 |
| Dr. Horace Bronson. |
Cortland
Evening Standard, Tuesday, July 14, 1896.
THE FAMILY PHYSICIAN.
Pioneers of the Cortland County Medical Society.
(Read at the Eighty-eighth annual meeting
of the Society in Cortland, June 12, 1896, by Dr. F. H. Green, M. D.)
"Beneath
those rugged elms, that yew tree's shade,
Where
heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap,
[Mach] in
his narrow cell forever laid,
The rude
forefathers of the hamlet sleep."
Mr.
President and Members of the Society:
I was
much interested last winter in reading the report of a paper of Dr.
John Van Duyn's read before one of the medical
societies in Syracuse on the lives of the men who were the pioneers in the
medical profession of Onondaga county, and when casting about for a subject for
a paper to read at our present meeting it occurred to me that short sketch of
the founders and earliest members of our society might not be uninteresting. In
collecting data for even a brief sketch of those who nearly ninety years ago became
members, and who many of them have been dead or have moved away seventy-five
years ago or more, I found that facts and historical resources were meagre
indeed and in telling one of our older members of the plight in which I found
myself he referred me to a sketch of the founders and early members of the
society prepared by our former secretary, one who for forty-five years
consecutively held that office, Dr. George W. Bradford, which paper was presented
at the society semi-centennial meeting in 1858. At the time of selecting my
chosen subject I did not know of such a paper having been written, but found
that it was immediately on the line of what I wished and have taken the liberty
of copying freely from this valuable and interesting paper for which I wish to give
due acknowledgment.
Before
entering upon the biography of the early in members, a short allusion to the first formation of our society may not be out
of place.
From the
early records of the Onondaga County Medical society, from which Society ours was originally formed, we find that
that body was organized July 1, 1806, (within a little over a fortnight of
being ninety years ago) three months after the passage of the act creating the
State Medical society, which act also required medical societies to be formed
in every county in the state. At that meeting Dr. Jesse Searl of Homer became a
member and at the next meeting, held Oct. 7, 1806, among the persons proposed for membership
were Dr. Robert D. Taggart of Preble and Dr. John Miller of Truxton. These
three gentlemen were among the organic members of the Cortland County Medical
society and afterwards so prominent in its history and were the only Cortland
county physicians, so far as the records show, who were also members of the
original Onondaga society.
In the
spring of 1808 by legislative enactment this county was set off from
Onondaga and as soon after the organization of the
county as practicable, namely on the 10th day of August, 1808, the following
gentlemen legally qualified to practice medicine and surgery convened at the
hotel of Captain Enos Stimson (now the Hotel Windsor) in Homer village and then
and there formed a medical association under the name of the Cortland County
Medical Society, which has continued in active operation since that date to the
present time, or eighty-eight years, a long and honorable record. These
founders were Drs. Lewis S. Owen, Luther Rice, John Miller, Elijah G. Wheeler,
Robert D. Taggart, Ezra Pannel, Allen Barney and Jesse Searl. The organization
was effected by the election of Dr. Lewis S. Owen, president; Dr. John Miller,
vice-president; Dr. Jesse Searl, secretary and Dr. Robert D. Taggart,
treasurer. Drs. Miller, Barney and Taggart were appointed a committee to draw
up by-laws for the government and regulation of the society.
At the
time of the semi-centennial meeting in 1858, above referred to, Dr. John Miller of Truxton, then president, was the only
one of the founders still living in the county. So far as the records show, the
society was not represented by a delegate in the state society until 1814, since
which time a delegate has been chosen yearly down to 1885 when, owing to an
unfortunate difference of opinion among the members over the medical code, no delegate
was sent to the state body until our annual meeting a year ago when Dr. Dana
was chosen to attend the meeting of 1896.
The opportunities
for a thorough medical education at the time of the formation of this society
were limited and only those of wealth or who resided in convenient proximity to
the few medical colleges then existing in the country could have the advantage
of systematic instruction. Not one of the founders of the society had graduated
in medicine. Dr. Miller, while a private pupil of Dr. Benj. Rush of Philadelphia,
had attended the lectures of Drs. Rush and Shippen, two of the founders of the
medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, but did not complete his
university course. But these men had been sufficiently instructed to know the value
of education, and most of them sought to supplement it by diligent study of
such works as were then to be had.
As early
as 1814 or 1815 measures were taken to found a library for the use of the
society and Drs. Owen and Miller were appointed a committee to select such
books as they had the means of purchasing. From time to time most of the
surplus funds of the society were expended in the purchase of books until a
choice library of standard medical works had accumulated to the amount of about
two hundred volumes. In 1845 this co-operative plan of keeping up a central library
by additions to it was discontinued and each member was urged and encouraged to
supply himself with and study the latest and best works and periodicals and
thus to keep abreast of the advances of medical knowledge.
Of the
society founders, Drs. Owen, Searl and Wheeler lived and died in the county.
Dr. Taggart, Pannel, Barney and Rice removed from this locality after a more or
less extended settlement here.
Dr. Allen
Barney came to Homer in 1807 and after a few year's residence moved to
Cortland. Dr. Barney was reputed to be somewhat deficient in his education and
had but limited knowledge of his profession. By the records he appears to have
been a pretty regular attendant of the meetings until 1820, but previous to that
time he had embarked in other adventures and paid but little attention to the practice
of his profession. Dr. Barney moved to Ohio in 1812 and died there soon after.
One of the characteristics of Dr. Barney's mind was to make up by positive
assurance his real lack of knowledge and his opinion having once been made up,
was not easily changed and the proof of his error, it is said, only made him the
more positive in his opinion. He was very impatient of contradiction or
dictation. He was often known to leave patients without any medicine if they
refused to take his prescription, saying that if they knew better how to
prescribe for themselves than he, they might do it, or if objections were made
to a certain article in his prescription they were told to die and go to a warm
place below; yet with all his obstinacy he was kind and attentive to those who
implicitly trusted in him.
Dr.
Luther Rice was the son of Deacon Rice, one of the pioneers in the settlement of
this county. The doctor came to the town of Homer, now Cortland, in 1796. Where he was educated and studied his
profession is not known. Although a founder of the society, his name is not
found on the records except at the time relating to its organization and he
soon after moved to Allegany county. Dr. Rice was reported to have had a much
more exalted opinion of his learning, intelligence and skill than his associates
in practice or the public had. But little is remembered of him.
Dr. Elijah
Wheeler came to this county in 1804 and settled in the town of Solon. He was well educated, a man of good abilities and
had the reputation of being a good practitioner of medicine, "but
unfortunately," records a biographer, ''he was addicted to habits of intemperance
which rendered him an unsafe person to take charge of the sick which very much injured
his business and usefulness." Dr. Wheeler died in 1825.
Dr. Ezra
Pannel was a native of Colerain, Mass., and was a part of the time of his
pupilage a fellow student with Dr. Taggart in the office of a practitioner of his
native town. Little is known of his early history. He came to this county in
1807 and settled in the town of Truxton, where he combined farming with the
practice of medicine till 1822 when he removed to Monroe county. Dr. Pannell paid
but little attention to his profession while residing here and consequently was
not very eminent in his calling. He was considered as an honest, well disposed
man and as such was much respected by his neighbors and acquaintances.
Dr.
Robert D. Taggart, like Dr. Pannel, was from Colerain, Mass., and was the son
of Rev. Samuel Taggart. Dr. Taggart was the twin brother of Dr. Sam'l Taggart,
Jr., of Byron, Genesee Co., and a brother of Hon. Moses Taggart, a judge of the
supreme court of this state. Dr. Taggart was educated in the common schools of
his town and in the office of one Dr. Ross of Colorain, was married in New
Hampshire and in 1804 moved to this state settling first on Pompey hill, where
he stayed but a short time. He came to Preble in 1805 and for a few months was
teacher of common schools, but was solicited by the people to establish himself
as a physician which he soon did. He was the first physician who settled in that
town. His medical education was rather imperfect even for that day and his
reading, at first limited, was not improved much in late years. It is said that
he was never the owner of a medical book while he lived in this county. Dr.
Taggart was a cautious practitioner and considered by some to be over timid. His
natural good sense led him to feel the deficiency in his education and his
honesty would deter him from doing anything he did not understand. He had the
confidence of the people of his town, was reputed to be a good practitioner and
was very popular as an accoucheur. Dr. Taggart remained in practice in Preble
till 1831, when he removed to Genesee Co., where he formed a partnership with
his twin brother, obtaining a good practice till his death which occurred in
1843. Dr. Taggart's removal from Preble was much regretted by his friends
there. He was full of humor and many anecdotes are related of his aptness at
repartee. Like Dr. Pannel he had no license to practice medicine until the law
of 1806 gave all who had been in practice two years, full license. Dr. Taggart was
the first treasurer of the society.
Dr. Jesse
Searl, the society's first secretary, was born in Southampton, Mass., and was
one of the best known and most influential for good in every word and work of
any of the founders. He was born In 1767, educated in the common schools of his
native town and pursued his medical studies with Dr. Woodbridge of the same place.
He began practice in Southampton, but came to this state not far from 1800,
first settling in Fabius, Onondaga county. He came to Homer in 1803 and diligently
pursued his profession till 1812, when he purchased and assumed the editorship
of the Cortland Repository, at that time the only newspaper published in the
county, and continued as its editor and proprietor till 1825, during which time
he made himself a worthy antagonist in political discussions and personal wordy
conflicts with rival editors in Cortland village of which a biographer says
"would hardly be admitted to the columns of even the most radical and
vindictive newspaper of to-day."
Although
devoting himself mainly to the work of his paper he still attended somewhat to
professional calls and retained an active interest in the society, continuing
in the secretaryship with an interval of three years until 1825 and attending
all of its meetings. Dr. Searl was physically frail and could not well endure
the hardships incident to a physician's life in a new country, yet while he did
retain his active practice he was faithful to the trusts imposed upon him and
by his sympathy with the sick and kindness of heart won the confidence and
esteem of his employers. His education, general and professional, was somewhat
in advance of most of his contemporaries and he continued to improve it by
diligent study and observation. He had the best private medical library in the
county and was a subscriber to the only medical periodical then published in
the country, the "Medical Repository of New York."
Dr. Searl
was one of the early trustees of Cortland (now Homer) academy, an eminently
religious man and worthy member of the Congregational church of Homer from 1806 to his death at 68 years in
1834. In all his varied duties Dr. Searl was consistent and faithful and the
poor always found him a friend in time of need.
Dr. Lewis S. Owen was the first president of
this society and held that office by annual election till 1820. He was born in
New Lebanon, Columbia county, N. Y., in 1772. His early education was obtained
in the common schools of his county and for a short time, preparatory to
commencing the study of medicine, he attended the academic department of Williams
college. He began his medical studies in 1795 under Dr. Stringer of Albany, then
a prominent practitioner of that city. He concluded his medical pupilage with
Dr. McLellan of Albany and was licensed by the court of Albany county in 1798 to
practice medicine and came to Homer in 1799 in which town he continued to live
till his death in 1849, lacking hut one month of a fifty years' residence
there. Dr. Owen was the first physician of this society who permanently located
in what is now the county of Cortland. There had been others here before him,
but their stay was short. Dr. Owen was a man of discriminating judgment and a
sound and successful practitioner. One trait was well worthy of our imitation.
He was very particular and minute in giving his directions to patients and
nurses in relation to administering the medicine left for the sick. This he
charged particularly, for nurses to follow his directions implicitly, not
allowing meddlesome neighbors or officious nurses to countermand or neglect his
directions.
As
president of the society Dr. Owen delivered the first address ever given before
the society which was at the annual meeting in 1809, the subject being
"The Effect of Oxygen Gas on the Blood." Dr. Owen was prominent in
the early settlement of the town and village of Homer and one of the earliest
frame houses and afterward in 1819 the first brick house was built by him. He
was also one of the original trustees and founders of Cortland academy founded
in 1819, and continued a trustee till the time of his death in 1849 having
several times been elected as t h e president of the board. In all his private
and public life he was punctual to all his engagements, a firm consistent
friend of education in all its branches and spent a long life to the age of 77
years an industrious and useful man.
And last
of the founders, but by no means least is Dr. John Miller, the society's first
vice-president, and last surviving of the founders. Dr. Miller was born in
Amenia, Franklin county, N. Y., in 1784. His early advantages for an education
were exceedingly limited, he having attended a common school but one year and a
classical school in Connecticut for about the same length of time, his boyhood being
spent upon a farm.
In 1793
he entered the study of his profession with Dr. Miller, an uncle of his, in
Dutchess county, but after the expiration of a little more than a year he went
to Washington county and entered the office of Dr. Mosher of Easton, in that
county. While residing with Dr. Mosher, young Miller received a severe injury
by being thrown from a horse. From this injury he was unable to pursue his
professional studies for more than two years. During this period he returned to
his home in Dutchess county.
After
several month's residence at home he was induced by the advice of Dr. Baird of
New York City to seek employment in the then small navy of the United States.
For this purpose though much against the wishes of his family he went to New
York where he was presented by Dr. Baird and others with letters of
recommendation to Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia whither he repaired and
presented Dr. Rush with his credentials.
At that
time Miller was in poor health and being very tall, more than six feet in
height and thin in body. Dr. Rush was somewhat amazed that so ghostly looking a
young man should think of going into the navy and said to him: "Young man
you look better fitted for a skeleton in my office than a post in the
Navy."
After
recovering from the fatigue of his journey Dr. Rush went with him to visit the
president of the United States, the venerable John Adams residing in
Philadelphia, then the seat of the general government, and through the influence
of Dr. Rush obtained the place he sought, and was directed to report himself to
the surgeon of the United States brig New York, then soon to sail for Tripoli. At
this interview with President Adams, Dr. Rush and young Miller were invited to dine
with the president, and did so, where he met also at the table General George Washington,
himself but recently president of the United States, Fisher Ames and several
other distinguished characters of that day. Upon further acquaintance Dr. Rush advised Miller to resign his post in the
Navy and offered him a position in his family and office as a private pupil.
This proffer he readily embraced, where he remained for nearly two years,
accompanying him in his rides into the country and attending the lectures of
Dr. Rush and Dr. Shippen at the University of Pennsylvania.
From
Philadelphia he returned to Washington county, N. Y., in 1798 and entered into
co-partnership with Dr. Mosher, his former instructor, where he remained until
1801. He was licensed to practice medicine by the Vermont Medical society in
1800. The law regulating the practice of medicine in New York was not enacted
till 1806. On leaving Washington county in 1801 he came to the then town of Fabius,
Onondaga county, now Truxton, Cortland county, and established himself in the
practice of his profession, where he almost unremittingly attended its duties
for about twenty-five years and occasionally some five years longer.
From his
early physical training on a farm he was well prepared for the laborious duties
of his profession in a new country. Few men possessed the capacity for physical
endurance and unwearied perseverance like him. The country being new, the roads
always poor, many times almost impassible, yet he performed an amount of labor
almost incredible, frequently riding on horseback thirty, forty and more than
fifty miles a day at all times, by night or by day, through storms and
sunshine, with an energy that no obstacle could prevent. Many are the anecdotes
related of his adventures in the woods and bypaths of Truxton, frequently by
torch light to attend upon some family who perhaps were unable to render him
any remuneration. The poor as well as the rich were alike the recipients of his
toils.
During the
prevalence of an epidemic of typhoid pneumonia which prevailed extensively
throughout the country during the winter of 1812-13, the doctor's labors were herculean.
He was eminently successful in the treatment of that disease, losing but two cases
out of the hundreds that he attended. This success made the demands for his
services very urgent, frequently twenty and thirty miles from home. He allowed
himself but two hours sleep in the twenty-four, always directing his family to
awaken him when he had slept two hours. He then started on his tour. At every
house that he called at, some one of the family was sure to have a bucket of
oats to feed the doctor's horse while he (the doctor) made the necessary
examination and prescription for his patient. As soon as through he started for
the next patient, his horse at a rapid speed. The same course was pursued at
every house where he called through the night or the day. When in his circuit
he came near home he would go there and exchange his horse for another, and
again push for the next patient. This course he pursued during the prevalence
of the epidemic, frequently riding from ninety to one hundred or more miles a
day and visiting from thirty to fifty sick in that time.
As a
practitioner Dr. Miller possessed to an eminent degree the confidence of his
employers. His strong mind and retentive memory enabled him readily to discriminate
the phases of diseases and his promptitude and readiness in the administration
of relief to the sufferer at once secured the confidence of the sick. He was
elected an honorary member of the New York State Medical society in 1808 and at
the time of his death was the oldest living member of the society by nine years.
Dr.
Miller held several local offices. He was appointed coroner by Gov. Geo.
Clinton in 1802 and held that office for twenty years. From 1812 to 1821 he discharged
the duties of justice of the peace and was one of the judges of our county
courts from 1817 to 1820. He was elected member of the assembly from this
county in l816 and again in 1820 and again re-elected in 1847. In this same
year he represented this county in the convention for revising the constitution
of the state and in 1826 and 1827 he represented the twenty-second district of
New York in the United States congress. He was one of the founders of, and
trustee for many years, of old Cortland academy, founded
in 1819 and kept up his interest in the institution till his death which
occurred in 1862 in his eighty-eighth year. In all these positions of public
trust he evinced the same energy, determined will and prompt action he had
shown in his professional career. He was tall and erect in stature and even in
his last years still retained his firm step and erect position and never
exhibited the decrepit old man in appearance or in loss of intellect but
entered into conversation with all the energy and fire of his youthful days.
In
closing this sketch of Dr. Miller, we cannot refrain, (though at the risk of making
this paper seem somewhat long), from giving one of the characteristic events of
his life, his determined will to overcome seeming impossibilities, which he
accomplished in securing to himself a lady who afterwards became the sharer of
his fortune, the intelligent, amiable loving partner of his life.
Before
coming into this county in 1801 he had formed an attachment to and an engagement
with a young lady living in Rennselaer county, N. Y., whom he expected to
become his partner and helpmeet in and through the journey of life. After his settlement here they held a constant
correspondence and while the doctor was laboring with all his energies to prepare
for his chosen one a home, she remained behind making preparations for a
residence in the wilds of the West.
Matters
went smoothly on with them for some months, each frequently receiving assurances
of faithfulness and mutual attachment. After some time letters were not as
frequently received by either party as formerly and at last ceased entirely. The
doctor wrote often, but received no reply to his anxious inquiries for the
cause of this total silence on the part of her he so ardently loved.
Just so
with the lady, she too had written time and again seeking to know the cause of
this seeming coldness, this abandonment of him to whom she had plighted her
first love. Each had come to the conclusion that the other was false to the
sacred engagement.
Matters
remained thus for sometime without either hearing anything from the other. At
last the doctor received a letter from a friend of his living in Troy (the
place of the young lady's residence) informing him that the young lady in
question was to be married to some one there on such an evening but a few days from
that date. The friend, knowing something of the previous engagement of the
doctor to the lady, learned she had been induced to marry the person of her
second engagement from the belief that the doctor had cast her off—had forfeited
his plighted honor, she not having heard anything from him in reply to her
letters for many months.
The friend
at once suspected something wrong. He knew .John Miller would never be guilty
of so base an act as to leave one to whom he was betrothed in such a manner;
that if it were impossible for him to fulfill his engagement or if he desired
to cancel the obligation, Miller would at once frankly and honestly inform the
young lady. That he was far too honorable, too noble to do so base an act.
Believing this to be so, he wrote the doctor of the expected wedding to take
place on the day designated. At that early day our county mails were "like
angel's visits few and far between," consequently Miller did not receive his
friend's letter until less than twenty-four hours before the time appointed for
the wedding.
This was
in the latter part of the month of March, when the snow was melting away by the
rays of the warm sun of spring. The roads were in a bad condition, riding
exceedingly bad, and in some places dangerous and the doctor one hundred and
thirty miles from Troy. Stages or railroads were at that time out of the
question. What should he do? Give up his heart's desire, his long wished for
and earnestly sought companion, her on whom his most ardent love had centered
and remain during all his future life under the imputation of forfeiting his
plighted faith and acting in a dishonorable manner with a noble worthy lady or
should he make one effort to retrieve all? His mind was soon made up.
He
mounted his faithful horse Gershom, one he had often tried in cases of urgent
necessity, one too in all respects possessed of the physical endurance—the determined
energy never to be outdone—equal even to his master. Gershom was headed for
Troy, a distance of 130 miles, to be passed in less than twenty-four hours
notwithstanding all the snow, mud or dangers by the way. Faithfully and nobly
did Gershom perform his task. Near the close of the day when the doctor had
arrived near the west bank of the Hudson river, he discovered the ferryboat just
leaving the shore to pass over to Troy. It was almost dark, every moment of
time was precious. Fearing he should be too late for a successful termination
of his hopes, his hard day's labor, and all might be lost, he raised his voice
to its utmost pitch, swinging his hat; Gershom at once responded, made his last
charge and arrived on the bank of the river in time to pass. This proved to be
the last time the boat went over that night.
At an
early hour in the evening Gershom stood at the door of the residence of the
young lady just as the guests were assembling to witness the marriage ceremony.
The doctor, covered with mud and wet, riding-stick in hand walked up the steps
of the mansion and knocked at the door. The father of the young lady answered
the call, and who should he see standing there but John Miller, who without
ceremony makes the inquiry:
"Is
Phoebe at home?"
"Yes," was the reply.
"Can
1 see her?" asks the doctor.
The
father replies, "1 will inform her you are here. Walk in."
The
doctor went into the hall, and remained standing, with hat in hand. In a few
minutes Phoebe made her appearance. An interview was solicited by the doctor,
explanations followed and a perfect reconciliation was the result. Their
letters had been intercepted on both sides by the man who had almost obtained
possession of the prize of his rascality but who that night went home wifeless.
They were
married in 1805 and a happy union it proved to be. Mrs. Miller was a lady of
rare accomplishments, of ardent piety and in all respects a fit companion for her
worthy husband. They had eight children. She died much lamented in 1834 aged 59
years.
This
completes the list of the founders of the society and did time permit, it would
be agreeable to give a more extended sketch of many others who have been
members of the society and honorable members of the profession. Men like Dr. Levi
Boies of Cortland, who was the first licentiate of the society becoming a
member in 1812, long a respectable practitioner and valuable citizen; like Dr.
John Lynde who was the first member who ever attended a full course of lectures
in a chartered medical college, he having attended the course of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons in 1812 and joined the society in 1813 and like Dr.
Phineas Burdick, who settled in this county in 1828 and joined the society in
the same year.
Dr.
Burdick pursued his medical studies in the office of Dr. Hubbard Smith of
DeRuyter and Dr. Jehiel Stearns of Pompey, the latter for many years the
leading surgical authority in central New York. He attended medical lectures in
the college at Castleton, Vt., but did not complete the course requisite for
graduation. He was licensed to practice by the Onondaga county medical society
in 1828 and settled in Scott the same year where he practiced his profession
till 1833 when he settled in Preble which was ever afterwards his home, a
period of thirty-seven years. His early professional life as that of many other
young physicians, witnessed severe struggles with poverty. During several of the
earlier years of professional life he rode wholly upon horseback, being unable
to purchase a vehicle to ride in. The first carriage he ever owned he bought for
five dollars, a rattling rickety thing, but he said he felt proud of it for it
was his. By assiduity in business he was crowned with success and at length
acquired a competence quite equal to that attained by county physicians. He
was, however, a cheerful giver, often bestowing more liberally than his means
would warrant. He was a member of this society for forty-two years and always
punctual in attendance at its meetings and contributing to its proceedings and serving it as a delegate to
the New York State Medical society for four years and of which he was elected a
permanent member in 1853. He was also sent as a delegate to the
American Medical association and became a member of that body. In 1851 the state
board of Regents conferred upon him the degree of M. D.
He was a,
man of strict integrity and eminently religious. He was for the last thirty
years of his life a most exemplary professing Christian and for the last decade
a ruling elder of the Presbyterian church. He was the father of Dr. Daniel Burdick, who was also a member of this society for
a period of thirty years till his removal to Syracuse. In 1850 Dr. Burdick was
chosen vice-president of t he society and the following year was elected its
president. He died in 1870 at the age of 70 years. His funeral was largely attended,
the whole community seeming to turn out and especially the old men and women of
the town, to whom for so many years he had been a devoted and sympathizing friend
in a sense a confessor and judicious advisor in time of trouble.
Dr. Miles
Goodyear joined the society in 1818 and was the first member who ever received
the degree of Doctor of Medicine, which was conferred upon him by Yale college in 1816. Dr. Goodyear was born in
Hamden, New Haven Co., Conn., in 1798 and preparatory to professional study
took lessons in Latin and chemistry under the tutelage of Rev. Eliphalet Coleman.
As his guardian refused to furnish him with the means for education, he borrowed
the money to complete his studies. It was early in the war of 1812-14 that he
matriculated in the Medical department of Yale college. A brother who had a
family was drafted to serve in the war, but Miles took his place serving at New
London a few weeks until the college term opened, when he was released as
students were then exempt by law. He was a member of the first class that
graduated from the Medical department of Yale. After graduation he made a
journey to Niagara Falls on horseback and at the same time observing the
country with a view of locating in a desirable locality. He practiced a few
months in Genoa, and in Danby, Tompkins Co., when he was induced to move to
Cortland which was ever afterwards his chosen residence.
He Joined
our society in 1818 and was one of its most active and reliable members. He was
president of the society in 1824 and 1831 and from 1834 to 1840 inclusive. Dr.
Goodyear died in 1870, aged seventy-six years. A biographer says of him
"he loved his profession and pursued it as such and not as a trade. He
respected the claims of his calling and was keenly sensitive to its honor and observed
its ethical usages in letter and spirit." He was eminently a friend of young
medical men and always ready to give them encouraging words and to overlook
their mistakes and deficiencies.
Dr. Lewis
Riggs joined the society in 1810, the same year as Dr. Goodyear. Dr. Riggs was
born in Norfolk, Conn., in 1789 and while at home he had the advantages of a
common school education and also several terms at an academy in his native town
thus acquiring what was considered a good English education. Lack of means
prevented his pursuit of a college course, to which he aspired and in 1805 he
came to Cortland, where he served an apprenticeship as a carpenter and in after
years when riding over the country as a practitioner of medicine he was able to
point out not a few houses and barns which he had helped to build. In 1809 he
decided on the profession of medicine and entered the office of Dr. Samuel
Woodward of Torringford, Conn., a practitioner of high repute. In his office
his opportunities for medical observation were superior for the times. In May
1812 he received a county license to practice, but continued in the office of
his preceptor till October when he went to Philadelphia and attended a course
of lectures in the University of Pennsylvania, sitting under the instruction of
such men as Dr. Benj. Rush, Dr. Shippen, Dr. Physic, Dr. Dorsey and Dr. Wistar,
the leaders in medical thought at that period, Dr. Rush being called the
"father of American medicine" and Dr. Physic "the father of
American surgery."
In 1813
Dr. Riggs concluded to "go west" and first came to Vernon, Oneida county,
N. Y., where he obtained a fair amount of business, but wishing a wider field
he moved to Homer in 1818, where he soon entered on a large practice. In 1840
having taken a liking to politics he was chosen to represent this district in
U. S. Congress. In 1847, as the result of an attack of hemiplegia, he was obliged
to relinquish the more active duties of a professional life and never recovered
his former strength and activity, although his mental faculties continued
bright to his death which occurred in 1870 in the 82nd year of his age. Dr. Riggs
was thorough, bold and independent in his thoughts and actions and firm in his
convictions.
Of the
few of the other early pioneers, just a word: Dr. A. Ryan came to Virgil in
1815 and was a man of education and a reputable practitioner and citizen. He
joined the society in 1819.
Dr.
Horace Bronson also of Virgil was born in 1796, was educated in the common schools
of his native town of Catskill, N. Y. and took a course of lectures in Hamilton
college and afterward attended four full courses of lectures in the Fairfield
Medical college. He graduated in 1819 and in 1820 he removed to this county
settling in Virgil, where he practiced till the closing years of his life when
failing health compelled him to retire. Dr. Bronson died ii 1874 aged 78 years.
He joined the society in 1821 and at that time was the only other member beside
Dr. Goodyear who had received the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Dr. Bronson sustained
a high reputation for integrity and held the obligations of medical men in high
regard. In the department of surgery and obstetrics, especially the latter he was
eminently successful.
Dr.
Azariah Blanchard joined the society in 1821 having located in Truxton the year
previous. Dr. Blanchard was one of the most astute and popular practitioners
among the early physicians of the county. He practiced in Truxton for twenty-five
years when he removed to Milwaukee, Wis., where he continued his profession
till infirmities of age compelled him to desist. He died there in 1868.
A few
words concerning Dr. George W. Bradford, our honored secretary for an unbroken
period of forty-five years and I am done. Dr. George W. Bradford joined the
society in 1820. He was born in the town of Otsego, near Cooperstown, N. Y., in
1796 and was of the seventh generation in direct descent of Wm. Bradford the second
governor of Plymouth colony. His opportunities for schooling at that early day
in a new country were exceedingly limited, his schooling being limited to the
district school for a short time between late fall and early spring. He early
acquired a taste for books and became a devoted reader of the best literature
accessible. In 1812-13 he attended the academy at Woodstock and in 1814 a classical
school at Clinton. In 1816 he entered the office of Dr. Thomas Fuller of
Cooperstown, the leading physician of that vicinity. Here he alternated severe
study with horseback rides, in company with his preceptor, receiving the double
benefit of health and the acquisition of professional knowledge in the form of
clinical instruction and observation an educational advantage not lightly to be
estimated. He never had the benefit of systematic lectures in college a fact
which he always lamented.
In 1819
he moved to Preble where he commenced the practice of medicine. In February,
1820 he returned to Cooperstown and was licensed to practice by the Otsego County
Medical society. In 1821 he moved to Homer where for sixty years he continued
the practice of his profession. After a period of forty-five years as secretary
of the society he resigned his position, but still continued in the office of
treasurer till 1881 when he declined a re-election having permanently removed
to Syracuse to spend his few remaining days with his granddaughter. He died
Oct. 30, 1883 aged 87 years.
Dr.
Bradford's interest in the meetings of the society was note worthy and l can
well remember with what interest he would look forward to those meetings even
when an old man of nearly eighty-five years and attend them till his removal
from Homer. He often expressed amazement not to say disgust at the apparent
neglect of many of the younger members of the society in their slackness in
attending the society meetings. At the time of his resignation as secretary,
the society passed resolutions impressive of its high estimate of the faithful
and intelligent manner in which he had performed the duties of secretary and
treasurer and how much of the prosperity of the society was due to his vigilant
administration.
In the
death of Dr. Bradford the link was severed connecting the past and the present,
he was contemporary, not only with several of the society's founders, but with
many of us who are members to-day. Dr. Bradford joined the State Medical
society in 1847 having been delegate from this society for four years and in the
same year was chosen delegate to the American Medical association at Philadelphia,
of which body he became a permanent member at the time of its permanent
organization. In 1858 Dr. Bradford was elected vice-president of the New York
State Medical society, declining the following year the earnest solicitation of
the nominating committee to accept the nomination for the presidency.
Besides
those positions which related strictly to his profession he was chosen member
of the assembly in the legislature of 1851, where he proved himself to be an
industrious and capable member. In November, 1853, he was elected to the state
senate and in 1855 was re-elected to the same position. An interesting article
could be written of his perseverance and tact in securing the passage of the
bill providing for anatomical material for medical colleges and for the
establishment and maintenance of various educational and benevolent
institutions. In 1858 the Genesee college conferred the degree of M. D. upon
him.
Dr.
Bradford held the position of trustee in the Cortland academy for thirty-eight
years and in conjunction with the late Dr. Woolworth gave efficient service in
the cause of education. In 1864 he was a member of the electoral college and cast
his vote for Abraham Lincoln. Besides being called often to act as secretary of
various societies he kept the records of the Cortland County Bible society for
more than forty years. Dr. Bradford was from the first of his professional life
a generous patron of medical literature and in 1820 subscribed for the
Philadelphia Journal of Medical and Physical Sciences afterward the American
Journal of Medical Sciences which he continued constantly to take till 1881 a period
of sixty years. His was one of the largest of medical libraries in Central New
York if indeed it did not excel any other. In middle life the doctor was tough,
wiry and enduring and seemingly reckless as to personal protection for not till
1864 would he wear an overcoat even in the coldest winter weather. He had a
great abhorrence of quackery and trickery. He was regarded not only by the
people of Homer but throughout the county as a wise, skillful, and entirely
trustworthy and successful physician.
I have thus
gone over the names of some of those who early in the century braved the
hardships of a life in a new country that they might make for themselves and
families a livelihood as well as to do good to their fellowmen and if I have
far extended the original time allotted me I ask your forgiveness for the sake of
the memories of those men whom it is well for us at times to pause and consider
and do them honor.
F. H.
GREEN.
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