The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-28
DEATH OF WILLIAM LOMAX
Well-Known Marion Physician and Sur
geon a Victim of Brighfs Disease.
Among His Bequests the Indiana Medical Col
.lege Will Receive About 900 Worth
Of Property-General Corse Dead.
special 70 the 1paianapol,. Jonrn.a


MARION. Ind, April 2L-- Or. William
Lomax, aged eighty, died at 7:30 o'clock to-
night. after an illness whio1 had confined
him to the bed for three weeks. For years
he had been afflicted with BRights disease.
This, complicated with pnpumonia hast
ened the end which he had been approach.
ing with increasing feebleness. He leaves
q wife but no children. The time for the
funeral has not been deterTAned.
known old-school surgeons In Indiana, hav-
ing gained most of his original knowledge
of the practice from actusl experience
rather than from textbook and dissectIng
room. He was born in Guilford county.
North Caroline, March 10. 1s13 and his
father moved to Wayne county, this
State. five years later. His early educa.
ton was of the backwooEls order. neces-
sarily. Being denied the means to procure
collegiate education he began the study of
medicine In Dr.. Joel Bugg'a office, at New
port, in 1884. In 1886 he catered the Ohio
Medical College at Cincinnati. but, receiv-
ing an offer from his we'll to-do uncle in
Mississippi. he started for LaPorte to get
means to take him to Mississippi. An acci-
dent to his horse caused him to stop at
the place was but muddy village. enter
ing the office or DR.. John Foster, where he
remained three years. In 1S47 and 1S4S he at
tended lectures at the Indiana Medical Col
lege. afterwards entering the University of
the City of New York, where he graduated
IN 1880 He practiced at Marion until 1861.
when he began enlisting volunteers for the
war, and was made surgeon OF the regi-
ment, his being the first surgeons commits
az ,oas1 nd htrl A. .nua Mnrfn a
always near the Twelfth Indiana Infantry
tbroughout the war. his skill resulting In
his beng called TO act as surgeon-in-chief
of division and medical director of the
Fifteenth Army Corps. His wife, nee Sarah
Van de Vanter, went with him to help care
for the wounded and sick, but fell victim
to disease and died at Sharpsburg, Nd,
Dec. "a. 1861. After his return from the
war he married Miss Maria Hendrix, OF
Wabash.
DR.. Lomax was one of the first to agitate
the question of reorganizIpg the State
Medical Society and establishing it on the
basis where it rests to-day. He was elected
president OF the Indiana Society as early as
1856. and it was not until 1875 that he got
the body com mposed entirely of accredited
delegates from county societies In good
standing, and then had it Incorporated.
He Is credited with having performed
the flap" amputation below the knee
fifteen years before the earliest recorded
operation of that description. He was
man who always devoted his spare time
70 his own higher education and did muoh
to help others do the same. About year
and half ago he beQueathed property,
near Marion to the Indiana Medical
College. valued at about $4,000 He also
made other provisions for the college. the
details of which have not been published.
but which Will bring his bequest up to
about S75. 900. DR.. Lomax was a high de-
gree member of the Order of Freemasons,
having taken the highest degree in
America.