients got well oftener, sooner better tina
: they would have done under the namby -pamb
nonsense and nothings of those who, in effect, n