Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-08
H. c. Corbett,
VIRGINIA Doctor
By BETTY MILES

who was .Mr. Medicine to gem
erations Of Arlington residents
for 81 years. died yesterday in
the Fort Ward Nursing Home in
Alexandra.
Il was the best doctor In the
county back around 1900" DR..
Corbett solemnly told D reporter
when he was 95. Then he added,
IT was the only one. you see"
After his graduation from
George Washington University
Medical School in 1888. he and
Mrs. Corbett. he told his chill
dren, took their worldly goods
a parrot and two $40 gold pieces
got In their buggy and went
looking for q place where he
could hang out his shingle. The
only potential patients in the
Arlington area where he was
born, then Alexandria County.
were his family and his wife's.
He swore they would settle on
the place they had reached by
shutdown. which happened to be
Gaithersburg. and there he prac-
ticed for several years, getting
paid In produce.
Recalled Bull Run
His father. SeWell B. Corbett,
|lured him back to Arlington
with the offer Of 10 acres of his
own land. on what Is now CO.
Ilulnbia pike. DR.. Corbett's home
stood for many years at $500
Columbia pike. the site today Of
the Oakland Apartments.
| AS a very small boy he
watched the soldiers retreating
after the Battle OF Bull Run,
Though he volunteered for serv-
lice In two wars, the Spanish
American and World War !. he
was refused on the grounds that
he was needed at home. He was
the only practicing physician in
the Arlington County area at the
time of the Spanish-American
War. and for many years after
ward.
DR.. corbett made his rounds
on horseback. with his instru-
ments in his saddle bag, or a
horse and buggy. and later. in
his Stanley Steamer. He wore
out one car after another in the
years he called on patients. but
would tell anyone who would be-
Ilieve him that he had driven the
same old car for 80 years.
/ Alert to new developments in
his field. DR.. Corbett was one
of the first men in the area to
use diptheria antitoxin. He also
saw the need for a health de-
partment in Arlington County.
and became the first health on
Ger there. He lost count of the
number OF babies he had de-
llivered when he reached the
1000 mark years before he
stopped practicing In his 80s.
He was the doctor TO whom
the inevitable happened. He used
Ito tell the story Of the druggist
who was unable to read q pre-
Iscription he had written for a
patient. When Or. Corbett was
called upon to translate it. he
couldn't read Ii himself. He
wrote q new one.
Limited" His Age
The doctor once declared that
30 was as old as any man should
get. Consequently. he only adj
lmitted TO being 80 for three years
running.
After spending almost a CEN
fury there, Or. Corbett gave this
Endorsement to his home coun-
try when he was IS: AIRING
ton" he said. rs the only place
to live In the United States OF
America. I"
The George Washington Uni
versity Medical Society honored
the doctor for "61 years OF de-
voted service at a dinner at the
Mayfiower Hotel in 1914. Last
year he was honored as its oldest
member at the society's annual
dinner.
His wife, the former Virginia
Munson. died in 1897. He is
survived by his son. Col. S. Mum
son Corbett. USA. retired, of
Arlington. who also is doctor,
and two daughters, Mrs. Ruth
Corbett Houghton of Rock Hill.
S. c.. and Mrs. Lillian Corbett
Batten OF Washington: also by
three grandchildren, Col. Will
liam II. Corbett. Louis Stedfnan
Houghton and Wilson C. Batten.
and three Observation-Disclosures.
Services will be held at 2 pm.
Monday at the Arlington Pres
byterian Church. Of which he
was an elder. Burial will be at
Columbia Gardens Cemetery.
81 ~