The Portland daily press., 1896-12-05
EARLY AMERICAN DOCTORS,
Some Queer Details of Their Education
and Practice.

(Amerioan Monthly Magazine.)
1t may be we'll here to refer to the
method of obtaining medical profession
in those days. There were but two
schools of IN ed cine in the country. The
one at Harvard college, just established
and that at New Haven, organized in
1854 But by reason Of the dangers ana
expense of travelling they were by no
means well attended.
In general the medical education was
such as the students could pick up py
serving as an apprentice to some noteo
practitioner, which com bineo the duties
of a student with many mental afairs.
He ground the powders mixed the pills,
rode with the doctor on his rounds, held
the basin when the patient was DIED. ne
helped to adjust the plasters, sew
wounds. and run W it'll the walls of medi-
cine from one end of the town to the
other. 1t was white day when suoh o
young man enjoyed the rare good. fortune
of dissecting,a half-putrid arm. SO. great
indeed, was the difficulty of obtaining
anatomical subjects that the medical
body do duty for whole year.
Under such circumstances the doctors
knowledge was practical and derived
from personal experience rather tnan
from books. The advantages OF STUDY
ware sparinuly enjoyed. Few physicians
boastsd of library of fifty volumes.
Ais apprenticeship ended, the student
returned to his native town to assume
ina practice Of medicine. At that period
With the exception OF the minister anu
the Judge, the doctor vas the nios1 I'D
portant person in the community. MS
esDiai face. his engaging manners, the
sfnoarity with which he inquired after
the carpenter's daughter. and the inter-
al he took in the family of the poorest
laborer. made him the kavorlte for miles
around. He knew the names and per-
sonal history Of the occupants OF every
house he passed. The farmers Iads
dropped oourtesies as he passed. Sun
shfae and rain, daylight and darkness,
were alike to him. He would ride ton
miles In the darkest night over the worst
roads Ia q pe1ting storm, to administer q
dose of ealonasl to an old woman or at
tend child in fit.
The drugs were slowed away on the
shelves of the village store, among heaps
of shoes, Rohan hats, tpackages OF seeds
and fitches OF bacon.
The physician was compelled TO oom-
pound his own drugs, make MS own
tinotures and put up his own prescrip-
lions. BIS saddle bag was the only drug
store within forty miles. Each spring
the blood must be purified the ,nt Kidneys n40
excited, and the damsel VINO tainted pro,
fusely BLEED. Large doses of SIENNA and
mama and rhubarb and molasses were
taken daily. 1t is safe to say that MOI
medicine was taken every year Dy Une
well than is now taken by the SICK In
the same time.
Water was denied the patient torment
sd with fever. In its stead was given
small quantity of clam juice. Mercury
was taken until the lips turned blue and
the gums fell away from the teeth.
The writer has a vivid recollection,
when apout years old, in raging fever
pleading for water. the nurse handed the
pitcler aud tie child satisfied her burn
ing thirst. Her brother, overwhelming
whas was going on, rushed into the
room. exclaiming: 'sYou will kill her, :"
but it was too late.