MEDICAL HISTORY

MEDICAL HISTORY. Dr. Henry Glover LANGWORTHY in writing of the early medical profession in Dubuque divided it into two parts. The first reached from the settlement of Dubuque to the formation of a medical society in Dubuque in 1852. T%he second ran from the organization of the Northwestern Medical Society in 1852 to 1908. (1)

The earliest "physician" traveled by horseback with the necessary drugs and equipment that fit into a saddlebag. Blood-letting and the administration of large doses of calomel were common. A few had seen an occasional case or assisted another "physician" in some operation. (2) A letter by Dr. J. F. Henry to a colleague in Kentucky remarked,

               The summer fevers are easily managed, requiring but
               little of Cook's pills or any similar compound and
               yielding readily to quinine. There is a marked
               tendency to cholera, but as controllable in its
               incipient stages as fever and ague.  The winter
               diseases are most disastrous, and this I must think
               is from the prevailing neglect of the lancet. In
               the whole course of my practice I look back on
               nothing with a higher appreciation of its value
               in the treatment of pneumonia, pleurisy, and the
               phemmasia that the lancet; and yet, such in the
               dominion of fashion that I have almost ceased to
               use it in any case. (3)

Medical records of Dubuque begin in the 1830s. Dr. Frank Jarret was present as a civil officer when a series of mining rules and regulations were written by the Langworthy brothers to settle mining disputes. (4)

Dr. Stoddard arrived in Dubuque early in 1833 as a CHOLERA epidemic swept the community in July, August and September. Dr. Stoddard charged patients in town during the day $1.00 and at night $2.00. Ex-officio services were billed at $1.00 per hour while consultation with other doctors cost $10.00. An extra charge for mileage was added to country calls. Medicines were kept on hand for sale. He served as a surgeon and physician. In 1835 Dr. Stoddard shot Captain Edward White with a load of coarse salt during an argument over a mining claim. Fearing for his life, Stoddard escaped the city. He was followed by a Dr. John Hill. (3)

Dr. Stephen LANGWORTHY arrived in 1834 to join his brothers. He served as a surgeon in the WAR OF 1812 and in Dubuque also held the position of U. S. land officer. He is credited with being the first permanent physician to serve the city. (4) However, since he was in the area only to mine LEAD, he moved on and left no record of ever practicing medicine. (5)

Dr. Frederick Andros, a graduate of Brown University in both its literary and medical departments, arrived in Dubuque in 1834. He later claimed to be the first duly registered and licensed physician in the community because he argued the other physicians had not been regular licensed. Andros practiced in Dubuque until 1837 when on account of failing health he left for Clayton County and a career in farming. He was not mentioned by Dr. Langworthy who credited Drs. Allen Hill and John Stoddard for serving the community during an outbreak of Asiatic CHOLERA. Stoddard had not graduated from a school of medicine, but had worked as a hospital steward in an Illinois regiment during the BLACK HAWK WAR. After killing a man in an argument, Stoddard quickly left Dubuque. (6)

Dr. Stephen LANGWORTHY came to join his brothers in 1836. He had served as a surgeon in the United States Army during the War of 1812 and was called long distances to do surgeries or consult. (7)

Without question the earliest doctor to make a permanent impact on the city was Dr. John FINLEY who arrived in Dubuque in 1836. He traveled to distant settlements to treat the ill and had an active practice forty years including three years during the CIVIL WAR as a surgeon of the 37th Infantry known better as the GREYBEARD REGIMENT. He was the founder of FINLEY HOSPITAL (THE). (6)

Dr. I. O. Ferrall began his practice of medicine here in 1837. He has been remembered for being the first to keep vaccine on hand. Dr. Plumbe, a graduate of the medical department of the University of Leyden, Holland arrived at about the same time and announced in September, 1838 that he had adopted the European plan of practice with "bilious and intermittent fever and ague" and would cure in a few hours with the use of calomel. Physicians came and left during this time with wagon trains. In 1846 Dubuque only had three permanent physicians--Drs. Charles Koepfli, R. S. Lewis and P. R. Campbell. This number increased to nine by 1847 and rose rapidly in the 1850s. (7)

On November 4, 1852 the Dubuque County Medical Society was established. Dubuque's first hospital, a private institution opened by Drs. N. B. Matthews and McMahan, was established in the spring of 1854 in a small brick building opposite the court house. The facility specialized in the care of patients with SMALLPOX. On January 13, 1879 a group of five Catholic sisters came to Dubuque at the request of Bishop John HENNESSY. They established a hospital at the corner of Third and Bluff STREETS. (8)

These sisters moved to a site later occupied by ST. JOSEPH'S MERCY HOSPITAL. They opened ST. JOSEPH'S SANITARIUM in 1878 and in 1898 constructed ST. ANTHONY'S HOME FOR THE AGED. (9)

Physicians traveling for other communities to make limited stays in Dubuque to see patients was not uncommon. In May, 1900 a staff of physicans and surgeons rom the British Medical Institute chose to establish a permanent office in Dubuque. They provided their services free for three months (medicines excepted) who called on them between May 1st and June 15th. Located in the BANK AND INSURANCE BUILDING suite 314, the doctors treated all forms of disease and deformity and guaranteed a cure for every case. Office hours were grom 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. with no hours on Sunday. (10)

FINLEY HOSPITAL (THE) was built in 1890 although Dr. Finley had planned for it thirty years earlier. Mrs. Finley made provisions in her will that residue of her estate should be used to establish a non-sectarian hospital named after her husband. In addition to their personal mansion and twenty-two acres of land, public subscription included large pledges from F. A. Rumpf, James Huff STOUT, Henry L. STOUT, and Abraham SLIMMER. (11)

A meeting in the office of Dr. A. M. Loes in 1916 led to the opening of SUNNYCREST SANITORIUM in 1921. The idea of a tubercular institution in Dubuque County was put up for a public vote which was approved with a bond issue of $75,000 and a two mill levy for payment of bonds and maintenance of the facility. (11)

Drs. John B. HELES, Clarence LYNN and WAYNE A. JOHNSTON established MEDICAL ASSOCIATES CLINIC PC (THE).

See: HEALTH OFFICER, PEST HOUSE

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Source:

1. Langworthy, Henry, "The Medical Men of the Early Days," The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, August 23, 1908, p. 63

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. Key, Harley, "Iowa's Medical History Began in Old Dubuque," Telegraph-Herald, September 15, 1946, p. 84

5. Langworthy

6. Ibid.

7. Key

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. "Doctors Coming to Dubuque," Dubuque Herald, May 1, 1900, p. 5

11. Key