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FAILING to pay the
doctor's bill when medical attention was required and then going to
a different physician the next time, and treating him the same way,
seemed to have been a habit with the folks back in the sixties, and
as a result the Macon County Medical society decided to do something
about it. Resolutions passed by the doctors a a meeting held in
the office of Dr. Crain, March 16, 1863, with Dr. G. W. McMillin
presiding, stated that henceforth "we will not longer tolerate that
old established rule that doctor's bills are never considered due
until one year after service is rendered and are not to be paid
until then." The resolutions went on to say that they would adopt
the same financial rules observed by other professions and they
"would not render service to those who live at ease surrounded by
comfort but who make it a practice to obtain medical service free by
employing a new doctor each time, and fees shall be due when service
is rendered." The fees adopted at that meeting were:
| One visit per day in city
............................................ |
$1.50 |
| Two
visits................................................................. |
2.00 |
| Night
visits................................................................ |
2.00 |
| Prescription at
office.................................................. |
.50 |
| Medicines to be charged extra. |
|
One hope the goods doctors enforced the resolution and that they
no longer had to give their services free to the folks "surrounded
with ease and comfort", but were able to collect all their just
dues. The first county medical society was formed in the fall of
1853, according to Dr. W. J. Chenoweth, who attended the
organization meeting, though now a resident of Decatur at the time.
Dr. Joseph King was named president, and came here to reside in
1854, from Hillsboro, Ky., and from that time until 1859 he held
office in the medical association. Meetings took place in Dr.
Trowbridge's office.
DR. JOSEPH KING At that time Dr. Trowbridge
was considered the leading physician. He did all the work of a
surgical nature. Dr. King also had a wide reputation. Other
Drs. A. Keller, S. Y. Baldwin, Thomas Read, J. F.
Roberts and A.
Dillon. Dr. Roberts confined his work largely to his drug
store, at the southeast corner of the square. There he was
kept busy running his business and ministering to people, for
whenever an accident happened anywhere near, the victim was rushed
to Roberts drug store for first aid. One day Dr. Roberts and Dr.
Trowbridge attended the case of a prisoner in jail suffering from
delirium tremens. The man had not only swallowed a stove
lifter, but had tried to drive a pair of scissors into his head.
The stove lifter didn't seem to have any bad effects, but the
scissors did to the extent that he died from the wound. The
broken scissors blade was taken from his skull. The two doctors
had been loath to believe the nurse when she had told them the man
had swallowed the stove lifter. Following the patient's death,
they examined the contents of his stomach. Snugly enscounced
therein was the stove lifter! Dr. Trowbridge was the first
physician in Illinois to enlist when the Civil War began. He
was surgeon of the 8th Illinois infantry, and to him was credited
saving of the lives of General John A. Logan and General R. J.
Oglesby, both of whom were wounded in battle. Dr. Trowbridge
enjoyed sports, horse racing, driving fast horses, games such as
chess, checkers and cards, and he spent money freely.1
He was widely known for his success in surgical cases, and for some
years had practically all that sort of practice in this section of
Illinois. He was widely known for his success in surgical
cases, and for some years had practically all that sort of practice
in this section of Illinois. He was a man of vigor, and rode
hundreds of miles every week to visit his patients. Dr.
Trowbridge was the man who was responsible for the organization of
the Medical society. The Medical society had somewhat of a
struggle to keep going the first few years of its existence.
About 1857 it ceased activity, but was revived the next year by Dr.
Trowbridge, and continued until the Civil war. When Dr.
Trowbridge returned at the end of the war he found the society again
dead. Once more he revived it. After its reorganization
in 1865 it held meetings regularly for a time. By 1872 the
society again had ceased to function. In 1874 it was reorganized
as the Decatur Medical society, was five members, Robert Tobey,
president; Allison McBride, E. W. Moore, W. A. Barnes and W. H.
Walters. By 1889 the society again was inactive and remained
so for ten years. Then on Dec. 19, 1899, reorganization took
place, with Dr. W. J. Chenoweth as president; J. N. Randall vice
president, Will C. Wood secretary, and W. B. Hostetler and E. J.
Brown censors. Since that time the society has had uninterrupted existence. In 1910 the society opened
headquarters in the Citizens Building, where a medical library is
maintained. Dr. Chenoweth presented 500 volumes to this
library. In 1929 officers were Dr. O. O. Stanley, president;
Dr. Lee Frech, vice president; Dr. W. D. Murfin,
secretary-treasurer. EARLY MEMBERS Lack of space
prevents giving a complete history of all the members of the
society, but mention will be made of some of the earlier physicians.
Dr. William A. Barnes, who was a native of New Hampshire, came to
Decatur in 1853 to practice medicine. In 1855 he purchased a
drug store and ran the store in connection with his practice until
1859. He served as master-in-chancery during the Civil war
period, and was also interested in the manufacturing business of Barnes and
Lintner. Dr. Barnes was father of Dr. Will Barnes.
Dr. Samuel McBride began the practice of medicine in Pike county in
1849, and located in Decatur in 1855. He was a graduate of
Starling Medical College in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Enoch W. Moore,
who was a leading physician here for many years, came to Decatur in
1856. during the Civil war he was surgeon of the 105th
Illinois Regiment for seven months. Dr. Moore was a partner of
Dr. Ira Barnes for about thirty-five years. Dr. Ira B. Curtis,
native of Delaware, came to Decatur in 1840 when only 17 years of
age. He read medicine with Dr. Joseph King, and formed
partnership with him, but in 1849 went to Taylorville where he
practiced for seven years. In 1856 he returned to Decatur and
formed partnership with him, but in 1849 went to Taylorville where
he practice for seven years. In 1856 he returned to Decatur
and for a year was a partner of Dr. Chenoweth. He was a
surgeon in the Civil war, and had charge of hospitals at Mound city.
In 1862 he suffered a stroke of paralysis, losing the use of his
legs. Though this practically ended his career as a physician,
he served in other useful capacities, one of which was the office of
county treasurer which he held for six years. He was for a
long time a justice of the peace. Dr. Curtis was the father of
O. E. and Frank Curtis. Dr. Josiah Brown began practicing medicine
here in 1862, coming here from Maroa where he had been for four
years. He also studied law and was admitted to the bar, but
gave practically his whole time to the practice of medicine.
He was succeeded by his son, Dr. Everett J. Brown. Dr. Ira N.
Barnes located in Decatur in 1862 and for many years was one of
Decatur's best known physicians. He had spent a year in
Decatur in the drug business with his brother, W. A. Barnes, in
1855-56. Most of the years of Dr. Barnes' medical practice in
Decatur were in partnership with Dr. E. W. Moore. Dr. Lynn
Barnes is a son of Dr. Ira N. Barnes. Dr. J. Stebbins King was
another of Decatur's leading surgeons. He served during the
Civil War in the capacity of surgeon, and in 1870 located in
Decatur, where he practiced his profession for many years. The
Chenoweth family has furnished Decatur with three generations of
physicians. Dr. W. J. Chenoweth, mentioned before, was the
first. His son, Dr. Cass Chenoweth, began practicing medicine
here in 1869 after graduating from Rush Medical school. His
son, Dr. Will Chenoweth, took up the same profession. Dr. W.
J. Chenoweth and his friend, J. E. Bering, were both instantly
killed in August, 1915 when the car in which they were riding was
struck by an I. T. S. car. Decatur's first woman doctor was Dr.
Miranda M. Sargent, known particularly for her temperance
activities. Sargent chapel on South Broadway, the predecessor
of the Cleveland Avenue Methodist church was named for her.
Mention should be made also of the late Dr. Ellen F. Grimes whose
long years of quiet, efficient, unassuming service in Decatur,
particularly among the women, endeared her to everyone who knew her,
and were an inspiration to others. Dr. Grimes came to Decatur
about 1879 and practiced her profession here until 1923. She
died in New York City in 1925. ------------------
1. Doctor Silas T.
Trowbridge made a jump in 1852 which was a record for that day.
He jumped at one leap 22 feet and 8 inches. A record of the
feat was made on the Macon county books of record by the county
recorder, Samuel Rea. 2.
Once the medics started a museum and had some interesting
pathological specimens. These specimens, however, were not
well preserved and in the warm weather became so offensive that
people complained about them. So the medics decided to do away
with them. A colored man was engaged to take them out in a
sack and quietly bury them in the potter's field. He left with
the sack, but before he could get to the burying he was seen by
several friends who were curious to know what was in the sack.
The negro refused to tell, and got rid of the sack by throwing it in
the river below the dam. The friends couldn't rest until
they knew the contents of that sack, so they secured poles and
fished it out. Suspicions of foul murder arose when they found
the bones and the coroner was summoned. However, Coroner
Givler didn't find it necessary to hold an inquest.
(Sharon Wick's NOTE: There is NO #2 in
the text herein for this #2 reference.)
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