The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-01
MEDICAL "REMINISCENCES.
A Chat With Dr.. PrkerOf New York on his
10Th Birthday.

"A OudG =" 1GA Di' IihciO1 Now 1Ork Oh MS
10Th Birthday.
From the New York world.
DIR. 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-seat is about half
a mile from the village proper, at the top
of an eminence six hundred feet above
the sea level, and commanding magnifi-
cent view of Long Island Sound, was
loeking and feeling younger than most
men 90 at fifty. His hand is as steady
as ever, and his eyes as brig ht as young
mans. ''It 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 I first opened an Office
in New York at the corner of Broadway
and Blocker street. I was there about
two years and then removed to the corner
of eighth street, now the Sinclair house.
was there eight years, at the end of
which bought two lots on Twelfth street
and built the house I have lived in ever
since-about thirty years ago." 81
GLOW do the physicians of to-day
compare with those of thirty years
ago2" - :
"Well, to tell the truth, don't think
the general practitioner is any more sue
cessful, Notwithstanding there have been
SO many great discoveries. But it 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 a person gets pneumonia, he is apt to
think that his life is in great peril
cannot help thinking that we have too
many specialists nowadays. Formerly
doctor was supposed to treat all kinds of
diseases. Now we have oculists, obstet-
ricians, neuralogists, doctors who make
a speciality of diseases of the lungs and
heart, and so on and so forth. This is all
very we'll to a certain degree, but I
think 1t has been overdone in this
country -- .:s.
"What are some of the most impor-
tant discoveries that have been made
in mcdical science in your time2
An@sthetics, l suppose, would stand
tirst9'' -....-. -..
"Well, the discovery of anasthetlcs is
certainly one OF the most important Is.
elbow used you to get along in serious
surgical operations before the days Of
anestheticsa" ..,m .,.r, ..as...f lii
eve had not SO very much trouble. If
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 chloroform
we have very great advantage, to be
sure, for their effects are more powerful.
They put the patient in state of the
most profound insensibility, which ena-
bles US to operate more carefully and de-
iberately. Of course it is great com
fort to the patient, as he can undergo any
operation without any pain save the men,
tai fear and anxiety. Speaking Of anes-
thetics reminds me Of the fact that
might have been the accidental discov
erer of an anesthetic. When ] was a lee
turer at the Pittsfeld Medical school it
was a common, custom Of the students to
pour sulphuric ether on their handker-
chiefs and inhale it for stlmulant. ]