Dr.Samuel E. Sibley

SIBLEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/16/2010 at 22:59:12

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Dr Samuel E Sibley
By Edward H Sibley

Dr Samuel Edward Sibley came to Moville in Woodbury County in 1983 after graduation from the State University of Iowa with an MD degree. To complete licensure, he spent a year of preceptorship with Dr W H Dewey there, and they continued on. Dr Sibley’s years spanned the horse and buggy years, the train era, and on into the automobile era. He started practice at age 23.

His Sibley lineage illustrates much of American history. For the record the series reads: 8( Samuel E, 7( Lyman Williams, 6( Isaac, 5( Nathan, 4( & 3( Sam, 2( Joseph, 1( John. John came to the New World from England in 1629 with Winthrop’s Fleet, which brought many others to Salem, Massa-chusetts. The passage was paid for by working as an indentured servant until 1835, when he took by Freeman’s Oath. He accumulated property and local status. His son, Joseph, a fisherman, was once impressed into the British Navy for seven months service. Most Sibleys were farmers but 4( Sam built a sawmill. This Sam was also a Captain of Militia in 1775. Isaac started the move west, going to Cuba, New York. Lyman W, father of S E, was a farmer who moved farther west. After looking at Michigan, he took the C&NW RR, 1864, to the end of the line at Nevada, Iowa, in Story County. He selected a farm near Ames; there Samuel E was born December 1, 1869. The land was ‘broken’ (first plowed) in 1867. After four years, this farm became too small, and another move west was made to Plymouth County to a ‘large’ farm of 240 acres.

Dr Samuel E Sibley went to the LeMars High School; the report cards still existing are good. A local homeopathic physician supplied the inspiration to study medicine; the advice of older sister, Eva, directed him to ‘allopathic’ medicine and thus the University of Iowa. (Today there is no such separation.)

Getting through school was a financial problem then as now. He had to take brief times out to earn money teaching school. He often recalled that at one place the entire school board met his train saying, ‘We don’t care if you teach them anything, just keep order.’ In those days with farm work interruptions, very large boys were still in grade school. He kept order.

Medical Practice in a small town in the 1890s was vastly different from today’s. It was, of course, a horse and buggy practice; Sioux City was a long day’s round trip from Moville. However, looking back, the horse had one great advantage; the weary doctor could doze off and stlll be brought safely home.

Diphtheria was a scourge then (preventive medicine had not been invented). Moville had a terrible epidemic in the 1890s, whole families of children being lost. Diphtheria antitoxin (for treatment, not prevention) was just coming in; this was used but so little was available that the epidemic largely ran the course.

Surgical shock from loss of blood after delivery or injury was often a fatal problem with no blood banks or the other facilities that we take for granted. Dr Sibley had read of use of ‘physiological’ salt solution in such treatment but no product was available. He proudly recalled of instances when in extreme emergency he made up such a solution in homes, and used it with apparent life-saving effect.

While in Moville he married Martha Belle Heathcote; the date of the wedding was March 31, 1896. From their often repeated recollections, we can guess that the time Dr and Mrs. Sibley lived in Moville must have been a very happy one. They had a small ‘tin’ house next to Dr Dewey’s big one, and kept a very large white bulldog which they called ‘Denver’. The doctor did not like to have Denver fight, but the local sports often tried to sneak the dog away for a match. Denver was never known to lose.

However an opportunity and challenge came which could not be turned down. Dr R E Conniff, a prominent Sioux City physician, wished to limit his practice to what is called Internal Medicine today. He desired to have a surgeon associated with him in his office, and selected Dr Sibley. The young couple moved to Sioux City in 1903.

Dr Sibley spent six months with the Mayo brothers in Rochester, Minnesota, learning about surgery. This was quire good for those days when most surgeons were self taught and emerged from the ranks of general practioners, but still much was left to innate judgment and courage.

Beyond the range of horse and buggy, it was in those days more expedient to move the surgeon to the patient. Trains with local use of horse-drawn transportation were the usual solution; sometimes it was simply horse-back. Since the passenger schedules were often inconvenient, the doctor and his helper mostly rode in the caboose of a freight train. Sometimes a ‘special train’ consisting of engine and caboose was the answer. Since the passenger schedules were often inconvenient, the doctor and his helper mostly road in the caboose of a freight train. Sometimes a ‘special train’ consisting of engine and a caboose was the answer. The association of Dr Conniff and Dr Sibley with the ‘Omaha’ railroad helped. (C,STP,M,&O RR.)

It was 1910 before Dr Sibley purchased his first automobile, a Cadillac, and horses were kept for five years more. Improvement in cars and roads were slow, but by the time of the First World War many trips were made by automobile.

References have been made to ‘kitchen table’ surgery. Actually the dining room table was preferred. The table was fully extended, and two leaves placed lengthwise in the middle. The patient was placed on these, thus allowing the surgeon and his assistant to stand close. The wide space at the head end was used for the anesthetist’s gear, and the other for sterile drapes, instruments, and sutures. Sterilized linens were brought from a Sioux City hospital and the instruments were boiled in the kitchen. Ether was the usual anesthetic, dropped on a gauze covered mask. While ether can be explosive, I have heard no tales of explosions, even through lighting was by kerosene lamps or other open flame devices.

Dr Sibley developed a wide circle of referring doctors. Every small town has a doctor then. He thus developed one of Sioux City’s largest surgical practices. It soon became clear that a nurse’s help would be most useful in setting up these impromptu anesthetic. The first of these was ‘Kitty O’Neill’, a St Joseph Mercy Hospital graduate, until her death in 1918. Her place was taken by Bertha Ewer, a Samaritan Hospital graduate. Miss Ewer was one of the founders of the Samaritan Home.

Dr Sibley happened to do the first operation in the ‘new’ Methodist Hospital at 9th and Douglas Streets (1925). The Sioux City Journal photographer took a picture without asking permission, which was published on the front page. The doctor was doubly incensed; the open flash was a surprise and a hazard, and furthermore he hated the publicity.

The son of Dr Samuel E and Martha Heathcote Sibley, Edward H was born April 17, 1910 – the date after the first automobile was purchased. (separate article)

Dr Samuel worked until a few months before his death in March of 1942. He died widely respected for his generosity and professional skill.