MEDICAL HISTORY

MEDICAL HISTORY. 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.

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.

Dr. Stephen LANGWORTHY arrived in 1834 to join his brothers. He served as a surgeon in the WAR OF 1812 and in Dubuque also hed the position of U. S. land officer. He is credited with being the first permanent physician to serve the city.

Dr. Frederick Andros also 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 he left for Clayton County and a career in farming.

Without question the earliest doctor to make a permanent impact on the city was Dr. John FINLEY who arrived in Dubuque in 1836. He was in active practice forty years including three years during the CIVIL WAR as a surgeon of the 37th Infantry known better as the GREY BEARDS. He was the founder of FINLEY HOSPITAL (THE).

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.

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.

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.

Finley Hospital 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.

A meeting in the office of Dr. A. M. Loes in 1916 led to the opening of SUNNYCREST SANITARIUM 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.

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Source:

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