River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-02
MEDICAL "REMINISCENCES.
A Chat With DIR. Prkerof New York on his
18th Birthday.

18th Birthday.
From the New York world.
DR.. Willard Parker, the eminent sur
geon and physician of this city, began
his eightieth year yesterday, having been
born with the century. He spent his
birthday in New Canaan, Conn, an old
fashioned New England village nesting
among the hills of Fairfield county. DR..
Parker, whose country-sest is about half
mile from the village proper, at the top
of an eminence six hundred feet above
the sea level, and commanding amagnifi-
cent view of Long Island Sound, was
losking and feeling younger than most
as ever, and his eyes as bright as young
mans. at was forty years ago." he said
to World reporter who had asked him
for some "reminiscences of the advance of
medical and surgical science in those
forty years, "when first opened an Office
in New York at the corner of Broadway
and Blocker street. | was there about
two years and then removed tor the cornsr
of eighth street, now the Sinclair house.
was there eight years, at the end If
which / bought two lots on Twelfth street
and built the house have lived in ever
since-about thirty years ago"
"How do the physicians of to-day
compare with those of thirty years
ago2"
''Well, to tell the truth, l don't think
the general practitioner is any more sue
cessful, notwithstanding there have been
so many great discoveries. But il these
discoveries have not resulted in any great
benefit to the present race Of doctors,
they may very materially aid the prac-
titioner of the future. The medical men
of to-day are inclined to go too much on
theory, think, and that is almost sure TO
result in occasional very great mistakes.
Take pneumonia, for instance. In the
old times that was not considered TO be
very dangerous disease; but nowadays,
when the disease is treated theoretically,
if person gets pneumonia, he is apt TO
think that his life is in great peril. I
cannot help thinking that we have too
many specialists nowadays. Formerly a
doctor was supposed 10 treat all kinds Of |
diseases Now we have oculists, obstef- |
ricians, neuralogists, doctors who make |
speciality of diseases of the lungs and |
heart, and so on and so forth. This IS all |
verv we'll to a certain degree, but l |
think 1t has been oyerdone in this |
country"
"What are some of the most lmpoY- |
tant discoveries that have been made |
In medical science in your timer |
Anesthetics, / suppose, would stand
first2'
@Well, the discovery Of anfesthetIcs is
certainly one OF the most important"
"How used you to get along in serious |
surgical operations before the days Of
an9stheticsW
@We had not so very much trouble. I'll
we had TO cut off mans leg, or do any |
other important surgical operation, it WAS !
our custom to give the patient a good |
stiff horn Of whisky or brandy, which !
acted in the same way, only not so pow
erfully. We did not make the patient |
drunk, but did the operation while he
was partly under the influence Of alco-
hol. By the use of ether or chloroforIn |
we have very great advantage, to he |
sure, for their effects are more powerful ]
They put the patient in a state Of the
most profound insensibility, which ems
bles us to operate more carefully and de-
liberately. OF course it is a great COM
fort to the patient, as he can undergo any /
operation without any pain save the men
tai fear and anxiety. Speaking Of arses-
thetics reminds me OF the fact that /
might have been the accidental discov-
erer of an anasthetic. When was lee
turer at the Pittsfeld Medical school 1t
was a common custom of the students 20
pour sulphuric ether CD their handkcr
chiefs and inhale it FOR stImulapt
Some of them used 70 breathe it until Il