The record-union., 1897-01-11
EARLY AMERICAN DOCTORS.
Young Physicians Were Formerly
Apprenticed to Older Ones.

| 1t may be well here to refer to the
method of obtaining a medical profes-
sion in those days. There were but TWO
schools of medicine in the country
that ONE at Harvard College, just es-
| tabiished, and that ait New Haven, Or
ganized in 1854 But by reason of the
dangers and expenses of travelling they
were by no means we'll attended.
In general the medical attention was
such as the student could pick up by
serving as an apprentice to some noted
| practitioner, which combined the duties
/ of student with many menial affairs.
He ground the powders, mixed the
pills, rode with the doctor ON his rounds,
| held the basin when the patient was
| bled, helped to adjust the pla4sters sew
wounds and rum with Walls of medicine
| from one end of town to the other. 1t
was white day, when such a 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
school at Harvard College made sim
gle body do duty for a whole year.
Under such circumstances the doc
tors knowledge was practical, and de-
rived from personal experience rather
than from books. The advantages OF
study were sparingly enjoyed. Few
physicians boasted of a library of fifty
volumes.
His apprenticeship ended, the student
returned to his native town to assume
the practice of medicine. AT that Pc
riod, with the exception of the minister
and the Judge, the doctor was the most
important parsonage In his community
His genial face, his engaging manners
and the sincerity with which he in
quired after the carpenters daughter
and the interest he took In the family
of the poorest laborer. made him the
favorite for miles around. He knew
the names and personal history of the
occupants of every house he passed.
The farmers lads pulled off their hats
to him, and the girls dropped courtesies
| as he passed. Sunshine and rain, day.
| light and darkness were alike to him.
| He would ride ten miles in the darkest
| night over the worst of roads in a pelt
| ing storm to administer dose Of calo-
mel to an old woman or attend a child
| in a fit.
The drugs were slowed away on the
shelves of the village store, among
heaps of shoes, Rohan hats, packages
of seeds and flitches of bacon.
| The physician was compelled to COM
| pound his own drugs, make his own
tinctures and put up his own preScrdp-
tions. His saddle-bag was the only
drug store within forty miles. Each
spring the blood must be purified the
kidneys excited and the damsel who
| tainted profusely bled. Large doses of
SIENNA and mamma and rhubarb and
molasses taken daily. It was safe to
say that more medicine was taken by
the well man every year than is now
taken by the sick in the same time.
Water was denied the patient tor
mented 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 about eight years old, in a raging
fever pleading for water; the nurse
handed the pitcher and the child salts
fed her burning thirst. Her brother.
oVerhearing what was going on, rushed
! into the room. exclaiming you will
kill her," but 1t was too late.-Ameri-
/ can Monthly.