374 - HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

A WRITER CONFRONTED BY DIFFICULTIES-MEDICAL MAKESHIFTS OF THE

EARLY SETTLERS-ONE OF THE OLDEST DESCRIBES THE AGUE-THE PHY

SICIANS OF THE COUNTY IN 1845-EARLY AND PRESENT PHYSICIANS AT

UPPER SANDUSKY-A SKETCH OF DR. FOWLER-OF DR. SAMPSON, AND OF

DR. MCCONNELL.

UNDER this caption, it would be a pleasurable task to mention the names, locations, characteristics, etc., of all regularly educated physicians who have lived and practiced medicine in the region now known as Wyandot County; but from the fact that, as a class, the gentlemen of the medical profession lead a life more nomadic than their brothers of legal accomplishments, that no reminiscences of Wyandot's early medical practitioners have ever been compiled, and that no medical association has ever been formed and perpetuated in the county, the work, at this late day, of compiling a chapter in any respect complete, and within the time placed at our disposal, is wholly impracticable.

The early settlers of this and adjoining counties were groat sufferers from "fever and ague," and, occasionally, from another form of disease termed the "milk-sickness." But few of the people being acquainted with the last-mentioned disease, its effects, cure, or prevention, and having but few physicians among them, and those when they first came here were mostly unacquainted with the disease, a large percentage of these cases proved fatal. Some heads of families would obtain from distant towns supplies of jalap, calomel, "tartar mattix," etc., and dose their families and neighbors; others would boil a kettle full of butternut bark, and make a supply of butternut pills, or dig up a quantity of blue-flag, culver, may. apple and blood-root, pulverize and swallow them, or take them in pills or decoctions, just as might suit the fancy of the prescriber or patient. But, as an old resident has said, "We soon had plenty of doctors traversing the highways and byways so much, that any one who wished to be doctored could be so treated to his heart's content."

Another early settler, in describing the fever now termed malarial, writes as follows: " One of the greatest obstacles to the early settlement and prosperity of the West, was the ague, 'fever and ague,' or 'chills and fever,' as it was variously termed. In the fall almost everybody was afflict. ed with it. It was no respecter of persons. Everybody looked pale and sallow, as though he were frost-bitten. It was not contagious, but was derived from impure water and malaria, such as is abundant in a new country. The impurities from them, combined with those which come from bad dietetics, engorged the liver and deranged the whole vital machinery. By and by, the shock would come, and come in the form of a 'shake,' followed by a fever. These would be regular on certain hours every alternate day, sometimes every day, or every third day. When you had the chill you couldn't get warm, and when you had the fever you couldn't got cool. It was exceedingly awkward in this respect, indeed it was! Nor would it stop

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY. - 375

for any sort of contingency; not even a wedding in the family would stop it. It was tyranical. When the appointed time came around, everything else had to be stopped to attend to its demands. It didn't have even any Sundays or holidays."

After the fever went down, you still did not feel much better; you felt as though you had gone through some sort of collision, or threshing machine, or jarring machine, and came out, not killed, but you some times wish you had been. You felt weak, as though you had run too far after something, and then didn't catch it. You felt languid, stupid and sore, and was down in the mouth and heel, and partially raveled out. Your back was out of fix; your head ached, and your appetite was crazy. our eyes had too much white in them; your ears, especially after taking quinine, had too much roar in them, and your whole body and soul were entirely woo-begone, disconsolate, sad, poor and good-for-nothing. You didn't think much of yourself, and didn't believe that other people did, either; and you didn't care. You didn't make up your mind to commit suicide, but sometimes wished some accident would happen to knock either the malady or yourself out of existence. You imagined that even the dogs looked at you with a kind of self -complacency. You felt that even the sun had a sickly shine about it.

About this time you came to the conclusion that you would not accept the whole State of Ohio as a gift; and if you had the strength and means, you picked up Hannah and the baby and your traps and went back " yander to Ole Virginny, "Pennsylvany," Maryland, New York or the "Jarseys.

You didn't sing, but you felt the following:

"And to-day the swallows flitting

Round my cabin, see me sitting

Moodily within the sunshine,

"Just inside my silent door.

Waiting for the 'ager, 'seeming

Like a man forever dreaming;

And the sunlight on me streaming

"Throws no shadow on the floor;

For I'm too thin and sallow

To make shadows on the floor

Nary shadow any more!"

The above is not a mere picture of the imagination. It is simply recounting, in quaint phrase, what actually occurred in thousands of cases. Whole families would sometimes be sick at one time, and not one member scarcely able to wait upon another. Labor or exercise always aggravated the malady, and it took Gen. Laziness a long time to thrash the enemy out. And those were the days for swallowing all sorts of "roots and yarbs, " and whisky, etc., with a faint hope of relief. And finally, when the case wore out, the last remedy taken got the credit of the cure.

We have not learned who could justly claim the honor Of being the first resident physician in the territory now known as Wyandot County, but it is altogether probable that Tymochtee Township could boast of the continued presence of one of these disciples of Esculapius as early as 1825. in 1845, however, when the first Board of County Commissioners ordered that a special tax of $1 be levied upon each attorney and physician in the county, the physicians mentioned upon the tax lists were as follows : Crane Township, Joseph Mason and David Watson; Ridge Township, Noah Wilson; Richland Township, David Adams; Jackson Township, William Cope; Marseilles Township,* Wells Chisney and Orrin Ferris; Crawford

Dr. Westbrook, the first physician to locate at Marsellies Village, was there in 1835, also Dr. Hall.

376 - HISTORY 0F WYANDOT COUNTY.

Township, Howard Clark and John Foster; Tymochtee Township, Alvin Bingham, John Free, Ziba. A. Letson, Erastus Ranger, George W. Samp. son, and Dr. Dunn; Antrim Township, Augustus W. Munson; Pitt Town. ship, James H. Drum, Stephen Fowler and James B. McGill.

Among other early physicians at Upper Sandusky, besides Joseph Mar-on, who died in 1852, and David Watson, were James McConnell, who came in the summer of 1845; Madison Fletcher, who located here in 1846, Orrin Ferris and William Kiskadden, druggists and physicians, in 1848, and George T. McDonald, also in 1848.

In the list of later and present physicians, we find the names of R. A. Henderson,* William Irwin, Dr. Ramsey, 1. H. Williams, J. W. Smalley-, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Sigler, Dr. Kilmer, J. W. Barnes, J. W. White,* N. Hardy,* F. J. Schug, R. N, McConnell,* D. W. Byron,* Rudolph Heym, J. W. Rosenberger, Isaac N. Bowmun,* W. K. Byron,* G. 0. Masky,* L. P. Walter* and J. W. Davis.*

Dr. Stephen Fowler, one of the first physicians to locate within the limits of the present. county of Wyandot, and who also served as one of Wyandot's first County Commissioners, died near Little Sandusky December 26, 1847, in the fifty-ninth year of his age.

He was born in Berkshire County, Mass., October 4, 1789. When quite young his father removed his family to Rutland County, Vt., where the sons were trained as farmers. After attaining his majority, Stephen began the study of medicine. Having completed a thorough course of medical studies, he first began to practice, near the close of the war of 1812-15, in a United States army hospital at Burlington, Vt. He there gained great credit for his skill and success in treating patients suffering with an epidemic fever then prevailing.

Soon after the close of the war referred to, he determined to go South, and, in accordance with his plans, began a journey on horseback from Ver. mont toward New Orleans; but when he had reached a point in Bradford County, Perin., he became quite ill. The settlers there, who were chiefly natives of Now York and the New England States, then persuaded him to remain with them. He there married Miss Leefe Stevens, raised a large family of children. and obtained a large practice. Indeed, it has been related that his ride was so extensive in Pennsylvania that, during the prevalence of an epidemic disease, he was compelled to keep relays of horses posted upon his circuit. In Pennsylvania, he accumulated quite a handsome competency, and remained there until 1827, when he removed to the " Sandusky Plains," and purchased the beautiful property which he occupied until his death.

He had thought to abandon his profession when settling in Ohio, but he found the country new and unhealthful, and, more with the intention of endeavoring to alleviate the distress of his neighbors than the hope of pecuniary reward, he again engaged in the practice of medicine and followed it in connection with farming with untiring energy until attacked by a dys. peptic disease which finally terminated his signally industrious and useful life. He represented the district composed of Crawford, Marion and Union Counties in the State Legislature during the sessions of 1837-38 and 1838-39. When Wyandot County was organized in 1845, he was elected as one of its first County Commissioners, and was re.elected to the same office and served until October, 1847, when he positively declined another nomination. Dr. Fowler was ever courteous, affable, and unassuming to all men, and

* Physicians now in practice.

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY. - 377

was highly respected throughout this quarter of the State. His widow still survives, and now resides in the town of Upper Sandusky.

Dr. George W. Sampson settled in Tymochtee Township in the spring of 1828, and at once commenced the practice of medicine. In January, 1880, he removed to and settled at McCutchenville, where he has resided ever since. At the time of his arrival, the road from Upper Sandusky to Tiffin was the only one laid out in this part of the county. All traveling was accomplished by following the Indian trails. His practice extended to Melmore on the east, Little Sandusky on the south, ten miles beyond Find lay on the west, and to Tiffin on the north. Owing to the absence of bridges, he was compelled to ford or swim all streams, and often rode seventy and seventy-five miles in a day rind night during the sickly seasons, There are now more than fifty physicians in the same territory.

His first patient was a Mr. Crane, who then lived upon lands now occupied by the town of Carey. A son, about eighteen years of age, came for him on foot, bareheaded, barefooted, and with only enough clothing to cover about one-half of his person. He led the way to where they lived, and it required fast riding, the doctor says, to keep in sight of him.

He practiced a great deal among the Indians, and still has the books on which are the accounts of Hicks, Summundewat, Sarrahos, Warpole, Mo. noncue, Squindecta, Peacock, Washington and Coon, chiefs among the Wyandots, and Steele, Wiping-stick, Half-John and Comstock among the Senecas. He had long experience and great success in treating "milk sickness," or "trembles." This disease prevailed on the prairies and along the streams, but says he never knew a case below the mouth of Tymochtee Creek.

The Doctor is still engaged in the practice of medicine, and possesses considerable physical vigor and energy, although having performed bodily toil and endured mental anxiety sufficient to have worn out any ordinary man.*

Dr. James McConnell was born in Huntingdon County, Penn., March 8, 1802. As the name indicates, he was of Scoth-Irish origin, a descendant of a class of intelligent, hardy pioneers, who settled the central counties of Pennsylvania prior to the beginning of the Revolutionary war. During that war they were to a man known as stanch patriots, and as determined, successful Indian fighters. After completing a thorough course of literary and medical studies, Dr. McConnell began the practice of his is profession at Lewistown, Penn., where he remained for a number of years. In the summer of 1845, he became a resident of Upper Sandusky. Here he resumed practice, and for about a quarter of a century thereafter., stood at the head of his profession, His professional services were in great demand, and though known as a genial, honest, large-hearted man, he accumulated a handsome competency. He retired from the toils and anxieties of his calling in 1868, yet until within a very recent period his tall, lithe form, was daily one of the most familiar objects to be seen upon the streets of Upper Sandusky. Pleasant in his manners and a fluent conversationalist, he was a gentleman. well calculated to win and retain the esteem of the public. He died Saturday, April 12, 1884, after an illness of but seven or eight days'

duration.

Sketches of other gentlemen of the medical profession will be found in the respective town and township histories of this work.

*From a sketch written in 1879.