The Medical Profession
Register of
Physicians, Dentists and Midwives
|
In no profession have there been such marked changes in the
practice and habits of life as in the medical profession. The knowledge of
disease and manner of treatment has greatly increased within the memory of
those who have not passed beyond the years of middle age; while the
science and skill applied in the practice of surgery has advanced beyond
the most visionary conceptions of the old-time practitioner.
When the first physicians began practice in Chickasaw
County they did not visit their patients in automobiles. Even had this
modern method of rapid transit been known at that time, it would have been
impracticable on account of the condition of the roads, or rather the
absence of roads. The old-time doctor did not even have a buggy to drive
about the country, but rode horseback, carrying his saddle-bags well
filled with various drugs, largely quinine and calomel, the usual remedies
for the prevailing diseases. At least this was the remedy used whether it
was the proper one or not. The old-time doctor did not have office hours,
at which time his patients could visit him for treatment, nor did he have
the telephone by which he could treat patients at long distance. His
duties required him to make the rounds every day, regardless of the time
of the day or night, and regardless of the weather. His practice extended
over a large district, some requiring a full day and night to make the
rounds. Sometimes, in a dark night, he would lose his bearings in
following a by-path in the woods, but he usually rode a faithful horse who
could find the way out if left to his own instinct. The horse usually was
so well educated that he knew where the call was to be made and would stop
at the place without guidance.
All this experience and much more of a similar character is
familiar to physicians who followed the profession half a century ago.
Some of these are still living, and some are still in the practice, using
the advanced methods in surgery and treatment of diseases. The relation of
their experience in the old-time practice furnishes an interesting story
for the younger generation.
- Dr. H.M. MIXER has the distinction of being the first physician to
locate in New Hampton, coming here in 1865.
- Dr. A. BABCOCK followed soon after, in 1867.
- Dr. E.H. OLMSTED came to Chickasaw County in 1867, locating first in
Fredericksburg, and in New Hampton in 1872.
- Dr. Ira K. GARDNER located in the practice in Lawler in 1870, and
came to New Hampton in 1878, and formed a partnership with Dr MIXER.
A number of other physicians came along in the 1880s, some
of whom remained but a short time and then departed for other fields.
In 1881 a law was enacted by the Legislature requiring
physicians to register in the county in which they engaged in practice. It
was also required that certain qualifications be shown before a physician
would receive credentials from the established medical board and be
entitled to register for practice. The record of register for each county
is kept by the Clerk of the District Court, and from this record in the
office of the clerk of the court in this county the names of the following
physicians appear on the register, beginning with January
1880: |
REGISTER of PHYSICIANS, DENTISTS and
MIDWIVES
1880 - 1916
| DATE |
NAME |
AGE |
PLACE |
| 17 Jan 1883 |
ALDRICH, Henry C. |
26 |
Nashua |
| 13 Dec 1886 |
ANDERSON, A.P. |
36 |
Elma |
| |
ARKILLS, W.B. |
29 |
Fredericksburg |
| 26 Jan 1880 |
BABCOCK, A. |
36 |
New Hampton |
| 07 Jan 1881 |
BITTINGS, C.M. |
39 |
Nashua |
| 04 Mar 1889 |
BLANCHARD, F.C. (Dentist) |
26 |
Nashua |
| 04 Dec 1905 |
BLOWERS, Walter M. |
25 |
Waterloo |
| 20 Jun 1891 |
BOULDIN, Ira W. |
34 |
New Hampton |
| 23 Aug 1889 |
BRYANT, Z.Z. |
50 |
Sumner |
| 13 Dec 1886 |
BUMM, M.O. |
28 |
Elma |
| 13 Dec 1886 |
BYERS, D.S. |
54 |
Clarksville |
| 09 Aug 1886 |
CLARK, A.E. (Dentist) |
--- |
New Hampton |
| 06 Aug 1900 |
CRAWFORD, David Agnew |
--- |
New Hampton |
| 17 Nov 1890 |
DENNIS, C.W. |
34 |
----- |
| 11 Nov 1895 |
DENNIS, E.G. |
30 |
Chase City |
| 17 Dec 1896 |
DEVOE, Eber H. |
37 |
Chicago |
| 23 May 1916 |
DONNELL, John W. |
38 |
Kansas City, MO |
| |
DUNN, E.H. |
28 |
Elma |
| 04 Sep 1905 |
FALLOWS, Howard D. |
22 |
Waucoma |
| |
FEENEY, Francis |
23 |
New Hampton |
| 30 May 1883 |
FERGUSON, J.T. (Dentist) |
--- |
New Hampton |
| 15 Sep 1894 |
FOWLER, Charles C. |
25 |
New Hampton |
| 05 Aug 1880 |
GARDNER, Ira K. |
34 |
New Hampton |
| 08 Jan 1887 |
HARVEY, C.T. |
27 |
New Hampton |
| 02 Feb 1903 |
HASTINGS, John C. |
26 |
Bailey |
| 24 Jan 1908 |
HASTINGS, Patrick H. |
29 |
McIntire |
| 27 Sep 1911 |
HAWK, Nathan F. |
50 |
Marathon |
| 15 Dec 1881 |
HENNY, D.H. |
44 |
Nashua |
| 24 Aug 1880 |
HEWITT, C. |
34 |
Lawler |
| 30 Jun 1892 |
HILL, M.B. |
31 |
New Hampton |
| 02 Jan 1893 |
HOPKINS, Alfred Grant |
48 |
New Hampton |
| 04 Aug 1884 |
HORTON, J.D. |
24 |
Nashua |
| 03 Aug 1881 |
HULBERT, Delos |
26 |
Ionia |
| 27 Aug 1895 |
JOHNSTON, Edwin N. |
26 |
Fredericksburg |
| 02 Aug 1883 |
LANDON, O.M. |
28 |
Lawler |
| 27 May 1910 |
LEWIS, Byron |
35 |
Jewell |
| 15 Apr 1898 |
LOCKWOOD, Walter B.
(Dentist) |
--- |
Nashua |
| |
McCLURG, John A. |
36 |
Ionia |
| 08 Sep 1908 |
McDANNELL, John |
26 |
Glen Haven, WI |
| |
McENANEY, J.B. |
--- |
Waucoma |
| 29 May 1915 |
McGRANE, Merle Joseph |
26 |
Elma |
| 19 Apr 1910 |
McKINLEY, Alex D. |
32 |
Waterloo |
| 27 Apr 1909 |
MEYER, Rose Barbara |
23 |
New Hampton |
| 05 Aug 1880 |
MIXER, H.M. |
52 |
New Hampton |
| 07 Sep 1881 |
NOBLES, Catherine
(Midwife) |
71 |
Nashua |
| 24 Mar 1881 |
OLDS, B.B. |
27 |
Ionia |
| 09 Aug 1880 |
OLMSTED, E.H. |
53 |
New Hampton |
| 21 May 1889 |
OVERFIELD, E.E. |
28 |
Elma |
| |
PITTS, W.S. |
50 |
Fredericksburg |
| 25 May 1894 |
RATHBUN, Charles N. |
24 |
New Hampton |
| 12 Mar 1892 |
RAWLINS, John A. |
28 |
Bassett |
| 08 Apr 1908 |
RICH, Louis P. |
28 |
Frederika |
| 03 Jul 1895 |
ROBINSON, Robert E. |
25 |
Frederika |
| 29 Jul 1880 |
SAGE, D.M. |
34 |
Bassett |
| 17 Jun 1913 |
SAUERBREY, Frank C. |
25 |
Strawberry Point |
| 03 Aug 1880 |
SCOFIELDS, F.T. |
44 |
Ionia |
| 28 Oct 1907 |
SHALLENBURGER, John F. |
28 |
Chicago |
| 06 Sep 1895 |
SHAMBAUGH, L.D. |
32 |
Alta Vista |
| 02 Jan 1882 |
SHEPERD, John L. |
32 |
Lawler |
| 02 Oct 1880 |
SHERWIN, F.O. |
27 |
Lawler |
| |
SIMONS, F.W. |
32 |
North Washington |
| 09 Mar 1887 |
SIPPLE, C.H. (Dentist) |
21 |
Charles City |
| 02 Oct 1903 |
SITZER, George D. |
33 |
Des Moines |
| 13 Dec 1881 |
SPAULDING, N. |
67 |
Nashua |
| 17 Nov 1890 |
STENDER, W. Franklin |
40 |
Des Moines |
| 23 Oct 1880 |
STRAUS, L.A. |
24 |
Nashua |
| 04 Sep 1902 |
TARPEY, James F. |
31 |
Elma |
| 09 Feb 1886 |
TAYLOR, L.W. |
24 |
Fredericksburg |
| 09 Nov 1880 |
TROY, S.S. |
48 |
Nashua |
| 01 Feb 1894 |
TRUMPAN, F.C. |
22 |
Elgin |
| 10 Dec 1880 |
TUCKER, L.M. |
57 |
Nashua |
| 10 Dec 1880 |
TUCKER, Lennee |
21 |
Nashua |
| 12 Oct 1903 |
VAN VELZEN, Catherine N. |
37 |
New Hampton |
| 24 Jul 1891 |
VESPERS, W.S. |
38 |
Elgin |
| 09 Jul 1886 |
VON BERG, G.W. |
--- |
Charles City |
| 08 Nov 1883 |
WATERS, J. |
57 |
Nashua |
| 05 Apr 1886 |
WEEKS, E.C. (Dentist) |
--- |
Nashua |
| 01 Sep 1880 |
WIGHT, A.H. |
37 |
Ionia |
| 18 Nov 1905 |
ZOLLAR, Sherwood B. |
24 |
Fredericksburg |
Source:
History of Chickasaw and Howard
Counties Iowa, 1919
Volume II, pages 312 - 314
The S.J.
Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago